Ned’s Club is challenging Washington DC’s legacy-driven social scene with a new clubhouse mere steps from the White House. The Interior Review toured the space from top to bottom, unexpectedly end up at a live concert and champagne toast. Could this members’ club change how the capital socializes?

Getting In: Ned’s Club Washington, DC

The first impression of the Ned’s Club Washington, DC is mostly vertical. Two 1930s buildings — one Art Deco, one Neoclassical— remain distinct with their respective street-side façades: the soaring concrete reliefs of the Walker Building holding their place against the roof-capping columns of the American Security Bank Building.

Its not until you step inside that you realize the two buildings have been joined into a single composition constituting the all-new Ned’s Club, Washington DC. Seamlessly spanning several floors, this architectural magic trick is the work of Stonehill Taylor, the firm responsible for other sensitive projects such as an adaptation of the Johnston Building into the Ned’s Club Nomad New York and the revival of the century-old Barclay Hotel in Midtown Manhattan (now operating as the InterContinental New York Barclay Hotel).

Walker Building Exterior. Image: Zeph Colombatto/Ned’s Club Washington, DC

Back in Washington DC, on the ground floor of the Walker Building, members and their guests journey into a deeply recessed lobby that is mostly original, with the addition of wallpaper inspired by DC’s cherry blossoms. Heavy velvet curtains protecting a coat check, mosaic floors, and mixed metal accents define the area and set the tone for the club: richly appointed and art-forward. The elevator bank— an inevitability to access the club’s many rooms— becomes a place of exchange. Members and guests share the same ride upward; a momentary pause before the city falls away and a grand house of extraordinary scale, light, and texture unveils itself.

Rooms Inspired by History: Event Spaces Reimagined at Ned’s Club Washington, DC

True for any of the club’s locations (New York, London, Doha, and now Washington DC), Ned’s Club has been deeply committed to elevating history and context, which made Stonehill Taylor an ideal collaborator. On the ninth floor, meeting and event rooms retain the names of their former occupants, Walker, York, Sawyer, Riggs, but the interiors are resolutely Ned’s.

Walker Salon at Ned’s Club Washington, DC. Image: Frank Francis/Ned’s Club Washington, DC.

The Sawyer Room frames double-aspect views of Pennsylvania Avenue and the White House, its design inspired by the greenery of the National Mall and features work by Colleen Herman and Victor Ekpuk. Capacious in size, velvet Roman blinds and Murano wall sconces offer a Romantic influence.

The Riggs Room overlooks the building’s namesake bank, a reminder of Washington’s restrained grandeur. The Lincoln Foyer, recalling the essential Washingtonian and presidential theme, connects these event rooms. The foyer’s proportions and light lends itself as easily to daytime conferences as to cocktail hours.

View of Ned’s Club Washington, DC From the Street. Image: Stonehill Taylor.

More evidence of Stonehill Taylor’s architectural ingenuity lies in the structural changes that led to several narrowed “ghost floors” which enabled designers to toy with volume in principle rooms. Moving through Ned’s Club, you’ll discover mezzanines, barrel ceilings, double height rooms, and other delights that remove any remaining sense of rigidity in the club. The best demonstration of this is the Walker Salon, a cascading ballroom in the most tradition format, situated with views of the National Mall. Bespoke paneling and intricate hand-painted ceiling add a degree of artistic drama.

The First 47 and Local Talent: Art That Reframes Power

The Sawyer Room at Ned’s Club Washington, DC. Image: Frank Francis/Ned’s Club Washington, DC.

Art is a constant presence at Ned’s Club Washington, DC. The club eschews the usual portraits of past club administrations and predictable scenes of heritage, and instead opts for bold and challenging works by progressive artists such as Jenny Holzer, Catherine Opie, and Marilyn Minter. From ballrooms to bathrooms, hallways to restaurants, the art is real, unexpected, and often local.

The York Room at Ned’s Club Washington, DC. Image: Frank Francis/Ned’s Club Washington, DC.

Further tapping into its presidential proximity, the collection at Ned’s Club Washington, DC is defined by a curatorial concept known as “The First 47”: a collection of works by forty-seven female artists, formed as pointed response to the count of male U.S. Presidents (hint: all of them, so far). Each work is labeled and integrated into its setting, so the art feels essential to the environment rather than appended to it. QR codes offer more in the form of a guided tour by the curator Kate Bryan.

Upstairs, the club spreads out across two more floors. The Library Bar, borrowing inspiration from the striped walls of the Obama-era White House, works in two registers— a quiet workspace by day, and a sprawling Champagne bar by night. Its buzzy and busy, but not crowded. Odds of a chance encounter are high.

The Library at Ned’s Club Washington, DC. Image: Frank Francis/Ned’s Club Washington, DC.

A physical airiness is achieved by halving the picture line and applying wood panelling and built-ins along the sight line. A tapestry by Malaika Temba hangs above a fireplace, depicting a woman in partial repose, appearing as if the portrait was staged in this very room.

The Drawing Room at Ned’s Club Washington, Dc. Image: Frank Francis/Ned’s Club Washington, DC.

The Drawing Room is a key space in the club, where member events like live music and discussions often take place. Ned's Club provides a piano and drum set for musicians, and the stage is framed by a view toward the Washington Monument. Small bites can be taken here.

The Gallery at Ned’s Club Washington, DC. iMAGE: Frank Francis/Ned’s Club Washington, DC.

The Gallery is one of the larger dining spaces at Ned’s Club, serving an Italian-American menu and walls dominated by a continuous body of work by Patricia Cronin, all of which are framed in dark wood paneling under a cove ceiling with a trellis-like coffering. The Gallery’s Conservatory is a popular place to take breakfast meetings and long brunches.

