--- title: "EL Studio — Architects & Building Designers | Houzz" canonical_html_url: https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/el-studio-pfvwus-pf~2080648989 markdown_url: https://www.houzz.com/md/professionals/pf~2080648989.md entity_type: LocalBusiness business_name: "EL Studio" category: ["Architects"] image: https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/1ba384a30124fc82_1401-w400-h400-b1-p10--.jpg address: "1319 Naylor Ct. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001, United States" latitude: 38.9122 longitude: -77.0177 phone: "(202) 365-5798" website: http://www.elstudioarch.com/ rating: 4.5 review_count: 8 best_of_houzz_awards: 7 followers: 209 last_updated: 2026-09-09 --- # EL Studio Original Houzz profile: [EL Studio](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/el-studio-pfvwus-pf~2080648989) ## Professional summary - **Primary category:** Architects - **Location:** Washington, DC - **Serves:** Washington, DC (Washington) - **Houzz rating:** 4.5 out of 5 (8 reviews) - **Best of Houzz:** 7 awards (2014–2022), for Design, Service. ## About ### Houzz Badges - Recommended on Houzz - 50,000 Ideabook Saves EL Studio is an award-winning architecture and design firm dedicated to the practice of experimentation, collaboration, and advocacy. We specialize in innovative design within challenging constraints. We eagerly take on complex problems and, through research and testing, strive to rethink standard uses of techniques and materials. We collaborate with design partners to develop resolutions unique to the problems and potential posed in each project. We are our client’s advocates, developing expertise in the full range of their current and future needs. We advocate for equitable and sustainable design at every scale whether in the public or private realm. Not satisfied with the purely theoretical, EL builds what we draw, realizing our designs as finely-crafted spaces that feel good to be in. ### Services Provided - Architectural Design ### Areas Served - Washington - DC (Washington) ## Business Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Business Name | EL Studio | | Address | 1319 Naylor Ct. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001, United States | | Phone | (202) 365-5798 | | Website | http://www.elstudioarch.com/ | | Followers on Houzz | 209 | **Social profiles:** - Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/elstudioarch - X (Twitter) — https://twitter.com/elstudioarch - Blog — http://www.elstudioarch.com/ ## Contact - **Houzz profile:** [EL Studio](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/el-studio-pfvwus-pf~2080648989) - **Website:** http://www.elstudioarch.com/ - **Phone:** (202) 365-5798 ## Credentials **Certifications & Awards** - 2015 Washingtonian Residential Design Award - Licensed in: NJ, NY, VA, MD, Washington DC - Awards: NKBA Kitchen and Bath Design Competition; Designer's Choice 'Best Up and Coming Architect', Home and Design Magazine 2012; AIA DC Washingtonian Residential Architecture Design Award 2010 - **Best of Houzz:** 7 awards (2014–2022), for Design, Service. **Affiliations** - [The American Institute of Architects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/schools-and-organizations/the-american-institute-of-architects-pfvwus-pf~1350720471) ## Reviews **Overall rating: 4.5 out of 5 — 8 reviews** *Aspect averages:* - Work Quality: 50.0 - Communication: 50.0 - Value: 50.0 ### All 8 reviews **★★★★★ — laurenherring, July 2025** > Our experience working with EL Studio was nothing short of fantastic. They methodically worked with us through two designs to ensure we had all the necessary information to make the best choice for our final build. They respected our ideas and aesthetic while incorporating a high level of architectural design all while keeping us within budget. Across the build they supported us through permitting, choosing contractors and fittings. The final outcome is stunning and joy to to call home. **★★★★★ — Phillip Ross, Jan. 2021** > We had a great experience working with E/L Studio on our home renovation. I’d recommend them without hesitation if you’re looking for architects who will provide thoughtful and modern design solutions. > > When we approached E/L, we knew our house wasn’t working for us but didn’t know exactly how to improve it. We sat down with E/L and over a series of meetings and home visits hashed out what we absolutely had to have, what else we were wishing for, and how we could make it all work on our relatively modest budget. I was so impressed with their understanding of our vision for the house and the creativity they used to get us not just what we wanted but in fact a space much nicer than we imagined we’d be able to afford. > > Work took us out of the area just as construction on the house was getting underway. E/L helped oversee the project while we were gone. Problems invariably arise during home renovations, so I was grateful to have them close by to ensure things went as smoothly as possible. Couldn't have done it without them! **★★★★★ — Vishal Patel, Jan. 2021** > E/L Studio made our dream home come true!! We were lucky enough to find E/L and can't imagine working with anyone else. From the beginning, we knew this would be a special relationship from the way they listened to every one of our ideas, likes, and quirks -- no detail was too small. They got to know us and our family and as a result, we felt like they knew not only who we truly were but how we lived and what