Charming in Chevy Chase: Brick home undergoes 37 years of transformation
Trish Birchfield was drawn to Chevy Chase because of the things it’s known for—as well as a personal familiarity.
“I loved the settled nature of the neighborhood with the trees and brick,” she said. “And this house reminded me somewhat of the house I grew up in in Flemingsburg. I’ve been happy here.”
She moved to 171 Louisiana Ave. on Derby weekend in 1982, and she immediately began renovations. It had a concrete patio with a canvas awning and orange shag carpet, and those were the first to go.
With just a side door that opened to the street, there was no way to exit to the backyard, so Birchfield installed French doors and a deck that she later turned into a sunroom connecting to her bedroom.
“I go out there with other people. And when you’re sitting out there, you can see through the panes, and we eat out there. It’s a pretty area,” she said.
The house originally had a galley kitchen, which Birchfield described as functional but not much fun to cook in. She widened the room and added high-end appliances, granite countertops and a beautiful butcher block-type island.
“I would have never picked out a black (island),” she said, but she chose it for her kitchen after it was recommended by the crew that designed the room. “It looks like a piece of furniture. And it holds a lot.
“I love being in this kitchen. Friends always collect in the kitchen, and there’s enough room for that.”
The adjoining area with windows surrounding a sitting area is where Birchfield likes to relax and read the newspaper in the morning.
With her bedroom being so small, she decided to turn it into a master bath and built on a large master bedroom to align with the sunroom and the kitchen area.
“I bumped out the back of the house essentially," she said. “I love doing it. My father was a contractor. I loved how a hole in the ground could become a room.”
She said the architect who designed her bedroom highly recommended cathedral ceilings, and she’s so glad he talked her into that style.
“I love this room,” she said. “When I was teaching, I would sit in my room in the chaise and grade papers, look out in the backyard with the trees and everything. My fourth-grade teacher said, ‘When your eyes get tired, look off into the distance.’ And it works.”
When she worked at the University of Kentucky, her home was a seven-minute trip to her office, and she was able to come home for lunch.
“Lexington is not too big, and not too small. It’s the right size. There are little shops nearby, and restaurants. There are grocery stores, churches and good schools. And there’s a feeling of community. I like the smaller town feel. Within 15 minutes, you’re out on a beautiful country road.”
She said with the street having no thru traffic, it stays quiet, and her neighbors are quite friendly.
“It’s a great neighborhood. You can hear the bells from Christ the King. You can hear the roar of the crowd at Kroger Field. You can hear the game if you sit outside,” she said. “We close the street on Memorial Day and Labor Day for picnics. We have the Louisiana Avenue Neighborhood Association. That promotes interaction among the residents, just to know who they are and to speak to them.”
That sense of community and being able to make the house her own is what has made living in Chevy Chase so special to her.
“I really feel like this has been my haven,” she said. “When I came home from work and closed the door, I was home. Being in a place that reflects you is home.”
This home is listed with Rick Queen, a Realtor with Turf Town Properties. He may be contacted at 859-268-4663, 859-221-3616, and rick@turftown.com
This story was originally published January 5, 2020 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Charming in Chevy Chase: Brick home undergoes 37 years of transformation."