DESIGN SPOTLIGHT
A Masterclass in Art,
Design & Renovation with Zoë Feldman
BY WELLBORN + WRIGHT
PHOTOGRAPHY BY Max Burkhalter
When Zoë Feldman of Zoë Feldman Design was first tasked with a small decorating project in Washington DC’s Capitol Hill, she was asked to switch out sconces in powder rooms or add art to landings. Fast forward three years, one global pandemic, and a full three story renovation later, Feldman reflects on the historic brownstone as possibly her best work to date.
“‘We bought all this Restoration Hardware and need help decorating,’” Feldman recalls the client saying. “But at the end of it, none of the Restoration Hardware remained. Nothing remained.” A house shaped by personal needs, beginning with the addition of a study adjacent to the primary suite, turned into a headspin of re-imagined spaces. From the chic lower level to new hardwood floors and soaring black steel doors, the brownstone underwent a magnificent makeover, leaving no detail unturned.
What began as a developer-renovated townhouse that felt “new and fresh” quickly revealed its shortcomings. “They couldn’t tell what floor they were on,” Feldman explains. “Everything felt the same.” That realization sparked a domino effect. Landings were reconsidered. Powder rooms reworked. Art layered in with intention. Each thoughtful decision revealed another opportunity, until the house itself seemed to ask for more.
The renovation unfolded organically, guided by how the family actually lived. A hidden bar and den were added near the primary suite to accommodate the realities of a vertical home. Guest rooms evolved as children returned from college and family gathered in DC. The lower level, once overlooked, became the most inviting space in the house. “We wanted it to be the best place to watch TV,” Feldman says, “not an afterthought.”
By the time the kitchen and dining room were addressed, the vision had sharpened. Gone was the generic European white kitchen, replaced with a richly layered space inspired by Parisian interiors. Stone with movement and variation. A patinated metal hood that feels collected rather than installed. Custom detailing that rewards a closer look, including an etched stone island and a sculptural walnut transom that separates kitchen from dining while discreetly housing a bar and wine refrigeration.
And then came the final punctuation mark. Steel doors.
“At that point, everything else looked so beautiful,” Feldman explains. “The things they didn’t think would matter suddenly mattered.” Replacing the existing doors with custom steel doors and windows by Wellborn + Wright completed the architectural language of the home. With their slim profiles and expansive glass, the steel elements allow light to travel freely while grounding the house in a material that feels both historic and modern.
“Steel has that tension we love,” Feldman says. “It can feel old world and contemporary at the same time.” In this home, the steel was kept black, intentionally quiet, allowing materiality rather than color to lead. The result is a seamless dialogue between past and present, one that honors the original bones of the brownstone while elevating it for modern life.
That respect for history runs through every decision. Original plasterwork was preserved wherever possible. Lighting remains restrained, favoring sconces and soft illumination over excessive recessed fixtures. Spaces are candle lit and moody at night, sun drenched by day. Modernization comes through paint, finish, and proportion rather than erasure.
Perhaps what makes this project so singular is not just the craftsmanship, but the collaboration behind it. Feldman describes the homeowners as deeply curious and creatively engaged. Over the course of the renovation, they became serious art collectors, weaving significant works throughout the home. “They weren’t just asking us to make it look pretty,” she says. “They wanted to understand why. They wanted to be part of it.”
That shared curiosity pushed the project beyond its original scope and into something far more personal. Even moments of uncertainty, a bold mural in the primary bedroom, an ambitious arched built in, became highlights rather than compromises. “They gave us space to be creative,” Feldman reflects. “That freedom made all the difference.”
Looking back, this Capitol Hill brownstone stands as a defining moment in Feldman’s career. A project shaped slowly, intentionally, and without shortcuts. One that restored soul to a house that had lost it, and in doing so, created something that feels as though it was always meant to be this way.
For Wellborn + Wright, the project exemplifies what happens when architecture, design, and craft align. When steel doors and windows are not an accent, but an integral part of the story. And when collaboration is treated not as a transaction, but as a shared pursuit of something lasting.
A masterclass, indeed.
design spotlight
Zoë Feldman,
Zoë Feldman Designs
Zoë Feldman, Founder and Principal Designer, is known for her refined balance of modern restraint and timeless tradition. Trained at Parsons School of Design and mentored by AD100 designer Alexa Hampton at Mark Hampton, Inc., Feldman founded her practice in Washington, D.C. in 2004 and later expanded to New York City. Her work has been featured in Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, House Beautiful, Domino, and more, and is defined by interiors that feel layered, soulful, and thoughtfully lived in.
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Introducing the Design
Spotlight Series
At Wellborn + Wright, we believe the best projects are built through collaboration. Our Design Spotlight Series celebrates the designers and teams behind our most meaningful work, highlighting their vision while sharing the stories that shape each project. This series reflects our mission to support our partners and streamline the design and customization experience for the entire design community.
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