Whether it’s the granite cobblestone streets where trolleys once roamed or the Federal-style row houses that line many a block, Georgetown exudes historic charm in almost every direction. But for a West Coast-based couple, a penthouse in the Ritz-Carlton fell short on delivering the kind of character that’s synonymous with the neighborhood. While the 6,145-square-foot, high-rise abode offered covetable views of the Potomac, the interior offered little architectural detail to match the scene outside.

“What was there felt very dated and early 2000s,” shares designer Zoë Feldman, whom the couple brought on for the renovation. “There were a lot of odd elements that needed to be smoothed out, such as columns that weren’t load-bearing and lots of undulation in the ceilings. There were large spaces, but they didn’t flow together well architecturally.”

Working with architects Thomson & Cooke and Pyramid Builders, Feldman went about crafting an artful pied-à-terre for the clients to use as an entertaining base when they’re in town. The husband and wife, who have two grown children, desired a DC residence to gather with friends and watch nearby Georgetown athletic events. The husband is an alum and one of the children currently attends the school.

But first the team had to right the penthouse’s shortcomings. Dropped ceilings were raised and cased openings were realigned to create a sense of separation between the mostly open-plan spaces. “A big part of the project was very subtly creating beautiful rooms that unfold into each other,” notes architect Patrick Cooke. “When it was one long run-on space, there was nowhere to stop and change color and materials. These spaces were tricky to make sense of until we created some separation.”

Careful consideration was paid to the how the apartment should flow with an eye on cohesion and a high level of customization top of mind. To start, the entry was reconceived valuing the principles of compression and expansion. A cozy vestibule, sporting new wood paneling painted in Farrow & Ball’s Carriage Green, was built out with a walnut alcove to welcome guests. “We thought it would be fun to create a dramatic jewel-box moment in the entry,” relays Feldman.

That vestibule leads to a hall, which ushers you into a bright, central gallery open to the living room and study on one side and the den, kitchen and dining space on the other. The primary suite resides just beyond the public living spaces for optimum privacy; three additional guest rooms, all with ensuite baths, are tucked away off the entry at the opposite end of the apartment.

To give the home a unifying visual language, the Brazilian cherry floors were refinished to downplay natural red undertones, and walnut door jambs were incorporated at the thresholds. Special attention was paid to the sequencing of rooms through the use of color. “They wanted it to feel more in line with a typical Georgetown home which might have moodier hues,” says Feldman. “A lot of the spaces have earthy jewel tones, so if you line them all up, they would complement each other.”

The cooler side of the color wheel—think grays, blues and greens—dominates the palette; the charcoal study has blueish undertones, and the powder room’s DeGournay wall covering boasts a forest motif in emerald and teal. One exception is the den, bathed in a rich, atmospheric terracotta hue. Other spaces feature crisp white walls to let the clients’ top-shelf art collection, which includes pieces by Sam Gilliam, Sabine Moritz and Mark Bradford, sing.

In the kitchen, Feldman freshened up existing cabinets with a coat of Farrow & Ball’s De Nimes blue and new honed marble countertops. “We weren’t able to fully renovate the kitchen because of the tight time constraint, so we had to put a band-aid on some of it and the easiest thing to do when you need a band-aid is paint,” she explains. The entire project went down in the course of five months from start to finish.

“Zoë had a clear vision for transforming this residence into a home that reflects both the building’s refined setting and the clients’ modern lifestyle,” reflects Jerry Jubb, vice president of Pyramid Builders. “It was a comprehensive renovation that touched nearly every space in the residence. The combination of finish-sensitive work, a vertical urban setting and strict schedule demands made this project challenging, but also one of the most rewarding.”