An Insider’s Guide to Renovating in Washington

So you’re finally ready to finish the basement or gut the kitchen or expand the bathroom or tackle whatever other problem has become impossible to ignore since you’ve been spending so much more time in your house. But where to even start? Herewith, a look inside dream-home remodels to get you inspired, followed by insight from the pros on whom to hire, what it’ll cost, where to save, and how to avoid a major headache.

Written by Marisa M. Kashino and Jennifer Barger | Published on October 22, 2021

Photograph by Jamie Chung/trunkarchive.com.

An Insider’s Guide to Renovating in Washington

So you’re finally ready to finish the basement or gut the kitchen or expand the bathroom or tackle whatever other problem has become impossible to ignore since you’ve been spending so much more time in your house. But where to even start? Herewith, a look inside dream-home remodels to get you inspired, followed by insight from the pros on whom to hire, what it’ll cost, where to save, and how to avoid a major headache.

Written by Marisa M. Kashino and Jennifer Barger | Published on October 22, 2021

Contents

This Industrial-Modern Lake House Near DC Used To Be Dark and Dated
This DC Rowhouse Renovation Includes Dramatic Built-in Shelving and a Blue Kitchen
Look Inside Two Totally Different—But Equally Gorgeous—Kitchen Remodels
Look Inside a Pair of Airy and Bright Main Bathroom Renovations
Five Design Trends To Take Your Remodel to the Next Level
Your Biggest Questions About Remodeling, Answered
These Are the Choices You Should Make if You’re Renovating To Improve Your Home’s Resale Value

This Industrial-Modern Lake House Near DC Used To Be Dark and Dated

Designer Lauren Liess and Architect Jim Rill totally transformed it.

Photograph by Stacy Zarin Goldberg.

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This DC Rowhouse Renovation Includes Dramatic Built-in Shelving and a Blue Kitchen

The homeowners pulled it all off in the middle of the pandemic.

Photograph by Stacy Zarin Goldberg.

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Look Inside Two Totally Different—But Equally Gorgeous—Kitchen Remodels

One is soft and neutral, the other is bold and modern. Both are big on functionality and style.

Photograph by Robert Radifera.

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Look Inside a Pair of Airy and Bright Main Bathroom Renovations

Proof that great light and a calming palette are always a winning combo.

Photograph by Greg Powers.

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Five Design Trends To Take Your Remodel to the Next Level

Do try these at home.

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Your Biggest Questions About Remodeling, Answered

Including who to hire, how much it’ll cost, and how to avoid a nightmare.

Illustration by Claire McCracken.

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These Are the Choices You Should Make if You’re Renovating To Improve Your Home’s Resale Value

We surveyed 200 DC-area real-estate agents to find out what buyers want in newly remodeled homes.

Illustration by Claire McCracken.

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More: Features Home Renovation

Marisa M. Kashino

Senior Editor

Marisa M. Kashino joined Washingtonian in 2009 as a staff writer, and became a senior editor in 2014. She oversees the magazine’s real estate and home design coverage, and writes long-form feature stories. She was a 2020 Livingston Award finalist for her two-part investigation into a wrongful conviction stemming from a murder in rural Virginia.

Jennifer Barger