This Split Level Home Got a Major Midcentury Makeover

Maryland homeowners turned to Colleen Healey Architecture to transform their dated fixer-upper into a modern marvel filled with natural light and midcentury touches.

By: Meredith Rosenberg

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Photo By: Brian Wetzel

See How a Split-Level Fixer-Upper Is Transformed Into a Modern Marvel

Sasha and Shay Knaani wanted a modern home in Chevy Chase, Maryland, just outside of Washington DC, for their growing family. But after finding move-in-ready homes beyond their budget, they switched gears. Instead they found a midcentury, split-level fixer-upper and hired architect Colleen Healey to create their dream home: the Clerestory House.

For Sasha, that meant as much open space and light as possible; for Shay, that included a two-car garage. Colleen delivered all this and more in the gut renovation by removing the roof, opening up walls and adding about 1,000 square feet in additions. There were some challenges along the way, from the original kitchen designer going out of business to the cars not initially fitting into the garage, but these hiccups are now happily behind the family.

The Trick for Maintaining Privacy While Letting the Light Flow In

Since the front faces a busy road, Colleen had the challenge of maximizing light while maintaining privacy. "My very first instinct from the beginning was that we have to take this roof off and bring some light into [the space]. And with the budget that they were working with, we really needed to preserve the majority of the original house and keep its brick structure," Colleen explains about the clerestory-style windows, earning the house its nickname.

Sasha adds, "We wanted to make a statement, but without too much going on." That included a black-and-white color scheme, clean lines and natural materials. Shay is Israeli, and the couple cited Israeli architecture as a large influence. Sasha compares it to California beach style. "We just didn't want a modern box," she says. Otherwise, they gave Colleen free reign to execute their vision. The end result is five bedrooms and five bathrooms, with a new kitchen addition on the right and garage addition with two bedrooms and baths over it on the left.

For a dramatic entrance, this view of the backyard is actually viewed through the primary bedroom.

Making it Midcentury Modern, With Some Fresh Twists

This angle reveals how adding the clerestory windows and roof raised the ceiling height from 8 feet to 15 feet. Meanwhile, a skylight (one of six in the home) fulfills Sasha's request for ample light. "I told [Colleen] anywhere you can put a skylight, put a skylight," Sasha says.

Though not original to the house, Colleen added brick in the entranceway for an added midcentury element and had it painted black to match the outside. "I really wanted to incorporate this very dramatic sort of indoor/outdoor feel," Colleen notes. (The exterior brick is original, but stained black for dramatic effect.)

The Transformative Nature of Light

Sasha knew from the beginning that she wanted clean lines throughout, "so you feel like you can breathe inside the house and relax," she explains. The clean lines offer the added benefit of showcasing the natural sunlight. Sasha was also intentional about adding small lights to illuminate the artwork at night.

Don't Underestimate Split Levels

Colleen has found that many clients don't want to buy split levels, partly because "they're a more challenging building type to work with," she observes. "But I think that in this case, the split level was really used as a feature. You get this variety of levels where parents and children can connect with each other via sight lines, but they're in very different parts of the house."

Sasha observes how the split level aspect makes the house feel larger. "It's not so high as it is wide. And our guests are always joking, 'Where am I? Which corner of the house am I in?'"

In this dining area, Sasha also points out the custom-built credenza used for storage. "On the main level, I just don't want to look at stuff," she shares, adding that their three children have a designated playroom on the lower level.

It's All About Sight Lines

This sight line from the dining room provides a glimpse into the sitting area of the primary bedroom and the backyard just beyond. Colleen explains, "It's such a stunning backyard, and we just kept saying, it's such a shame to not be able to see that from the main level."

Fun fact: The silver light fixture is the only item Sasha and Shay kept from the original house because of its cool '60s vibe.

Curved Walls Both Reveal and Conceal

Here's another perspective of the sitting area, with the bed to the left. Colleen incorporated her signature curved wall here to create privacy. "I like what they do to a transition as you're moving through a space," she shares. Unseen, a sliding pocket door adds extra privacy. "You would never know, unless someone leaves their dirty laundry there, that you're looking through a very private space to the backyard," Colleen adds.

Besides carefully planned sight lines, there are other thoughtful details, like these small floor lights along the stairs. "We added them because our kids tend to walk down and come to our bed [at night]," Sasha says. She also loves the effect they have on the curved wall when it's dark. These small floor lights line the entryway as well.

Cozy Sanctuary

The backyard initially sloped, so leveling the ground adds to the family's enjoyment. "My husband and I love spending our weekend mornings [here]," says Sasha. "We grab coffee ... and that's usually our little tradition, with the kids in front of us ... and you can hear the birds chirp and watch the squirrels running around and it's a nice bonding time."

