When Scott Wells moved across the street from the classic Ritz-Carlton Residences to the decidedly more modern 22 West building in Northwest Washington, he decided his furniture could also do with a modern update.
“This place is so new and sleek and modern and the way I decorated the [Ritz Carlton condo] was very traditional,” said Wells. “There are very few things here [from my old home]. You can count them on one hand.”
Wells put all of his antiques in storage and enlisted the help of his long-time friend and owner of Urban Essentials, David Schaefer, to design his new space.
“Everything in this house I bought from David,” said Wells, who spent several months scouring the U Street store for the perfect furniture and accents. “I wanted clean, sleek nice lines. Keep clutter to the minimum. I don’t like eclectic. I wanted from one room to another to blend. I didn’t want stark differences from room to room.”
The one-bedroom, two-bathroom unit has an open floor plan in the kitchen, living and dining room area, plus a small den off the entryway.
Wells and Shaffer mixed furniture throughout that would, per Wells’ request for continuity, be at home anywhere in the condo.
The living room features a cream-colored cozy couch in an Ultrasuede with a raised lattice pattern. Lattice-backed dining room chairs and a mirror with a lattice border give more continuity to the open space. While three small, round coffee tables give the living room a “loungey” look.
“We didn’t know what to do for a coffee table because the sofa is long and the area is kind of narrow. … We toyed with all these different ideas. David came up with this,” said “They’re great and you can move them around and they don’t have to be stuck in one place.”
“David said, ‘Don’t put anything on them. I don’t want to see books, magazines.’ That goes along with the sleek, clean lines, so a lot of my tchotchkes have gone in drawers.”
Though most of the souvenirs from his world travels are tucked away one thing Wells does prominently display is the art collected on his many trips.
A watercolor painting of Hong Kong hangs in the den. A favorite painting from a family trip to Stockholm, Sweden, hangs in the dining area and more art (as well as a few of those tchotchkes) is displayed in his bedroom.
The bedroom is also the only room to feature a touch of Wells’ old style. He brought an antique leather-topped drum table that once belonged to his great-aunt and a mahogany chest from Baker Furniture to his new place.
“I think I wanted something more contemporary, but [Schaefer] said ‘No, that looks great. You don’t have to have everything to look the same.'”
Despite the modern theme throughout the home, everything definitely doesn’t look the same.
In addition to the eye-catching cocktail table in the living area, Wells also added metal lamps from Urban Essentials. Both the base and the lampshade are metal — giving them a definite contemporary, non-antique feel. He also painted one wall a deep cinnamon color to offset the light gray walls in the rest of the room — and to match the color in another painting on the wall (also purchased at Urban Essentials, of course).
“I picked it out because that color is in one of those prints,” he said, pointing to two paintings that hang on the wall by the dining room table. “I just really liked the way it came out. It pops.”
Style box:
Style philosophy: “I used to like more traditional, antique style, but I enjoy the more sleek, clean lines of this place. So I think my style philosophy would be not eclectic, not at all cluttered, neat, attractive, but also comfortable.”
Got style from: “Urban Essentials. I’ve know David [Schaefer] for 20 years, ever since I’ve been in D.C. I’ve always liked the things in his store, but in the past it wasn’t my style. I was always more traditional. That’s how I knew to decorate, but I didn’t want that anymore so that’s why I enlisted his help.”
Comfort or style: “Comfort with style. It’s nice to have nice pieces of furniture, but if it’s not comfortable what good is it?”
Formal rooms or family rooms: Family rooms
Favorite color: Green
Can’t live without: “Pictures of friends. There are pictures of family, friends, my dog everywhere you look.”
Favorite room in the house: “Right here in the living room. It’s comfortable. It’s a great place to hang out. The way this apartment is designed, the kitchen, living room, dining room is all opened up. It’s great for entertaining. If you’re cooking or serving drinks, you’re right there with everybody else. You’re never separate from your guests.”
Best style advice I ever got: “You have to buy and do what you like. You should listen to friends and advice from your designer, but you have to make the ultimate decision.”
