Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: A Couple’s Next Chapter Begins in an Urban Loft
Views of historic Washington, D.C., buildings and a desire for togetherness guide the design for a fresh start
The factory-style windows were the biggest influence on the design. “The grid lines are so powerful,” Kaplan says. She played off them by finding furniture that had strong rectilinear lines, threw some circles in to soften the overall look and found textiles with more intricate geometric patterns. The lines of the antiqued brass bases on the chairs and sofa and the iron and glass rectangular coffee table echo the geometry of the windows.
“Because all of the public areas are open to one another, everything needed to look intertwined from room to room,” Kaplan says. This meant sticking with the geometric play, the color palette and the warm, chic urban style.
Sofa and armchairs: Lexington Home Brands; pillow fabric: D.V. Kap Home
“Because all of the public areas are open to one another, everything needed to look intertwined from room to room,” Kaplan says. This meant sticking with the geometric play, the color palette and the warm, chic urban style.
Sofa and armchairs: Lexington Home Brands; pillow fabric: D.V. Kap Home
One challenge in this space was addressing the large column in the corner. “We painted it a dark color with a matte finish so that it would appear to recede,” Kaplan says. She repeated the charcoal hue on an accent wall across the room.
The light fixture, sculpture and two swivel chairs throw some curves into the geometric mix. The swivel chairs are where the couple sit and catch up with each other after work.
Column paint: Almost Black, Benjamin Moore; swivel chairs: Wesley Hall;
Find swivel chairs
The light fixture, sculpture and two swivel chairs throw some curves into the geometric mix. The swivel chairs are where the couple sit and catch up with each other after work.
Column paint: Almost Black, Benjamin Moore; swivel chairs: Wesley Hall;
Find swivel chairs
An Office for 2
“He brings work home and she is very busy with philanthropic work, particularly breast cancer research,” Kaplan says. “They wanted side-by-side desks so that they could work together.” A pair of desks with X-shaped bases continues the geometric motif.
The console hides their files, supplies and other unsightly office stuff. “The office is open to other rooms on two sides and can be seen from the front door, so we wanted to make sure it looked pretty,” Kaplan says. The couple were excited when they found the large Brooklyn Bridge artwork at Ikea, considering it just right for this spot. The suspension bridge’s rigging and railings at this scale play off the windows beautifully. Kaplan suggested a faux hide rug to soften the overall look and add something irregular to the strict geometry.
Wall color (throughout): Fossil, Benjamin Moore
How Much Does It Cost to Hire an Interior Designer?
“He brings work home and she is very busy with philanthropic work, particularly breast cancer research,” Kaplan says. “They wanted side-by-side desks so that they could work together.” A pair of desks with X-shaped bases continues the geometric motif.
The console hides their files, supplies and other unsightly office stuff. “The office is open to other rooms on two sides and can be seen from the front door, so we wanted to make sure it looked pretty,” Kaplan says. The couple were excited when they found the large Brooklyn Bridge artwork at Ikea, considering it just right for this spot. The suspension bridge’s rigging and railings at this scale play off the windows beautifully. Kaplan suggested a faux hide rug to soften the overall look and add something irregular to the strict geometry.
Wall color (throughout): Fossil, Benjamin Moore
How Much Does It Cost to Hire an Interior Designer?
Opening the Flow
Before the remodel, the kitchen had been closed off from the rest of the apartment and didn’t receive any natural light. Kaplan knocked down two walls to open it up to the entry and family room.
The new palette incorporates the warm white color on the walls, cabinets with an espresso finish and white quartz countertops with a marble-like pattern. “I love quartz because it’s so durable and it’s easy to clean up coffee or red wine, which can stain other surfaces,” Kaplan says. She chose the cylindrical pendants for their simple geometry. And to add a taste of California she added a wine fridge to the peninsula for the couple’s favorite West Coast wines.
“Opening up the kitchen helped us get a great circulation and flow,” Kaplan says. “Circulation is important in a different way today than it used to be. A lot of older spaces were made for more formal entertaining that’s strictly in the living room, while today people like to entertain more casually where people mill about.”
The kitchen peninsula and dining table can accommodate eight people, and it’s easy for guests to move between the kitchen, dining area and living room.
