Located in the heart of historic Georgetown, Washington D.C., this 4-storey townhouse was updated and modernized to accommodate a family of five who had just returned from a professional stint in Istanbul. The couple wanted to create a minimal, yet warm and welcoming home while respecting the historic character of the house. They had a collection of modern antiques, custom furnishings and art pieces that they wanted to be able to display and contrast with the more traditional backdrop of the home. The renovation also included extensive structural work in the rear at the Basement and First Floor (columns, footings and new beams) to correct major settling at the Dining Room and Kitchen. Finally, the house needed to have an entire new air conditioning system installed to combat the hot, humid, Washington summers. As a result, the main focus of the design scope- with a tighter budget due to the above- was at the First Floor, with minor alterations to the upper two floors. The townhouse, with exposures on three sides, had underutilized potential for natural light at this floor, which was originally quite dark and enclosed toward the rear. Therefore, one of the main objectives was to open it up to more light and create a sense of expansiveness without losing a certain intimacy. The entire Kitchen and back area of the First Floor were gutted, and some layout changes were made to the Second Floor along with lighting revisions throughout the entire house. Access to the rear yard was improved and expanded upon by the introduction of two new, custom steel doors and a new steel deck off of the Kitchen, subtly integrated with an existing brick stoop. All of this helped to maximize the connection between interior and exterior and the functional nature of the home.

Photography by Richard Barnes and Lauren Wegel