Friends with Style relocates to Saah Building in Bethesda

Friends with Style is moving up in the world. The consignment boutique has moved from its former home at 4715 Cordell Avenue (a.k.a. the Montgomery County Council's "Apartment Building for Homeless People") to the newly-renovated Saah Building. Their new address will be 7813 Old Georgetown Road.

Bethesda construction update: Saah Building facade renovation (Photos)

Work continues on the upgrade of the facade at the Saah Building at 7813-7817 Old Georgetown Road in Bethesda. The design by local architecture firm Steven J. Karr, AIA, Inc. will increase the amount of glass and natural light on the second floor, and add a mural to the north wall of the building.

All current tenants of the building remain open for business throughout the renovation.

Saah Building renovation begins in Bethesda (Photos)

The facade renovation of the Saah Building at 7813-7817 Old Georgetown Road in Bethesda is underway. New windows with more natural light, and the addition of a building-side mural will be among the changes, according to the plans by local architecture firm Steven J. Karr, AIA, Inc.

The Saah Building was constructed in 1954.

FIRST IMAGES FOR REVAMP OF SAAH BUILDING IN BETHESDA (PHOTOS)

The architecture firm of Steven J. Karr, AIA, Inc. has posted the first renderings of what the Saah Building at 7813-7817 Old Georgetown Road will look like, when its exterior renovation is completed in August 2015. Aside from one vacant space, the building's tenants currently include Sports Extra and Sandy Nails.

From the renderings it appears the shop window and entrance of Sandy Nails will switch places, but the first level spaces will generally remain about the same in glass coverage. Upstairs, the distinctive street-facing glass will be replaced with a 3-segment window facade that appears to allow more light into the space. Upstairs side windows are similar in layout, but a black segment that matches the color used on parts of the streetfront design will be added. Finally, a public art mural is shown for the side wall of Sports Extra.

Overall it appears to be an overdue refresh for the building, which was constructed in 1954. Karr's firm is also working on several other projects in the Woodmont Triangle, including the former men's shelter on Cordell Avenue, and Greenhill Capital's Lot 667 project along St. Elmo, Norfolk and Fairmont Avenues.

All images courtesy of Steven J. Karr, AIA, Inc.
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LOCAL ARCHITECT TO GIVE BETHESDA'S SAAH BUILDING A FACELIFT

The Saah Building in the 7800 block of Old Georgetown Road is about to get an exterior makeover. That primarily-retail structure, which has a new vacancy I reported on two days ago, will get a facelift from the firm of Steven J. Karr AIA, Inc. Karr's firm is behind several projects currently underway, in the works, or completed in downtown Bethesda's Woodmont Triangle. The most prominent of those is the busy Norfolk-Cordell II building, home to Smashburger, Roof, and a Dunkin' Donuts/Baskin Robbins store.