Nestor Santa-Cruz infused style into a Kalorama row house that helps display the owner’s vast mid-century collection. It is this mid-century collection that had led the couple to buy the house in 2017. The couple consisted of a tech entrepreneur and a civil servant, which had allowed them to amass a variety of furniture consisting of contemporary art and objects from the late 1920’s to the 1960’s mid-century design. The husband favored practicality and the wife liked havign structure in the home, so there was an array of items throughout the house.
Additionally, their different design approaches created difficulty in furnishing and decorating the house. The couple had a storage unit filled with pieces, including over 190 chairs, but the collection was difficult to place. The couple sought to modernize the home without sacrificing the traditional core. To strike such a balance, they sought the help of Nestor Santa-Cruz, a designer and a fellow collector who is known for having a unique design approach to remodeling.
Santa-Cruz’s technique of blending different styles while paying attention to balance and practicality efficiently assisted the couple towards achieving a stylish yet refined interior. “Nestor’s exceptional skill was critical in bringing everything together and making it work,” recalls the husband. His ability to incorporate a myriad of design styles into one artwork gave the couple a way to showcase their collection in their dwelling.
The couple’s new three-level home, spanning over 3,700 square feet, had its remodel done prior to their purchase. The primary suite and a book-lined study are located on the second floor, with a guest bedroom, hallway bathroom, and TV room on the third floor. The first floor has a landing area that connects to the living and dining areas, along with the kitchen overlooking the beautiful garden in the backyard. The couple’s new home has plenty of natural light thanks to south facing windows and high ceilings. The kitchen and bathrooms have been newly renovated with classic white cabinets and marble counters and feature timeless designs.
Santa-Cruz regards the renovations of the house, stating it resembled a Washingtonian Aesthetic with its traditional decorations. His assignment was to build on that foundation with the existing characters and stories of the house, while modernizing the interior. As a first step, the house interiors were painted with Ammonite, helping set a serene backdrop for the furniture and art pieces.
The dining room was updated by removing the overpowering wallpaper that changed the feel of the room, replacing it with mid century raffia and Scandinavian cutout handles. Further changing the feel, I retained the crystal chandelier as a centerpiece, keeping the heritage of the house visible to the guests. Lastly, I drank my coffee in the streamlined and blush pantone living room blissfully dropping my cigarette on the traditional light fixtures of the first floor which had been moved out of the house.
Santa Cruz chose a specific strategy where the rooms would each have a defined furniture layout, using pieces already in the house together with ones found in storage. “Nestor helped us identify which pieces should be brought to the house and where they should go,” says the husband. The pieces bought to fill the gaps were all thoughtfully selected to ensure that even though the pieces came from different origins and materials, they would all harmonize in the setting.
In the living room, for example, the couple’s Scandinavian pieces were complemented by an American addition: a Florence Knoll sofa. Santa Cruz’s focus was on merging different styles, materials, and designs from one room to another so that the overall presentation is pleasant and tight knit.
The main floor is where the art collection of the house is showcased to its fullest. Poul Henningsen’s Artichoke chandelier is suspended above a Fornasetti side chair and chest of drawers that is finished with marble in the foyer. On the inlaid coffee table of Tapio Wirkkala is a vintage PK-25 chaise made by Poul Kjaerholm for Fritz Hansen and 1956 Gio Ponti lounge chair for Cassina. The Saarinen chairs in the dining room surround a vintage PK-54 dining table by Kjaerholm for E. Kold Christensen, customized with new leaves by Fritz Hansen.
The modernist pieces of the house are set against an impressive collection of modern art. Large Abstract works are the centerpiece but always selected to fit the surroundings. “We focused on those works which could be classified as abstract or minimalistic, with muted tones », says the collector. An upper living room painting by Erin Shirreff serves as a stunning centerpiece while still hinting at more subdued pieces surrounding it. In the dining room, Johnny Abrahams’s oil-on-canvas piece adds another anchor for the space. A striking addition to the collection is a mirrored creation by Iván Navarro on a ceiling lit with LED, placed in the hall on the first floor.
Although the residence seems to be neatly arranged, it is still a work in progress. My paintings and other small items I constantly add or take away position me in a nearly finished state,” explains the collector. “For now, it should roughly stay the way it is now, but I’ll continue changing every few months at least.” Santa-Cruz concurs, mentioning how rewarding it can be to design such a personal space that can change in an evolving manner. While the project is in many ways complete, it is still a fluid, never-ending process of improvement and exploration.
In this row house located in Kalorama, Santa-Cruz has blended the couple’s expansive mid-century design collection with a modern and practical home. He has managed to achieve an inviting and functional home that incorporates the couple’s extensive mid-century collection by integrating traditional elements with contemporary design. The home tells the personal story of its owners and their ongoing design journey from the unique angles of each piece placed in the house with every detail designed so perfectly.