Monuments in Sight, Midcentury in Spirit

Kaia at Ned’s Club Washington, DC. Image: Frank Francis/Ned’s Club Washington, DC.

All of these areas are a natural prelude to the rooftop’s Kaia, a breezy escape where modern Asian dishes are served indoors (under a colorful work by the DC-based Rose Jaffe) and outside on an expansive rooftop with views from the Treasury through to the the Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial. Its a view that feels startlingly immediate and unreal at first— it’s a view that has been long reserved for postcards and the movies. Its disorienting to see such an iconic scene from this exact perspective. At night, the view comes alive in an even more breathtaking manner, with illumination of the monuments adding a degree of depth and, I dare say, romanticism.

Founder’s Dining Room. Image: Frank Francis/Ned’s Club Washington, DC.

The Founder’s Dining Room amplifies the intensity of this view by shifting it into a narrow horizontal strip of windows with a 16:9 aspect ratio. There is a midcentury, yacht-like quality to the space thanks to the low, semi-glossing ceiling with inch-deep ceiling recessions and the full beam wall of windows. As if moored between the Washington Monument and the White House lawn, the city becomes oddly precious and far away; you genuinely feel on top of it.

The Bar in the Founder’s Dining Room at Ned’s Club Washington, DC. Image: Frank Francis/Ned’s Club Washington, DC.

Along with off-white table cloths, gold-tinged napkin rings, stained glass inserts, and Tiffany lamps at the bar, this room also features an unexpected art collection, including a fascinating paring of a Sadie Barnette mixed media work with a Judy Chicago photograph, bring the whole space back to a more modern era.

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Membership Designed for Impact and Inspiration

Rooftop Terrace at Ned’s Club Washington, DC. Image: Ned’s Club Washington, DC/iNSTAGRAM.

If the interior design hasn’t already made the case, Ned’s Club is unlike almost any other Washington DC social club. The Ned’s bold soul may be an adjustment to those who work in DC day-to-day, where fluorescent lights, white walls, and windowless offices come standard.

The member list is not built on lineage or proximity to power, which automatically resets the bar for eligibility and viability. The usual tools of access— a résumé clogged with recognizable brands and a contact list full of important people— don’t have as much influence here. The Ned’s Club member list is built on intentionality. A twenty-person committee drawn from varied sectors curates membership, seeking contributors rather than wallets.

“It’s not just that someone can afford it,” says Joiwind Ronen, executive director of membership and programming. “It is about what they will bring to the club.” Annual membership runs $5,000 to join and renew, or $125,000 and $25,000 yearly for a founding membership.

Applications continue to roll in and there is a strong waitlist, but certain individuals have priority: “We gift memberships to the local artists who have work on display in the club. They are part of this community just as much as anyone else.”

What’s included in a Ned’s Club Membership?
Ned’s Club members get access to all Club spaces globally (New York, London, Doha, and Washington DC), plus access to an endless calendar of member events, exclusive perks such as hotel access, and more.

Rewriting Washington DC’s Social Playbook

Ned’s Club members gather to watch the big game live from the Club alongside a Q&A with former players. Image: Ned’s Club Washington, DC/Instagram.

The culture at Ned’s Club is reinforced by quiet pacts, a regular calendar of events, and a rich sense of serendipity. Every member and guest receives a sticker to cover their phone lens— part privacy, part habit-breaking. Ronen calls it “a boon for socializing.” Without the reflex to capture, members stay in conversation. There is no dress code, but the space asks for a kind of self-awareness. Laptops are not permitted in most rooms, and by 5:00PM, they must be put away altogether.

But by most evenings, any remaining formality or work talk melts away. The Library, a popular place to take informal meetings, shifts into a subdued bar and a sense of serendipity shifts into a higher gear. The restaurant spaces fill up. Weekend brunching on the terrace goes deep into the afternoon. Curious members might sit in for a live jazz band or talk on contemporary art, depending on the day and the calendar. The club has intentionally minimized the need for reservations or planning, making “dropping in” a realistic and common scenario.

That sense of serendipity is also thanks to Ronen herself, who I observed to be less of a gatekeeper and more of a social architect. Seeing her at work is mesmerizing: she moves through the club like a hostess of another century. She seems to know every member by name and every painting by provenance and every event on the horizon. She remembers where you were sitting last time and who you spoke to. Her work is not administration, it is orchestration. Serendipity and diversity is the point, and in her hands it feels effortless. Her supporting team is gifted in similar ways, clearly motivated in making the membership feel deeply personal.

The Ned’s Washington DC Celebrates a City

The Mubadala Citi DC Open Party Hosted at Ned's Club Washington, DC. Image: Chris Bryan PhotographY/THE Mubadala Citi DC Open Party

During our tour, the club was preparing to host a massive event: the opening night celebration for the Mubadala Citi DC Open. It was the perfect chance to see the club in action and Ronen graciously extended an invitation to attend. Guests streamed in, including the likes of Frances Tiafoe, Jessica Pegula, Andrey Rublev, Lorenzo Musetti, Maria Sakkari, and many more. The crowd was loose and fun— it was hard to find anyone in a full suit. Of course, members were invited to indulge in the festivities, including sampling a wall of cupcakes, enjoying passed snacks, bespoke cocktails and conversation. Instead of endless work talk, I had a chance to learn about a fascinating edge of DC motivated by hobbies and passions, not just work and politics.

Late into the night, a rumor circulated that musician Wale would perform. And eventually, like a movie with a happy finale, the DC native indeed closed the night with a live performance in front of a buoyant crowd. Bathed in green lights, Wale gave an unexpectedly soulful take on “No Hands” as the Washington Monument beamed proudly over his shoulder. The atmosphere, the energy, and the focus was remarkable. Then I resolved: Washington DC has always been this way, only Ned’s Club might be the first social club to actually recognize it.