Houzz Tour: Classic Meets Modern in a Designer’s 1900 Home
Designer Sara Swabb revives a stately row house for her family in Washington, D.C.’s Georgetown neighborhood
By the time interior designer Sara Swabb purchased a circa 1900 semidetached row house in Washington, D.C.’s historic Georgetown neighborhood, insensitive renovations had stripped the home of many of its original details and, with them, much of its character. But Swabb, her husband and their two young girls were bursting the seams of their smaller home on nearby Capitol Hill. The house was conveniently located near Swabb’s design studio, Storie Collective, so while the Victorian was bigger than they anticipated and full of leaks and mold, it was in the right place at the right time at the right price — and in the right shape for a major makeover in Swabb’s signature classic-meets-modern style.
Before: This is a wider view of the entrance as it looked when Swabb purchased the house. As you can see, the original details largely stopped at the entry.
Among other 1950s- and 1970s-era changes, the crown molding had been stripped and ductwork for high-velocity forced-air cooling had been installed without removing the radiators.
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
Among other 1950s- and 1970s-era changes, the crown molding had been stripped and ductwork for high-velocity forced-air cooling had been installed without removing the radiators.
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
After: Contractor Glen Macieski and his team removed the unsightly support beams and soffits, which required hiding new steel support beams in the ceiling. They also upgraded all of the home’s electrical, mechanical and plumbing systems.
Once those nuts and bolts were taken care of, they turned to adding architectural details that adhered to the geographic region and the architectural style of the home. This living room shows the visual impact of new white oak flooring and extensive crown, base and applied molding.
“It didn’t have an identity,” Swabb says of the house. “We tried to give that back.”
Wall paint throughout: Simply White, Benjamin Moore
Once those nuts and bolts were taken care of, they turned to adding architectural details that adhered to the geographic region and the architectural style of the home. This living room shows the visual impact of new white oak flooring and extensive crown, base and applied molding.
“It didn’t have an identity,” Swabb says of the house. “We tried to give that back.”
Wall paint throughout: Simply White, Benjamin Moore
Fortunately, the living room’s marble fireplace surround had survived earlier renovations. Swabb hired a stone expert who treated the marble with a poultice to draw out imperfections, then lightly sanded and polished it to restore it to its former glory. The fireplace now runs on gas, but the marble still shows some original wood burns, which Swabb embraces.
While these new architectural details intentionally look consistent with what would have been in a 1900 Victorian row house, Swabb’s goal was to make the home an urban retreat built for modern living, not a museum. There’s a whole-house sound system, for example. And the furnishings range from antiques and midcentury modern classics to contemporary pieces — some designer, some purchased off the shelf and from Etsy.
While these new architectural details intentionally look consistent with what would have been in a 1900 Victorian row house, Swabb’s goal was to make the home an urban retreat built for modern living, not a museum. There’s a whole-house sound system, for example. And the furnishings range from antiques and midcentury modern classics to contemporary pieces — some designer, some purchased off the shelf and from Etsy.
In the living room, for example, the furniture is all new, the rug is antique and the colorful pieces on the wall are custom commissions by contemporary artist Scott Runkel.
The original plaster ceiling medallion unfortunately broke when they removed the old fixture, so Swabb had it replaced with a similar design. Now it accentuates a midcentury chandelier by Stilnovo, an Italian lighting company that also made the vintage sconces that flank the fireplace.
The original plaster ceiling medallion unfortunately broke when they removed the old fixture, so Swabb had it replaced with a similar design. Now it accentuates a midcentury chandelier by Stilnovo, an Italian lighting company that also made the vintage sconces that flank the fireplace.
In the window, a Milo chaise designed by Amber Lewis sits alongside a modern marble side table from Menu.
Window treatments throughout: The Shade Store
Browse products for your living room
Window treatments throughout: The Shade Store
Browse products for your living room
Before: The living and dining rooms used to be one meandering space, with an awkwardly placed pillar between them.
After: Where a bookcase once stood is now a reading corner with a vintage Bruno Mathsson chair. Above it, a Samsung Frame television is camouflaged amid a collection of antique French artwork.
Swabb, husband Erik and their two young daughters, Tippi and Minna, lived in the house for six months before renovations began. That time gave Swabb the opportunity to refine her vision, which included adding an arch between the living and dining rooms to demarcate the spaces without closing them off.
Swabb, husband Erik and their two young daughters, Tippi and Minna, lived in the house for six months before renovations began. That time gave Swabb the opportunity to refine her vision, which included adding an arch between the living and dining rooms to demarcate the spaces without closing them off.
In the dining room, 1950s rush-and-oak chairs surround a reclaimed-wood farm table. Swabb found the metal pendant light and the marble-disc sconces on Etsy.
