The Hawarden Building

Our process began with presenting two design options to the building's board: a restoration option and a modern approach. The restoration option featured sage tones and the restoration of the unique Greek key design on the floor, brightening the space while remaining true to historical colors. The modern option showcased a moodier color palette with black and white marbled flooring, cool blues, and contrasting gold accents, offering a complete reimagining of the space. Almost unanimously, the board opted to preserve the classical revival style, highlighting the importance of sustainability in interior design and respecting the historical significance of these spaces. The selected colors also provided a striking contrast to the rich red tones on the building's exterior, resulting in a welcoming ambiance for the lobby area. To complement these choices, we incorporated classic furniture pieces that allowed the tile, colors, and woodwork details to stand out.

Given the chosen style and the building's age, careful and thorough planning was essential, but we also knew we had to be flexible and stay open to the unexpected. For example, when it came time to lay the tile, we realized that we would have to slightly pivot our original design to account for the corners and curves of the space. Our team conceptualized two new options for the clients, and together with the General Contractor Magna Construction, we found a solution that worked with the style and layout of the space.  We created a flower design with the tile inspired by the Hawarden's twin building, The Gladstone. We value the construction team's expertise as well as our other industry partners on this project — Dominion Lighting, Sherwin Williams, JMJ General Restoration LLC., and Daltile.

We are thrilled with the end results. We were able to achieve our clients’ goals for this project through teamwork, sustainable design choices, and a commitment to preserving the building's history and integrity. 

Photography by DMV Imagery