Lewis-Sevareid Home

Designed in 1941 by prolific Washington D.C. architect Charles Goodman, the Lewis-Sevareid House overlooks a sprawling lot in the Seminary Hills area of Alexandria, Virginia. Originally built for economist Emile Despres and artist Joanna Despres, the hillside house would eventually become home to famed CBS journalist Eric Sevareid and his young family. Rehired by the Sevareids, Goodman enlarged the floorplan; the final design appearing in a 1948 issue of House and Garden, which detailed its flexible living spaces, practical materials, and connection to the outdoors. With plenty of room for children to play and adults to mingle, the family home modeled a new way of modern living.

Decades after it appeared in House and Garden, the home stood in a state of serious disrepair. The foundation was crumbling. Layers of paint covered the redwood siding. The garage had deteriorated, and a series of unsympathetic remodels severely altered the layout. In 2015, Cook Architecture began work to bring the house back to life, renovating approximately eighty percent of the structure over a period of three years. By restoring significant design elements and reimagining spaces to meet contemporary demands, we sought a balance between the inherent qualities of a Goodman home and modern improvements that would complement the architect’s original intent.

During the project, our team undertook a rigorous restoration effort that left much of the existing fabric intact. Throughout the house, walls of windows, a hallmark of Goodman’s architecture, were restored with matching frames and hardware, while new windows were replicated to blend seamlessly with the originals. One of the home’s most notable features, its unique redwood siding, was repaired and refinished. On the interior, the dining and living room footprints remained with the addition of modern lighting and pocket doors. Trademark Goodman features like the red brick fireplace and built-in cabinetry were also preserved in place.

With much of the home’s character retained, we rearranged the floorplan to better suit the client’s lifestyle. Over the years, the walkout basement had undergone a number of changes leaving it dark and enclosed. Working to provide more usable space and an improved connection to nature, the basement underwent a substantial renovation that included reorganizing the layout, rebuilding foundation walls, and installing a new concrete slab with radiant heat. On the south wall, restored windows open to a revamped backyard that now includes a long, linear pool, patio, and outdoor kitchen. Space flows easily between the home’s redesigned garden level and yard, offering opportunities for true indoor/outdoor living.

Another major intervention occurred on the east end of the home’s main level, where the existing bedrooms were reconfigured to create a sizeable master suite more amenable to the client’s needs. Cantilevering over the landscaped lot, the updated master bedroom and bathroom blends midcentury charm with contemporary style. The dramatic folded roof, a reference to Goodman’s penchant for distinctive rooflines, replaced the bedroom’s old drop ceiling and adds visual interest to the refreshed space.

Also on the main level, a large, open kitchen now connects the house to a two-story addition. Bright and airy, the custom kitchen is outfitted with Poggenpohl cabinetry and Heath tiles. Skylights and Louis Poulsen pendants illuminate the workspace. A floating cube makes room for a seating nook in another nod to Goodman geometry.

Inspired by the home’s modernist history, the new addition stands on the site of the once dilapidated garage. The stacked volume- with a garage below and more living space above- replicates the home’s original box-like forms. The addition also helps frame the redesigned entry, which was previously hidden below grade. After extensive regrading, the new entry sequence welcomes the visitor via stone pathway to a neatly landscaped courtyard.

Additionally, retaining walls were built to accommodate the addition and outdoor living area. Other improvements include new plumbing, electrical, and HVAC systems as well as period appropriate lighting.

Stripped of awkward alterations and sympathetically rehabbed, the Lewis-Sevareid House remains one of Charles Goodman’s most significant residential commissions. A custom house built for a growing family, the original design was a place of experimentation for the architect, who would use the same wide overhangs, banks of windows, and flexible spatial planning in later projects. Continuing Goodman’s tradition of merging modernism with contemporary tastes and preferences, we worked to reinvigorate this timeless design, helping to ensure its legacy for generations to come.

Architecture: Cook Architecture
Builder: David A. Lewis at Perpetual Home Improvement
Landscaping: Jennifer Horne Landscaping
Photography: John Cole