sandr018

Four years ago now I purchased a charming old apartment from an estate that had great possibilities but had languished on the market for months because it was dirty and dated.  Now I'm ready for my close up so join me for a before and after tour! The apartment is located in a charming pre-war building in Cleveland Park with great bones: super solid construction, tall ceilings, many windows and multiple exposures (in every room included kitchen & bath!), lots of square footage, and loads of charm. One of the first things I did was to rip out the dusty wall-to-wall carpeting and refinish the original oak floors. To keep the natural light wood color I used a water-based finish coat but no stain. Part of me wishes I had bleached them for an even lighter appearance! The fireplace and mirrored surround are original to the 1929 construction as is the small crystal chandelier. Those were the details that I kept.  Gone were the fussy, dusty curtains and scalloped wood valance which...

Four years ago now I purchased a charming old apartment from an estate that had great possibilities but had languished on the market for months because it was dirty and dated.  Now I'm ready for my close up so join me for a before and after tour! The apartment is located in a charming pre-war building in the DC neighborhood of Cleveland Park and had great bones: super solid construction, tall ceilings, many windows and multiple exposures (in every room included kitchen & bath!), lots of square footage, and loads of charm. One of the first things I did was to rip out the dusty wall-to-wall carpeting and refinish the original oak floors. To keep the natural light wood color I used a water-based finish coat but no stain. Part of me wishes I had bleached them for an even lighter appearance! The fireplace and mirrored surround are original to the 1929 construction as is the small crystal chandelier. Those were the details that I kept.  Gone were the fussy, dusty curtains and sc...