Bigger, Brighter, Better

An engineering feat yields an addition with a “merry-go-round” ceiling and spacious rooms.

Photo by Dimitri Ganas

Who They Are

Laura and Jeff Triplett and daughter Rachel have lived in Woodbridge since 1997. Because they work such long hours, the Tripletts wanted a spacious, organized home that helps them make the most of their scant leisure time. She is a mortgage lender and vice president with George Mason Mortgage LLC, and Jeff works for Virginia Power.

What They Wanted

“We had been thinking about remodeling for a while. I guess we had the seven-year itch,” says Laura. Mainly, they wanted “to get rid of that closed-in feeling. We had the lower ceilings common in older homes,” she adds.

They also craved a spacious gourmet kitchen. “My husband comes from a family of eight children. They’re very close and they come to visit a lot,” Laura explains. “We’ve had 18 [family members] here at one time.

“Another big thing we wanted was a full bath on this level. Because we were putting in a pool, we wanted a shower downstairs that you could walk directly into from the back of the house,” she continues.

What They Did

After two contractors turned down the job because they were unable to remove the supporting walls, Laura went to interior designer Delaine Campbell, owner of Designs For Less.

Delaine recommended Foster Remodeling Solutions Inc. Foster was doing a couple of projects in my parents’ neighborhood, so I talked to them,” Laura recalls. “After seeing Foster’s work, I said, ‘I don’t care what it costs, I’m going for it.’”

Why They Did It

“It made more sense to stay put and remodel. We live on a cul-de-sac and have a two-acre lot that backs to a golf course,” she shrugs. “Our daughter is six and there are three six-year-old girls in our court. Where else would we find that? We like it here.”

The Challenges

“We had to locate and move the septic system because the addition was going right over it.”
—Laura Triplett, homeowner

“It was a unique challenge structurally because we removed a 40-foot section of the rear wall. To support the second story, we designed and created a steel beam and then used a crane to put it in place. All the plumbing and electrical had to be rerouted.”
—David Foster, owner, Foster Remodeling Solutions Inc.

“I designed a hexagonal ‘merry-go-round’ ceiling for the bumped-out dining area at the back of the kitchen. The bead board that covered it had to be cut and pieced by hand and a 22-foot steel beam was required to support it.”
—Delaine Campbell, owner, Designs For Less

What Laura Learned

“Talk to a designer first, to figure out what it is you actually want to do before you interview contractors. Involve the designer in the finishing work. Don’t leave finishing questions up to the carpenters,” advises Laura.

“I didn’t really realize what I was asking for when I asked for it. I don’t know much about construction. I didn’t realize that I was asking for them to remove all the supporting walls on the back of the house,” she says frankly. “Go with the best. I wanted to do this only once. Foster did a fabulous job.”

—Marion Butterworth