Solís Betancourt & Sherrill creates a sanctuary of calm in the Ritz-Carlton Residences.
Silk wallcovering from Cowtan & Tout lines a living room featuring chairs from Holly Hunt and a Fortuny coffee table.
We often hear that designers observe how clients live in their home before mapping out a plan—adhering to the precepts of form and function. And while DC-based design firm Solís Betancourt & Sherrill (solisbetancourt.com) certainly followed this game plan for their clients in the West End, the team also derived inspiration from the couple’s personal aesthetic.
The light-filled dining room is characterized by a mix of comfort and formality
“We were inspired by the jet-setting clients’ glamorous sartorial style—both were always impeccably dressed and the epitome of chic,” says Jose Solís Betancourt, one of the design firm’s principals. “The wife has her own fashion line, and the husband works as a trial attorney, so we created a scheme that would combine the precision-sharp mind of an attorney with the aesthetic beauty and styling of an haute couture fashion designer. The style is glamorous and modern with rich and luxurious textiles for both visual and tactile comfort.”
The couple had moved into a new 3,500-square-foot home at the Ritz-Carlton Residences (ritzdc.com) with their newborn and wanted to up the ante on the design of the newly constructed space. “They wanted luxury and an extremely high quality of bespoke detailing and craft smanship, so we went to work developing the residence’s floor plan, refining the bulky existing mechanical systems to clean up the architecture and gain ceiling height where possible,” says Betancourt, who notes the usual challenges sprang up, as they sometimes do with condos: low ceilings, structural columns and plumbing risers.
The primary suite features custom bedside tables created by the design team
“We revved up the finishes to include a rich palette of marble, fine woods and gilded details,” Betancourt says. All of this was presented in tandem with a furnishings and art presentation in order to coordinate architectural finishes.
The entry sets a luxe tone for the entire house. “We created a skylight to flood the foyer with light, as it had been very dark before,” says Betancourt. “For the sake of symmetry, we recentered the entry door in a dramatic niche made of black lacquer paneled walls with gilded details and polished Absolute Black granite flooring. The foyer is flanked by small vestibules that connect on either end to the public areas—the dining room on one end and the living room on the other. The center of the foyer is defined by a double book-matched slab floor with a central diamond motif. The marble floor unifies the entire apartment.” The entry’s wallcovering is from Kravet (kravet.com) and Winfield Thybony (winfieldthybony.com); the bench is from Minton-Spidell (minton-spidell.com) with fabric from Holly Hunt (hollyhunt.com); and the drapery is from Arabel (arabel.com).
An island of storage in the primary suite.
The home’s ceilings were polished to a brilliant luster with Venetian plaster to give a reflective quality and to create a sense of height. “We opened up the kitchen, family and dining rooms to create one flowing space and almost entirely concealed the kitchen and appliances behind dark coffee-toned wood paneling to maintain a formal entertaining and dining space,” says Betancourt.
Atmospheric blue and green hues characterize the living room, which is lined in silk wallcovering by Cowtan & Tout (cowtan.com). “The niches are covered in back-painted glass, which add depth and dimension to the space,” says Betancourt. “Soffits and ductwork were removed and integrated into linear flow bars within the crown molding details.” Standout elements in the room include a coffee table from Fortuny (fortuny.us), lounge chairs from Holly Hunt with fabric by Coraggio (coraggio.com) and drapery fabric from Kirkby Design (kirkbydesign.com).
A built-in sofa overlooks a sun-filled terrace.
“One of the interesting things that changed dramatically was the approach to the primary suite,” says Betancourt. “The original entrance was from the foyer, and you entered the dressing room first, which we didn’t think made sense.” The team reconfigured the floor plan so the entrance to the primary suite is from the living room—a mirrored pocket door seals off the space and features a custom bedside table created by Betancourt’s team and a lush rug by Mastour Galleries (mastourgalleries.com).
“The clients love the elegant sequence of spaces that we created,” says Betancourt. “They travel often and stay in the finest hotels. I think the beauty of this space makes home feel like a retreat from day-to-day living. In fact, they love the home so much that we’re also doing their penthouse apartment in Miami.”
HOME DETAILS
DESIGN
Solís Betancourt & Sherrill
solisbetancourt.com
GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Michael Sauri, TriVistaUSA
trivistausa.com
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
Arentz Landscape Architects
arentzdc.com
RESOURCES
Kravet
Wallcovering, entry kravet.com
Winfield Thybony
Wallcovering, entry
winfieldthybony.com
Minton-Spidell
Bench, entry minton-spidell.com
Arabel
Drapery, entry arabel.com
Cowtan & Tout
Wallcovering, living room
cowtan.com
Fortuny
Coffee table, living room
fortuny.us
Holly Hunt
Lounge chairs, living room
hollyhunt.com
Kirkby Design
Drapery fabric, living room and primary suite
kirkbydesign.com
Artisan Lamp
Floor lamp, living room
artisanlamp.com
Mastour Galleries
Rug, primary suite
mastourgalleries.com
Photography by: BY MARCOS GALVANY
