Almost four years ago, a dermatologist and an architect met at the DC preschool their sons attended. Talk turned to home design and their shared modernist sensibility. The doctor and her husband, also a dermatologist, soon visited EL Studio, founded by architects and business partners Elizabeth Emerson and Mark Lawrence—the schoolmate’s dad. He also showed the house-hunters his own custom digs. Friendship ensued.

In 2019, the physicians, who love to cook and entertain, bought a four-level, 3,730 square-foot 1880s row house near Dupont Circle. Despite an undesirable first-floor layout and primary bathroom—“unlivable for our style,” the husband declared—it did have four bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a fenced backyard and great potential. They hired EL Studio, which focuses on modern architecture, to spearhead an overhaul.

First, virtually all appliances, cabinetry and fixtures had to go. “The previous owner had renters and used off-the-shelf, contractor-grade everything when renovating a few years back,” says Lawrence. The existing galley kitchen, with facing walls of tall, dark cabinets, was sequestered at the back of the house and the living area was in the front; the dining room was between the two.

The new owners didn’t mind that the home’s historic detailing was long gone. “We have a very clean, organized, practical aesthetic and wanted the design to flow. We always had kitchens that were closed-off so if you had people over you were isolated,” says the husband, a serious wine collector. “We wanted the open look of lofts in Soho and Brooklyn that my wife had lived in.”

The renovation, which took much of 2020, totally opened and reorganized the main level, creating an expansive kitchen with a large island in front, a central dining space and a living area in back. Simultaneous work on the first floor and basement streamlined the upgrade of a powder room and full bath, plumbing, electrical, gas and HVAC systems on each level, says contractor Chris Brauss of Tarpon Construction.

Several redeeming features were retained. Angular, four-window bays on all three floors still overlook the quiet, tree-lined street. A concealed steel beam revealed for a hint of urban grit bisects the main-level ceiling. Since cutting new roof openings was deemed too costly, a trio of existing skylights illuminates unexpected parts of the owners’ third-floor suite—including one above the commode in their spa-worthy bathroom.

Other elements were easily altered. The original 19th-century exposed brick along the home’s entire left wall is now painted white. The 21st-century oak flooring got a paler finish, and the banisters and balusters leading upstairs and down gave way to sculptural, gallery-like white and pastel rail panels of furniture-grade birch plywood.

For the creative hosts—think specialty cocktails and gourmet meals—the coveted open kitchen is a triumph. Cabinets along the right wall are covered in furniture-grade, dark-blue, textured Forbo linoleum, which is thinner than flooring material and easy to clean. Custom concrete counters bookend the BlueStar gas range and top the white-stained oak island that houses the sink and accommodates four jaunty bar stools. Yet another eating option awaits in the window bay, furnished with a small, round Eero Saarinen Tulip table and custom, cushion-topped floating benches.

A table and Eames Eiffel Tower chairs anchor the dining area. The resident mix- ologists make frequent use of the space’s wet bar and hidden half-fridge tucked into a niche created by reducing the size of the powder room behind it.

The adjacent sitting room is furnished with a sofa, chairs and a low table, allowing adults to drink, snack, chat and watch the children playing outside. Glass-paneled doors open into the yard, covered in cool, smooth pea gravel. A terraced wooden container garden next to the steps leading outside is filled with fresh herbs.

The family—including their then-three-month-old baby boy—moved into the house in June 2020 as the renovation wound down. The two brothers live on the second floor down the hall from the guest room, and share the dual-sink bathroom with a tub and shower that Emerson calls a hybrid of premium tile and Ikea cabinets.

The owners’ top-floor bedroom suite includes two wide rows of freestanding closets, with custom doors clad in pale-blush Forbo and fitted with Elfa hardware. The wife’s small but elegant built-in vanity is flooded with light from a nearby window. And, oh, that bathroom, with dual sinks, high-end tile and a window along the back wall. The large glass-enclosed shower was the trickiest part of the renovation, says Emerson. “It has a recessed pan that teak planks sit on and integrating it seamlessly was a bit of work.”

Like most basements, this one is multi-purpose: family movie and game room, children’s play space, laundry area, full bath, home gym. But the most prominent feature awaits at the foot of the stairs: a tall, gleaming 200-bottle wine chiller. Now that the renovation is done, the husband muses, he might just create “a proper cellar” someday.

Renovation Architecture: Elizabeth Emerson, AIA, and Mark Lawrence, AIA, EL Studio PLLC, Washington, DC. Renovation Contractor: Chris Brauss, Tarpon Construction LLC, Washington, DC.

DRAWING BOARD
Q&A with architect Elizabeth Emerson

How do you decide what to change in a move-in-ready home?
Often there are obvious layout issues if existing space is badly used, like bathrooms with poorly arranged fixtures, or kitchen cabinets on both walls but no center island. You can reposition spaces so they work for you, and upgrade off-the-shelf features with custom millwork.

How do you maximize natural light in a dark row house?
You can put skylights in the roof plane (above), add clerestory windows or install glass transoms over doors. Also consider glass enclosures for stairways, exterior doors with large glass panels and lightening dark colors on the walls, floors and cabinetry.

Can you replace or replicate missing historic elements?
For fireplaces, it is doable if the flue remains, and it can be unblocked and relined. It’s possible to design new molding that suggests a specific period. Old mantels, lighting and reclaimed wood for flooring and cabinetry can be sourced from architectural salvage companies.