How the Chaudry's of McLean Built a Luxurious and SeamlessFamily Suite
By Tracey Longo
The newest generations of in-law suites aren't just for in-laws anymore. In fact, the 1,000 square foot suite the Chaudrys of McLean, VA, built over their large garage was never intended for in-laws at all. The sumptuous apartment was designed for their son-in-law and daughter, who is expecting to continue her medical training with a cardiac residency in the area soon.
"For us, it was all about maximizing space and making the home feel larger in a seamless and customized way,"said Sonny Nazemian, president and CEO of Michael Nash Design &"Build and Homes, Inc., the award-winning Fairfax, VA firm the Chaudrys hired to design and build their suite.
Nazemian and Michael Nash Design & Build, lived up to their reputation, winning the coveted 2009 National Southeast Regional Coty Award for residential additions priced between $100,000 and $250,000, for the suite, which was designed with a separate entrance and privacy in mind.
"The space is so beautiful overlooking our pool and gardens that my daughter decided to have the rehearsal dinner for her wedding on our property," said Sayda Chaudry. "We think it completes ourfrench colonial seamlessly, with its matching brick and arched French doors, which we can throw open and look out over the pool.
"We always dreamed of adding the space to our house which we've owned more than 30 years," Mrs. Chaudry said."Helping our daughter and son-in-law during her medical residency was a great reason to take the plunge. We knew it would help them out financially, while she works 80 or 90 hours a week. We've used the suite many times even before she moves in, especially during her wedding when we had out-of-town guests."
The Chaudrys became so caught up in the design and build process with Michael Nash, that they kept enlarging the space until it spanned the home's double garage and part of a bedroom in the main house. One of their main concerns was giving their daughter and her husband privacy, which they did by placing the suite off of a guest bedroom at the end of the house and providing two separate entrances.
The 1,000 foot suite is luxurious and looks and flows like a penthouse in one of the best New York City hotels. It contains a bedroom area, living area with built-in bookcases and a sizeable kitchenette, along with a master bath, a large shower and stacking washer and dryer hookup. Sumptious materials including warm granite and cherry wood were used throughout the apartment, along with hardwood floors, decorative arches and columns, which give the suite feel of a finished home instead of an addition.
"Integrating the new exterior into the existing architecture was critical, but we took it a step further and carried it into the interiors," said Nazemian. "The coordination between the old and the new, both inside and out is seamless, right up to the roofing, which is Equistar high efficiency maintenance-free slate."
The addition, which mirrors the main entrance, is now the focal point when pulling into the Chaudry's home, which is sited in a pretty cul-de-sac.
"No one wants an addition to look like it was tacked on. We needed to match the home's roofline, fascia, columns, windows and brick or you run the risk of devaluing the home and even the neighborhood," Nazemian said.
No construction project is without its challenges and the Chaudry's suite is no exception. Michael Nash Design & Build and Homes had to reinforce the walls of the bedroom with engineered joists to carry the weight of the large second story addition. The firm also had to match the color of the golden brick, no easy feat considered it is no longer manufactured. They did that by using three different colors of brick, blending beighes and browns, to create a matching pattern that ties in seamlessly with the older brick. "The repeated decorative touches in the home are both aesthetic and functional, such as the support columns in the bedroom area and the arched French doors,"Nazemian added.
Homeowners Sayda and Vijay Chaudry couldn't be more pleased. "The addition was finished in six months, on time
and in time for our daughter's wedding and well within budget," Sayda Chaudry said. "It just blended in
seamlessly with the rest of the house and the brick matched perfectly, so it doesn't look like
it was plunked on. We're delighted with the suite," she added.
JANUARY -FEBRUARY 2011 | VivaTysons
