A Condo Transformed: A Modern Luxurious Retreat
Our clients dreamed of a modern “Jacobsen Home” for years. After purchase of a two-unit Alexandria condo, they hired internationally acclaimed Washington, D.C. firm Jacobsen Architecture and Harry Braswell, Inc. to transform the dated condo into a modern three-bedroom, three-bath home. Views of the Potomac River provide a stunning backdrop to the sophisticated interior, boasting Architect Hugh Newell Jacobsen’s signature details.
Two sets of flush-mount, pivot-pocket doors conceal a media cabinet with TV and a desk. Our lead carpenter and cabinet maker worked closely with Jacobsen Architecture to engineer a cabinet and reinforced ceiling that would allow the full-size doors to move with ease and recess into the walls. A dropped ceiling offers a continuous plane and integrates LED recessed lighting. A floating bar at the windows is supported by concealed steel bracing.
A custom pedestal proudly displays a bust of the homeowner’s father.
The floor was carefully leveled to create continuous flow between hardwood, tile, and carpet. Pre-finished maple engineered hardwood floors were laid over a concrete slab, with a sound barrier in between layers to reduce transfer of sound to lower units.
The dining area opens to the living room and sits adjacent to a custom bar with wine storage for more than 80 bottles. The bar also features glass shelves in front of a mirrored backsplash, a faucet with an integrated sparkling water dispenser, a Subzero icemaker, and a Miele dishwasher.
Flush-mount doors wrapped with stainless steel conceal the laundry closet. Floor-to-ceiling vertical baffles, a signature Jacobsen Architecture detail, disguise the HVAC system ducts.
This custom modern kitchen, built by a local cabinet maker, features European style frameless cabinets with white Corian countertops. Stainless steel-wrapped open shelving above an etched mirror backsplash beautifully displays a cookbook collection and dry goods.
An integrated Subzero refrigerator, pantry, microwave, and coffee station are concealed behind cabinet panels opposite the sink. Top-of-the-line cooking appliances, including a Gaggenau induction cooktop and plumbed steam oven, were a must-have for a homeowner who loves to cook. Floating cabinets mounted in front of sliding glass doors provide additional storage and a buffet for balcony entertaining.
New energy-efficient doors, which replaced 14 original 1970s sliding glass, provide significantly improved noise and temperature control. Motorized shades at each door, hidden in ceiling recesses, offer privacy and sun cover.
Custom bookshelves, another Jacobsen Architecture signature detail, create an illusion of greater height by gradually reducing height between shelves as they near the ceiling.
Jacobsen custom-designed furniture is mixed with reproductions of familiar iconic Modernist furniture.
An ethanol fireplace, which does not require venting and is fueled by a tank within the unit, provides a handsome and warm focal point.