Interior Design Project – Northwest Washington, DC

This Northwest Washington, DC home could only be described as drab. Solidly built in 1951, but with few updates since, and paired with a general lack of upkeep rendering it dirty, dark and dated. However, with a number of cost-effective (largely cosmetic) improvements along with staging, we were able to make the home look fresh while maintaining many of the fine original details.

BEFORE VIEW OF THE HOME

Curb appeal was a big issue with this home. In order to make it shine we went with new exterior paint, brightening it up with a classic colonial blue-on-white palette. We also performed a total overhaul of the front yard landscaping, replacing overgrown bushes and old mulch with fresh sod and a few nicely outlined beds closer to the home.

BEFORE VIEW BACK OF THE HOME

We transformed the back of the house with a porch refresh and a brand new deck extension. The existing porch was extremely grimy and dated with louvered “granny” windows, which we knocked out and replaced with coastal-chic privacy slats and new screens.

The additional new deck space provided both excellent value and easier rear access to the main level of the home. The backyard also got a major landscaping cleanup.

The Interiors

Living Room

The interiors required a lot of brightening up, so we used light gray (affordable Duron 8782W Sterling Coin) and white paint throughout, allowing for a fresh modern feel while maintaining neutrality for the purpose of sale. Our staging maintains a similar light simplicity, blending modern touches with classical shapes and textures to match the colonial details such as the fireplace mantle and built-in bookshelves. The hardwood floors were also refinished throughout the home after removing a large amount of wall-to-wall carpeting.

Remodeled Entryway and Staircase

Dining Room

The dining room is a great example of preserving those classical features. With some simple staging and brightening, this space showcases the original corner cabinetry, brass wall sconces and chandelier.

Kitchen

The kitchen was completely but very efficiently redone to maximize return upon the sale of the home. We went super bright and modern with stainless steel appliances, replacing the counters with quartz, refreshing the existing cabinets with new doors (factory finished in white) and new chrome hardware, adding a simple white subway tile backsplash, and replacing the floors with light gray ceramic-look vinyl tiles. This was the most extreme transformation in the house, and was essential for the overall update.

Bathroom

BEFORE VIEW OF THE BATHROOM

Each bathroom was updated with a modern vanity and fixtures, continuing with the palette of light grays, whites and chrome. We also reglazed the wall tiles in a simple clean white, whereas the colorful floor tiles were cleaned and left in their original beauty.

BASEMENT

BEFORE VIEW OF THE BASEMENT

The basement was another huge transformation, from a largely unfinished and cluttered basement to a clean, simple and open floor plan. We opened walls, and created a walk-in laundry closet (vs. a very unfinished look with machines sitting out in the open) and boxed in the mechanicals to hide them from view. New wood-look luxury vinyl flooring, fresh and bright paint, and new canned overhead lighting dramatically brighten and finish the space, making it an area of the home that an owner might want to use as recreational space in addition to storage. 

Photo credits: Struxture Photography