From an Underused Porch to a Home Spa Celebrating the Outdoors

With a tweak to the floor plan that included a two-story rear addition and the help of Washington D.C.,-based MV Architects, the homeowners were able to bring a design to life.

"It was dark, there was no lighting in it, and it would collect leaves," says Michelle Vassallo, principal at MV Architects, describing the home's previously underutilized porch. "It grew moss and overall did not reflect the rest of the house."

MV Architects collaborated with local contractor Zantzinger and DCA Landscape Architects to revamp the dark, moss-covered porch into a new 310-square-foot entertaining space complete with a custom plunge pool, outdoor dining and living area, and several fireplaces designed for year-round use.

A Floorplan Refresh Brought the Dream to Life 

To make the vision work, the floorplan needed a little revamping. One of the most significant changes involved moving the garage entrance from the rear of the house to the side, freeing up paved space and allowing for a larger, more functional garden. They also used this opportunity to modernize the home's exterior with a fresh coat of white paint. 

DCA Landscape then created a series of outdoor rooms that guide movement from the upper porch into the yard. The design includes a circular fire pit with seating, a trellised garden entrance that helps distinguish the driveway from the landscaped portions of the property, and flagstone pathways to connect each space. The same flagstone also travels into the previously underutilized porch that now houses an indoor-outdoor spa.

"Before, probably 50 to 75% of the backyard was driveway, and now it's just this expansive yard," says Vassallo. "It really transformed the house, and the landscape designers did a phenomenal job creating these little moments within the yard."

With the reconfiguration, the rear porch became a major eye sore, says Vassallo. The homeowners didn’t want to leave it as an open-air porch but debated what it should be used for before settling on an at-home spa.

“This new space was going to be accessed off the garden, rather than the old driveway," Vassallo says. "So, with a bigger yard, I said, 'you know, it's big enough now that you could put a pool in', but they didn't want that and the idea came up to turn it into a spa room. And so that's what we did at the lower level.” 

The team built a custom 7-foot-by-7-foot plunge pool for the space that functions as both a cold plunge and a hot tub. Bluestone carries through the spa floor and wraps the pool as well, providing a sense of continuity with the garden.

Oak ceilings, brass lighting, and custom art warm the space, and a custom lattice screen door allows those in the spa to see through to the outdoor space while also keeping bugs out. 

“We wanted to be able to put insect screening up because the moisture of the spa room is going to encourage bugs to come...” says Vassallo. “So this custom latticework allows for light to come in, allows for air circulation, allows for privacy, and it also lets us hide the insect screening because it’s layered between two panels.”

Creating an Outdoor Dining Space Perfect for Entertaining

Above the spa, a newly constructed covered porch expands the kitchen and family room, creating additional space for hosting everything from casual meals to large celebrations. Similar design elements are carried over from the spa and into the above porch, including white oak trusses, a fireplace, and flagstone flooring.

“It became like an extension of their entertaining space off the kitchen and family room. You just open the doors and to the porch and the family room is twice the size now,” says Vassallo.