When Cindy Eyl, of Jefferson Street Designs, began work on this Arlington abode she kept two goals in mind: honor the original architecture of the home and celebrate the owners’ homeland. The results are a bright and welcoming fusion of classic mid-century styling and Brazillian culture that provide a cozy landing spot for her jet-setting clients. Don’t miss out on all of the fun, take a peek at the beautiful photos Angela Newton Roy captured below.

From the designer… My clients are from Brazil, and the wife works at the Embassy of Brazil. She wanted to make her home in Arlington remind her of Brazil while still respecting the integrity of the original mid-century architecture. She wanted it to feel modern and comfortable. To accomplish this we included art, stone and furniture from Brazil.

The original kitchen was a small galley kitchen with a wall separating the kitchen from the rest of the first floor. My client likes to entertain and have company while she’s cooking so we knocked out the wall and created a huge waterfall island that is great for food prep and for entertaining. The quartzite is from Brazil as well as the modern stools from Sossego. The side pantry was custom built by Geepil Construction (we had a very narrow space and we wanted integrated pulls so custom was necessary). The kitchen itself is two toned (stained bamboo and white) from n’Time Design in Alexandria. We moved the sink under the window and moved the range to the island. We moved the oven to the perimeter.

The dining space needed to hold a lot of people during their dinner parties, so we moved it against the wall, rather than centering it in the space. This also allowed us to have a larger island. We then designed a custom banquette made from Build Lane in California to feel as much like a sofa as a place to eat. It’s covered in a green velvet fabric reminiscent of the green in the Brazilian flag. The table was also custom made of walnut and steel, and is oval to allow for easier movement around the space. My client selected all of the art virtually from galleries in Brazil, which her mother brought back with her to the United States when she visited. We added colorful custom pillows from Ferrick Mason and Schumacher. The Ferrick Mason pillows depict cacao plants which were and are a big export of Brazil’s.

In previous years, the fireplace had a traditional surround and tile hearth added to it. We removed those, painted all of the brick a dark gray, added a floating mantel of reclaimed wood and a honed granite hearth that was flush with the white oak floors. Original art above the mantel is from Brazil.

Living room furniture was mostly retail, but there is another Brazilian sculptural chair in there that was purchased on 1st Dibs. White linen window treatments from the Shade Store soften the spaces.

It is a very small space and there is no designated entry (typical of Arlington) so we had to create defined spaces in a small open floor plan. We created an entryway in the space by adding a console behind the sofa (for keys, etc.) and a woven bench against the opposite wall. Above the bench is art by a Spanish photographer who did a time-lapse photo showcasing pedestrians from a street in Rio de Janeiro sets the tone for the rest of the home.

Like what you see? Take a peek at the talent behind the story… Interior Design: Jefferson Street Designs · Photography: Angela Newton Roy · Kitchen Design: N Time Design · Built-Ins: Geepil Construction