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The Pursuit 2: Before & After Shots at Lanier Heights

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This article originally ran on UrbanTurf in October 2013 and shares the process of UrbanTurf publisher Will Smith renovating his one-bedroom co-op
Last week I wrote about the process of purchasing my one-bedroom in Lanier Heights. The place needed renovation, but I didn’t know a good and reliable contractor. As anyone who has worked with contractors will tell you, it can be hard to find great ones. I also wanted one who wouldn’t just “swing a hammer” but who had an eye for design and could help me with color, style, and all the other aesthetic considerations about which I was essentially clueless.
Enter Nick Alten and his firm BetterSpace. Nick came recommended by a trusted friend of UrbanTurf who also happens to be a successful developer with a passion for design.
True to their reputation, Nick and his crew were not only professional, reliable, and craftsmen, but Nick’s creativity and good taste were a constant resource as I selected everything from flooring to lighting to cabinet handles. If you need a contractor, I recommend Nick and the BetterSpace crew.
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In a nutshell, my renovation was the following:
- Take down the wall separating a cramped galley kitchen and the living room, and replace it with an island.
- Fully update the kitchen: appliances, cabinets, everything.
- Replace older built-ins with custom built-ins in the hallway.
- Install new floors, lighting, walls, radiators, and cosmetic upgrades throughout.
- Install an elfa system in the bedroom closet and reclaim awkward unused crawlspace to create a workspace nook.
- No renovation to the bathroom.
Following are the before-and-after shots:

Before: Living room.

Now: Reversing the direction of the shades added privacy and improved the view from asphalt to the green of Rock Creek Park.

Before: Galley kitchen.

Now: Totally open, updated kitchen.

Before: Facing the kitchen from the living room.

Now: Facing the kitchen. Notice the exposed steel beam at right, an architectural flourish recommended by Nick that I love.

Before: Built-ins in the hallway.

Now: Custom cherry built-ins with lighting.

Before: Bedroom with wasted crawlspace hidden behind drywall.

Now: Bedroom with a little workstation.

Before: Bedroom closet.

Now: I love elfa.

My very blue new bedroom.
Photography by Jose Valcarcel, CityAperture.
See other articles related to: the pursuit, renovation, dclofts
This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/the_pursuit_2_before_after_shots_at_lanier_heights/7705
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