Snag This Rare International Style Home in Washington, D.C.

Designed by esteemed local architect Louis Giles, Jr., the house combines midcentury cool with tasteful modern upgrades.

Completed in 1960, the home was commissioned by William "Prince" and Mary Brooks, a prominent couple who wanted a more modern house than what could be found in Washington, D.C. at the time. Giles created a striking, over 3,500-square-foot, open-plan home in the International Style, which is an uncommon aesthetic for the city. It's currently for sale for $1,050,000.

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The home is perfect for entertaining, with minimal adornment and a multi-level floor plan roughly based on the "Golden Rectangle." According to the description, "multiple levels cantilever over the primary living space." There, an eighteen-foot ceiling and floor-to-ceiling glass wall offers views of the main terrace, garden, and a waterfall feature/pool. The finished spaces include three bedrooms, two-and-a-half bathrooms, den, library, home office, and utility rooms.

The current owners have made multiple improvements over the last decade, all with respect to the architect's design and with an eye for details, choosing finishes and materials appropriate to the house's vintage. These include a new anodized aluminum-clad canopy at the front entry, new commercial-grade, double-glazed anodized aluminum windows, and a relocated kitchen with custom walnut cabinetry.

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Thoughtful exterior upgrades incorporate outdoor rooms connected by bluestone walkways, extensive plantings, and defined by privacy screens. The latter were fabricated from anodized aluminum louvered panels salvaged from a 1960 commercial building in Alexandria, Virginia.

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Fun interior details, like the custom Vitsoe shelving in the library and plumbing fixtures from Arne Jacobsen, both also designed in 1960, further maintain the spirit of the original.  

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Check out the listing for 4235 South Dakota Ave NE here.

Know of a home for sale or rent that should be featured on Dwell.com? Drop us a line at community@dwell.com. 

Melissa Dalton
Dwell Contributor
Melissa Dalton is a freelance writer in Portland, Oregon, who has been writing for Dwell since 2017. Read more of her work about design and architecture at melissadalton.net.

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