Joe and Anne Andrews have transformed their recently refurbished contemporary home in Bethesda, Md., into a hub where they host what they refer to as high-energy gatherings called salons. Their aim is to create policy-focused networking chances that could boost involvement with topics such as climate change and the arts.

There are many individuals with valuable insights who do not frequently communicate with one another,” notes Anne, 69, an environmental lawyer who served as President Obama’s ambassador to Costa Rica from 2010 to 2013. “We believe there is significant merit in fostering connections among people. To this end, we’ve actively worked towards making such gatherings occur at our residence.

Joe, who is 65 years old, served as the chairperson of the Democratic National Committee between 1999 and 2001. Currently, he is a partner at Dentons, an international law firm that he co-founded. Joe expresses his optimism regarding these gatherings aimed at finding resolutions for various issues. “We aim to resolve these matters,” he states confidently.


Fixing up properties is how the pair tackle their residences, starting with their initial Midcentury Modern purchase in Indianapolis back in 1995 and extending to their present homes across multiple locations including Telluride, Colorado; WaterColor, Florida—where Joe frequently stays—and Bethesda. They typically acquire contemporary designs created by renowned architects and then collaborate with regional designers for renovations. Joe calls this practice “amending architectural masterworks.”

“He states that a modification doesn’t necessarily spoil a design; instead, it might improve it.”

Currently, the Bethesda residence serves as their primary base as a duo. This 10,000-square-foot, five-bedroom sanctuary crafted from glass and steel by renowned contemporary designer Robert Gurney in 2007 stood vacant until the pair stumbled upon it during an open-house event nearby. Acquiring it for $3.5 million back in 2013, they collaborated with Gurney over roughly four years—finishing renovations worth around $4 million—and moved into the property in 2015. Three years later, in 2018, they engaged Chris Tucker, who heads Alexandria-based studio MODE4 Architecture, overseeing yet another extensive overhaul costing nearly $3 million which spanned approximately three more years. The project revamped most areas within the dwelling and incorporated additional space.

Tucker was intimately familiar with the house; it appears on the cover of Robert M. Gurney’s book titled “Robert M. Gurney: Architect.” Many residents of Washington can easily spot this structure when they drive beneath it along MacArthur Boulevard, which connects Maryland to the city center. Tucker created diagrams of the current layout to understand its fundamentals before adjusting them to better match the Andrew family’s way of life, aiming to make the space cozier and more inviting according to his description.

A key element was creating space for entertaining different-sized groups of people. They can now hold events seating six people around their living room table, eight people around the kitchen table, 14 people in the dining room (at a 14½-foot table), 24 people in the two-story library (where there are two writing tables) or 48 people in the rec room. In the rec room, a pool table, ping-pong table and foosball table can all be converted for dining use. When the weather cooperates, they can open up the living room to the patio and pool in back and on the other side to the moss garden in front, accommodating over 100.

The refurbishment transformed an old garage into a dining area, establishing a communal zone distinct yet connected to the main residence. Additionally, they developed a “rancho,” inspired by the open-sided pavilions typical in Costa Rica. This rancho serves dual purposes: it acts as both a carport featuring rotating wood panels which can be opened to link with the surrounding moss garden, making it suitable for hosting gatherings too.


The couple recently hosted a dinner for a Colorado-based climate and energy think tank searching for bipartisan solutions to the energy transition. The event included remarks from Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina, and Sen. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat from Colorado. They also held a launch party for a new report on AI and climate mitigation with leaders from the Bezos Earth Fund, Google and the Energy Department, and hosted an event honoring women in the arts for the Hirshhorn Museum.

The Andrews knew the space could be reimagined to better suit the role they see for themselves as the hosts and facilitators of a broader discourse. The main room, now open on both sides to the exterior, was created by taking down the walls in a space that was three separate rooms. They put in a hallway to the kitchen for catering access. The Andrews redid the swimming pool, which had slid down the side of the hill in an earthquake in 2011. Anne created an elevated garden modeled after the High Line in Manhattan and a stormwater system that feeds the gardens.



Joe frequently undertook minor endeavors with the aim of enhancing the Fort Wayne, Indiana residence he frequented during his teens—the Hanselmann House, crafted by renowned architect Michael Graves, a former classmate of his stepfather. Following his graduation from Yale Law School, he relocated to his native state.

Anne, who grew up in Evansville, Ind., gravitated more toward art, then went to law school at Indiana University. But she says she also always wanted to “save the world,” which is what drew her to clean energy and climate law and later to politics. She is currently on the board of the NewDEAL, a network of progressive state and local elected leaders.

It was Joe’s creativity that attracted Anne. The first house she saw of his was a rental. He built the furniture and designed the interior himself. One touch was placing bowling balls in the nonworking fireplaces. “I thought if he can make something beautiful out of plastic and Formica, he will do something great,” says Anne.

At their current home in Bethesda, they turned what was a koi pond into a courtyard of multicolored bowling balls on top of stones under a glass bridge in the outdoor space separating the living area from the kitchen. “In every room we like to have something old, something new and something whimsical,” says Joe.


When Anne became the ambassador to Costa Rica, she personally funded a renovation of the 1970s-style residence, filling it with her own Midcentury Modern pieces. She utilized this home as an exhibit of American design aesthetics during formal gatherings.

In 2020, they purchased a sprawling getaway with over 6,500 square feet spread across 11 acres in Telluride for approximately $5 million. This distinctive property features an eye-catching design with a copper roof shaped like a barn; it was crafted by Trevor Abramson, who founded Abramson Architects.

They initially intended to carry out a minor kitchen renovation. However, upon discovering nearly a thousand deceased mice within the walls, their plans evolved dramatically. Five years later, the project has expanded into an extensive full-house remodeling and extension effort, with Tucker taking charge of supervision as well.

In Bethesda, the events will go on. “Our home serves as a means of bringing individuals together,” states Anne.

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Nancy.Keates@wsj.com