Morningside A-frame gets a loving redo

It wasn’t long after Stuart and Carol Hoffmann finished fixing up a house in Morningside that the remodel bug bit again. This time, they didn’t have far to go to find their next project: It was an aluminum-siding-clad two-story right across the street.

“But we looked for a long time!” said Stuart Hoffmann. “The house was in such bad shape that we kept passing it by. Once inside, we could tell that it had some character.”

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Rich Addicks/Staff

Stuart (pictured) and Carol Hoffmann spent a year renovating their Morningside Lenox Park house, which grew from 2,200 square feet to about 3,500. The couple added a larger kitchen area, a family room and a master bedroom suite. The entryway was also part of the remodel.

Photos: More photos of the house.

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The makeover lasted a year while the family continued to live across the street. The first major project was the removal of the old siding. In its place are dark taupe shingles, accented by a new stacked-stone arch and slate walk at the front door.

The house sports the classic A-frame front that marks most Morningside homes, but unlike many of its neighbors, this one was built as a two-story in the 1930s. From the front door, visitors pass by the foyer staircase to the formal living room, with an original fireplace that the Hoffmanns refurbished with a tile surround and a built-in cabinet above to hide the television. They also added a niche in an opposite wall to holds all their electronic equipment for the set.

Beyond the living room is a sun porch that was redone with a brick floor. The dining room still sports the two white corner hutches with glass doors. A former galley kitchen was transfigured into a gathering space with dining nook, laundry closet, wet bar and cabinetry.

The back wall of the house was removed to make way for a sprawling kitchen and keeping room. Two sets of French doors lead to a patio with a fireplace and dining area; another set on either side of the TV opens onto Carol Hoffmann’s office and a screened porch.

The kitchen area has black cabinets with brushed nickel hardware, white marble countertops and a six-burner stove. A large island is topped with a butcher-block top that was salvaged from a chocolate factory.

“We tried to get the same old-house look in the fixtures,” said Stuart Hoffmann. “For instance, we went with marble, a material they used back then; you never saw granite. We also added a vent in the cabinet in front of the sink, the way they used to do to let the warm air circulate around the pipes. And we matched the trim around the doors and windows to the original.”

The space on the second floor above the expanded kitchen provided room for a new master suite, with a walk-in closet and sitting room. The bath features a large marble shower with an arched entry; double sinks; and matching white medicine cabinets.

“We put in all the modern conveniences,” said Stuart Hoffmann. “But we kept the character of the house and the neighborhood as well.”