Remmel Grande residence

Kitchen Renovation in an Art Deco Apartment in Washington, DC

Inside a 1923 Art Deco building in Northwest Washington, DC, a compact kitchen is transformed into a contemporary, functional space with a strong design identity. The original setting — very high ceilings, tall windows, and a Venetian terrazzo floor — becomes the starting point for a custom renovation that engages with the history of the home while introducing a modern architectural language.

A technical constraint at the center of the room — a vertical pipe serving the entire building — becomes the starting point of the project, transformed into a distinctive architectural feature. Integrated into a sort of open frame overlooking the kitchen, the pipe is highlighted in blue, as if “cutting out a piece of the sky” within the domestic space.

The project draws inspiration from Carlo Scarpa’s work and from the Venetian sensibility evoked by the original terrazzo floor, which the homeowners deeply loved. To enhance it, the cabinetry was designed in Venetian red, while the countertop and backsplash are clad in Infinity Surfaces white terrazzo-effect porcelain slabs. The surface echoes the material character of the floor, creating visual continuity while adding durability, hygiene, and everyday practicality to the kitchen.

Despite the limited footprint, the project also responds to the clients’ desire for a place to sit and eat. A counter-height table is integrated into the composition through geometric inlays in the cabinetry, resting lightly on the building’s original terrazzo floor.

The result is a compact yet highly distinctive kitchen, where technical constraints, historic memory, and contemporary materials come together in a coherent narrative of color, geometry, and functionality.