Architect Carmel Greer has a knack for enhancing projects with stylish, creative interiors. A charming brick Victorian in DC?s LeDroit Park proved to be a perfect vehicle for her talents. When its owner purchased the home, ?it had been badly renovated and was a hodgepodge of different visions, eras and tastes,? Greer recalls. ?And things were sloping that shouldn?t have been sloping.?
Tasked with an overhaul in the original footprint, Greer restored the front parlor and dining room, which boasted 11-foot ceilings and elaborate crown moldings. Completely reorganizing the back rooms, she removed a wall that separated the kitchen and family room; relocated the powder room; created a mudroom; and got rid of a butler?s pantry and dated spiral staircase to enlarge the kitchen. Upstairs, a master suite now features an adjoining office that was carved out of an adjacent bedroom. The owner, an international business consultant, is thrilled with the results. ?I am really happy with how it turned out,? she says. ?It works well for me and the way I live.? WHAT WAS YOUR VISION FOR THE UPDATE"

I always try to do what?s appropriate, and this house is so spectacular I thought it should be allowed to be what it wanted to be. I tried to limit ?invasive? changes to places where the house had already been meddled with, like the back area.
HOW DID YOU ENSURE THE FRONT AND BACK WOULD FLOW TOGETHER"

We opened a door between the dining and family rooms. The owner wanted to keep definit...