’70s Pop, Take Two (or Four)
April 28, 2010 by Jennifer
Filed under Architecture
You know a house is special if it’s been published more than once. And if it’s been published four times, across different decades, well, than the architecture and interiors should be textbook-worthy.
Kara Heitz and David Sylvester bought this house in 2007, and restored it to its original beauty. They purchased the sculpture and had it painted orange to match the original shade of the circular staircase inside. The clerestory windows up top bounce light all over the house. Photographs, unless otherwise noted, by Thomas Arledge
This McLean house, designed by Hugh Newell Jacobsen in 1971, was most recently published on Sunday with the cover of the Washington Post Magazine, right here. Last fall, I wrote a story about the house for Washington Spaces. And more than 30 years before that, House Beautiful did a full feature, shortly after Jacobsen’s design became reality for a renowned local cardiologist and his family. The Washington Post also did a big newspaper feature in the ’70s.
The house has several "bump outs" like this one off the dining room, so those rooms can capture extra natural light. Photograph by Thomas Arledge
I must admit, it felt a little odd seeing pictures in Sunday’s magazine that I helped style for the Washington Spaces shoot, by the amazingly talented Thomas Arledge. But I was thrilled that his images, along with additional photographs by Stacy Zarin Goldberg, got more publicity. I wanted to share some additional images of that house, which a young couple bought in 2007 and restored to all its original pop glory, with the help of Douglas Burton and his team at Apartment Zero.
Here's an angle of the living room that was not in the Post story, but I love it because of the custom art that was commissioned for the room. I'm showing the actual layout from the Spaces article, because I think Mr. Jacobsen's comment, in the cool '70s-appropriate font, really adds to the look. (Don't strain your eyes to read the caption!)
Here's another pair of pictures from the Spaces layout that I like side-by-side, because it shows how David's renovated home office looks across the entry hall to the original orange spiral staircase. The orange highlights in David's office take their cue from that staircase.
Here is Kara's office, at the top of the orange staircase. This was the original office designed for the cardiologist, which Kara uses to study toward her doctorate at The George Washington University on the intersection between politics and pop culture. In both this picture and the one above, you can really appreciate how Jacobsen cut into the house with windows of every size to admit light, and reflect it throughout the house.
The kitchen has its original cabinetry, lighting and floors. I adore the glass backsplash, which looks out toward the front driveway. Art by Shag hangs over the vintage Tulip table and chairs, which the couple purchased from the estate of Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan.
Here's one final photo from Stacy Zarin Goldberg, which we didn't have time to shoot with Thomas, but it's so great because you step down into the giant master-bath shower, so that it's also a tub. Burton and his team found stone that perfectly matches the original in the entry foyer.
Jennifer Sergent. Native Washingtonian. Former editor at Washington Spaces magazine and HGTV. Currently searching for – and writing about – DC’s design voices. Write to me @
Timeless architecture at its best. Hugh Newell Jacobson is to my mind simply one of the greatest architects of the past 50 years. Period.
What absolutely perfect lines. And I just love the white walls and wood floors. So clean. I must have somehow missed this when it was in Spaces, but it’s gorgeous! Thanks for showing it again.