DESIGNWORKS 2018

Graylyn Attic Renovation

Winston-Salem, NC

CJMW Architecture

Kathleen Warner (Principal-in -Charge; Lead Designer), Beth Faircloth (Project Manager), Rachel Pound (Interior Designer), Margaret Cochran (Designer), Amanda Adams (Architect; Historic Consultant), Andy Simmons (Construction Administration)

The goal for the transformation of Graylyn Manor House’s third floor was to meet modern expectations while keeping with the Manor’s air of historic grandeur. Completed in 1932, the estate become a private hotel for Wake Forest University-affiliated guests in 1972. In 1980, a third floor fire prompted a major renovation. With the Manor now open to the public, these rooms – substantially unchanged since the renovation – did not live up to guest expectations.

A near gut and re-organization accommodates 14 rooms plus one suite. Where possible, chimneys were exposed. Additional lighting, more open floor layouts, and totally redesigned bathrooms with modern showers and fixtures transformed the floor from bland and outdated to a charming, modern set of well-appointed guest rooms. Throughout the project, the design team responded nimbly to the inevitable surprises uncovered as work progressed.

The project effectively was a puzzle, with the steeply-pitched roof, plumbing lines, and other existing conditions requiring ingenious solutions. No two rooms have the same layout. Multiple color schemes accentuate this non-standardization and create a more residential feel, in keeping with the rest of the Manor House. Originally an attic with cedar closets storing family mementos from trips around the world, the art takes inspiration from its original use. Vintage maps, postcards and diary entries from family travel journals recall adventures from a bygone era. Since the property is on the National Register of Historic Places, the designers met throughout with County Historic Resources Commission representatives to ensure an appropriate intervention.

(Kathleen Warner)

Judges Comments:

“Impeccable renovation respects the historic quality of the manor while celebrating its quirkiness.  Interventions were carefully planned and every surface seems to be thoughtfully touched with a distinctive material.  The design team exercised great restraint by not overdesigning and letting the simplicity of the original structure ring true.”