Shop for lighting on Houzz
Shop for lighting on Houzz
Before: If you compare the “before” and “after” plans for the first floor below, you’ll see how this narrow kitchen used to be next to the living room with two doors between them. A small powder room sat at the end of the dining room, perpendicular to the kitchen.
Here’s a zoomed-in view that shows where the kitchen transitioned to a breakfast nook at the back of the house.
After: Swabb relocated the kitchen to that breakfast nook and the powder room to where the kitchen once stood. Knocking down the old powder room opened a sightline from the dining room through the kitchen and new iron doors, as you can see a couple of photos back. It also helped to bring light into the interior from both the front and back of the house.
Swabb designed the cabinets with Tanya Smith-Shiflett of Unique Kitchens and Baths, with whom Storie Collective has a cabinet collection and shares a Georgetown shop-showroom. The perimeter cabinets are painted in Skimming Stone and the island base is Off Black, both by Farrow & Ball.
Along the back range wall, Swabb opted for all lower drawers and a slim marble shelf and backsplash in lieu of uppers. Above the shelf is the house’s exposed brick party wall, painted creamy white. A paneled Sub-Zero refrigerator is set into the wall on the right.
Above the range is a hood designed to be installed at ceiling height (here, 9½ feet). It has an exterior exhaust fan, which is quieter than one with interior venting.
And yes, the hood might look atypical, but it works. “People are always so concerned about that!” Swabb says.
Along the back range wall, Swabb opted for all lower drawers and a slim marble shelf and backsplash in lieu of uppers. Above the shelf is the house’s exposed brick party wall, painted creamy white. A paneled Sub-Zero refrigerator is set into the wall on the right.
Above the range is a hood designed to be installed at ceiling height (here, 9½ feet). It has an exterior exhaust fan, which is quieter than one with interior venting.
And yes, the hood might look atypical, but it works. “People are always so concerned about that!” Swabb says.
The choice of hood was inspired by the sculptural brass Onos 55 double pendant lamp by Florian Schulz that hangs above the island.
“I really wanted the simplicity of the room to speak for itself, and I loved this Florian Schulz light fixture made in Germany. My parents bought it for me as a gift when we got the house,” Swabb says. “‘I thought, ‘There’s no better way to do this than to let this light showcase itself and not have a hood in the backdrop.’ ”
Small alabaster flush-mount lights provide additional illumination. Swabb avoided recessed lighting, both because a 1900 Victorian row house wouldn’t have had it and because the flush mounts are so pretty, she says.
“I really wanted the simplicity of the room to speak for itself, and I loved this Florian Schulz light fixture made in Germany. My parents bought it for me as a gift when we got the house,” Swabb says. “‘I thought, ‘There’s no better way to do this than to let this light showcase itself and not have a hood in the backdrop.’ ”
Small alabaster flush-mount lights provide additional illumination. Swabb avoided recessed lighting, both because a 1900 Victorian row house wouldn’t have had it and because the flush mounts are so pretty, she says.
Swabb purchased the plumbing fixtures from Waterworks and the burnished brass hardware from W.T. Weaver & Sons.
This picture gives you a glimpse of the courtyard, which Swabb designed with the contractor.
“We keep the back doors open,” she says. “That indoor-outdoor transitional space between the kitchen and that backyard is just so comforting and makes me feel like I’m not living inside of the city.”
This picture gives you a glimpse of the courtyard, which Swabb designed with the contractor.
“We keep the back doors open,” she says. “That indoor-outdoor transitional space between the kitchen and that backyard is just so comforting and makes me feel like I’m not living inside of the city.”
Opposite the cooking area, Swabb removed an old corner fireplace that wasn’t original to the house. Now more built-ins flank a brass bistro table paired with Chiavari chairs, a vintage rug, a little milking stool and a Mullan Lighting globe pendant light.
In the former kitchen area, skylights bathe the new powder room with sunshine. Swabb paired a modern-looking custom vanity and wall-mounted Henry by Waterworks fixtures with an antique Stilnovo sconce.
Upstairs, at the front of the house, the primary bedroom has a king-size bed and a variety of antiques and vintage pieces, including a pair of 1950s chairs by Czech furniture designer Jindrich Halabala.
A Hozuki pendant by Ay Illuminate hangs above the bed. Designed and manufactured in the Philippines, its flower-like shade is handmade from recycled paper.
A Hozuki pendant by Ay Illuminate hangs above the bed. Designed and manufactured in the Philippines, its flower-like shade is handmade from recycled paper.
Before: The primary bathroom was small relative to the original primary bedroom, with a shower-tub combo and a single console sink. Many of the vintage features were intact, including a slot for used razors inside the medicine cabinet.
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After: Minor layout changes, including slightly reducing the size of the primary bedroom, allowed for a much more spacious primary en suite with a large walk-in shower, a water closet, a 6-foot-wide vanity and a petite cast-iron claw-foot tub. “Even though [the tub] is small, I’m the only one who uses it, so it’s perfect for me,” Swabb says.
