“This was the first home we purchased as a couple and where we brought our son home from the hospital,” says Erica Klein, vice president of a trade association, of the Potomac Yard townhouse she shares with husband, Sean, a software developer, and their now 6-year-old son.
The four-bedroom, 2,410-square-foot home was built in 2016. The couple was drawn to its good bones and prime location — which is within easy walking distance of downtown Del Ray.
“We loved it right away, but many of the original homeowners in our neighborhood had designed their townhomes from scratch and picked all the elements. We had not done so, and there were several things we would have done differently if we had been involved in the original design,” Klein says.
Over the years, the couple added more built-ins to the blank canvas of neutral white walls and dark wood floors. But it was during the pandemic, when the family spent a lot of time at home, that they began to think about what did and didn’t work for them.
“The main floor was incredibly dark, with dark cabinets and dark floors. Being an interior townhouse, with neighbors on both sides, it didn’t get much natural light during the daytime,” says Klein.
The couple decided it was time to redo some things to suit their taste. They hired interior designer Stacey Dobrovolny of Two Navy Lane to help with the main floor, the basement, and a room for their son to work on crafts and homework.
The main floor is comprised of open-plan living, dining, and kitchen areas, as well as a powder room. The Kleins were looking to lighten the spaces, add definition among them, and layer in some color and contrast.
“Our inspiration was a French bistro theme. Sean trained in culinary school, though he doesn’t cook professionally, and they are both big foodies, trying Michelin-rated restaurants all over,” says Dobrovolny of her starting point. “It was, of course, very important to brighten up the overall space.”
Erica was especially partial to blue, so the overall palette is neutral with varying touches of the color, including sky and aqua. Dobrovolny began by painting the dark wood kitchen cabinets a pale blue.
“In the bar, we removed the upper cabinets, replacing them with brass rail shelving to house cookbooks, liquor bottles, and glassware. And then we added an iridescent backsplash tile in an arabesque style,” says Dobrovolny. “This fresh coat of paint and new gold hardware began to bring the French bistro look to life.”
Wall-mounted custom shadow boxes also hold menus and memorabilia from the Kleins’ fine dining experiences and serve as wall art. Pendant lighting was added above the island, where the family often perches on bar stools to enjoy casual meals.
Next up was defining the adjacent sit-down dining area. “We added a silky wall covering in light blue to delineate the dining area and create textural interest, along with a beautiful new chandelier,” says Dobrovolny. “It was that luxe look of an upscale French bistro that also led us to replace a dining bench with a channeled banquette against the wall.”
A medley of patterned pillows in blues and creams enlivens the banquette.
In the basement, Dobrovolny added a faux brick wall and painted adjacent walls a moodier pine green for what she calls “an underground lounge” feel. She also added a new game table, black and brass wall sconces, and nesting brass cocktail tables. “It’s become a great space for the family to entertain friends or just watch movies alone,” she says.
The once stark-white powder room was painted a soft blue and upgraded with a blue damask feature wall with picture frame molding.
Dobrovolny also designed a homework/craft room at the top level of the house by converting an unused closet into a desk area. “Our boy doesn’t have a big bedroom, and we wanted to give him a space to make art, tinker with projects, and, eventually, do homework,” says Klein.
“Getting to design spaces for children is always fun. I love being able to do something bright and cheerful that feeds their creativity and energy,” Dobrovolny adds.
Sometimes, living in a house first is the best way to know how to grow into it and make it a home. “As cliché as it sounds, we wanted our house to feel like a home, and it finally does. We are super happy here,” says Klein.
Feature image by Frazier Springfield
This story originally ran in our November issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
