The Skinny on "The Skinny House"

If you have ever driven along N. Barton Street near Pershing Drive, you probably caught a glimpse of “The Skinny House”.

Built in 2009, this nod to modern design stands out among the charming bungalows that dot the Clarendon area. The 2880-square-feet house not only towers over other homes, it’s modernist exterior stands in sharp contrast to its Lyon Park neighbors.  

It’s as if the structure were a rebel, refusing to conform to the polite architecture around it. 

The architect and owner, Bob Braddock, put the home up for sale for more than $1.1 million in 2009. No takers. He now rents it out. “I listed the Tall Skinny House for sale at the point where the economy collapsed. So, there was really no way a sale was going to happen,” said Braddock. “I believe the market is coming back. I will probably put it back on the market, depending on economic factors.”

No longer on the market, The Skinny House has gone from talk of the town to Arlington folklore. It’s even mentioned as a tourist attraction on Roadside America  and was profiled in the Washington City Paper.

Reaction to the house ranges from delight to disdain. Located at 711 N. Barton Street it is 12′ wide and has four bedrooms and three and half baths on four finished levels.

The home's exterior has elements of the arts and crafts style. The interiors are ultra modern, with clean lines and stylish cabinetry. Warm, yet contemporary, minimalists or modernists would feel at home. Although only 12 feet wide, the house maintains an airy feel because of the long windows Braddock designed. 

Braddock, who owns an architectural firm, Red House Architects, purchased the lot from the Mickey Simpson Architects and Builders, who he worked for at the time.  Ironically Mickey Simpson is known for custom building beautiful bungalows in Arlington, similar to the ones near The Skinny House.  Simpson originally planned to build two bungalows on the lot before running into zoning issues and reportedly meeting some opposition from neighbors who preferred one house instead of two on the tiny lot.

So instead of building out, they built up, allowing Braddock to explore creative use of space. 

With McMansions losing their lure and the "Not So Big House" movement gaining popularity, perhaps their is space in one house hunter's heart for The Skinny House.