kind of home would complement us. E/L has a great way of weaving together the architectural elements with the design and ultimate look one envisions. They knew our constraints and worked within them, providing solutions on how to stay on budget (and we had a tight budget). They never lost sight of how their fees would impact the construction and overall goal -- something we very much appreciated. Most of all they were very malleable to the bumps in the road that happen with any renovation. Our project had some unimaginable issues come up like DC inspector stop work orders from an old permit problems that no one knew about to COVID related restrictions. E/L was part of the team and went above and beyond to work around those issues. They really care about their clients, the journey, and the final product. I cannot say enough positive things about E/L Studio. We have renovated another home in NYC in the past and without question, our experience with E/L studio was the best! Thank you E/L Studio and your amazing team. We are so grateful for your work! **★★★★★ — ilanajul, Jan. 2021** > We renovated our townhouse with E/L recently and had a wonderful experience. The project was complicated by the arrival of a global pandemic but we were still able to get everything done without sacrificing attention to detail. > We couldn’t be happier with how everything turned out. This is our dream home and E/L worked so hard to bring it to fruition. The design and functionality are impeccable. Couldn’t recommend this studio more! **★ — Sara Parker, July 2019** > We hired EL Studio to build an extension to our row house. The original plans were way out of budget. We had a right sizing conversation with them and they agreed, in writing, to our new budget which was exactly half of their original proposal. They set about on a revised design and presented us with 3 new pricing options. To our absolute shock they were equal to - and greater than - the original budget we had cut in half. Their plans included custom wood, glass and they spec'd a $30k bathtub in their plans. They spent 25% of our entire budget on their own fees and we are left with no plan and no extension. They attempted to justify their work by saying that they looked at cheaper window options - we were way past that. Further, they have refused to return our deposit. We hired them for guidance and expertise and we got none. In their own words they "led us down a garden path." Buyer beware, do not use this firm. **★★★★★ — brchandler123, June 2015** > E/L Studio helped me with my kitchen overhaul! They created designs, provided materials recommendations, and oversaw the bidding and management of the contractor. They were terrific! Extremely creative, attentive to detail, good listeners, and fun to work with. I highly recommend them! **★★★★★ — slimpme, May 2015** > E/L Studio has provided the full range of design and architectural services for our home with spectacular results. Our first project with E/L (a finished basement with a revolutionary design concept created specifically for us) received an AIA/Washingtonian magazine design award, as well as glowing coverage across a variety of design platforms. The kitchen and carriage house remodel most recently completed was featured in the Washington Post. They are a joy to work with -- exceptionally creative and cooperative, able to coordinate easily and productively with homeowners, construction crews and other design teams. We can't wait to visualize our next project with E/L Studio. **★★★★★ — notoriouse60, May 2015** > My wife and I have worked with E/L Studio on two separate projects in the past 2 years. The first was a remodel of our home's second floor to better accommodate our then upcoming child and the second was very recently to help us reimagine our first floor into a space better suited for our growing family. > > Working with the team there is always pleasurable. I choose that work carefully because there are good companies our there that excel at one thing are are adequate in other areas. Companies that provide a good-enough product but excellent service. Some can provide a stellar product but can be difficult to deal with. Working with E/L is pleasurable because they provide both a top notch product AND stellar customer service. They actually listen to what you are asking for and really try to solve your problem. It's like the doctor you always want to find and never can, the best doctor in the field who also has the bedside manner you crave. > > They always seem to be well versed in options that are new in the industry, as well as of course familiar with all of the industry standards. They have always met our budget and are willing to go above and beyond to get where we need to be. They will never take advantage of you which makes you actually want to use them again and pay them for their well earned services. ## Selected projects - [Capital Hill Micro-community](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/capital-hill-micro-community-pj-vj~6925877) - Location: Washington, DC - Photos: 16 - Description: HOW CAN URBAN SITES FOSTER MICRO-COMMUNITIES? INSERT COMMON SPACE. The rowhouse is an enduring model for urban housing; but in this 4-unit, new construction project in Capitol Hill, the design team asked: “Can the rowhouse be retooled to foster an urban micro-community?” The project is a mirrored pair of two-over-two residences on property that was once a surface parking lot. When the lots were subdivided, they were sized to extend