This home outside
Washington, D.C.,
integrates nature
into its design with
outdoor spaces and
plenty of windows.
BY VICTORIA VAN VLEAR
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANGIE SECKINGER- ROUND UP •
When you love nature, being inside shouldn’t restrict your access to
the great outdoors. Architect James Rill of Rill Architects helped a family renovate
their home outside Washington, D.C., and nature was at the forefront of the design. “The
clients wanted to make the home fit into its natural setting, allowing them to experience
the nature surrounding it,” James says. “It provides more of a presence and elegant
design, but not so much that it overpowers nature.”
With mature trees just outside the house, it’s easy to see why the owners wanted to
have plenty of views. To do this, James integrated “lots of glass for views and natural
light,” he says. “This lets nature in and pushes the interior into the exterior.” He also
updated the home to include plenty of outdoor spaces, including terraces, porches and
pergolas. The house has an L-shape, which contributes to the overall design. “L shapes
and U shapes accentuate and define exterior rooms, which are often the best and most
exciting rooms in a house,” James says. “The ceiling is the stars, and the walls are defined
by the house materials and trees.”
In addition to the nature-centered design, the farmhouse style details update the
exterior and make the home both modern and classic. “It was a complete transformation
from the existing house, giving it a new, more elegant and prominent presence from all
elevations,” James says. With the navy-blue clapboard siding and white trim, the home
now shows off elegant farmhouse style that’s also perfect for the nature enthusiast.The
Great
Indoors
130 • AMERICAN FARMHOUSE STYLE