Re-imagined: A 1917 Victorian in 16th Street Heights

• August 6th 2015

by Lori Steenhoek

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Welcome to UrbanTurf's Property Week, a week-long series devoted to some of the most intriguing residential properties in the DC area and beyond. From a train station-turned-brothel-turned home to a clever way of making 140 square feet livable, this week is all about cool residences. Enjoy.

For Property Week, UrbanTurf is returning with our Re-Imagined series, where local architectural visualization firm Capital Pixel helps "re-imagine" what a DC area home in need of renovations could look like one day. This week, Capital Pixel's Lori Steenhoek goes to work on a 1917 four-bedroom Victorian in 16th Street Heights.

Currently: Outdated and Monochromatic

Re-imagined: Colorful and Modern

The Kitchen

The kitchen calls for a total update of finishes, fixtures, and appliances. We replaced the old cabinetry with some sleeker, slab-style panels in a dark gray color. The space was optimized by opening the wall at the right into the adjoining room, with a bar/counter made of butcherʼs block wood in between. This allows for seating on the other side of the room. The floor is a polished concrete in a light color. By adding some pops of color to the walls, the kitchen becomes a much brighter and cheery space in which to cook, eat, and entertain.

Currently: Pretty Bland

Re-imagined: Soft and Modern

The Living Room

The old living room suffers from dated furniture and window treatments, a ceiling in need of some help, and drab carpeting. Weʼd start by exposing the original wood flooring beneath the rug. Weʼd replace the brick fireplace with a modern, glass-enclosed gas fireplace, and add some built-in window seats to the sides. Weʼd re-paint the ceiling and walls with neutral tones, and add modern furniture and sheer curtains to soften the room.

Currently: Uninspiring

Re-imagined: Highlighted

The Dining Room

The dining room has some great features that are just waiting to be highlighted, namely the wood trim ceiling. Weʼd leave this detail as-is to make it the focal-point of the room. The old carpet could be torn out and replaced with wood floors. Weʼd move the wood trim on the walls down to chair-rail height, and add a funky textured wallpaper above this to create some pattern on the walls. Add some modern furniture and colorful curtains and artwork to create an inviting place to dine.

Currently: Has Great Potential

Re-imagined: A Relaxing Retreat

The Backyard

This spacious backyard has so much more potential. Weʼd replace the rear addition, which currently looks like it was stuck-on without much thought, with a design that includes more window and door glazing to bring light into the rear rooms of the home. Weʼd create a concrete stair spilling off the rear deck to allow access between the house and the yard, creating a perfect place for lots of plants, but also for sitting and relaxing outdoors. Some additional hardscaped pavers on the ground at the right of the stairs allows for a seating area in the yard. A new, taller fence at the left makes this space a much more private oasis.

Lori Steenhoek is a Digital Artist with over eight years of experience creating architectural renderings. She is the founder of Capital Pixel, a DC-based rendering company, and has her undergraduate degree in Architecture and a Masters in Animation and Visual Effects. She can be reached at lori@capitalpixel.com.

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