The term bachelor pad often evokes images of fraternity house furniture or black leather sofas and lacquered accessories. But one Rosslyn bachelor hired an interior designer to transform his four-level townhouse from frat-boy minimalism into stylishly modern.

“When I walked into his place, he had no furniture, just a flat-screen TV,” said Paola McDonald, of Creative Elegance Interiors.  “He knew he loved mid-century modern style furniture.  Other than that, he let me go at it.”

“I had been renting for five years and thought it would be great to live like a grown up,” he said.

McDonald instructed contractors to remove the traditional molding, banister and stair rails that came standard with the house.  She replaced them with sleek stainless-steel and oak railing  and metal cabling.

The walls, painted in charcoal, slate and bluish-gray, make a perfect backdrop for stunning mid-century modern wood furniture.  The owner selected mid-century modern furniture because he loves the “1960s Tomorrowland view of the future.”

The living room features a pair of saffron-colored armchairs from BoConcept which flank a deep grey micro-suede sofa.  A chrome floor lamp looms over the furniture. 

The Formica-topped kitchen table is a throwback to a bygone era and has sentimental value for the owner.  “My grandmother had a table just like this,” the owner said. “My brother has the real one, so I had to go out and find this one.”

Sea-blue acrylic serves as the face of most of the interior doors throughout the house.  This allows in light, yet maintains privacy.

The master bedroom is anchored by a stunning custom-designed platform bed.  Built from solid walnut, the wall-sized headboard contains built-in nooks for books.  The wood was so heavy that the carpenter had to build the bed and the headboard on site, in the bedroom. 

McDonald converted the mezzanine in the master bedroom into a private library. “A lot of homes have that vaulted ceiling, and most people just put flowers or art up there.  By making the space useful, you add square footage to your house,” McDonald said.

A custom-designed wood and stainless steel ladder is attached to the wall, allowing the owner to access the mezzanine tree-house style.   Hanging in the mezzanine are a collection of framed baseball pennants; preserving a hint of boyhood in these grown-up digs.