First-time homeowner, historic Capitol Hill Condo

2 bed · 1 bath

I love historical architecture and this 1929 Anhalt was a dream come true. Anhalt designed a series of apartment buildings in the mid-1920s that blended Tudor and Medieval French architecture. These apartments have charm, built-ins, and take advantage of generous natural light and courtyard spaces to make the apartment feel more homey. 

However, the previous homeowners underutilized the efficient space and large furniture unfortunately overwhelmed the charming architecture. 

My vision for the space was to maximize the natural lighting.  I loved the dark sage colored walls and the colors in the rugs owned by the previous tenant. I wanted to enhance original elements and bring in other pops of color. 

My most favorite space in this home is the bathroom. I painted high-gloss white, horizontal stripes in the bathroom.  While the stripes are currently trendy, this dainty bathroom, will benefit from the optical illusion that the stripes create--making the room appear more expansive and fluid due to the sheen. That, plus the help of an oversized mirror draws in more light and the eye upward. Clear, glass shelves provided much needed storage without the visual weight of opaque shelves. 

Below are some of the transitional before and afters. You can see the how simplifying the furniture plan made a brighter impact. There was simply too much going on. 

I am not afraid to marry old and new design even in a historical home. For me, color brings playfulness and cheer.

It's the Pacific Northwest, and I feel it's important to incorporate natural colors in the social rooms for entertaining, allowing guests' stories to be shared with laughter and a warm meal on a more neutral aesthetic. Then, by infusing color into the homeowners' exclusive spaces, I highlighted their sense of mature whimsy--particularly with my signature color-coded bookshelf and the tv room. 

The story I wanted to tell was: "Welcome to our home. Stay awhile."