Before & After: A Victorian Townhouse Kitchen Moves Across the Floor Plan—and Gets Drenched in Pink

PublishedJul 13, 2025 1:35 AM EDT

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Every wall in this Washington, D.C. residence had been painted a shade called Agreeable Gray, but when architect Nicholas Potts signed on to reimagine the space for a writer and her advertising-executive husband, he took issue with the name itself. "Throughout the project, we joked that it was anything but agreeable," Potts recalls. Fortunately, his clients could see beyond the generic paint job and recognize a home that matched their vision.

They had been hunting for a heritage address to raise their two children, only to find that competing buyers had erased period character in favor of generic updates. When the couple finally secured this 1880s Capitol Hill townhouse—still retaining plaster walls, ceiling medallions, and other period details—they were determined that their own renovations would celebrate, not erase, the home's historic soul.

"The house had its flaws, but we absolutely did not want the cookie-cutter renovation treatment," the homeowner says. Here's how Potts helped them put a distinctive stamp on a hard-won time capsule.

The kitchen originally occupied the rear of the house with views of the yard, while the dining room sat closer to the center of the ground floor. Potts proposed swapping their positions so the cooking space could take center stage. The owners hesitated at first—they imagined missing the sightline to watch their children play outdoors. Potts reassured them the trade-off would be worth it.

"By reversing the layout, the kitchen gained a sense of permanence," the designer explains. "There's a fireplace on one side, and it's easier to imagine it may have once been used for cooking. The arrangement lends the room a European sensibility that feels warmer and more deliberate."

A powder room also needed to be carved into the floor plan, given the nearest bathroom was a full flight of stairs away. Potts and his clients considered nicking a corner from the kitchen until a more inventive idea emerged: conceal it with character. Potts designed an archway between two spaces that now conceals a compact powder room on one side and a supply closet on the other. "Guests sometimes look puzzled when I tell them the bathroom is through the kitchen, and then it's this delightful reveal," the owner says. "It's not original to the house, but Nick made sure the archway felt period-appropriate. That's so him."

Early on, the owner was set on a green kitchen—her favorite color—and she believed it would draw the outdoors in. Potts assembled palettes featuring an array of verdant tones, yet none resonated. That's when he pivoted entirely, proposing a full drench in Tailor Tack by Farrow & Ball. "I consider this shade the perfect counterpoint to Agreeable Gray," he says. "It's warm without being loud."

With a soft pink as the canvas, Potts could introduce bolder finishes. He laid oversized Carrara checkerboard marble floors to visually expand the 415-square-foot footprint. He continued the marble narrative with countertops threaded with faint yellow veining, cut at two centimeters thick to echo the refinement of a freestanding table. As for the island—also designed to read as furniture rather than cabinetry—Potts chose to leave the maple base in its natural state.

"We explored painting it green, then yellow, but it felt like overkill," the designer says. "The maple doesn't compete with the palette." Still, he ensured his client's beloved color made an appearance, coating the back doors in Farrow & Ball's Green Smoke.

There was considerable debate over the right fixture above the sink, since any choice needed to harmonize with the original ceiling medallion. A Victorian pendant felt too precious, but something starkly contemporary felt equally misplaced. He found the sweet spot in 20th-century design, pairing an orbital chandelier sourced from 1stDibs with vintage Czech flush mounts throughout. "I have a deep aversion to recessed cans, and punching holes in a historic home felt wrong," he says. "The light from these flush mounts diffuses more gently, casting fewer shadows and producing a warmer glow."

To brighten a kitchen corner, the owners commissioned a yellow larder designed by Potts and handbuilt by close friend Adam King of Arcadia Restorations, who personally drove the finished piece down from Vermont. King also fabricated the rear doors. "We sought out artisans throughout this project," Potts says. "Making this home feel exceptional came down to the details." Today, the space is ready to host a crowd—yet intimate enough for one grateful family.

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