Playrooms can still have style

Updated : 2:55 PM, Wed, May 22, 2013

Playrooms are designed with children in mind, but with a little outside-of-the-toy- box thinking they also can have a splash of style that suits the needs of adults. "You don't always have to use primary colors," said...
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Adaptive reuse turns roller rink into apartments

Published : 4:10 PM, Thu, May 16, 2013

It is not quite placing square pegs into round holes but Douglas Development is fitting 39 apartments into the dome-roofed former roller skating rink above the Adams Morgan Harris Teeter. Called the Citadel, the project...
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Take your powder room from bland to bold

Published : 3:40 PM, Thu, May 16, 2013

The powder room, perhaps the smallest space in a house, presents the most possibilities. "By nature, it is a small space, which is liberating," said Sara Baldwin, founder and creative director of New Ravenna Mosaics, a...
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Rosemary Ponnekanti

Reinvented garages house hobbies and work

Published : 2:30 PM, Wed, May 15, 2013

It's that place in your home that's always dirty. Maybe it has funky windows and no insulation. Or it leaks. But hey, it's four walls, a roof and a floor -- and so it has a lot more potential than just housing your car....
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ByCharlotte Safavi

Making a kitchen feel bigger does not have to mean adding space

Published : 8:45 PM, Thu, May 9, 2013

Bethesda homeowner Gwenn Hibbs did not want to expand the footprint of her kitchen, but she did want a space that was bright and open -- and felt "light and airy." Hibbs had a pretty good idea of the overall style that...
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Merlisa Lawrence Corbett

At the beach d'cor is easy, breezy

Updated : 3:40 PM, Thu, May 9, 2013

People go to beach houses to escape and relax, which is why beach house interiors should be easy and breezy. "When you go to the beach, the minute you hit that bridge you want those stresses to slide right off of you,"...
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Candice Olson

Century-old living room gets modern twist

Published : 1:45 PM, Wed, May 8, 2013

Katarina and Tom love the character and charm of their 100-year-old house, but they admit that adapting the century home to modern-day living was a bit of a challenge. Back when the house was built, one common living room...
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Loudoun Station moves forward with eye on new Silver Line

Published : 4:40 PM, Thu, May 2, 2013

When Kimberly Rankin looks out the windows of her one-bedroom apartment, she sees the potential of Loudoun Station. Developer Comstock Partners plans for its walkable community in Loudoun County, Va., anchored by a...
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New faucets drip luxury

Published : 4:35 PM, Thu, May 2, 2013

Shopping for a bathroom faucet can be a glorious adventure into the chic world of style and art form. So long, spigot. Hello, gorgeous. Whether shopping at Waterworks, Boffi or Washington's own W.T. Weaver & Sons --...
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Merlisa Lawrence Corbett

Galley kitchen makeover uses creative layout, color to enhance feeling of space

Published : 5:40 PM, Tue, Apr 30, 2013

When interior designer Susan Agger purchased her Washington condo, she saw the outdated white galley kitchen as a blank canvas where she could unleash her creativity. She hired Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen & Bath to help...
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A Watergate condo gets a modern remake

Published : 6:45 PM, Thu, Apr 25, 2013

A couple of "a ha" moments inspired Pat and John Donaldson to transform their mundane Watergate condo into a stunning contemporary Manhattan-style apartment. "We were going for a more contemporary look," said Pat...
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Look for home loan interest rates to continue upward creep

Published : 3:55 PM, Thu, Apr 25, 2013

Interest rates for a conventional 30-year, fixed-rate home loan have increased fairly steadily from 3.34 percent at the beginning of the year to about 3.60 percent, but they are not expected to surge upward, experts said....
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Candice Olson

A home office that means business

Published : 7:05 PM, Tue, Apr 23, 2013

Joseph is a successful investment adviser who occasionally works from his home office. His wife, Nicole, also works on her own household projects in the same space. The two of them were tripping over each other in a...
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Merlissa Corbett

Area rugs define spaces in open, wood-floor layouts

Updated : 4:55 PM, Thu, Apr 18, 2013

Open floor plans with all hardwood floors sometimes appear too expansive, almost cavernous. It can seem a pity to cover beautiful wood, but area rugs placed over wall-to-wall wood floors can enhance a space. "Area rugs...
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Merlissa Corbett

Pied-a-terre gets a 'tweener' makeover

Published : 4:30 PM, Thu, Apr 18, 2013

Susan McFarland was window-shopping when she stumbled upon exactly what she wanted to convert her contemporary West End apartment in Washington into a sophisticated pied-a-terre. McFarland, senior adviser and former...
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Dean Bartoli Smith

Washington metro real estate market springs into action

Published : 3:55 PM, Thu, Apr 18, 2013

The spring real estate season is in full bloom in the Washington metro area, with prices rising in response to a continued inventory shortage and additional blossoms of new listings, a Realtor and market analyst said....
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Charlotte Safavi

D.C. architecture firm takes on narrow Capitol Hill rowhouse

Updated : 5:05 PM, Wed, Apr 17, 2013

The task of seamlessly remodeling a narrow, cramped and poorly lit historic rowhouse is never easy, but Richard Loosle, of Kube Architecture, managed just that in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of the District. "Our...
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Merlisa Lawrence Corbett

Windows get less fussy, clean-line treatment

Published : 4:10 PM, Thu, Apr 11, 2013

Gone are the days when custom window treatments meant elaborate drapes complemented by swags, jabots, valances or cornices. Interior designer Marika Meyers of Meyers Interiors said today's custom window treatments are...
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New Safeway, apartment project give Petworth a face-lift

Published : 3:35 PM, Thu, Apr 11, 2013

For many years, residents and passersby considered the neighborhood around the Georgia Avenue/Petworth Metrorail station to be like a pretty face covered with dirt -- a potential beauty obscured by years of neglect. But...
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Charlotte Safavi

DC Design House goes French Country

Updated : 5:35 PM, Wed, Apr 10, 2013

Located off a winding road in the leafy neighborhood of Wesley Heights, the 2013 DC Design House, which showcases the work of mostly area designers, will not disappoint. This year's French Country-style home has 14,000...
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