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Article: A Basement as Bright And Airy as a Loft
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- March 1, 2007
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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Basement makeovers are often pretty much a matter of new drywall,
carpeting, maybe built-in shelves to hold a bigger TV. Then there's
the renovation in Marc Pachter's Cleveland Park Colonial.
"People always talk about the wow factor," said Pachter, director
of the National Portrait Gallery. "You literally take in your breath
when you go down there, because it is so complete a statement."
The space had something of a wow factor before, but not in a good
way: stained brick walls, exposed pipes, dangling wires, haphazard
storage, hulking mechanicals, grungy floor. Out of this neglected
jumble Pachter was hoping to create an attractive, livable space for
his son's family when they visit from ...