French Modern Bar & Side Hall

For the 2013 DC Design House, Andrea was selected to re-imagine the bar area and side hall. She transformed the somewhat pedestrian spaces, with the goal of creating an escape from the everyday and transporting the home dwellers and their guests to a glamorous destination… Paris.

The closet-sized bar became a dazzling space inspired by The City of Light. Along a Parisian-nightspot theme, we replaced the builder’s white upper cabinets and gray-tile backsplash with backlit glass shelves mounted on antiqued-mirror tiles; the lower cabinets received a rich, mahogany faux finish. Vintage glassware—which we imagined the homeowners collecting on their world travels—filled the floating shelves. A glass-orb chandelier added plenty of drama and sparkle above.

We elevated the first-floor hallway from a mere passageway to a destination, a chic spot for enjoying a cocktail before or after dinner. Our vision: to create a gallery-like atmosphere in the narrow space, which we coated in warm-brown paint. We framed an eye-catching piece of abstract artwork in the graceful arch leading from the foyer to the hall. A dynamic rug—inspired by another work of art—and a silk-covered bench bring luxurious texture to the space.