Design- White Kitchen Cabinets

We're about to order the kitchen cabinets for 2431 Ontario Road NW and we're leaning towards white kitchen cabinets.  The dark ones looked amazing at our last project, but we are going to stain the floors dark here and we like the contrast between dark floors and white cabinets.  We're looking at two different styles.  The first option is the glossy white that we used at the Thompson Flats.  These were highly popular and have held up well.  However, it's always fun to try something new, so we're considering doing a shaker-style door.  Here are some images of white shaker doors:

I think this kitchen is particularly well done because it's a great mix of modern and traditional.  The glass uppers and the crown molding are traditional, but the darker floors and black granite are more modern.  I also like the subway tile backsplash.

This kitchen is more traditional.  It has the inset doors (same as we used at The Twelve Twenty-One Condominiums) and the baseboard "feet".  

I included this one because it is the most modern of the three.  The glass backsplash adds a ton of color.  Also, I love the bookshelf on the end.  Definitely will incorporate this into the project if we choose these cabinets.

Construction Progress- The Charles at 2431 Ontario Rd

This week is a big one for The Charles project because we "popped the top" and went up with the additional level for the penthouse unit.  The framing isn't quite complete, but it's close, and you can get a much better idea of the height of the building from the street.  In other progress, the rear wall of the building is nearly complete and we should be starting on the rear steps and decking in the next week.

The front is actually only slightly higher than the neighboring houses.

From this angle, it's hard to even tell that we added an entire floor.

Upstairs, the floor is in for the mezzanine, but no walls yet.  The masons are working on the block and hopefully will be done with the side walls by the end of the week.

1449 Harvard St NW- Coming Soon!

We're very excited to announce our newest project, which is a large condo conversion project in Columbia Heights. The existing house at 1449 Harvard St NW is a stunning huge victorian with a certificate of occupancy for six units. We plan on building 6 or more two bedroom, two bath units. The top level units will have a mezzanine level and rooftop decks. Check back often as our plans develop.

The house has tons of curb appeal already.

One of the best features of the house is all of the original fireplaces, which will be reused in the new condos.

There is an existing roof deck with views of the Washington Monument.  This will be the best spot in the city for the fireworks.

Construction Progress- The Charles at 2431 Ontario Rd

We're working hard to get the project on Ontario Road completed before the end of June, and we're making great progress.  The building is close to being topped out.  We're currently finishing the block work and trying to get all of the framing finished in the next two weeks.

The plumbing is roughed-in in the bottom three units.

The masons shifted their focus today from the roof to the back wall in order to give the framers time to put in the next set of floor joists.

All that's left to go on the top of the building is the mezzanine part of the top unit.  Plus the roof deck.

The back is all retained and the two parking spots are leveled off at the top.  We're going to pour the concrete and build the steps at the beginning of next month.

Upstairs, the framers were installing the final set of floor joists.

The space above these guys is actually the floor of the outdoor terrace off the mezzanine.  The LVL in the background is for the base of the spiral steps to access the roof deck.

Construction Progress- The Charles at 2431 Ontario Rd

The weather has turned rainy over the last few days so we've only been able to work inside of the project on Ontario Road.  Fortunately, there's a ton to do, so this isn't the end of the world.  One of my favorite projects is re-pointing the interior brick.

We spent a lot of time trying to match the original color.  The bottom one was too light and the middle one too brown.  We mixed them to get the top color.

The work moved rapidly with five guys on one wall.

By the end of the day, the wall inside the unit to the left was completely finished.

Neighborhoods- U St Corridor

Our new condo development at 2108 10th St NW is in the U St Corridor neighborhood, which is one of the most vibrant areas in DC. The area was devastated in the riots in the late 1960's, but has seen a huge amount of new development in the last decade. Although the area has lot of shopping, the food in the neighborhood is incredible! Here are some of the best bets for eating on and around U St NW.

1. Chix (2019 11th St NW)

Chicken with two sides at Chix. Photo curtsey of Washingtonian.com.

Chix is a small rotisserie chicken restaurant with organic, healthy chicken and sides. I especially enjoy the roasted sweet potatoes, which you can see in the picture above. They have a few tables upstairs but they primarily do a lot of carry-out.

2. The Greek Spot (2017 11th St NW)

The Greek Spot has some of the best take-out in the city. Photo curtesy of metromix.com.

The Greek spot is a tiny carry-out restaurant directly next to Chix. It only has two tables outside, so you're probably going to want to take the food home with you and eat it there. They have highly authentic greek food that is very reasonably priced. Our HVAC installer- Gus- is Greek and swears by this place.

3. Marvin (2007 14th St NW)

Roof deck at Marvin courtesy Washingtonian

The roof deck at Marvin is the one of the best places in DC to get a drink in the summer. Downstairs, I'd recommend getting the chicken and waffles or the steak frites.

4. Vinoteca (1940 11th St NW)

The bocce court at Vinoteca is a hidden gem. Photo curtesy Washington City Paper.

Vinoteca is a solid wine bar that serves a large menu of tasty tapas dishes. It's a great place to go before a big dinner or for happy hour. However, the reason I like coming here is the for the rear patio with it's own bocce court. There are only 3-4 courts in the entire city, and this is the only one next to an amazing outdoor bar.

Construction Progress- 2108 10th St NW

We settled last week on our next project at 2108 10th St NW, and today we started demo.  The house is tiny so the demo should be finished by the end of the week.  Unfortunately, we don't have a final building permit yet, so it will probably be a while before we actually get fully underway.  

This is a little premature because this rendering is only a rough draft, but here's a good idea of what the building will look like once complete.

As of today, however, it looks like this.

Inside, the steps are in the middle of the house.  Not sure why anyone ever thought that this was a good use of space.

Trevor has been with us for over 4 years.  He's a skilled painter but will help out wherever needed when there is no painting underway.  

Today Trevor was gutting out the rear bedroom.  It's strange because the rest of the house was new framing with sheetrock and insulation.  Only the rear room was plaster.

From the rear, you can see the Thompson Flats that we built last year right next door.  2108 10th St will soon look identical.