When Alan called Merrick, he loved almost everything about his mid-century modern Chevy Chase home – he just did not like the original 1970s entryway. It was dark and closed in, and uninviting. Alan shared an inspirational photo with us that showed a simple cable rail design on the staircase.

We started by removing all of the dark pine paneling from the entry, stairway, hallway, and ceiling. It was everywhere! Even though we didn’t add any windows, we were able to eliminate that dark, closed-in feeling.

Replacing the half-wall style railings with a custom-made, open steel and cable railing system, and adding some better-recessed lighting, made the space feel larger. The change was dramatically different, but still fits within the mid-century modern home. The Merrick team has now worked with Alan multiple times and Alan loves his home even more than when we started.