Remodeled Rows of Our Nation's Capital

Remodeled Rows

A Patriotic 4th

Washington D.C.

I decided to spend this 4th of July extra patriotically. I headed out to the East Coast, next to the Potomac river, in a district all its own, to what was once just a swamp, for a visit to our Nation's Capital.  Washington D.C. has had many formal city plans, produced by various famous architects and planners over the years. 

In the center of it all is the National Mall, a place where you can spend hours admiring the grandeur of the many architectural assets, both classical and modern. But, take a side trip out to the surrounding neighborhoods and you will find a simple residential treasure; row houses.

Row houses with a fresh coat of paint.

These enchanting 19th century brick homes line the streets, and were built to house many people on each block, while abiding to the unique 2-3 level height restriction of D.C.  These side by side homes often housed multiple tenants on each level, the floor plans are shotgun style, the space is tight, and there is little opportunity for large amounts of natural light.

Clever homeowners, many who bought the row houses for mere thousands in the late 60's, have been remodeling and creatively addressing these undesirable characteristics over the years.  Now, scattered throughout the streets are the many creative approaches the many different people have taken to freshen up their row house.  Here are some that I stumbled upon...

Restored bay windows with bold colors.

A very modern approach, opened up to loads of natural light.

A small addition, tied in nicely,  to allow light from another angle.

Massive picture windows show interiors that have been rearranged and updated.