Houzz Tour: Cape Cod-Style Home Doubles in Size
A growing family extends its living space with an addition while preserving the charm of the original house
After three sons and a large Newfoundland dog came along, Colette and Jason Chipman soon found they had outgrown their 1950s Cape Cod-style home. In search of more living space, they set out to create an addition that would double the size of the home with more bedrooms, a master suite and a new kitchen.
BEFORE: The goal was to pay homage to the original Cape Cod design, shown here, by using similarly sharp roof lines and massing to allow the larger home to blend into the fabric of the neighborhood. The kids formerly shared the attic space, and there was no restroom upstairs.
Riddlemoser had the brick exterior painted a soft gray to evoke modern style while preserving the home’s traditional lines and texture.
Riddlemoser had the brick exterior painted a soft gray to evoke modern style while preserving the home’s traditional lines and texture.
The large addition now extends off the rear of the home and includes a new kitchen, pantry, powder room and family room on the first level; a recreation room in the renovated and reconfigured basement; and, upstairs, a new master suite and three kids’ bedrooms and guest bathroom.
Riddlemoser raised the ceilings a foot throughout the home and upgraded the floors to white oak.
Pale and deep grays show up throughout the larger rooms and hallways, allowing doors, decor and smaller rooms to feature accent colors and wallpaper.
Frame lantern in aged gold: Modern Fretwork
Pale and deep grays show up throughout the larger rooms and hallways, allowing doors, decor and smaller rooms to feature accent colors and wallpaper.
Frame lantern in aged gold: Modern Fretwork
A large quartzite-topped island anchors the bright new casual kitchen.
Stools: Ballard Designs
Stools: Ballard Designs
A pastel, hand-cut glass backsplash behind the range creates a striking focal point.
Beau Monde glass mosaic in Polly: Ann Sacks; perimeter countertops: Caesarstone
Beau Monde glass mosaic in Polly: Ann Sacks; perimeter countertops: Caesarstone
The kitchen opens to the family room. “Cooking now for family and friends is something we are doing a lot more of and it brings us great joy,” Colette says. “The light-filled family room off the kitchen has become the heart of the house, which was our goal.”
Sofa: West Elm; ottoman, side chairs, pillows and rug: One Kings Lane; wall color: Glass Slipper, Benjamin Moore
Sofa: West Elm; ottoman, side chairs, pillows and rug: One Kings Lane; wall color: Glass Slipper, Benjamin Moore
Riddlemoser transformed the former kitchen into hallway coat closets and reconfigured the rest of the original layout.
The Chipmans’ taste leans classic but eclectic. Jason is a lawyer in Washington, D.C., and Colette is an art historian and fine arts auction specialist who is currently staying home with their three boys. They like to mix old and new furnishings, and Colette’s expertise in antiques and fine art helped them accomplish that.
For instance, the Regency bookcase near the entry sits in the same room as a midcentury modern sofa. Around the corner, a hallway serves as a gallery of “ancestor portraits,” featuring photos of Jason’s great-great-grandparents on their farm in Norway.
Wall paint: Wickham Gray, Benjamin Moore; bookcase: Random Harvest
The Chipmans’ taste leans classic but eclectic. Jason is a lawyer in Washington, D.C., and Colette is an art historian and fine arts auction specialist who is currently staying home with their three boys. They like to mix old and new furnishings, and Colette’s expertise in antiques and fine art helped them accomplish that.
For instance, the Regency bookcase near the entry sits in the same room as a midcentury modern sofa. Around the corner, a hallway serves as a gallery of “ancestor portraits,” featuring photos of Jason’s great-great-grandparents on their farm in Norway.
Wall paint: Wickham Gray, Benjamin Moore; bookcase: Random Harvest
The couple also like to mix their children’s art among their historical pieces. Here, the original living room features a 19th-century Chinese marriage chest and a sculpture on the mantel made by their youngest son while he was in preschool.
“We wanted the house to be light-filled and yet feel intimate and cozy,” Colette says.
Sofa: CB2; Chinese marriage chest: Weschler’s Auctioneers & Appraisers
“We wanted the house to be light-filled and yet feel intimate and cozy,” Colette says.
Sofa: CB2; Chinese marriage chest: Weschler’s Auctioneers & Appraisers
The unassuming powder room in the addition holds one of the couple’s favorite details: whimsical wallpaper based on a design by Piero Fornasetti.
Chiavi Segrete wallpaper: Cole & Son
Chiavi Segrete wallpaper: Cole & Son
The grand but minimalist decor in the original dining room includes antique touches, such as 19th-century Japanese embroideries, and the couple’s 1950s Danish rosewood dining table.
Mainstay chandelier: Currey & Company; table: MidMod Decor; chairs: West Elm; wall color: Andes Summit, Benjamin Moore
Mainstay chandelier: Currey & Company; table: MidMod Decor; chairs: West Elm; wall color: Andes Summit, Benjamin Moore
The new master bathroom, with its Carrara marble floors and a slipper tub, has become a weekend sanctuary.
Bathtub: Marlborough by Victoria & Albert
Bathtub: Marlborough by Victoria & Albert
This side elevation shows how Riddlemoser doubled the size of the former home with the rear addition.
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Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Jason and Colette Chipman and their three sons
Location: Garden City neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia
Size: 2,353 square feet (219 square meters); five bedrooms, 3½ bathrooms
Designer: Sarah Riddlemoser of Moser Architects
For help with the large project, the Chipmans worked with Sarah Riddlemoser of Moser Architects and Tatari Construction. Riddlemoser added more dimension and detail to the front exterior, seen here, with porch columns, crown molding and larger overhangs that make for a welcoming spot on summer nights.