“I was hoping for a 1970s-retro comeback that wasn’t derivative, cartoony, or shallow,” says the owner of a gut-renovated high-floor unit in DC’s landmark Watergate complex. That nuanced design brief is ultimately what led her to #ADPRODirectory architect and designer Nicholas Potts (nicholasgpotts), whose interiors often celebrate an abundance of warm wood, metal, and stone. His innovative approach to harnessing angles, curves, and light was an added plus in a late-1960s modern-monument-style building with low ceilings, a convex façade, and sunset views of the Potomac River. Achieving the desired result, though, required more than a touch of geometric magic. See inside a Watergate Complex aerie at the link in our bio. Photography by chrismottalini; design by nicholasgpotts; styled by tessawatson; words by davidfoxley