Renovating a historic home is a big undertaking, and it takes longer than most people think. Let's talk about exactly what’s involved and how I developed our own internal process at Lorla to make a BIG, potentially disruptive home renovation project go as smoothly as possible for our clients. Let’s start with a quick story! One of our wonderfully kind and brilliant clients, a partner at a DC law firm, bought a center hall colonial home in Woodley Park. She fell in love with the block, the...

Washington D.C. homes rarely feel like blank slates. Center-hall colonials, historic rowhouses, and post-war builds all carry a strong architectural presence (and charm!). The question for many homeowners looking to renovate is not how to start over, but how to modernize their home without losing its character. When it came to our Forest Hills project, the Traditional-style home was built with strong proportions and a clear structural logic, but the interiors no longer reflected how the...

Galveston Lane Kitchen in Bethesda. Photographed by East & Lane. Our aesthetic at Lorla Studio leans more California than East Coast, but what does that even mean and how do you know if it’s for you? We hear that our projects have a ‘California interior design style’ more often than you’d think, and usually before clients can fully explain what they mean by it. It’s not really about geography, it’s about a feeling. Clients often describe what they want in simpler terms: warm, comfortable,...

For the D.C. Homeowner Whose Taste Has Never Quite Fit the City Drawn to organic, modern interiors with a warm California vibe? Meet your D.C. design studio. At Lorla Studio, we specialize in organic modern interior design–creating warm, inviting spaces that feel effortlessly lived-in from day one. Rooted in natural light, indoor-outdoor connection, and the layering of raw, undyed materials like lime plaster, Tadelakt, warm wood, and soft neutral tones, this approach embraces many of the...

Organic luxury interior design is a design approach that combines high-end materials, natural elements, and sustainable practices to create warm, inviting, and environmentally conscious spaces. This style is perfect for those who value eco-friendliness, comfort, and unique, nature-inspired aesthetics. One exemplary project that showcases the beauty of organic luxury interior design is a stunning home in Hudson, New York . The Hudson home embodies the essence of organic luxury interior design....

The nicest hotels in the world have a few things in common, and through thoughtful observation of what makes these places so magical, you can apply luxury interior design elements into your own home and heighten your life. With a focus on three specific areas– ambience, sensory inputs, and functional order, you will find your home to be a respite from the world, and a welcome pitstop for friends and family. That is why hotels are such a useful reference point. They show what comfort looks...

Whether a custom build or full home renovation , Lorla Studio’s Full Service Interior Design offering provides start-to-finish attention to detail that will leave you with a stunning space that you love everyday. This service is particularly valuable for those lacking the time to manage various trades and the numerous moving parts of a large project, and who value meticulous execution. Lorla Studio serves multiple roles in executing full service projects, from ideation of a design,...

There are many paths that lead to Washington DC. Whether drawn by its vibrant multi-faceted economy, top-ranked universities, or numerous...

Design lovers in Washington DC cannot miss Georgetown, a gem of a neighborhood nearly 300 years in the making! Founded in 1751 as part of...

We’ve all been there. It’s a hot June evening, and you are closing in on the perfect new look for a space to enjoy the rest of the long...

The world of design is vast and full of creativity, innovation, and beauty. From the sleek skyscrapers of New York and Tokyo to the...

After living in foreign capitals, as well as New York City and San Francisco, my family arrived back to the DC area ready to settle in...