Ned's Club revives a historic corner of DC

The former Walker and American Security Bank Buildings sit on prime Washington real estate, tucked into the elegant border of the President’s Park and surrounded by Smithsonian galleries. Now, just in time for the latest management change on Pennsylvania Ave, Ned’s Club private members’ meeting house has opened on floors 9-12, designed by Soho House Design in collaboration with New York practice Stonehill Taylor.

The designer studios have unified the two buildings, reviving the early 20th-century architecture and filling them with a Roaring Twenties attitude — an emporium-sized restaurant in which to swan, a Tiffany lamp-lit bar in which to gossip, intimate corners for deal-making and libraries and lounges available for private rental.

As at the Ned, its sister property in London, there are spaces for every eventuality, swathed in custom de Gournay handpainted wallpaper and custom mosaic floors or painted with De Stijl-inspired patterns from the early days of Modernism. Unlike in London, details are specific to this historic location and its colourful denizens.

Photography: Frank Frances

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For instance, the member’s library serves as a workspace by day and a lively bar by night. It is styled after the Obama White House with vintage mantels and striped wallcoverings. Murals in the Parlor recall the Kennedy-era dining room designed by Sister Parish. And, of course, the views are key. The main restaurant and lounge look out onto the Washington Monument; the Founders Dining Room has unobstructed views of the White House. Meanwhile, the rooftop bar has panoramic views over both.

Rooms have art deco-era stained glass, dark wood panelling and a ceiling inspired by the White House solarium. Among the fronds in the conservatory, you could imagine Lady Bird Johnson or Rosalynn Carter taking tea.

Take a peek inside the exclusive haunt.