Modern History : MET HOME OF THE MONTH A Washington DC townhouse renovation by architect Gokhan Avcioglu gave the century-old home new life, but one with a long memory

Tim and Karen Lohnes are mergers and acquisitions specialists in the Washington, D.C., office of a top global business consultancy, and their career skill set came in handy when they decided to move houses not long ago. Their acquisition, located in the capital’s quiet and leafy Kalorama area, was a four-story 1912 townhouse. The merger they negotiated was to define a renovation that would respect the traditional detailing of the house yet also satisfy their own contemporary design tastes.“There is a lot of yin and yang here,” says Karen Lohnes. “Even though we like modern furnishings and art, we wanted to maintain anything meaningful and original to the house. Our last place was all white and sleek, but my husband wanted something warmer.” And there were the couple’s three young sons—toddlers Ike and Dutch, and baby Ford—to consider. “An important concern was usability,” the boys’ mother says. “We didn’t want to worry about things being destroyed.”

The Lohneses turned first to Turkish-born architect Gokhan Avcioglu, who was given a two-part brief. First, he was to peel off old plaster walls and ceilings down to the bricks and joists, then make structural repairs and install new Venetian stucco walls, while preserving original crown and baseboard moldings, wooden flooring and banisters. The reconfigured first floor contains spaces for entertaining and the kitchen; a master bedroom suite occupies the entire second floor; the children’s rooms are located on the next story; the top floor contains two guest bedrooms.

To divide the first floor into public and family spaces, Avcioglu placed the living room and formal dining room at the front of the house; the kitchen is at the back. To make the division clear, he refurbished the original floorboards in the public rooms but laid down a black cement floor in the areas that would get the most foot traffic, such as the hallway and kitchen.The new kitchen—which occupies the space previously taken by two small, unaccommodating rooms—was laid out, per Karen’s instructions, with the idea that it would be the main family gathering area. There is a TV in the room, and each of the boys has an ottoman on castors so he can push it around. Additionally, one of the new storage spaces unfolds to reveal a desk. Between the units are six family portraits, a perfect backdrop for shared mealtimes.