A classic, cozy home library with wood-panel walls, large windows showing greenery outside, a black leather tufted sofa, a matching leather ottoman with open books and a vase with flowers, a fireplace partially visible, and built-in bookshelves.

whole house renovation

Stone House

Reimagining a 1960s ranch into a timeless stone Colonial, this project balances grandeur with warmth. Built atop the original foundation and anchored by classic forms, the design creates a natural flow of connected spaces—tailored for family life, entertaining, and everyday ease.

Status
Completed 2021

SCOPE
whole house renovation

LOCATION
mclean, Virginia

A two-story house with a gray and white exterior, black shutters, a pitched roof, and lush landscaping in front, surrounded by trees.

the challenge

A Virginian Countryside Colonial, Reimagined

What began as a low-slung 1960s ranch had been altered over the years into a faux English cottage, complete with a steep, inaccessible roofline and dormers. The property itself offered promise: a cleared yard and an acre of private woods.

The homeowners envisioned a traditional stone Colonial, reminiscent of those found in the Virginian countryside. They asked us to design a new two-story home that would sit on the existing foundation, while preserving the attached garage and one-story front room. The home also needed to support their busy lifestyle—with room for work, school, entertaining, two teenagers, and several large dogs.

Front view of a classic Colonial house with stone exterior, black shutters, white dormer windows, and a wooden front door, surrounded by greenery and a stone pathway.

the solution

Warm & Inviting

The key to making an 8,000-square-foot house feel warm and inviting is to break it into familiar, smaller forms—creating the impression that the home was built and added onto over time. 

The interior renovation includes a wood-paneled library with a fireplace and views, and an open-concept kitchen that connects seamlessly to a spacious family room.

  • Open front door leading to a garden with green plants and trees outside, with a hanging lantern visible above.
  • An interior room features a checkered floor, a round wooden table with a book and a glass vase of white flowers, a patterned armchair, and large glass doors with wooden frames leading outside, with greenery visible beyond.
A cozy living room with wood-paneled walls and ceiling, large windows revealing green trees outside, and furniture including an upholstered armchair, a sofa, and a wooden coffee table with a plant, with a small corner desk with architectural plans and a drink nearby.

wood-paneled library

“Our favorite space in the house is the library… It's cozy and it has such a beautiful view of the back woods. ”

“Our favorite space in the house is the library. We thought the boys would spend all their time in their own second floor den but we're actually all spending more time together in this space! It's cozy and it has such a beautiful view of the back woods.“

Carrie + Jim S.
Mclean, virginia

  • View through a doorway into a living room with a gray couch, fireplace, and window with a lamp. The foreground features a wooden wall with a framed map and a small table with a green potted plant.
  • A cozy living room with wooden paneling, a black leather tufted sofa, a wooden coffee table with an open book and a vase with flowers, large windows with greenery outside, and built-in bookshelf beside a fireplace.
Living room with a stone fireplace, a wooden mantel with a framed painting, white built-in cabinets, and a gray sofa with a matching pillow.
Living room with fireplace, stone wall, beige couch, coffee table, view of outdoor balcony through large glass doors, and modern decor.
A spacious kitchen with white cabinets, blue lower cabinets, a gray marble island, hardwood floors, and a large window with navy curtains. There are brown leather chairs at the island, a vase with white flowers, and a bowl of lemons. Stainless steel appliances and a small shelf with bottles are also visible.
Living room with large glass door opening to a garden with trees and greenery, featuring a wooden chair with cushions, a small side table with a vase of white flowers, and artwork on the walls.
A cozy backyard patio with a round metal table and four chairs, surrounded by potted plants and lush greenery. The house has white wooden siding, black window shutters, and a shingled roof, with a lamp mounted beside a sliding glass door.

special feature

Maximizing the Setting

The redesigned floor plan created multiple connections to the outdoors. From the Family Room, large patio doors open to a series of outdoor “rooms” for dining, lounging, and fires that cascade into the yard. The Great Room, reserved for formal entertaining, extends onto a charming patio.

Large white house with stone accents, multiple windows, and a chimney, surrounded by trees and a manicured lawn with steps and a patio area.

A Natural Flow

The formal two-story colonial stone house anchors the design, establishing the sense of a longstanding ‘original’ structure. Extensions to the side of the stone house “telescope” or step down, maintaining the hierarchy of the original structure. The result is a collection of well-proportioned, comfortably sized spaces that flow naturally from one to the next, for both the family and their guests.

A Work in Progress

A look at where we began—original conditions, site constraints, and early ideas that shaped the final design.

  • Snow-covered house with white siding, large windows, and a porch, surrounded by leafless trees and snow-covered ground.

    Original Rear View

  • A snowy backyard view of a white house with trees in winter.

    Original Rear View

  • A large house with white exterior walls, black roof, and a screened porch with white pillars. The house is surrounded by trees with some leaves fallen, shrubs, and a grassy yard, under a blue sky.

    Original Ranch Home Rear View

  • A large white house with multiple windows and a black roof, situated on a lawn with fallen leaves. There is a black SUV parked on the driveway on the right side. Autumn trees with yellow and orange foliage surround the house on a clear day.

    The original front of the house. The steep roof and dormers here were built on top of the lower 1960s roof. This faux ‘second floor’ was completely inaccessible and unusable.

  • Living room with a bed, a sofa, a fireplace, a chandelier, windows, a TV, and lamps.

    Original primary bedroom in oversized volume of space.

  • Living room with white cabinets, a leather sofa with an orange blanket, and a side table with a lamp; leads to another room with armchairs and a fireplace.

    Original living spaces along the back of the house.

  • Massing model studies colonial home

    Massing Model Studies

  • Sketch of a large multi-story house with multiple gabled roofs, windows, and a chimney, shown in black and white.

    Massing Model Studies

  • Massing Model Studies Roofline Flow

    Massing Model Studies

  • Interior of a house under construction with exposed wooden framing, unfinished walls, and construction materials on the floor.

    Construction Progress

  • Construction site of a house during winter with snow on the ground, workers present, and new roofing being installed. The house has partially installed siding and large sliding glass doors.

    Construction Progress

  • A house under construction with a snowy yard and partly finished exterior wall wrapped in Tyvek weatherproofing material. Two workers are present on the site, and there are trees and a clear blue sky in the background.

    Construction Progress

  • Construction site showing a partially built extension with plywood on the walls and roof, outdoor tools, and building materials around.

    Construction Progress

Collaborators

Contractor: William Cromley Design/Development

Stylist: Kristen Alcorta Interiors

Photographer: Jenn Verrier Photography

Landscape Designer: jordan honeyman landscape architecture

Back to Work