Yvette Freeman, a real-estate developer, designer, and owner of design store Foundry, has lived in her Bloomingdale home for close to six years. She was scouting the neighborhood for a project when she discovered the early-1900s townhouse, originally built by prolific Washington developer Harry Wardman. Freeman completely gutted and renovated the house to make it more open and ready for entertaining, and she now lives there with her “three amazing Shih Tzu boys,” Rigsby, Winslow, and Theo.
Elements of her quirky taste are evident throughout, from the Union Jack-themed basement to the nautical library, as is her appreciation for vintage, such as the reclaimed hardwood from her father’s farm that lines the upstairs hallway. “It’s important to collect and tell your own style story,” says Freeman. “While it takes time, in the end your home will be a true reflection of you and your spirit.”
Many of Freeman’s projects are in the Bloomingdale area, and she says she loves living in a neighborhood she’s helping to develop. “Bloomingdale is such a beautiful community, from our parks to the historic architecture,” she says. “There isn’t one inch that I don’t enjoy.”
Who lives there: Yvette Freeman and her three Shih Tzus: Theo, Rigsby, and Winslow
Approximate square-footage: 2,500 square-feet
Number of bedrooms: Three
Number of bathrooms: Three-and-a-half
Favorite piece of furniture: A lover of all things vintage, Freeman’s favorite piece is her worn-in Chesterfield sofa in the basement.
Favorite home interior store: Foundry and the Old Lucketts Store
Favorite DIY: While Freeman distressed the hardwood floors herself by dragging a burlap bag filled with rocks across the surfaces, she cites wallpapering the library’s ceiling in vintage nautical charts as her favorite project. “It was super inexpensive and quick, and totally changed a boring white ceiling into an interesting focal point.”
Splurge: Bad Betty, the Eastern European graffiti art in the dining room.
Steal: The antique lucite table lamp in the living room. When she originally saw it listed for $75 on Etsy, she though the price was a typo.
Design advice: “Always buy what you love. If you do that, you will never go wrong.”
Mimi Montgomery joined Washingtonian in 2018. She’s written for The Washington Post, Garden & Gun, Outside Magazine, Washington City Paper, DCist, and PoPVille. Originally from North Carolina, she now lives in Del Ray.