the existing bay pattern of the adjacent historic rowhomes – plu… - [Kent Residence Renovation](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/kent-residence-renovation-pj-vj~6888060) - Location: Washington, DC - Photos: 24 - Description: WHY DID WE BUY THIS HOUSE? IT HAS A POOL. It’s located in the neighborhood where they have lived for many years and have forged deep social bonds. It’s a short one-block walk to their daughter’s school. It has beautiful mature trees. It has a pool! But still, after the sale closed the clients thought, why did we buy this house?? The original modest Craftsman bungalow was laboring beneath several insensitive and over-scaled expansions that had eradicated much of its charm. For this decidedly mode… - [Georgetown Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/georgetown-residence-pj-vj~7228312) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 26 - Description: HOW CAN A GUT RENOVATION FEEL LIKE IT BELONGS? RESPECT LIGHT & PROPORTION. In this historic Georgetown renovation, we worked with our client to make the best of a terrible situation: his childhood home, tucked along Rock Creek in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington DC, had caught fire. Nearly everything inside the home had been destroyed, but the brick exterior walls, roof, and a few interior elements could be salvaged. The project parameters were relatively unique – a blank slate in the i… - [Logan Circle Row Home](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/logan-circle-row-home-pj-vj~6482421) - Location: Washington, DC - Photos: 14 - Description: HOW DO YOU PERSONALIZE THE GENERIC? OPEN IT UP This is a previously flipped row house, located in the heart of Dupont Circle owned by a family with two children. They were looking to personalize their new home. This renovation focused on rethinking and optimizing the existing, contractor grade, elements of the house. Program was relocated within the existing house footprint to create more livable area with greater connections to the outdoors. The living area shifted to be adjacent to the rear ga… - [Illinois St Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/illinois-st-residence-pj-vj~6482292) - Location: Arlington, VA - Photos: 18 - Description: WHAT DOES THIS HOUSE NEED? JUST AN EDIT. The existing residence, a four-square house built in the 1980s, suffered from a superfluity of cells that constrained the otherwise generous footprint. Awkward additions with oddly-placed openings did little to improve the space and its illumination. The owners, a couple with three boys, wanted to improve the house to accommodate growing kids, but weren’t certain what they needed. By trimming unnecessary partitions, sliding program to the edges of the new… - [Jenifer St. Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/jenifer-st-residence-pj-vj~173494) - Location: Washington, DC - Photos: 10 - Description: The transformation of this unfinished cellar space in a 1911 Washington, DC residence into a multi-use playroom, office, and laundry relies heavily upon defining zones of usage. By organizing and integrating storage into contained volumes, the remaining space is freed to create an open and flowing plan. This 'swiss army knife' approach allows this busy family of four to quickly mask the clutter and mess of everyday life. When entertaining, they are able to draw full-height, in-line sliding doors… - [Lincoln St Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/lincoln-st-residence-pj-vj~2604697) - Location: Bethesda, MD - Photos: 17 - Description: This modest renovation resists the current inner-ring suburban trend towards demolition of older, smaller homes in favor of new over-scaled ‘farmhouses.’ The clients, a young family with two small children wanted more space for play and individual bedrooms but expressed a desire not to ‘lose one another’ in a home too vast or impersonal. Their one-story bungalow, a relic of the first wave of suburban development in this area, has been expanded through the careful integration of appropriately sca… - [Naylor Ct: Residence/Studio](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/naylor-ct-residence-studio-pj-vj~638109) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 33 - Description: An 1800’s horse stable is transformed from an empty shell on a neglected alley into a classic shop-house with architect’s storefront studio and living quarters above. The studio is a void set back from the alley by an interstitial zone separating entrances for work and home. A rolling gate and folding glass wall spanning the width of the old carriage opening enables the interior to open completely to the street and expands the space from alley to garden in warm months for events. A narrow volume… - [the Jade Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/the-jade-residence-pj-vj~503044) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 29 - [N Lincoln St. Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/n-lincoln-st-residence-pj-vj~173446) - Location: Arlington, VA - Photos: 9 - Description: The goal of this residential renovation was to take greater advantage of the opportunities presented by the volume of the existing structure, increasing square footage while adding minimal new envelope. The result is an addition without “an addition.” A ‘70’s-era modern home, the existing roof pitch of 45 degrees rendered much of the existing floor area of the 2nd and mezzanine levels unusable. A portion of the existing roof was removed to create a ‘pop-up’ producing space for an expanded master… - [Manhattan Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/manhattan-residence-pj-vj~173744) - Location: Manhattan, NY - Photos: 8 - Description: Located in the upper west side of Manhattan, this ‘classic six’ will undergo a series of smart and specific modifications to transform domestic capacity for servants to a tchotchke-free residence for urban retirement. A single wall is eliminated between kitchen and servants quarters to create an efficient and spacious kitchen and study allowing space for a laundry and walk-in closet to grow along an existing wall. The living and dining areas share set of sliding glass doors which allow separatio… - [5th Street Kitchen](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/5th-street-kitchen-pj-vj~1318943) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 12 - [West 12th St. Kitchen](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/west-12th-st-kitchen-pj-vj~332618) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 7 - [63rd Avenue Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/63rd-avenue-residence-pj-vj~179358) - Location: Cheverly, MD - Photos: 7 - Description: A home for the next generation. The goal of this renovation was to convert a 1940’s-era brick colonial home originally owned by the owner’s grandparents, into a 21-st century home for a young couple starting out. Previously small, compartmentalized rooms are transformed by removing specific sections and slices of wall resulting in a new adaptation of the modest floor plate. The removal of the non-load bearing wall separating the kitchen and dining area provided necessary connectivity and use of… - [Chapman Stables Loft](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/chapman-stables-loft-pj-vj~7723204) - Location: Washington, DC - Photos: 12 - Description: HOW DO YOU TURN A HAYLOFT INTO A MODERN LOFT? BY REIMAGINING HISTORY WITH A SMART, SPACE SAVING DESIGN! The project called for the design of a lofted space tailored to the needs of a young professional, incorporating a queen bed and integrated storage to a studio apartment in the historic Chapman Stables building. With its exceptionally high ceilings—originally designed to accommodate a hayloft mezzanine for feeding horses—the space offered a unique opportunity for vertical transformation. The n… - [Dupont Circle Residence](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/dupont-circle-residence-pj-vj~7338442) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 19 - Description: CAN A HOUSE BE A TRIANGLE? IF SPACE TURN CORNERS. A renovation of a 3,900 SF, two-level apartment on Dupont Circle, the existing space was a lesson in the challenges of converting DC’s Commercial office inventory for residential use: low ceilings, imposing structure, insufficient building systems, and a footprint resultant from its position on the triangle between Massachusetts Avenue and P Street NW. The project was an exercise in “shrink-wrapping”: simplifying geometry with a curtain of elevat… - [Logan Circle Row House II](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/logan-circle-row-house-ii-pj-vj~7248583) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 22 - Description: The challenge of this project was to marry existing historic detail with the needs of a 21st century home. The existing house had not been touched in many decades and while it featured a host of interesting old house parts, it needed a total renovation. A rooftop addition features an adaptable suite that converts from home office to guest room with ease. New stairs up to the roof level are mirrored by stairs to the now lowered and finished basement. The crisp clean new stair language serves as a… [See all 17 projects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/el-studio-pfvwus-pf~2080648989) ## Community Q&A **Q: What are the countertops made of?** *(in Photo Questions)* There are two types of materials used. Please tell me what is on the island? And how about the grey stone like countertops on the non-island? A: Hi! The island counter is a stained and sealed wood. The back kitchen counters around the cooktop are concrete. **Q: curbless shower.** *(in Photo Questions)* Lovely curbless shower. Who did the work? A: Hi Marcia! Tarpon Construction was the general contractor on this project. **Q: Cabinet color** *(in Photo Questions)* Hello, Can you please tell me the color that was used in the cabinets? Is it unique to the cabinetmaker? If so, are you able to share the cabinetmaker? Thank you. A: Hi! The color is called Anthracite, and is unique to the manufacturer. The cabinet fronts are the Fold line from Reform. **Q: Beautiful dining area, LOVE the light fixture.** *(in Photo Questions)* We have a beautiful mountain view out our windows. I've been looking for a dining room light fixture that throws enough light and isn't distracting or obstructing to views. What is the model and company of this light? Thank you for your wonderful work! A: Hi! The light fixture is the A-Beam by Hand & Eye. **Q: Bar Stools at Counter** *(in Photo Questions)* Who makes the stools? Thanks! A: The client already had these stools, so unfortunately we don't know who made them. Sorry! **Q: Light above dining table** *(in Photo Questions)* Who makes the light hanging above the dining room table? Thanks! A: Hi Diana! The light fixture is the A-Beam by Hand & Eye. --- *Source: Houzz professional profile. Reflects the profile as of 2026-09-09.*