Going Minimal
Marc Bransky lived in his 900-square-foot condo in Falls Church’s Idylwood Towers complex for many years before he decided he needed a change. As he neared retirement from his federal government job in 2010, he envisioned a new chapter.
His decision to hire Andreas Charalambous of FORMA Design was a no-brainer. Charalambous had already helped Bransky renovate the bathroom of his one-bedroom unit several years before. “He wanted to bring the rest of the unit up to par,” says the D.C.-based architect. “Our task was not only to update the space, but to simplify everything.”
As it was, clunky track lighting lined the ceilings, the kitchen appliances were dated and the rooms were clogged with too much furniture. Everything cried out for some modern love.
Charalambous started with the kitchen, replacing its tired elements with stainless-steel appliances and cabinets, a glass backsplash, quartz countertops and textured white vinyl wall coverings.
He painted the condo’s other walls and ceilings gray, yet drew a visual connection between the kitchen and its contiguous spaces with floating white drywall panels that drop down from the concrete ceilings—a move that also allowed for recessed lighting. He likens the kitchen to the yolk of an egg; all the other rooms revolve around it.
In the newly pared-down living area, a handful of vintage midcentury furnishings now shine. Eero Saarinen’s periwinkle Womb chair and Harry Bertoia’s red Bird chair emerge brightly from their neutral surroundings. “They got lost before because there was just so much stuff around them,” Charalambous says. Lacquered white built-ins hide the TV and stereo components behind cabinet doors, while open display shelves highlight colorful glass and ceramic pieces.
Bransky also commissioned Charalambous to create original artwork to add more pops of color in every room.
Now nearly nine years into retirement, Bransky says he travels more but also relishes the additional time he has at home. “Being in this environment is really uplifting,” he says of his clutter-free abode—especially since he traded his books for a Kindle, his computer monitor for an unobtrusive laptop and all his CDs and DVDs for cloud streaming.
Clean lines and a quiet palette never get old, Charalambous says, quoting one of his favorite phrases: “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
Project Credit:
Interior design: Andreas Charalambous, FORMA Design, formaonline.com
Contractor: Michael Apergis, MCA Remodeling, mcaremodeling.com