Browse beverage refrigerators
Before the remodel, the kitchen had been closed off from the rest of the apartment and didn’t receive any natural light. Kaplan knocked down two walls to open it up to the entry and family room.
The new palette incorporates the warm white color on the walls, cabinets with an espresso finish and white quartz countertops with a marble-like pattern. “I love quartz because it’s so durable and it’s easy to clean up coffee or red wine, which can stain other surfaces,” Kaplan says. She chose the cylindrical pendants for their simple geometry. And to add a taste of California she added a wine fridge to the peninsula for the couple’s favorite West Coast wines.
“Opening up the kitchen helped us get a great circulation and flow,” Kaplan says. “Circulation is important in a different way today than it used to be. A lot of older spaces were made for more formal entertaining that’s strictly in the living room, while today people like to entertain more casually where people mill about.”
The kitchen peninsula and dining table can accommodate eight people, and it’s easy for guests to move between the kitchen, dining area and living room.
Browse beverage refrigerators
Behind the peninsula is a dining area. Kaplan had a custom table for the space made by Charleston Forge. The chairs are upholstered in a red color that ties in with the brick buildings outside the windows. The light fixture provides a wonderful complement to the windows. The boat artwork nods to the proximity to the Potomac River and brings in colors from the home’s palette.
See round glass-topped dining tables
See round glass-topped dining tables
A Chic Small Bedroom
Like most bedrooms in an urban apartment, this master is compact. “They enjoy looking out at the city lights at night,” Kaplan says. The headboard, lights and nightstands add straight lines, while the throw pillows add soft textures and more of the brick red color. Shades are tucked up in the ceiling at the top of the windows. The couple opted for solar shades so light could filter through.
Takeaways
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Like most bedrooms in an urban apartment, this master is compact. “They enjoy looking out at the city lights at night,” Kaplan says. The headboard, lights and nightstands add straight lines, while the throw pillows add soft textures and more of the brick red color. Shades are tucked up in the ceiling at the top of the windows. The couple opted for solar shades so light could filter through.
Takeaways
- When looking for a color palette, glean inspiration from what’s right outside your windows.
- Even in a tiny entry you can make a good impression. Kaplan recommends using a slim open console table to free up visual space.
- In a small space or an open space, continue similar motifs, colors and textures from room to room to create an easy, cohesive feel.
- Plan for how you like to spend time together, the way this couple planned for the swivel chairs by the windows.
- A neutral color palette provides a relaxing base for a bedroom. Color can come in via art and accessories such as throw pillows.
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
House at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple starting a new chapter in their lives
Location: Washington, D.C.
Size: 1,700 square feet (158 square meters); two bedrooms, 2½ bathrooms
Designer: Kirsten Kaplan of Haus Interior Design
Moving into this Georgetown condominium marked big changes in this couple’s life. She had battled breast cancer, their kids had grown up and moved out, and they were making a move from their family home in California to a two-bedroom loft in Washington, D.C., for his job. They were ready to embrace a new urban lifestyle where they could walk to restaurants and work, meet new friends for lunch and hop on their bikes to enjoy the C&O Canal towpath (which stretches 185 miles from Georgetown to Cumberland, Maryland). They wanted an apartment with a comfortable ease about it where they could enjoy connecting with each other in this new chapter of their lives.
“My clients had recently overcome some big challenges, and they were looking forward to enjoying each other’s company,” says their interior designer, Kirsten Kaplan. “One of the first things they told me they wanted was a pair of chairs near the window where they could enjoy a glass of wine and catch up with each other every day after work.”
The scope of the project involved a full kitchen renovation — including taking down some walls to open it up to the rest of the public spaces — and decorating and fully furnishing the entry, the living room, the office and their bedroom. “The condo did not represent them at all — it was lifeless and they are both full of energy,” the designer says.
To change that, Kaplan took style cues from the strong geometric presence of the large metal-framed windows and the colors in the city views outside them: charcoal gray and brick red from the factories, plus warm white to make it all inviting.
A Small but Impactful Entry Moment
“In a small space, all of the views are important. In a compact entry space like this, we like to use a slim open console and add something interesting on the wall to create a focal point,” Kaplan says. The lamp and table complement the strong, straight lines of the window frames, while the convex mirrors add a softer, weathered touch for contrast.