Before his partner Kim Nusbaum moved in, Joe Bross lived in an all-white space with a single, eternal focus: the television. He had a couple of armchairs, a cramped, standard-issue kitchen, and a coffee table that looked, well, collegiate. Both knew change was needed, but after looking at other area homes, they decided to find out if they could overhaul the Columbia, MD, condo to suit them both.
Bross, 56, and Nusbaum, 50, called Sheree Friedman and Ricardo Ramos, principals of Studio Nuovo, to transform it into an inviting, warm space where they could come home, relax, and age in style when the time comes. With three grown kids between them, it was also important that the space be roomy enough for small family gatherings.
Coherence Was Key
The space perfectly matches Bross and Nusbaum’s easygoing personalities. “Ricardo and Sheree were great,” Bross says. “They asked us a lot of questions, got us thinking, ‘What is it we really do in our place?’ ”
They kept almost no furniture from their respective residences. “He got rid of his stuff, I got rid of mine – it was exactly what we wanted to do: start out new,” Nusbaum says. After Ramos and Friedman presented the couple with designs at three price points, Bross and Nusbaum decided to go with the overhaul that required the most effort, but paid off the most in the end.
Carpet was torn up, new cherry flooring was installed, and the bathroom view that used to welcome visitors on arrival was rotated 90 degrees so it’s no longer the first thing you see. Color and fabric choices were crucial – rich fabrics in neutral tones were generally opted for, and natural materials and motifs were used sparingly in accent pieces and draperies. “We chose colors that make everyone look good,” Ramos says, and the curvaceous, crisp-lined furniture adds style to the relaxed environment.
More kitchen space was needed, so the designers consulted Reico Kitchen & Bath in Bethesda, MD, and a half-wall was removed, a breakfast bar was added, and updates were made to the cabinetry, appliances, and countertops. In the bedrooms, neutral colors pervade and are offset by heirloom-quality furniture in dark woods. A couple of well-placed mirrors create the illusion of enlarging the space near the entryway and in the owners’ bedroom.
It was an immense change, and it was nothing like he envisioned, but Bross is delighted with the results. “It feels great to come home,” he says.
