Husband and wife Michael Murray and Sandra Stuart previously lived in a penthouse in Penn Quarter in Washington, DC. When they sold it, the buyer bought it furnished, so they had to start from scratch when furnishing their striking four-story townhome that overlooks the Potomac in Old Town Alexandria. They selected Interior Designer Lisa Bartolomei of Bartolomei & Company, who found distinctive pieces in New York, Paris, Venice, London, and Washington, DC for the riverfront home.
“Since Mike liked traditional design and Sandi was more contemporary, I created an environment that respected traditional materials,” Bartolomei explains. She used fine woods, as well as silks and woolens, and kept the lines classic. “I drew on French modern designs from the ’30s and ’40s with more contemporary upholstery and art,” Bartolomei says. Her deft use of subtle neutrals, tactile textures, and refined small patterns lends a timeless aura to the interiors.
“Lisa introduced me to a whole different level of design,” Stuart, a partner at the high-powered lobbying firm Clark & Weinstock, says. “She helped with every detail, even picking out towels. Because my profession is so demanding, I fi nd this is a great escape.”
Stuart adores the sophisticated and urbane look Bartolomei created. “It makes you feel good that it’s your home. You may not have conceived of it originally, but you were led to it,” Stuart says. As she and Bartolomei collaborated on the design of the townhouse, which is in Ford’s Landing, Stuart underscored that comfort was critical. “Mike and I don’t want a house where you’re afraid to sit down. ... You go into a lot of homes where the living room and dining room are never used. We want everybody to feel as comfortable in our home as we do,” she says. Murray, president of Murray, Montgomery and O’Donnell, and counsel to the C-2 Group, adds, “We entertain a lot, so we really use it.”
Custom Furnishings
Even their dog, Popcorn, a Pointing Lab, likes the furniture, which includes custom pieces Bartolomei designed as well as Dessin Fournir models. “Every chair has been Popcorn-tested. She’s enjoyed every one,” Stuart says with a laugh.
The soigné living/dining area sets the mood for the tony townhouse. The balcony from the living room provides a view of the US Capitol up-river and the nearby Woodrow Wilson Bridge down-river. Bartolomei designed the chocolate mohair tuxedo sofa and accented it with luxurious bronze velvet and smoky gray chiffon pillows. She also designed the Macassar ebony coffee table, which she dubbed “Jazz Legs,” because the carved, curved legs look like they’re dancing, and a strong, clean-lined mantle crowned with an abstract by Max Gimblett. Two sleek bergères and a wing chair, all by Dessin Fournir, a Venetian footstool from Pollack & Associates, and a Tufenkian area rug complete the exquisite living area that segues into the dining area.
Understated Chandelier
Since Stuart prefers simple chandeliers, Bartolomei sought a clean-lined model. She found the epitome of a “non-chandelier chandelier,” which Stuart had requested, when she discovered a streamlined French beauty by Sabino at the Jean Karajian Gallery in New York. The chandelier highlights the round mahogany dining table and eight chairs by Dessin Fournir. Bronze sconces by Augustini that Bartolomei found in London, glass pods she found in Venice, plus a 24-karat gold leaf frame with an antiqued mirror she custom designed accent the buffet, which is stained mahogany with faux parchment and nickel knobs.
Suite Dreams
Upstairs, Bartolomei faced a challenge in the owners’ bedroom, which has a dramatic slanted ceiling in half of the room and is 18’ at the highest point. “When you walked in before, it felt like all of a sudden you were thrown into this open space. The doors looked really short,” says the designer, who added headers above the doors to create the illusion of lengthening them. Bartolomei also added crown molding and paneling around the room to create the illusion of lowering the ceiling. And she added two built-in bookcases flanking the fireplace and a mantle and mirror above it. Once Bartolomei had brought a more human dimension to the scale of the bedroom, she created a sumptuous bed with champagne silk linens and a smoky blue silk custom duvet cover by Ann Gish.
“This is my favorite room,” Stuart says. “It is just the most comfortable room, it’s a place where you totally relax.”
Bartolomei gave the guest room the same kind of sybaritic feel, lush with Gish bedding and interesting textures. The couple converted one bedroom into a walk-in closet for Murray that even houses his exercise equipment complete with a view of the Potomac. They converted a fourth bedroom into his home office.
River Song
Bartolomei filled the family room with a warm mix of taupe and beige tones and wonderful textures ranging from linen draperies, jacquard upholstery, and a mohair throw, to a woven reed-like wallcovering. The family room leads to a large terrace right over the Potomac where the gentle sound of water lapping is tranquilizing. The couple enjoy their perch immensely. Stuart says, “I love it because it’s a working river. You see barges, tugboats, sailboats, even the tour boats going to Mt. Vernon. You feel like you’re on a cruise ship.”
