Stan Kelly is charmed by imperfections – chipped antiques, eroding finishes, and crooked edges. Perhaps the latter is what drew him to consider the Watergate – he was intrigued by the building’s blemished history as well as its prominence and location. But after seeing the apartment’s wide views of the Potomac and the torrential afternoon sunlight, “I bought it on the spot,” the owner and principal of Stan Kelly Interiors says. “My first morning waking up and looking out at the Potomac River, the Key Bridge, and the Georgetown rowing team, I realized this was the perfect space for me.”
A Relaxed Approach
Eager to downsize from his larger space in Kalorama, Kelly remodeled in five weeks. “I halved my space,” he says happily. He began with elegant, striated bleached maple floors (a signature product he offers to clients) and installed benches alongside the vast windows and built-in bookshelves near the entry. He added French doors in every interior doorway. He upgraded the kitchen but left the cabinets as they were, wanting to keep something that was original to the building.
“I love the angles of the apartment – how it’s not square. There are no straight walls,” Kelly says. It’s a perfect fit for his aesthetic, a comfortably unscientific mix of whites, creams, and cool grays punctuated with a few dark, heavy antiques and oil paintings. Throughout the apartment, several sly Niermann Weeks reproductions blend easily with older pieces.
Above all, it feels lived-in and loved, despite the fact that he bought it late last year. “I want people to feel comfortable in the space I design,” he says. He’ll buy a table, for instance, that’s already rickety. “Setting a drink down will not hurt it,” he says.
Rare, Timeworn Details
Kelly refuses to rush-purchase antiques – he buys them if they fit his aesthetic – and the patience shows. All his art was bought at auction. Throughout the apartment, a laid-back beauty persists: a deeply cracked black urn from Gore Dean that Kelly has brought to each of his DC residences, the well-worn pastel demilune tables he scoots together to form a dining table, and a gorgeous pair of obelisks from John Rosselli that resemble the Washington Monument.
A Terrace With River Views
The Watergate buildings were designed to resemble a proud ship, and Kelly’s balcony has a strong curve that was the basis for the landscaped patio area. “Stan’s idea was a small English garden with rocks and paving stones,” says Matthew Millage, landscape designer and owner of Luxury Lawns Landscaping LLC. Millage cut the pavers into trapezoid and octagon shapes and placed them in a curve that bends opposite that of the building. Flora were chosen for their ability to handle plenty of sun and infrequent watering (Kelly travels often). The outside space is large enough to accommodate small parties, but also works as a cozy breakfast area. “The stones make it feel like a real patio, a space of its own,” Millage says.
Kelly is interested in things that give immediate and lasting pleasure. As he appreciates the simplicity of rowers on the river, he says convincingly, “I may always stay here.”
