After deciding to remodel the condo in 2007, Lassus sought the
advice of two architects before turning to Christy Schlesinger of
Schlesinger Associate Architects. “I wanted to open the place and
make it light and airy, but those first architects kept designing
closed rooms with doors,” says Lassus. “My goal was to create timeless spaces so 50 years from now, people will say they are modern.”
Schlesinger understood her client’s desire for a spare, bold aesthetic, having designed a sleek loft in nearby Cady’s Alley as well
as food stalls made of re-purposed shipping containers near Nationals Park. “My sensibility is about the development of classic
Modernism,” she says. “Bruno and I both wanted everything to be
perfect and kept simplifying the design, taking things out to make
sure it was the purest it could be.”
On the main level, the architect lowered the ceilings over the
kitchen and dining area so the adjacent living area feels taller and
more spacious. Glowing cove lighting accentuates the planes of
the ceilings and linear fireplace wall to help define each space.
Sleek European cabinets and appliances in the kitchen are partially
screened from the living space by a gumwood cabinet stretched between columns hiding ductwork and pipes.
“Without the wood, the interior would have been too sterile,”
says Lassus, whose preference for glass, metal and stone is clearly
evident. His furnishings, collected over decades, mostly comprise
modern classics, including 1920s designs by architect Le Corbusier.
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