D’Ascanio Mellor Architecture
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Leesburg Guest House

Location
Leesburg, VA
Program
In-Law / Guest House
Size
1,000 SF · 2 Bed / 1.5 Bath
Role
Principal Architect
The single-storey guest house — green lap siding, white-railed covered porch and a gabled roof, set in bare winter woods.

The Brief

The homeowners wanted a small home suited to aging parents as well as visiting guests. The answer is a simple, single-storey house settled into its heavily wooded surroundings — modest from the drive, comfortable to live in.

Accessibility shaped the plan. An open kitchen and living room keep the daily rooms on one level, and the doorways, hallways and bathrooms are all sized for a wheelchair or walker, with walls ready to take grab bars as they are needed.

As principal architect I oversaw every part of the project — from the initial design through specifications, interior design and construction management, including general management of the interior finishing and some hands-on construction.

The open kitchen and dining area — light maple cabinets, a window over the sink and a single-level layout flowing to the living room.
Open kitchen & dining — single-level, accessible plan
The living room — warm walls, wide hardwood floors and generous window openings framing the surrounding woods.
Living room