Name: Kelly Kielsing, Technology for Health in developing countries
Location: Car Barn Apartments, Washington, DC
Size: Just under 1000 sq ft
Years lived in: 2 1/2 years; Own
If your job description involved venturing across the globe more than you're at home, you too might become accustomed to the idea that minimal equipment is best. Where most globe trotters' homes resemble mini bazaars, Kelly decided to take a more minimal, naturalistic approach by focusing on natural woods and neutral color palettes.
The Car Barn apartments where Kelly lives are a signature building in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of D.C. They were converted in the 1980s from stables into condos. There were a few things that Kelly had in mind when searching for a home: good lighting, a high ceiling, open space, combined living room + kitchen, and character. The high ceilings were the selling point. "I told my realtor that I needed a space that was large enough where I could play racquetball. A kitchen I could do without, but I wanted a lot of space."
In Kelly's home, the arrangement of each room purposefully creates the feeling of being in a gallery or museum setting. You almost get the feeling you're walking through a mini museum of natural history. Kelly enjoys incorporating objects that were useful, either to blacksmiths, carpenters, woodworkers, sailors, or tribesmen. The "artifacts" are all objects with distinct design that served a purpose in another historical era.
The photos strung along the living room wall like a mosaic are all photos from Kelly's travels abroad over the years. And the display of ethnic items from all over the world that juts out from the navy blue wall in his bedroom is purposeful. "I wanted the bedroom styling to be minimal, but I wanted the focus to be on this one wall that was a display like you would see in a museum."
Apartment Therapy Survey:
MYStyle: Clean modern meets natural meets foreign culture.
Favorite Element: Wood. My grandfather did a lot of woodwork, and I guess it rubbed off.
Biggest Challenge: Underestimating how long it will take to do anything.
What Friends Say: "What is that?"
Biggest Embarrassment: The holes I drill in the wrong places.
Proudest DIY: The 13-foot sculpture over my stairway. Putting it up there was a feat of acrobatics and engineering. And naiveté.
Biggest Indulgence: A chaise lounge. I do a lot of work at home, so I might as well be comfy.
Best Advice: Daydream about what you want, then when you see something that comes close, grab it up.
Dream Sources: Museums.
Resources of Note:
LIVING ROOM
• Chairs and stool set: grandparents from Mexico
• Couch: Ikea
• Butterfly chair: CB2
• Anchor: Marine supply store
• Canoe: Purchased it from gentleman online
• Basket: Pottery Barn
• Wood: Redwood National Forest:
• Rungu: Spectors that Kenyan men use. Men carry it around as a sign of manhood
• Photos: All taken by Kelly
• Working clamps: His grandfather made them.
BEDROOM
• Desk table: Grandfather built
• Chair: Mexico
• Black Hat: Argentina
• Blanket: Mexico
• Woven basket: Kenya
• Red: Thailand
• Reindeer: Zambia
• Tapestry: Peru
• Wooden saddle frame: Mexico
• Massai beads: Kenya
• Shield and Bow: Damascus, Syria
• Desk: Ikea
• Compass that his grandfather built
• Compass watch: St. Petersburg
• Stool: Middle East
Thanks, Kelly!
(Images: Nicole Crowder)
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Nice place and cute puppy photo bomb. Different and interesting. The dark wall in the bedroom with those interesting pieces - really great to look at. I would suggest trying something similar in the main room, it feels a tiny bit too stark in there.
beautiful pieces. i think the living room would look better w/ the furniture pulled away from the walls a bit, clustered a little more.
I got the feeling as though I was walking through a museum show, like the Whitney Biennial. Found it interesting. And by interesting I do NOT mean that it's a polite way of saying that I dislike it.
defintely a guy's guy place. doesn't seem very cozy to me, but I like seeing all the personal non-designery things.
I like the style. Everything converges to an unique design...
It looks like a museum of art. Very nice. Love the canoe on the wall! Love the space and I'm jealous of Kelly's ability to have no clutter.
Love the blue wall. Can anyone identify what paint that is?
Wow, I drive by this building/complex everyday. Who know it was so massive.
Very minimalist. Kinda like a mini bazaar in Portlandia. Chairs were nice.
I agree about pulling the furniture from the walls a bit in the main room. Also, that is a Kayak, not a Canoe.
love it!
where is the 13-foot sculpture over the stairway?
Excellent - Love it all !!!
Nice selection of furnishings, Kelly. I hope you enjoy this beautiful neighborhood. The view out the window in picture #13 is of the East Capitol Street rowhouse that once belonged to my grandmother!
I don't mind the minimalist look of this apartment. I think that it really made his unique pieces stand out. However, in my opinion, it would look better with more color. The blue in the bedroom really stood out in my mind, while the living room was more forgettable. Also, there could be a better solution for the tv.
Frustrating hous tour. Too many close up shots of the things he has rather than the rooms themselves. I never finished viewing the tour.
Where is kitchen? Bathroom? Maybe globetrotters have no need for those things...
Very nice. Love how sophisticated yet down to earth it feels. We have alot of photographs up of travels which I feel are the very best souvenirs. I'm very interested in what he used to display all those photos on the wall. It looks like there are aligned on something (art canvases) and then mounted to the wall? Thanks!
