Nicholas Potts Transforms Glamours Watergate Pied-à-Terre

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Few addresses in America carry the weight of history quite like Washington, D.C.’s Watergate Complex. Known worldwide as the site of the scandal that toppled President Richard Nixon, the name “Watergate” has become shorthand for political curiosity. Yet beneath the headlines and historical baggage lies a vastly underappreciated piece of American architecture – a sweeping modernist gem designed in the 1960s by Italian architect Luigi Moretti. With its signature curves, expansive terraces, and bold design language, the Watergate stands apart as one of the few truly avant-garde residential buildings in the nation’s capital. And now, the newly unveiled Watergate Pied-à-Terre project by Nicholas Potts Studio shines a contemporary spotlight on the architectural significance of this icon.

Located high atop one of the Watergate’s crescent towers, this 3,000-square-foot apartment is the result of a combining two formerly separate units. Architect Nicholas Potts, known for his sensitive yet daring approach to interiors, collaborated with stylist Tessa Watson and builder BOWA to reimagine the space as a refined pied-à-terre – a luxurious home that pays homage to the building’s modernist legacy while infusing it with a fresh spirit.

A modern living room with large windows, neutral-toned furniture, a green rug, potted plants, and a wall painting above a sideboard.

For Potts, the project was an opportunity to peel back years of unsympathetic renovations that had dulled the building’s original aesthetic. Over the decades, many Watergate units had succumbed to ill-fitting design trends: faux-colonial trim, builder-grade finishes, and awkward spatial planning. Potts and his team approached the design by stripping away anything that contradicted the building’s DNA and instead embracing the Watergate’s sinuous geometry, spacious volumes, and period-informed palette.

A wooden sideboard with drinks and fruit sits below a framed classical painting on a wall, with silverware and books displayed on open shelves.

A living room with retro-style furniture, yellow rug, pink chairs, a stone coffee table with books and yellow flowers, and a textured stone wall in the background.

The design team created the apartment’s layout around axial sightlines and generous proportions, transforming once-cramped rooms into open spaces. The plan favors entertaining and movement, with a flow that feels both grand and comfortable. The effect is one of restoration – not only of walls and finishes, but of the Watergate’s original architectural vision.

A modern dining room with a round stone table, six white textured chairs, ceramic vases, a crystal chandelier, wood cabinetry, and a yellow rug on a herringbone floor.

Every inch of the newly unified residence reflects a commitment to both precision and glamour. The walls are clad in crotch-cut Okoume wood paneling, a rare and richly figured veneer that envelops the space in warmth. Floors of basketweave travertine lend a grounded rhythm underfoot, while moments of high drama – such as a translucent onyx wall glowing softly with integrated lighting – provide punctuation throughout the home.

A dining area with a textured stone table, ceramic vases, boucle-covered chairs, a large crystal chandelier, and a wood-paneled kitchen in the background.

Modern kitchen with glossy wood cabinets, a large island with a white countertop, a decorative plant in a glass vase, and a ceiling light fixture. Fruit bowls sit on the counter.

Custom details, like doors and hardware that were designed specifically for the space by legendary maker P.E. Guerin, ensuring that even the smallest touchpoints resonate with care and craftsmanship. Accents of Verde Antigua marble, hand-patinated metals, and gold leaf speak to a late-modern aesthetic that leans lush, not minimal.

Modern kitchen with patterned wood cabinets, stone backsplash and countertop, gold pot filler, marble floor, and a decorative bowl on the counter.

A narrow bathroom features gold walls, a large rectangular mirror, a curved marble sink, a modern light fixture, and a small vase with flowers on the counter.

A hallway with wood-paneled walls, marble flooring with circular patterns, and a view into a room featuring a geometric black sculpture on a pedestal.

A small seating area with curved, wood-paneled walls, a wooden bench with a cushion, a ceramic pot, and a modern brass ceiling light fixture.

To furnish the apartment, Potts and Watson turned to an international selection of design galleries, curating a collection that feels both timeless and unmistakably of-the-moment. Pieces from The Future Perfect, Gallery Morentz, and Studio TwentySeven are artfully placed alongside vintage furnishings, including 1970s Leola ceiling fixtures by Sciolari, creating an interior narrative that bridges decades.

A modern bedroom with a wooden bed frame, neatly made white bedding, a beige blanket, a green plant, and wood-paneled walls.

A bedroom corner with wood-paneled walls, a floating nightstand, a brass wall sconce, a vase with flowers, and decorative cushions on a beige rug beside the bed.

Throughout the home, references include everything from Mies van der Rohe to the Viennese Secession – through structural lines, material choices, and a disciplined sense of symmetry. Yet the apartment feels authentic, a confident synthesis of eras, anchored in the present.

Curved bathroom vanity with white cabinets, brass hardware, green marble surfaces, tall mirrors, wall lights, folded towels, and floral arrangements.

A modern walk-in closet with illuminated shelves, folded clothes, drawers with gold handles, marble walls, and a gold velvet stool in the foreground.

Luxurious bathroom with a bathtub, walls, and floors covered in multicolored marble. Brass fixtures and two natural sponges rest on the tub edge.

A wooden desk and chair are positioned by large windows overlooking a balcony at sunset, with a lamp, a book, and a pen placed on the desk.

Two olive-green armchairs and a small table with a sculptural lamp are arranged by a window overlooking a balcony with a scenic outdoor view at sunset.

Two curved, modern apartment buildings with balconies rise behind dense greenery under a partly cloudy sky.

Curved, multi-story concrete building with distinctive repeating vertical elements on balconies and leafless trees in the foreground.

A modern, tiered building overlooks a river with leafless trees on the far bank and a cloudy sunset sky in the background.

For more information, visit nicholasgpotts.com.

Photography by Chris Mottalini.

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.





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