HOME LIFE Real Estate News and Open House I Inside Homes and My Washington
&EGLIPSV 'LMG Nightclub guru Peter Kalamoutsos is redfining the term “bachelor pad� at his Adams Morgan penthouse loft. BY AUBREY ALMANZA PHOTOGRAPHS BY TONY BROWN
HOME LIFE | INSIDE HOMES
ot many people can say they received housewarming gifts from some of the biggest names in the music industry. However, such is the norm for Washington nightclub owner Pete Kalamoutsos. Having a personal relationship with many performers, his loft not only features their gifts, but often the artists themselves. Whether it’s watching sports, playing poker or enjoying barbeque on the rooftop, Kalamoutsos has created the ultimate hosting space for guests who want a comfortable escape in a prime location. Finding the right property was a year-and-a-halflong journeyy with frustrating results. In fact, Kalamoutsos originally disliked the loft he now calls home. “It was all brown, there were cherry-red cabinets and a wall that killed the vibe of the room. I wasn’t feeling it,” he says. But his agent, Andy Pierce from Compass, called two days later and asked him to take a second look.“We can make it the way you want,” Pierce told him, “and negotiate to get the wall knocked down.” Kalamoutsos was soon convinced of the property’s potential, and in August 2014 he purchased a corner loft on the building’s penthouse floor. Over a period of three weeks, Kalamoutsos projectmanaged the loft’s renovations. Although he considers his interior taste to be “modern, clean and subtle,” bespoke might be a more suitable description, as he carefully considered and handpicked every item in the loft to suit his style. In addition to removing a wall to create a more open floor plan, Kalamoutsos installed grey hardwood floors, new carpeting in both bedrooms, new window treatments — and this was just the beginning. He swapped in white cabinets, changed all of the wall colors, added quartz countertops and a blacktiled backsplash to the kitchen. He also ordered a custom closet, Banksy artwork and stainless steel appliances. European designers such as Bonaldo, Driade and Philippe Starck were his go-tos. Lighting proved to be the biggest overhaul project
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OPENING PAGE: The “Caadre” mirror by Philippe Starck is one of the first things you see when you enter the loft and it adds a jaw-dropping effect in addition to making the loft look bigger. PREVIOUS PAGE (clockwise from top left): The “Squaring” bed by Bonaldo in the master bedroom plays with volume, modern geometric shapes and ulpholestery; Kalamoutsos asked his mother to help choose the backsplash tile in his kitchen; Pete Kalamoutsos, partner at Echostage, Soundcheck, Barcode and Ultrabar, in his 2,400-squarefoot two-bedroom, two-bathroom Adams Morgan penthouse loft; The guest bedroom has great natural light and the Parvez canvas art brings out the silvery grey of the wallpaper THIS PAGE (clockwise from top left): The Lacoon Island sofa by Jai Jalan is Kalamoutsos’ favorite furnishing — its soft, gray leather pairs perfectly with a Philippe Starck mirrored coffee table; The Nemo by Driade swivel chairs on the patio and the Bonaldo table in the dining room were housewarming gifts from D.J. Tiësto; Much of the artwork was found on Gilt.com including the Oliver Gal fashion football painting in the bedroom; Three different rugs make up the “X Collection” by Henzel in the living room and the owner’s favorite has a face with glasses that looks like Skrillex, one of his favorite musicians.
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for Kalamoutsos. “The [dining room] chandelier, Schon lighting in the hallway and recessed chandelier in the family room all match,” Kalamoutsos says. “I already had LED recess lighting in the ceiling, so I didn’t need light fixtures to light up my room, but rather something that was more aesthetically pleasing. I worked with Alexandria Lighting on all of the lighting from the master bedroom fan to the track lighting in the kitchen.” Even though every interior detail of the loft is exactly what Kalamutsos wanted, his favorite part of the property is his rooftop, equipped with patio furniture, a weather-proof flat screen TV and a grill for barbequing, which he does regularly.With a Southern-facing view of the National Mall, it’s the perfect place to host events throughout the year, as he did with over 100 people on the Fourth of July. Although Kalamoutsos is now the owner of successful local nightclubs Echostage, Soundcheck, Ultra Bar and Bar-Code, he began his career as a deejay and is a natural entertainer. Thus, when looking for a place to live, he factored in the needs of his guests and approached decorating his personal space as he would any business venue. “I wanted to have a patio, whether it be ground-level or rooftop,” Kalamoutsos says. “Having a place where I could entertain and have people over was my number one requirement. I work so much that I want to come home and enjoy it, not just have a place to sleep before I had to go out again.” When asked about hosting high-profile guests, Kalamoutsos shrugs and answers modestly, “A lot of artists come here because they’re good friends. These guys travel so much that they’d rather have a nice, home-cooked meal before the gig to talk and catch up, rather than going to a restaurant where people will want pictures,” Kalamoutsos says. Though few will have professional athletes and musicians to entertain regularly, Kalamoutsos offers valuable advice to all fellow hosts. His entertaining secrets? Wine and music. “I have Sonos in every room of the house,” Kalamoutsos says. “To me, it’s important to have cool background music even if I’m just getting dressed. It’s my life.”
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