The Project
Living one block from their four grandchildren is a dream for a couple in Northwest DC’s Cleveland Park neighborhood. The downside? Their 6,800-square-foot home badly needed a complete renovation and aesthetic boost.
The Team
The couple hired Sarita Simpson, principal at Interior Matter (interiormatter.com) to bring her extensive residential design experience, focusing on warm modernism, to the project. “Dominant characteristics of our current work include edited eclecticism and thoughtful originality,” says Simpson. “It’s also imperative not to over- design a space. No two projects in our portfolio look the same. When it comes to trends, we avoid them and lean toward timelessness.”
Simpson says she and her team have a detailed process for working with clients. Each project varies, of course, and Interior Matter takes a turnkey approach for many projects, while some clients simply want Simpson’s expertise for the design phase; they then work with trades to complete the work.
“One interesting detail from this project: The clients loved the neighborhood so much that they purchased this home just two blocks from their original home,” says Simpson. “Our first major task: quickly assess and inventory all of their existing furnishings and artwork to determine what might work in the new house and where.”
Living and Dining Rooms
In addition to her team’s overall approach of creating spaces that are sophisticated and livable without being fussy, Simpson says she consulted with the couple’s architect on renovation plans and materials. “We also mapped out spaces for furniture and artwork, and we planned the finishing touches and window treatments for rooms on every floor,” she says. “The family hosts frequent dinners, cocktail parties, and gatherings with young grandchildren and pets in this space,” says Simpson. “We incorporated textiles and floor coverings with colors or patterns that would naturally disguise the unavoidable spills, crumbs and other messes that come with daily life.” Standout pieces in the room include pendants from Cedar and Moss (cedarandmoss.com), a sofa from Dmitriy & Co (dmitriy.com), and a coffee table from Poritz & Studio (aaronporitz.com).
“The dining room needed to be flexible for seating up to 10 people for dinner,” says Simpson. “The solution was a vintage extendable table found by our client that accommodates smaller groups when needed and extends to seat up to 10 people for larger gatherings.” The room features a table from 1stDibs (firstdibs.com), vintage chairs from Vladimir Kagan (vladimirkagan.com), a sideboard from Poritz & Studio, and window treatments from Everett Designs (everettdesigns.com). Carpeting from Carpet Creations (carpetcreations.com) lines the space.
Study
The couple wanted a functional space for work, reading, lounging and watching TV; the room also accommodates an extensive book collection. “We used custom wall- mounted shelving and desk system that satisfied the main requirements of the space stylishly,” says Simpson. “We’re fans of Atlas Industries (atlaseast.com). The company’s systems keep things out of sight that we don’t want on display; the system also keeps cords and wires nice and tidy.” The Interior Matter team added armchairs from B&B Italia (bedbitalia.com) and Pierre Jeanneret via Design Within Reach (dwr.com).
Primary Suite
The couple wanted a serene area to meditate and relax at the beginning of each day. “We focused on a neutral base for the walls, floor covering, drapery and upholstered bed, allowing the artwork to add the perfect amount of color to the palette,” says Simpson. Exceptional pieces include a ceiling fixture from Chairish (chairish.com), a bed from Dmitriy & Co., a bedside table from Design Within Reach, window treatments from Everett Designs and a floor covering from Eliko Rugs (elikorugs.com). The sanctuary’s benches are vintage Vladimir Kagan reupholstered in fabric from Pierre Frey (pierrefrey.com).
How the Home is Living
“Our clients were thrilled with our ability to take the stress out of a major move to the new home,” says Simpson. “They’re also impressed with how we improved the home’s flow and how we incorporated thoughtful design and function for every space—it exceeded their expectations."
HOME DETAILS
HOME TYPE
Single-family
LOCATION
Cleveland Park, Northwest DC
ARCHITECTS
Arentz Architecture
arentzdc.com
GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Madden CCI
maddencci.com
RESOURCES
CEDAR AND MOSS
Pendants, living room
cedarandmoss.com
DMITRIY & CO
Sofa, living room; bed, primary suite
dmitriy.com
PORITZ & STUDIO
Coffee table, living room; sideboard, dining room
aaronporitz.com
1STDIBS
Table, dining room
firstdibs.com
VLADIMIR KAGAN
Chairs, dining room
vladimirkagan.com
EVERETT DESIGNS
Window treatments, dining room, primary suite
everettdesigns.com
CARPET CREATIONS
Carpet, dining room
carpet-creations.com
ATLAS INDUSTRIES
Shelving and storage system, study
atlaseast.com
B&B ITALIA
Armchair, study
bedbitalia.com
DESIGN WITHIN REACH
Pierre Jeanneret armchair; bedside table, primary suite
dwr.com
CHAIRISH
Ceiling fixture, primary suite
chairish.com
ELIKO RUGS
Carpet, primary suite
elikorugs.com
GUTTER
Photography by:
