A redo to give it the home feel
An Italian couple with a young child and another on the way were ready to move on from their overflowing town house so they set out to look for a new home in The District. They found a center hall spring valley colonial from the 1980s that had plenty of natural light and was proportional to their needs. “It has nice, generous spaces, but it feels cozy and not excessive. We didn’t want spaces we wouldn’t use every day,” said the wife who works for an international organization. “We saw a lot of new construction that felt too big, whereas this house felt human-sized,” stated the wife. “We enjoy the very reasonable spaces that the house comes with. We’re not trying to live in a hyperbolized castle.”
They placed their search there, but, being modernists and furniture enthusiasts, they did have their own touch they wanted to add. Friends recommended architect Catherine and VW Fowlkess, with a suggestion for Fowlkes Studio. The couple were intrigued because of the firm’s estimates, along with their attention toward detail and workmanship. The wife accompanied her husband, who is a director at a tech company, in hiring the Fowlkes team to help renovate the rest of the house.
The architects the existing house as somewhat “cookie-cutter,” however, they were quickly met with the realization that their clients were far from ordinary. “They’re very bold and super stylish,” VW says. “They were willing to try new things.” The ideal direction of the architects was to shift the residence towards a more modern and playful feel but keep some traditional elements that the family had grown fond of.
The couple’s requirements are pretty straightforward: the kitchen had to be modernized, the storage space increased for the entire 4000 feet square home with five bedrooms (shocking that there was no coat closet), the master bedroom and bathrooms had to be updated, new windows put in, and lastly, the exterior had to be remodeled.
Opening walls and uniting the kitchen and dining areas to the right of the entrance was the most significant change the architects made. “Food is what brings us together, and we love to host,” said the wife. The redesign also incorporated an entire bespoke cabinetry unit, which was built into the rigidness in the center hall of the house, thus outfitting it will in-built coat closets. Changing the walls between the kitchen and dining room enabled a long table that could furnish twelve people. VW recalls, “Our clients wanted a kind of ceremonial table where life would happen,” which influenced the choice to combine the kitchen and dining areas.
The units were simple, however they were significantly different from other places. The huge windows with long sills truly accentuated the height of the room. VW said, “They increased elegance and tradition while ensuring that they did not base everything off of those ideas.” The female architects added wainscoting in order to improve space. They also replaced shadow lines with ceiling drywall. She also added crown molding and a coffered ceiling to the family room around the quartzite fireplace. Like the rest of the place, the family room is also clean, chic, and comfortable. The family room provides easy access to the kitchen and backyard. These spaces can also be connected easily.
The primary component in the kitchen is the island, which serves as both a workstation as well as a gathering spot. The facing cupboards contain a coffee station, along with the cooktop, which looks out to the backyard. To the right of the stove, a former laundry room was converted to a butler’s pantry. This was done in order to improve ease and overall effectiveness.
The exterior of the home changed completely. The bold, ornamental shutters are no more. Now, the house has a much cleaner and polished look. The original red brick was painted over with cream, and the worn windows were replaced with Marvin casement windows. The facelift was finished by adding new outdoor lights and an orange handrail. The new playroom is a great addition to the refurbished lower level, with plans for a wine cellar in the future.
The Fowlkes Team blended Old World materials with contemporary touches throughout the home, using marble, oak cabinets, and walnut bases for the furnishings.
A serene retreat encompassed the primary bath with an oversized shower and soaking tub, the centerpiece being the custom double sink vanity. The Fowlkes Team added their own twist, using terracotta tile floors and Venetian plaster walls to pay tribute to the couple’s Italian roots.
The couple is ecstatic about the results, feeling that they got more than what they initially hoped for. “Our clients didn’t want to create something sterile or one-note,” VW reflects. “They appreciated the historic element of the architecture – not that it was particularly authentic – but it had connotations of a home they could hold onto.” The renovation integrated modern design with classical architecture, resulting in an impressive, comfortable, and livable house for this expanding family.
