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Collection by Kelly Dawson

A D.C. Row House Renovated to Host Artwork and a Bold Furniture Collection

An artistic couple envisions a traditional home as a blank canvas.

When a couple bought a row house in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, D.C., they aspired to live in their dream home of minimalist ease. But at first, eight-foot ceilings and dark corridors created quite the opposite effect. Janet Bloomberg, principal of Kube Architecture, felt that the best way to achieve their vision – and highlight their love of art and entertaining – was to open up the home as much as possible. Exposed brick brushed in white and lines of black steel frame beloved paintings. Vibrant colors in the furniture and on the walls mirror those found in the artwork, and an unexpected two-story wall of glass carries light in from the backyard. Named the “Salt and Pepper House” in regard to the owner’s penchant for cooking, the property is now a comfortable place of cool simplicity.

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Bloomberg describes the original house as having long, cramped hallways that looked “like a bowling alley.” So, she removed part of the second story and replaced it with a wall of glass to open up the space. The glass is U.V. and heat resistant, and an eight-foot industrial fan carries air throughout the home.
Bloomberg describes the original house as having long, cramped hallways that looked “like a bowling alley.” So, she removed part of the second story and replaced it with a wall of glass to open up the space. The glass is U.V. and heat resistant, and an eight-foot industrial fan carries air throughout the home.
Bloomberg wanted to mix raw and refined materials in the home, and she did so with the custom-designed staircase. White steel treads and frosted glass panels are supported by a black steel structure, which sits across from what she calls the “central core” of the home. Storage space and an elevator are hidden inside.
Bloomberg wanted to mix raw and refined materials in the home, and she did so with the custom-designed staircase. White steel treads and frosted glass panels are supported by a black steel structure, which sits across from what she calls the “central core” of the home. Storage space and an elevator are hidden inside.
The homeowners regularly entertain and they asked for a dining table that could accommodate dinner parties – especially ones that could easily move outdoors. The architect designed two matching tables and benches on either side of the sliding glass partition.
The homeowners regularly entertain and they asked for a dining table that could accommodate dinner parties – especially ones that could easily move outdoors. The architect designed two matching tables and benches on either side of the sliding glass partition.
It may look as though this kitchen doesn’t have many places for storage but that’s not the case. Cabinets run on the outside and inside of the U-shaped structure; a walk-in pantry is concealed in the home’s “central core.”
It may look as though this kitchen doesn’t have many places for storage but that’s not the case. Cabinets run on the outside and inside of the U-shaped structure; a walk-in pantry is concealed in the home’s “central core.”
Viroc is a defining wall feature in the master bedroom. Another prominent detail is the wood flooring, which is original to the home. A bedroom on the third floor and a sleeping nook across from the master bedroom are for guests.
Viroc is a defining wall feature in the master bedroom. Another prominent detail is the wood flooring, which is original to the home. A bedroom on the third floor and a sleeping nook across from the master bedroom are for guests.
Egg chairs by Arne Jacobsen overlook the living and dining rooms on the first floor. When it came to choosing bold wall hues for the home – like the Benjamin Moore lime green shade on the loft’s sliding doors – Bloomberg remembers the discussion she had with the owners: “We said, ‘If we’re going to do color, then let’s do color.’”
Egg chairs by Arne Jacobsen overlook the living and dining rooms on the first floor. When it came to choosing bold wall hues for the home – like the Benjamin Moore lime green shade on the loft’s sliding doors – Bloomberg remembers the discussion she had with the owners: “We said, ‘If we’re going to do color, then let’s do color.’”
The owners are in their seventies – they actually got married during construction at the site – and they wanted to have a home that would be accessible when necessary. The shower is equipped for a wheelchair, and so is every hallway in the house.
The owners are in their seventies – they actually got married during construction at the site – and they wanted to have a home that would be accessible when necessary. The shower is equipped for a wheelchair, and so is every hallway in the house.