USA Houzz: Couple Embrace Their New City With Edgy Style
A 1960s row house gets a new lease on life with colourful walls, graffiti and vintage finds
Bree and Andy Ryback, New Jersey transplants to the Washington, DC area, love their new city’s welcoming presence, multi-culturalism and young, hip vibe, so they were happy to find a home that fit their budget and size requirements and would allow them to invest in ‘their’ city. They then incorporated that newfound love throughout their updated 1960s row house, filling it with maps, music, signs and DC flag memorabilia along with their own bright colour choices and design flair.
Bree works as a federal contractor and runs a DC-area wedding blog called Capitol Romance from this colourful home office. Her blog focuses on offbeat, hipster weddings. Bree’s office is an extension of her style and includes a graffiti canvas wall painted by a local artist. The mid-century tanker desk is a Craigslist find.
‘Teal Blast‘ wall paint: Benjamin Moore
‘Teal Blast‘ wall paint: Benjamin Moore
Bree and Andy painted their interior in bold and vibrant colours that reflect their vibrant style. DC–themed artwork, signs, flags and other objects decorate the wall near the stairs.
‘Pigeon Grey‘ wall paint: Benjamin Moore
‘Pigeon Grey‘ wall paint: Benjamin Moore
The couple renovated their row house in 2011, including installing reclaimed factory floors from the 1920s. The downstairs floor was brought in piece by piece, installed, sanded and finished. The couple was surprised by the original colour.
The dining area includes an antique chair from Bree’s grandmother and a Capitol Liquors sign from a local vintage shop.
‘Douglas Fir‘ wall paint: Benjamin Moore; Cluster glass pendant: West Elm; green bench: Miss Pixie’s
The dining area includes an antique chair from Bree’s grandmother and a Capitol Liquors sign from a local vintage shop.
‘Douglas Fir‘ wall paint: Benjamin Moore; Cluster glass pendant: West Elm; green bench: Miss Pixie’s
The kitchen had been renovated before the couple moved in and required little work. Andy and Bree simply added personal touches, such as painting the cabinets grey, adding lights over the island and, of course, adding their signature DC style element with flag tea towels.
Andy built this industrial-style exposed shelf as a weekend project. He says it took some head scratching and a trip to the hardware store for some pipe and some reclaimed wood.
After hunting for what felt like forever, the couple found this barrister bookcase on Craigslist. It’s a perfect place to display Bree’s grandfather’s collection of vintage cameras.
Bree and Andy love to purchase vintage items, but they also get by with a tiny car. The compact auto hauled this great piece and most of their vintage finds.
Bree and Andy love to purchase vintage items, but they also get by with a tiny car. The compact auto hauled this great piece and most of their vintage finds.
The couple incorporated colour and texture in daughter Evelyn’s nursery by dip-dyeing Ikea curtains to match the chest of drawers. The decorative birch wood branches in the corner are from Nettleton Hollow. The walls are painted in soft grey stripes.
Hudson crib: Babyletto
Hudson crib: Babyletto
Bree painted this yellow lowboy chest of drawers, passed down through her family, a vivid yellow.
The floating bookshelves hold the toddler’s favourites, including Good Night, New Jersey.
The second-floor bathroom required little updating. Andy installed the shelving, and the couple added industrial lighting and bold paint.
‘Viking Yellow‘ wall paint: Benjamin Moore; shower curtain: Urban Outfitters
‘Viking Yellow‘ wall paint: Benjamin Moore; shower curtain: Urban Outfitters
Andy updated this first-floor powder room by painting the walls black and applying black and gold sugar skull wallpaper to create an interesting accent wall. The mirror and sink are vintage finds.
For the master bedroom, Andy spent four months installing the plywood floor. He transported the pieces from the hardware store and stained them nearly black. He could transport only five sheets of plywood cut into strips in a single trip, which meant several trips to the hardware store to complete the floor. The plywood wears more than hardwood would, creating a worn and loved look that Bree and Andy love. The accent wall is made up of deconstructed shipping pallets.
Who lives here: Andy and Bree Ryback, their daughter, Evelyn and their mini dachshund, Sadie
Location: Trinidad area of Washington, DC, US
Size: 139 square metres; 3 bedrooms, 1½ bathrooms
Year built: 1960; renovated in 2011
One of the couple’s favourite features in their home is the exposed brick wall on the main floor. During the 1960s when the row houses were built, the brick walls were left with open areas so that workers could pass between the units. The gaps were later filled with bricks and wood. When Bree and Andy stripped the plasterboard and exposed the original brick, they also found a section filled in with wood.
‘Bahamian Sea Blue‘ wall paint: Benjamin Moore