A Designer Transformed an Awkward Attic Into an Arrestingly Serene Primary Suite in Her 1926 Home

When interior designer Zoë Feldman and her husband began searching for a larger home for their growing family, she knew she wanted something with history. They found exactly that in a circa 1926 Washington, D.C., duplex that boasted beautiful architectural bones and plenty of potential. “The minute I walked in, I was said, ‘Oh, wait, this is the place,'” she recalls. Over the next six years, Feldman transformed the property into a colorful, art-filled family home that balances her love of modern design with the home’s nearly century-old character.

Rather than completely overhaul the house, though, Feldman decided to embrace its existing charm, preserving the original dark wood floors and highlighting the architectural arches that lend the interiors an old European feel. “I would describe my sense of style, as I always say, as modernist,” she explains. Her approach combines contemporary artwork, inherited midcentury furniture, and carefully collected antiques, creating what she describes as a sense of “tension” between old and new. We can’t argue with her there. While the home certainly feels like it’s seen a lot of life, it’s hardly stuffy and dated.

In the living room, subtle gray-blue walls provide a quiet backdrop for an impressive art collection and treasured family heirlooms. A carved limestone mantel anchors the space, while a pair of Florence Knoll sofas and a marble coffee table introduce that modern edge she craves. Nearby, the dining room, affectionately dubbed the “Golden Dining Room” by Feldman’s daughters, makes a bolder statement with hand-painted de Gournay wallpaper and an oversized wicker pendant that provides a soft glow beneath. Despite its formal appearance, though, the room is designed for everyday family life, and that’s exactly how the Feldmans use it. “While I surround us with very precious and beautiful things, we don’t live in a precious way,” she admits.

That same philosophy carries into the kitchen, where a geometric marble floor reminiscent of a French bistro sets the tone for the space. Feldman chose Farrow & Ball’s Oxford Stone for the cabinetry, walls, and plaster hood to create a warm backdrop for open shelving and everyday essentials.

Upstairs, the primary bedroom received an even more dramatic transformation unfolds, as Feldman reconfigured the former attic to create a more intimate retreat than the more dramatic common areas below. Yes, it may seem odd that a professional interior designer chose the attic to become the primary bedroom, but she has a perfectly sound reason: “I don’t actually love large bedrooms,” she explains. And it’s as simple as that. Tonal William Morris wallpaper establishes a soothing blue palette, while arched trim and a plate rail give the room architectural character that was previously missing.

For Feldman, the most meaningful interiors are those that reflect the people who live in them, rather than spaces that feel perfectly preserved. “The best compliment that someone could give me about my home is just that it feels really warm and that they never want to leave.”

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Explore more gorgeous Homeworthy spaces below:

• She Lost Out on Her Dream London Home—Then Bought a Crumbling Alternative at Auction and Rebuilt It From Scratch
• Inside Three Nostalgic Homes That Capture the Magic of an Old-Fashioned Christmas
• A 1910 Atlanta Mansion Makes a Compelling Case for Formal Dining’s Big Return

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