Photography by Ken Wyner 2101 Connecticut Avenue (c.1928), an 8-story brick and limestone Beaux Arts style building with spacious apartments, is said to have been “the finest apartment house to appear in Washington between the two World Wars.” (James M. Goode, Best Addresses, 1988.) As advertised for rent in 1928, the apartments were designed “to incorporate many details that would aid the residents in establishing a home atmosphere, one possessing charm and dignity usually found only in a private house… the character and tenancy (being) assured through careful selection of guests.” Home to Senators, Ambassadors, a Vice President and a Supreme Court Justice as well as numerous Washington socialites, the building still stands as one of the undisputed “best addresses” in Washington, DC.) So well laid-out was this gracious 3,000 sf apartment that the basic floor plan remains unchanged from the original architect’s 1927 design. The organizing feature was, and continues to be, the grand “gallery” space in the center of the unit. Every room in the apartment can be accessed via the gallery, thus preserving it as the centerpiece of the “charm and dignity” which the original design intended. Programmatic modifications consisted of the addition of a small powder room off of the foyer, and the conversion of a corner “sun room” into a room for meditation and study. The apartment received a thorough updating of all systems, services and finishes, including a new kitchen and new bathrooms, several new built-in cabinetry units, and the consolidation of numerous small closets and passageways into more accessible and efficient storage spaces.

Inspiration for a huge contemporary backyard tile and custom-shaped infinity pool remodel

Inspiration for a small contemporary backyard formal garden in San Francisco.

Inspiration for a tropical drop-in bathtub remodel in Hawaii with beige walls

Photo: Lucy Call © 2013 Houzz
Example of a trendy dining room design in Salt Lake City with gray walls

Photos by Muffy Kibbey
Kitchen - contemporary u-shaped dark wood floor kitchen idea in San Francisco with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets and a peninsula

Lower level exercise room - use as a craft room or another secondary bedroom.
Home yoga studio - mid-sized contemporary laminate floor and beige floor home yoga studio idea in Denver with blue walls

Example of a transitional living room design in Denver

Rhythm Mohan
Inspiration for an asian landscaping in San Francisco.

mediation room Asian style room CCA

Elegant family room photo with green walls

SHADE SYSTEMS : A second skin of screens and louvers mediates the heat of the Palo Alto summers.
Inspiration for a modern exterior home remodel in San Francisco

Design ideas for a modern landscaping in Toronto.

Designed and built a personal sanctuary, which provided a tranquil vessel for yoga, mediation, reading, and rest.
Example of a mid-sized trendy beige floor and bamboo floor home yoga studio design in Boston with beige walls

Inspiration for a modern landscaping in Toronto.

Minimalist home design photo in Toronto

Inspiration for a contemporary dark wood floor living room library remodel in Los Angeles with gray walls

The site descends from the street and is privileged with dynamic natural views toward a creek below and beyond. To incorporate the existing landscape into the daily life of the residents, the house steps down to the natural topography. A continuous and jogging retaining wall from outside to inside embeds the structure below natural grade at the front with flush transitions at its rear facade. All indoor spaces open up to a central courtyard which terraces down to the tree canopy, creating a readily visible and occupiable transitional space between man-made and nature. The courtyard scheme is simplified by two wings representing common and private zones - connected by a glass dining “bridge." This transparent volume also visually connects the front yard to the courtyard, clearing for the prospect view, while maintaining a subdued street presence. The staircase acts as a vertical “knuckle,” mediating shifting wing angles while contrasting the predominant horizontality of the house. Crips materiality and detailing, deep roof overhangs, and the one-and-half story wall at the rear further enhance the connection between outdoors and indoors, providing nuanced natural lighting throughout and a meaningful framed procession through the property. Photography Spaces and Faces Photography

This island integrates display shelving as a way of mediating between the kitchen and adjacent dining area.
Example of a small eclectic slate floor kitchen design in New York with flat-panel cabinets, gray cabinets, quartz countertops, multicolored backsplash and an island