Shown in the previous image, these iconic Hans J. Wegner Shell chairs provide all the form and function the sitting area needs, simply paired with a Jonathan Adler for Ruggable rug.

Balancing Privacy With a View

Here's the primary bedroom from the outside. The sight line continues to obscure the bed, while facilitating the view from both sides. The backyard also reveals another bedroom to the left.

Sasha explains how most of the large windows face the back since there's just forest versus the busy road in front of the house.

A Minimalist Retreat

This angle reveals the bed and the room's minimalism. Motorized roller shades are cleverly concealed in a recessed ceiling pocket for complete privacy.

The Simple Elegance of Pendant Lights

In the bedroom, Sasha opted for a simple hanging pendant from Foscarini instead of a table lamp, although she reflects on the challenge of finding pendants that were long enough. An All Modern bed and Eileen Gray table round out the carefully curated furniture.

Create Drama with Mirrors, Light and Height

Colleen added a skylight in the primary bathroom since there aren't any windows. "I actually prefer that in bathrooms," she says. "I mean, you just want light and privacy."

As someone who loves light fixtures, Sasha took a special interest in sharing options with Colleen. They chose these pendant lights due to limited wall space. Colleen likes how they draw the eye upward, emphasizing the ceiling height without feeling too heavy.

Sasha adds how the mirror extends all the way to the ceiling, also emphasizing the height. Plus, "It was a really cool way to reflect the sun from the skylight," she says.

Hidden Mirrors

Can you find the hidden mirror in the living room? There are actually two: one on the far left above the painting, cleverly disguised as a window, and one to the right of the plant. The one on the left wound up being an afterthought, Colleen explains, in part because adding a window in that space would have been more involved. But she realized, "That's kind of the perfect place for a mirror because ... it would reflect the windows the whole way across."

Sasha wasn't initially sold on the mirrors until she saw the end result. "It was such an inexpensive way to get such an effect," she says.

Not least, the Hans J. Wegner Shell chair makes another appearance in the living room.

Midcentury Furniture Finds

Modern furniture in neutral hues adheres to the midcentury aesthetic without detracting from the view. Sasha acknowledges the Burrow sectional isn't kid-proof, "but we were looking for something that was modern and modular that we can move around," she explains. A Four Hands coffee table and Pablo Designs light pendant add additional interest without competing for attention.

Take Risks With Bathroom Decor

This black powder room is one of Sasha's favorite spaces and among the items on her initial wish list. The brick wall is original and painted black.

"We always like to have fun in the powder room," Colleen adds, explaining how the swan-patterned wallpaper is by local textile designer Kate Zaremba. "I always love to incorporate her fun wallpaper. It's one that I had shown to Sasha and she loved it right away ... I've never used that pattern [before]," Colleen says, noting how it complemented the black brick All Modern sink and moody feel Sasha wanted. Plus, the One Kings Lane mirror makes the wallpaper feel very meta.

Who Needs Upper Kitchen Cabinets?

Sasha loves to cook, so her kitchen requirements included a large sink and lots of windows. Since Sasha didn't want hanging cabinets, Colleen extended the windows all the way down to the counter.

One would never guess there was major kitchen drama during renovation: Sasha had been customizing the kitchen with an Italian company when the US office closed operations right before her kitchen shipped. The company told her she would have to deal directly with Italy if she still wanted it, so she decided to pivot and take her design to IKEA instead.

Connecting a Split Level to the Backyard

To meet Sasha's requirements for a larger kitchen, Colleen moved it to the side of the house and added window exposure on three sides, plus a skylight. She also connected it to the backyard by adding a patio. "That was really special because before that the house had no connection to the back unless you went out through the basement," she says.

Colleen says that many split levels were designed with the backyard a half level lower than the main level.

Adding Kid-Friendly Features

Gazing into the kitchen at night, one notices that floor-to-ceiling cabinets replace the hanging kind; they function as pantry and small appliance storage space.

Just as the kitchen evolved, the patio wasn't in the original plan either, but then Sasha and Shay realized that converting the small nook off the kitchen would facilitate the kids running in and out of the house.

Collaborative Hard Work Pays Off

Post-renovation, Sasha reflects on the process, "It keeps on evolving, because the space kind of talks to you when you start building. The more you build, the more it tells you what it needs to be."

But by working collaboratively with Colleen for the full duration, the end result is "100% a reflection of everything that we wanted," Sasha notes with satisfaction.

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