Full Home Update in Cardozo, Washington, DC
Project Overview
Our client approached Four Brothers to renovate the kitchen, master bathroom, and guest bathroom in her contemporary row home located in the U Street Corridor area of Washington, DC. Like many homes we see in the thriving neighborhoods of Shaw and Cardozo, this home was relatively modern construction, but lacked the unique character and comfort our homeowner was looking for. While updates to the bathrooms were mostly aesthetic (requiring little in terms of structural change), the kitchen needed a complete remodel, including a full gut, establishing a larger footprint, major updates to plumbing, electrical, and gas, and substantial modification to the home’s rear masonry wall.
Design and Layout
Emphasis was placed on opening the kitchen to create a more functional layout, conducive to hosting dinner parties and the like. We achieved this in a number of ways. To add scale, the existing rear entryway was expanded and replaced with steel-frame windows and doors by Euroline, creating a seamless transition between the deck and kitchen. Just inside, the pantry houses a coffee station with pocket doors that stow cleanly within the cabinet. Similarly, an appliance garage concealed by a vertically lifting door is where the microwave lives. Smart design choices such as these allow in-demand areas of the kitchen to remain accessible without open doors obstructing traffic. A custom built banquet-style bench not only provides plentiful seating, but also opens up for convenient additional storage—fully maximizing all available space.
Moving to the master bathroom, priorities were simple: a heated floor, freestanding tub, and a large steam shower. #showergoals
Style and Finish
The kitchen is anchored by a large center island featuring an over-sized stainless steel farmhouse apron sink by Kerr, contrasted by a slender, single-lever faucet by Dornbracht. Accenting the cabinets are a custom combination of brass and steel pulls by Buster+Punch, pairing well with staple brushed steel appliances from Sub-Zero and Wolf. Lighting is from the Waldorf Collection by Lambert & Fils and showcases photography from the homeowner’s own private collection. The kitchen is framed by black steel windows and doors by Euroline, and a fully motorized solar shade from The Shade Store which materializes from the ceiling for privacy (and mornings).
Coming from all white everything, our client requested the master bathroom incorporate a pallet of colors inspired by raw materials such as slate and maple. We started with a base of cement-look porcelain floor tile by TileBar, matched with Carrara marble by Architectural Ceramics on the walls. The contemporary freestanding bathtub is by Wetstyle and all fixtures are from the Flyte collection by Waterworks. The maple cabinets and vanity are custom built, and the raw steel mirror was fabricated for us locally in Maryland by Iron Thor Welding.
Finishes in the 3/4th bath include hexagonal tile flooring in tumbled Carrara by TileBar and classic arctic white subway tile with contrasting grout in silver shadow by Architectural Ceramics. The vanity countertop is by Caeserstone in Noble Grey with brass pull knobs by Buster+Punch. A crowd favorite in this bathroom are the brass fixtures from Waterworks, specifically the wall-mounted sink faucet with cross handles from the Henry collection. And contemporary touches like exposed incandescent lighting by Buster+Punch and a thin-frame circular mirror from CB2 are just the right touch of modern.