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A solution, perhaps, but an incomplete one. Before the new owners could make their move from Bethesda to Potomac in 1998, a few changes were required. Windows were carved into blank walls; brick was slathered over with concrete; carpets were torn out and hardwood was laid. "That's how we build in Peru, by using brick as a substrate" says Kalkstein, who learned to draw at her uncle Marco's knee. Growing up around one of Lima's top designers and studying in Peru immersed Kalkstein in an interior design approach that differs from how architects are trained in the states.
For Kalkstein, different approaches are part of the package. "My ideal house would be a factory. I would love to live in an industrial loft," she says.
In her Potomac home, this deconstructive aesthetic is made immediately evident in an entrance defined by unfinished concrete, adorned with an oversized mirror and wall sconces formed from crinkled metal mesh.
Behind this space is a gathering area for the family and a stylish place to entertain guests. Kalkstein, a lover of all things creative, removed a railing and designed a niche for displaying art. She opened up the interior wall to the dining room, but left the unfinished studs exposed. "I don't mind materials behaving the way they are supposed to," she says.
The gallery-size dining room is configured around two glass-topped tables nestled together. Although Kalkstein has extensive experience designing furniture as principal of her firm, Modulo, she now prefers to hand-pick pieces from the best makers in the world. A few of her personal favorites can be seen at her store in Georgetown.
A band of clerestory windows illuminate the dining area and walls, which are dominated by another Kalkstein passion: In your face art. "For a long time I had walls full of art and no furniture," she says. Back then, Kalkstein was an expectant mother, sitting on cushions on the floor. "I was seven months pregnant and I couldn't stand up from the cushion.
My husband said, 'Honey, it's time to buy a sofa.'" The house now has plenty of furniture, including iconic modern masterpieces from Mies van der Rohe and Breuer. Kalkstein carries the same aesthetic into her living room, which is reached by strolling down the hallway. This walkway, a broad expanse of naturally lit horizontal space, convinced her to buy the house in the first place.
In the living room there's more of the same open concept: simple, industrial-based materials, modern classic furniture and big art, including a giant painting of kings, dictators and Disney creatures.
Like many pieces in Kalkstein's collection, this one has a story. The painting depicts the artist's mother shaking hands with Juan Carlos, king of Spain, and the artist's grandfather shaking hands with Spanish dictator Francisco Franco, while Mickey Mouse traces the scene.
Kalkstein spied the painting at an opening while her husband was parking the car and immediately opened negotiations. "The guy doing the show wanted a sofa from my store," she says with a laugh, "and I wanted the painting, I didn't even know what it cost." By the time her husband found a parking spot, it was a done deal. "When he came in I said, 'Do you like this painting?' But it was already too late." The living room benefited from windows added by the former homeowner and a small wet bar that received a Kalkstein makeover. For the job she chose the most industrial material she could find-hot rolled steel. "I went out to the steel company with all these measurements and had them cut it for me. They kept asking, 'What are you doing this for?'" Kalkstein knew precisely what she wanted. She attached the pieces to the surfaces of the wet bar, leaving the fasteners exposed.
The family's private areas are defined by flooring. Unconcealed oak lies underfoot in social spaces, while the hallway and bedroom floors are painted black. Dark slate-tile undertones define the powder room. The fixtures are white, the mirror is large and there's more art.
One bedroom in the home was converted into a child's study so that Mom can keep an eye on the kids while they're using the computer.
Both children selected their own room color: orange for Kevin, pink for Camille. The master bedroom is a minimalist study in black (floors) and white (walls). Surprisingly, this furniture store owner rejects the notion of a conventional bed. "I sell furniture and sleep on the floor," she says. "I like the idea of sleeping low, like the Japanese on a mat. It's very serene." A concrete desk anchors one corner of the room.
Even with the challenges of being a wife, mother, merchant and designer, Kalkstein embraces down-time within her house's heavily textured walls. "We're very home-orientated, she says. "We're here a lot. I love the home at night with the fire going and a glass of wine." Sounds nice-even if the home's ultimate solutions remain unsolved.
The kitchen, master bath and basement are next on the list at this architect's modernist manse in the making, so stay tuned for more.
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