The kitchen space is kept simple with clean lines accented by more traditional touches like the Tous 3 Pendant by Global Lighting above the island.
An Old-World meets New World design emerges when the five Mottaghi siblings collaborate with designer Tricia Huntley to redecorate their parents’ dated DC abode.
When Tricia Huntley of the eponymous DC design firm took on a Georgetown penthouse renovation, she didn’t just get a new client, she got an entire family. Steve Mottaghi and his siblings retained Huntley to revitalize the tired penthouse space for his parents.
“When this unit became available, we saw an opportunity to take a space that had been neglected and unused for some time and turn it into exactly the kind of home my parents would be happy in for the rest of their lives,” says Mottaghi. The home has beautiful views of the Potomac River, though the vista inside was less breathtaking. The unit is shaped like a sliver of pie and features some rooms that are curved and others with awkward angles, which made space planning tricky.
Even trickier was working within a family dynamic. According to Mottaghi, the only piece of advice he gave Huntley was, “keep everybody happy.” No small task when you consider that all design decisions had to be agreed upon by a group of five, affectionately referred to by Huntley’s crew as “Team Mottaghi.”
“The family is Persian,” Huntley explains, “so the parents liked an aesthetic that is heavier, ornate with lots of patterning and Oriental rugs. The kids, if they’d totally had their way, would have wanted it all white and slate. Clearly, this was two competing aesthetics and our goal was to marry the two.”
The children won in their bid to push their parents to a more modern look, yet the design is warm and sophisticated. Overall, Huntley explains that the design relies on simplicity, but when one looks closely at the details it is evident that they are ornate and intricate to speak to the parents’ desires. The neutral palette is also offset by gold and copper accent tones to bring the modern design an Old World richness.
The best example of the marriage of these two design concepts is the circular entry foyer, one of Huntley’s favorite spaces. “It’s all one tone, but when you look at the details, you can see that the floor is mosaic and there’s pattern in the fabric applied to the walls and the drapery is a silk with tactile embroidery on it that’s really beautiful,” she states. “Everything there has detail on it, but it doesn’t hit you over the head.”
As a nod to the heavier Persian influence, the foyer features a custom drum chandelier, a modern shape but in an oil-rubbed bronze finish that appealed to the senses of both generations. The foyer sets the mood for the house that unfolds from its multiple axes. For example, a visitor in the foyer has an immediate view to the kitchen.
“For the kitchen to be your first view, it was critical to make that kitchen feel like a family room,” says Huntley. The previously divided kitchen and family room were opened to create a more flowing space. Huntley took her inspiration from the sleek, chic watering holes of DC, using minimal cupboards and no open shelving so visitors could just as easily be in a bar at a fabulous restaurant as a functional kitchen.
“WE SEEM TO END UP IN THE KITCHEN MOST…WE FEEL TOGETHER, BUT NOT CROWDED.” -Steve Mottaghi
The living room, central to hosting friends and family, features plush furnishings in velvet, leather, and suede for lounge-inspired comfort.
The look is emphasized by the use of large-slab polished stone on the counters and backsplash, the modern incarnation of the parson’s table in the island (constructed of manmade CaesarStone), and the use of traditional barstools upholstered in sturdy, soft suede. Again, the traditional light fixture creates interesting tension between Old and New World styles. The kitchen slips seamlessly into a copper-toned seating area and small eating nook overlooking the view.
“We seem to end up in the kitchen most,” says Mottaghi. “We feel together, but not crowded. We also love that Tricia led us away from wall cabinets in the kitchen…This dynamic makes the kitchen feel more like a cozy family room.”
Having many comfortable places for friends and family was extremely important, says Mottaghi. “[My parents] wanted to have plenty of seating for when they entertain. They like to entertain as well as host all the family get-togethers.”
The living room, a central meeting place for friends and small grandchildren, features plush furnishings in velvet, leather, suede, and faux ostrich skin, for lounge-inspired comfort. Set against a bank of windows overlooking the Potomac, the soft textural quality of the room creates a comfortable, nestled effect. The Persian chest gives textural interest to the room.
The most striking room is perhaps the dining room, which Mottaghi describes as “everything a dining room should be: warm, friendly, inviting, and conducive to conversation.” He adds that, “I can assure you that many good stories have circled that table.”
There is something evocative of bygone Hollywood glamour in the dining room. The room seems to glow-—from the wood grained wallpaper with its metallic sheen to the glimmering, parchment-finished sideboard (sourced from a dealer in L.A.), and the striking brass and Lucite globe fixture. “Dining rooms and powder rooms are places for drama,” says Huntley. “This room has a lot of impact and a wow factor.”
“EVERYTHING A DINING ROOM SHOULD BE: WARM, FRIENDLY, INVITING, AND CONDUCIVE TO CONVERSATION.” – Steve Mottaghi
The master suite rooms, which include a dressing area, bedroom, and bath, are the parents’ private spaces. “We wanted it to be very comfortable, so everything has a tactile, soft feel,” Huntley explains. “There’s a leather screen and fabric headboard and soft sheers.” Unlike the rest of the penthouse, where window treatments are minimal to allow for uninterrupted views, the master suite has two layers of drapery for privacy and light control.
At the tip of this pie-shaped home is the master bathroom. An old tub was removed to create the open shower with its mosaic wall bathed in natural light that enters through frosted privacy glass. The mirror-on-mirror technique over the vanity is a signature Huntley maneuver. “Working most of my career in DC in small, tricky spaces you use mirrors across a whole wall because it opens up a small space,” she explains. “But just having a mirror on the wall can be kind of pedestrian. Layering a mirror over it makes it special again.”
Working not only within the confines of a unique floor plan, but also in the boundaries of a large family made this project unique. “The reality is that because this is a family that wants to be together, everyone’s viewpoint needed to be spoken to,” says Huntley. “The success of the design is that it’s an interior for everyone.”
Mottaghi admits the process of designing his parents’ home with his siblings was stressful at times, but when his parents moved in, everyone was happy. “When the apartment was finished and my parents got settled into their new home, that’s when the fun began,” he says. “The first dinner on the balcony with the whole family made all the stress worthwhile.”
Christianna McCausland is a contributing editor for Chesapeake Home + Living.
Resources:
Horizon Builders: horizonbuildersinc.net or 301-261-6706
Huntley & Co. Interior Design, Inc.: huntleyandcompany.com or 202-462-3030
Zaras & Neudorfer Architects: znarchitects.com or 202-333-6647
