We Have the Skinny on the $3.5M Narrow House in Washington, DC

“The unfinished basement is part of the original home, and you couldn’t destroy it,” explains Lorraine Arora, lead broker with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. “To the side of the house, you see the side of where the old house was.”

In the district, a rebuild requires an owner to keep at least one wall of the previous structure.

The skinny three-bedroom structure built atop the basement and one wall of the old house is known as the Narrow House.

“It’s a narrow lot, but it’s wide enough,” says Arora. “And the exterior looks narrow and small, but when you go in, it’s almost 3,600 square feet on three levels. When you’re inside, you realize how open and wide and comfortable it is.”

Architect John Darvish built the residence for himself and his family in 1985. He added a number of architectural flourishes, including a distinctive red X made of steel.

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“He didn’t want to hide the [support] structures, so he used creativity and put that in to use as a bookshelf,” Arora explains.

The main level contains the entry and a visually striking glass room that blurs the line between indoor and outdoor spaces.

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“It’s just glass everywhere,” says Arora. “That used to be his studio and looks out to the backyard. It’s heated, and it’s gorgeous.”

The kitchen, dining room, and other living spaces can be found on the second level. A new owner might want to soften the current color scheme and bring the interior into the 21st century.

“It’s a little dated in the sense that it was built in 1985, and at that time, red and black and white were the ‘in’ colors,” Arora explains. There “is a lot of red, black, and white—and I think people either love red or hate it.”

The bedrooms are on the third floor and also have red bathrooms.

“One toilet is red, so someone may not want that,” Arora says. “But it’s so different and unique.”

A spiral staircase goes to all the levels, and there’s space for an elevator.

The basement is what was left of the original home and now serves as a workroom.

Darvish, the sole homeowner, is relocating.

The perfect buyer “is someone who appreciates uniqueness, because it is one of a kind. It’s very eclectic, so it has to be someone who appreciates design,” Arora says. “There are so many architectural details you won’t see anywhere else.”

Fruwah Chapman with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices is the listing agent.

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