I would like to take you to an artist's house in Capitol Hill

For a taste of the VAF walking tour of Washington DC neighborhoods, welcome to this c. 1860 cottage where an artist and her husband reside. She's lived here over 30 years and made adjustments as her art space grew and she added a husband to the household.The orange sign indicates the house in on the tour and the owners as well as a VAF volunteer welcomed us inside, answered questions about the house, and exhibited features on the house that were printed or published over the years. The front yard feature of DC houses, thanks to L'Enfant's wide boulevards, is evident here.The garden is an oasis in the city and separation between home and work. The old shed was crumbling when the owner first lived here as a renter. Eventually she fixed it up and transformed it into her working studio. View down stairs from the upper floor which holds two rooms and a bath.

It was interesting to talk with owners about the lives of their houses and how they were engaged as owners, as opposed to docents in a house museum. It was also nice to meet VAFers in the homes or enroute within the neighborhoods and talk to them about what they'd seen, etc. I am impressed with the well-organized tour!