She found the antique light fixtures on 1stDibs, and the antique rug is from District Loom, which sources many of the rugs for Storie Collective’s projects.
She found the antique light fixtures on 1stDibs, and the antique rug is from District Loom, which sources many of the rugs for Storie Collective’s projects.
The vanity is painted in the same color as the kitchen’s perimeter cabinets — Farrow & Ball’s Skimming Stone — though here its red undertones look more pronounced. As in the kitchen and other bathrooms, the plumbing fixtures are from Waterworks and the hardware is from W.T. Weaver & Sons.
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The interior of the shower is covered in marble, to match the vanity’s counter and backsplash.
“I’m a big fan of a hot, dark shower some days,” Swabb says. “We always design to what our clients need, and I like an enclosed shower.”
“I’m a big fan of a hot, dark shower some days,” Swabb says. “We always design to what our clients need, and I like an enclosed shower.”
The center bedroom is Minna’s. The antique rug, found via Georgia Hoyler at Passerine Home, has terra cotta, sage and blue tones against a brown field. It fit the long, narrow room perfectly and established the color palette of the bedding, which here and in the other bedrooms is from Parachute and Filling Spaces. Ethnicraft side tables and crackled ceramic disc pendant lights from Mullan finish the room.
The pinkish tones carry into Minna’s en suite bathroom, which has a vanity painted in Farrow & Ball’s Dead Salmon. Marble hexagonal tile on the floor mirrors the countertop, which has a pretty detail on the backsplash. Scalloped light fixtures from Nickey Kehoe flank the mirror.
“It’s not a medicine cabinet,” Swabb points out. “I am not a big proponent of any stuff. Whatever you need, you fit in your vanity or in your closet.”
“It’s not a medicine cabinet,” Swabb points out. “I am not a big proponent of any stuff. Whatever you need, you fit in your vanity or in your closet.”
The back bedroom belongs to Tippi.
“I tell my daughter, ‘You have the best room in the house!’ ” Swabb says. “Look at those doors. But don’t tell the other daughter,” she adds with a laugh.
The bed, nightstands and rug are antique, and the sconces are by Mullan, with a custom shade and coordinating custom pillow.
The handmade pendant light, from Georges in France, is made of fabric stretched over bent rattan.
“I tell my daughter, ‘You have the best room in the house!’ ” Swabb says. “Look at those doors. But don’t tell the other daughter,” she adds with a laugh.
The bed, nightstands and rug are antique, and the sconces are by Mullan, with a custom shade and coordinating custom pillow.
The handmade pendant light, from Georges in France, is made of fabric stretched over bent rattan.
Tippi’s vanity is painted Paean Black by Farrow & Ball, which has a slight reddish-purple undertone.
Mullan’s Ren brass sconces coordinate with the Ludlow faucet from Waterworks.
Mullan’s Ren brass sconces coordinate with the Ludlow faucet from Waterworks.
Two levels down is the space marked “cellar” on the plans, and the last stop on the tour. Swabb reimagined it as a family entertainment zone, installing cabinetry with a built-in beverage refrigerator and a large-screen TV.
She’s putting some final touches on the house, like draperies in a few rooms, over time. It’s a luxury she has being her own client — an experience that’s also given her new insight.
“I think anyone who’s doing this work should have to do this on their own one time,” she says. “You have to be the client one time — go through a full home gut of this style home to really understand what it’s like to be on the other side of it. Because it’s not easy. [But] it’s really rewarding.”
She’s putting some final touches on the house, like draperies in a few rooms, over time. It’s a luxury she has being her own client — an experience that’s also given her new insight.
“I think anyone who’s doing this work should have to do this on their own one time,” she says. “You have to be the client one time — go through a full home gut of this style home to really understand what it’s like to be on the other side of it. Because it’s not easy. [But] it’s really rewarding.”
After: The renovation expanded the laundry room and gave each bedroom an en suite.
Not pictured are the third floor’s fourth bedroom (which Swabb uses as an office), a bonus room shared by the girls and another bathroom.
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Not pictured are the third floor’s fourth bedroom (which Swabb uses as an office), a bonus room shared by the girls and another bathroom.
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House at a Glance
Who lives here: Designer Sara Swabb of Storie Collective, husband Erik and daughters Tippi, 9, and Minna, 6
Location: Washington, D.C.
Size: 3,850 square feet (358 square meters); four bedrooms, 5½ bathrooms
Architect: District Architecture Studio
Contractor: CMX Construction Group
Today, the row home’s entrance looks similar to how it may have looked 120 years ago. The front door, the interior vestibule door and the staircase and its beautiful handmade balusters are all original.
Although the light fixture in the entryway looks like it could be original too, it used to hang above Swabb’s childhood dining table and belonged to her grandmother. Swabb had the former oil lamp rewired and removed its dangling crystals.
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