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A triceratops horn more than 70 million years old from one of the most recognizable dinosaurs. A saber tooth cat skull dating back 30 million years from the White River Badlands in South Dakota. A wooly mammoth tusk about 20 thousand years old used by Neanderthals to create sculptures.
Or a cave bear skull approximately 20 thousand years old from the Carpathian Mountains in Romania. It is there that cave bears competed with Cro-Magnon human ancestors and Neanderthals for cave resources.
“Personal spaces have always been important,” says Capers McDonald, 53, such as the caves inhabited by these dwellers thousands of years ago. But it is how personal spaces are used or designed that has evolved over time and that continues to inspire us all. The memories ingrained in the crevices of Capers’ collection of fossils fascinate young and old.
Capers is awe inspired that these rare fossils are discovered and kept safe and secure. And that he and his family now have a redesigned home to display and enjoy his collections on a daily basis, along with the glass sculptures and abstract artwork commissioned and treasured by his wife, Marion, 51, and the trophies from swim meets that their son, Adam, 16, has won.
Like It Was Yesterday
It all began in March 2004 when Adam at six-feet tall outgrew his bunk beds and requested a move to another bedroom on the second floor of their contemporary Potomac home. Armed with a design he created on his computer, Adam presented his new room plans to his parents, who have always fostered his creative and scientific mind.
This is when Marion looked to Debbie Wiener of Designing Solutions and her family-friendly design ideas to make Adam’s plan a reality. Adam selected the custom Hardwood Artisans platform bed and entertainment center from catalogs, while also choosing a Jesper desk that rounds one corner of the room to take in the wooded outdoor setting. He chose the thickness of the carpet, but left the color scheme up to his mom and Debbie. Taking a few chances in Adam’s room with varying shades of one tone of paint helped Marion take the leap to the bolder redesign of Adam’s former bedroom or current guest suite, as well as the blue hues in the upper hallway and Marion’s office. “Debbie encouraged me to be bolder … it’s just paint,” Marion says.
Marion and Debbie both approach design with comfort, function and “cleanability” in mind. “Comfort is number one,” says Marion, “comfort that looks good. When I hit 50, I wanted to be comfortable.” Debbie learned the McDonalds’ preferences before suggesting practical ways to reuse some existing furniture as well as what to buy new.
Sea and sand also influenced the overall redesign of the contemporary. “I’ve always loved the water and beaches,” Marion says, and Capers, who grew up along the coast of South Carolina, also enjoyed outdoor adventures as a child, including camping and fishing. “That type of experience as a child stays with you,” Capers adds, and influences his hobbies today.
Each Family Member Plays a Part
Although he doesn’t have much time to relax with more than 20 hours of swimming practice each week, Adam was instrumental in selecting finishes for the areas of the home that are most important to him. He chose Palliser recliners and an American Leather sectional for television viewing in the main floor’s great room, where a custom acrylic frame from Sheridan Designs protects Marion’s treasured Sharon Shepherd “Matters in Dreams” art. Kravet fabrics continue the welcoming hues here and on the lower level, which includes a dance floor, media center and poker table.
Out of the Closets
Marion had her own “archeological dig” last year. It wasn’t one that her husband or son went along with her to the outer reaches of a continent or one that required special gear. In fact, it was one that occurred in the farthest corners of their basement where items stored for years, such as the mirror now in the guest suite, were uncovered and displayed, and collections, rare or sentimental, were taken out of boxes and put on shelves built just for that purpose. “I’m a recovering pack-rat,” Marion jokes.
Getting It Right
There is a lot more to an old map than cartography, says Capers. Maps document history including the military conquests and communications used to entice people to migrate to certain areas by depicting great ships or buildings. Capers views these treasures as not only artwork, but also as conversation pieces to discuss during dinner. Marion provides a “cheat sheet” for guests to help answer questions about the 10 maps that span three centuries on display in this redesigned space. The home was redesigned, not remodeled, Marion adds, by incorporating elegant touches, such as the Geometrix lights by Schonbek shimmering above the dining room table.
Another important component of the redesign is Lutron’s RadioRA home lighting management system, which allows the owners to automatically illuminate the artwork, fossils and maps with the touch of a button. One control can light all areas of the home and are preset to turn on and off at certain times of the day and night. This lighting system, which was installed by Designing Solutions’ electrician Mel Lowe, provides art, function and ambiance zones, Debbie says.
Embracing the Past and Present
“It’s all about sharing times together, building memories together, going through important life moments together and savoring them,” says Debbie. Custom shelving, unique pedestals, and private studies allow each member of the McDonald family a space to call his or her own as well as places to share a lifetime of memories.
The home’s open floor plan and high ceilings give the family the ability to move among the spaces with ease, says Capers. “The house as a structure is fabulous,” he adds, and the treasure troves are now out of the closets and on display. To find what was lost or unknown, especially when it comes to his family’s history, is a bonus of Capers’ collections and a perk of going on archeological digs, if only in the basement. “Men are hunters; women are gatherers,” he jokes.
Adam is “a Heinz 57” of Europe, Capers adds, with his ancestors of British, French and Italian descent and Marion’s Scandinavian and German heritage. “I enjoy the international aspect of discovering the past,” Capers says, and who he gets to meet along the way. “I used to sit in parlors with a lot of lovely little old ladies and gentlemen,” mostly friends or relatives from Charleston and Georgetown, SC, and listen to their stories, he adds with a smile. It’s all about finding what was lost or unknown and passing it down for future generations to enjoy.
For 12 years into 2004, Capers won many awards as president and CEO of BioReliance Corporation, such as the 1996 Leadership in Technology Award from the High Technology Council of Maryland, while Marion, an attorney, practiced labor law for many years. But, says Marion, “I came to the realization that raising a family is the most important job I can ever have.” And creating spaces that map life’s memories big or small continues to evolve in the McDonald household.