Beautiful kayak! Plus, if DC ever floods in some huge apocalyptic disaster, you can quickly cover it, grab those arrows, and join some other plucky survivors, possible saving a beautiful single mom and her precocious kid along the way.
I like the natural, muted colors and the way everything has special meaning. I too have a lot of items from my travels and family pieces that have so much more meaning than items chosen for purely aesthetic reasons.
The tv under the table is a little odd, but whatever works!
Love the woven furniture! Overall,a refreshing change from whats considered "Man" decor,but I do agree that the furniture needs to come off the walls. And just a tad more decor in the main room would give it some much needed personality.Its nice,but rather bare.That being said,I love 99% of the things he has!
Really nice and interesting things. Love the chairs in the living room. My only criticism would be that all the seating in the living room is pushed up against the walls. It's very odd. He should try moving furniture away from the walls to make it a more intimate space. And a rug runner does not belong in that location. It's for a hallway.
A lot of cool, interesting objects, and his influence from museums really shows to the point that I'm surprised there weren't any "Please Do Not Touch The Display" placards. I jest of course...
I've actually been wanting to see the inside of the Car Barn for a while now.
I love the anchor on the side table!
It would have been nice to see kitchens/bathrooms.
The Desk/Table is GREAT!
Would love to have plans for that!!
Nice pieces and wood floors.
The collage of photos seem like it was an after thought to fill up the walls.
Wow, I love this place! I did not expect to like it, and I almost didn't look at the full tour.
For those who suggest a warmer feel ... did you read the interview? The reason it feels stark and the furniture is not grouped is that he is going for a museum feel. That's kind of the whole point.
A unique space, for sure - he really does have a personal style.
Yes, what is that dark paint? Love it.
Compelling - nicely done!
Awesome. Love the photo wall above the two chairs. Amy x
Nice pieces and a well put-together apartment. I can't begin to imagine the time and patience that went into setting up the photo array.
Maybe there should be "explanation cards" to complete the museum vibe and to answer the "what is that" questions. I say that as someone who labels drawers and cabinets in my own place.
I actually love that furniture is against the wall. Usually I wouldn't but the whole room has the feel of someone just adding things they enjoy without paying much attention to the rules of design. This to me is the room's charming quality. Usually I would love the colour of the dark wall in the bedroom but here it feels too try hard after the living room. The bed sums it up for me, it says: this is me. How many of us remove countless pillows each night that are just there to make our bed look great during the day. Not planning on copying the look because in my life it would be contrived but love it none the less.
great home - love the colour, texture and design and use of culture and places visited
Nathalie
Australia
Love the stripe of white where the light switch was in the dark wall in the bedroom! What a great way to deal with the irritating switch and highlight a beautiful item at the same time.
Beautiful collection! You've definitely pulled off a museum feel. (I looked at the tour first, and thought "museum" before I read the description and interview.)
I also wonder about the furniture against the walls, but maybe you move everything closer together when people come over?
And thanks, AT editors, for bringing us a tour from someone who is not a professional designer/artist/owner of a cool store. I understand that creative professionals have to hustle and want to get their names out there through AT, but it's refreshing to see some balance from creative and stylish nurses, teachers, lawyers, and "Technology for Health in Developing Countries" guys. Let's see more like this!
Ha! What a coincidence! I live across the street from the Car Barn and my roommate and I were just saying this morning that we wonder what it looks like on the inside! Now we have an answer - awesome.
C'mon people it's chaise LONGUE.
Love the Playbill idea. Wishing I didn't throw all of mine away.
We were teased with difficulty of hanging the the 13 foot sculpture over the stairs. He said most proud of it and then....no pic? Wha...huh?
So happy to see the inside of the Car Barn! I love the pared down style. It's not my personal taste, but it looks great and really sets off your treasures. The only thing I would suggest is a better solution for the TV. How is the photo collage affixed to the wall? Hard to tell from the photo.
I was thinking the exact same thing. Way too many close-up shots and not enough pulled-back ones to get some context. And sadly, no photos of the kitchen or bathroom--everyone, including me, is always looking for inspiration for the kitchen and bathrooms!
Amazing props. This home screams "Bachelor".
Love, love, love this tour. I am a globe trotter but my aesthetics don't usually jibe with home tours of " world travelers", primarily as I find them too cluttered for my own museum-ish aesthetics. This tour is so refreshing. That bedroom wall is one of the most striking shot I have seen in a long-long time in AT tours. I agree with previous posters about having something similar in Living room, where even a minimalist like me was craving for some drama. Please, please show us the 13 ft sculpture.
Impersonal! Sorry, museums show a finer touch and sensibility !t's not a contest for minimalism or clutter; it's total detachment!
I agree with the comments of others regarding furniture placement. The sitting area furniture arranged in the style of the 17th and 18th centuries with everthing lining the walls would be better if changed. Overall though, I really like the overall feel of the place and his assemblage of unusual possessions.
Interesting pieces and space....the bed though I have to say is sad...
I think this place looks amazing! I want to know how you framed/mounted the travel photos. I can't seem to figure out if they are in a large clear frame or individually mounted. Thanks!
This is great. I need to travel more! I would love to be able to live this simply and not have the urge to (re)furnish & (re)decorate ad nausam.
Stylist and authentic.