Wesley Heights is a quiet, tree-lined neighborhood in Washington, D.C. “This 1962 home is adjacent to Glover Archbold Park with a trailhead at the edge of the property, which is perfect for an active family,” says Melissa Sanabria, designer at Sanabria & Co. “The home was an expansive blank slate, a white space last renovated in 2018, that our clients were eager to infuse with personality and character upon buying the house.”

Melissa was already well versed in the clients’ design language. “It’s a legacy client and her husband,” she tells us. “We had previously worked with the client on her Capitol Hill home a few years back, and when she and her husband got married, they bought a new home on the other side of the city. We were thrilled to work with her again and to learn more about her husband and his style.”

The couple had three key requirements for the renovation. “They’re both over six feet tall, so we needed nice, deep seats and furniture that was comfortable, but not too precious,” she says. They also wanted to be able to put their feet up—and make room for the dog and cat—without any worry. Second, they needed a dedicated office space where they could both work at the same time. The third and final priority was marrying their different styles. He prefers lean, modern interiors, while she gravitates toward rustic and colorful pieces.

The scope of this 5,500-square-foot home included first-floor furnishings and moderate updates, including the living, dining, office, and mudroom; reimagining the primary bedroom; and bringing new life to the outdoor terrace.

The living room is comfortable and invites gathering and lounging. “It’s probably my favorite room in the house,” Melissa notes. “It has great energy. The two-seat sofa in front of the windows has a subtle contrast welt detail that I love, and the fabric on the ottomans has a playful stripe that pulls everything together.”

In the adjacent dining room, they removed the existing fireplace surround, which was not original to the house and was not the right scale or style for the architecture of the home. “We replaced it with a soapstone mantel that had better scale for the space,” Melissa explains. “To add texture and create depth, we plastered the walls in an earthy green. Green is the homeowner’s favorite color, so you see it a lot throughout the home in different applications. The plaster is a favorite detail in this room, but I also love the vintage Johannes Andersen chairs and the Apparatus chandelier, and how the porcelain shades pop against the green plaster.”

In the primary bedroom, the couple wanted to create a tranquil, neutral oasis. Melissa added a custom upholstered bed in Holland & Sherry fabric and motorized shades for the large walls of windows.

The office, located at the front of the house, was originally a pass-through space with two entrances, opening to both the foyer and the kitchen. “To create privacy and a more functional working space, we eliminated the opening to the foyer,” Melissa shares. “One of my favorite details in this room is the pair of brass sconces that we mounted on the side of the bookshelves and the James Dunlop shades in ‘Lake’—it is such a pretty denim blue.”

The mudroom was also reconfigured for functionality. “It originally had shallow closets that didn’t provide much practical storage,” the designer recalls. “We demolished the existing closets and added full-depth closets flanked by white oak benches, clad all of the walls and doors with v-groove paneling for visual interest and added durability, and painted it Lamp Room Grey by Farrow & Ball. One of my favorite details are the sconces from Schoolhouse Electric, where we created a small drop zone for our clients, as this area serves as their primary entrance to the house. Previously, this space was an afterthought, and we transformed it into a functional, thoughtful area. Now it’s our client’s favorite room in the house!”

The project took about nine months, with Melissa expertly navigating their differing aesthetics. “We found common ground with simple, clean shapes for him and selected pieces that were hand-crafted and/or had texture or patina for her,” she says. “Our clients were thrilled with their new spaces, and they said so many times, ‘You were right!’ They really trusted us, which meant the world.”