"That beloved handmade quality was not without its issues. There was barely a kitchen. The roof and some floors needed to be replaced. One room had been constructed without a foundation, right on the dirt. Luckily, the siblings' architect-parents-her dad runs Van Dusen Architects-were happy to help, designing kitchen cabinetry and building furniture. "We wanted to bring the spirit of our childhood house into this one," says Ellen, recalling constant renovations and DIY projects growing up in Washington, DC,"
"Family and friends combed the property-and local store Crystal Connection-for stones to use as kitchen cabinet pulls. Henry, a computer programmer, even created a website to generate the Tetris-like tilework in one bathroom. Meanwhile, Ellen's husband, Ben Sigerson, got to work on the landscape, planting native yet unexpected species like the Franklin tree, extinct in the wild since the 1800s. "It produces a big yellow and white flower that looks like a fried egg," he reports."
The house retained a beloved handmade quality but required major repairs, including a minimal kitchen, roof and floor replacements, and a room built without a foundation. Architect parents designed cabinetry and built furniture, aiming to evoke the spirit of the siblings' childhood home characterized by constant renovations and colorful rooms. Family and friends contributed decorative work and sourced stones for cabinet pulls; a computer programmer created a website for custom tile patterns. The landscape features native and rare species like the Franklin tree. Furnishings combine contemporary graphic pieces, Ellen's designs, and storied antiques, while reclaimed architectural elements anchor the aesthetic.
Read at Architectural Digest
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