September/October 2025 feature, “Drama for Dinner: A Slice of the Big Apple in North Bethesda,” showcases a bold and sophisticated dining and lounge design crafted by GTM Principal Mark Kaufman, alongside interior designer Dana Schwartz of Dana Schwartz Design. Together, the team brought a touch of Manhattan glamour to a North Bethesda home, balancing rich color, refined detail, and contemporary architecture to create a space that’s as inviting as it is dramatic.

Homeowners Dani and Yotam Yemini, inspired by the moody, elegant energy of New York cocktail lounges, wanted that same atmosphere in their Maryland home. Kaufman’s architectural vision set the stage: a 16-by-34-foot dining and lounge area defined by light oak floors, deep navy walls, and sweeping nine-foot ceilings. The palette—anchored by Phillip Jeffries’ Flight wallpaper on the ceiling and Benjamin Moore’s Evening Sky 833 and Water’s Edge 1635 on the walls—evokes both intimacy and movement, a nod to the couple’s city roots.

“The light oak floors complement the dark hues,” says Kaufman, whose architectural restraint allowed the interior design to take center stage while maintaining architectural balance.

The design layers luxury with livability. A 12-foot Williams Sonoma Home Dietrich dining table and Arhaus Jagger chairs upholstered in navy velvet set the tone for gatherings large and small, while the adjoining bar shimmers in brass, marble, and antiqued mirror, framed by a sweeping arched window that floods the space with natural light.

For the Yeminis, it’s a setting that blends function, mood, and meaning. “It feels like a mini vacation when we are in here,” Dani says. “It’s like being at a fancy hotel or New York City restaurant, in the comfort of home.”

Read the full feature in Bethesda Magazine’s September/October 2025 issue (p.140 in the digital version).