Smart Design
Solutions
How to transform a home from outdated to ideal
By Bruce Wentworth, AIA, www.wentworthstudio.com
photo by: Geoffrey Hodgdon
When a California couple relocating to the
nation’s capital set out to find a residence
in Northwest, Washington, DC, they
stumbled upon an outdated home in their
dream neighborhood of Kalorama. Built in
1986, the large, dark and gloomy house
was in need of a makeover so they enlisted
Wentworth, Inc.’s architect-led, design-build
team to bring their new home to life.
The new homeowners desired a more
livable, modern layout so the Wentworth
design team tackled the dysfunctional kitchen
first, suggesting an open, seamless plan
for the kitchen and adjacent formal dining
room. The dining room was repurposed
as an informal family/breakfast room, with
the formal dining area moved to one end
of the living room overlooking the pool. By
opening the wall that once divided the two
spaces, the kitchen now flows into this airy,
yet cozy family/breakfast room with a glass
transom giving each space visual definition.
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By rethinking the kitchen’s long, linear
space, the Wentworth team developed a
design scheme with five bays, each defined
by a coffered beam ceiling. The bays are
multifunctional, delineating workspaces
and create a more inviting kitchen. By
incorporating modern necessities such as
a 36-inch-wide cooktop, a 36-inch-wide,
counter-depth refrigerator, a freestanding
8-foot island with bar sink, and a dry bar
complete with liquor storage, the new
kitchen, which also includes custom
appliance storage and built-in lighting, is
both user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing.
The design team also incorporated bar stool
seating in the kitchen island, which features
a stained-wood furniture grade finish and
doubles as a wet bar/buffet for entertaining.
By salvaging the home’s original doubleacting door with tufted, soundproofing
upholstery, an unobtrusive entry was also
created from the stair hall to the new
photo by: Geoffrey Hodgdon
Before
Before
kitchen. In addition, the dining room’s silver
closet was transformed into a discrete
powder room with custom walnut vanity
and stone counter.
When it came to this Kalorama diamond in
the rough, the clients saw the possibilities
and embraced Wentworth’s thoughtful
design choices, transforming the home from
so-so to perfect. For more information
about home renovations, contact architectled, design-build firm Wentworth,
Inc. at 240.395.0705, x100, email
Bruce Wentworth, AIA, at bwentworth@
wentworthstudio.com, or go to
www.wentworthstudio.com.
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