Dolly Howarth considers function at all stages of design, although the elegant aesthetic of her designs defy this practical approach. “I enjoy creating original modern interior spaces using simple, interesting elements relevant to a design concept,” Howarth says. “I strive to keep function and form in equilibrium and allow my clients’ personalities to shine throughout their homes. The end result, regardless of the formality of a room, has sophistication and charm without visual noise.”
Howarth’s aesthetic appealed to Denise Kalten when she saw Howarth’s work at the 2005 Fall NSO Show House. “I particularly liked the way she mixed contemporary with vintage elements,” Kalten says. This was especially important to Kalten when she moved from a traditional townhome in Arlington, VA, into a new Arts and Crafts-inspired home, also located in Arlington. “I wanted more of a transitional look,” says the homeowner, who had begun replacing out-of-scale pieces before she met Howarth. “However, my formal dining set, a traditional Henkel Harris, was a wedding present from my parents and it happened to fit the dining room perfectly,” she adds. It was going to stay. “So we couldn’t go too modern or casual in the front of the house.”
“The juxtaposition of old and new can be fun and fresh,” says Howarth, principal of Howarth Designs LLC. The designer first approached the home’s Arts and Crafts exterior and educated Kalten on the evolution of art deco from the Arts and Crafts style. “Art deco presented a more streamlined, modern, glamorous look that reflects Denise’s personality and the Kaltens’ lifestyle,” Howarth says. “The result is an uncomplicated, sophisticated, modern home that brings together carefully chosen simple elements that reflect the design concept.”
Streamlined and Striped
Howarth discusses design history and design concepts with her clients so they can maintain the original ideas throughout the years. “I believe it is important for them to feel connected to their homes once my work is finished,” Howarth says.
“When I showed Dolly several pictures of rooms and furniture I liked, she categorized my taste as art deco and mid-century,” Kalten says. “I prefer clean lines and geometric style. She helped me incorporate these elements into the rest of the house.”
Howarth also noted Kalten’s evolving art collection. “My favorite piece is Angels Glow in the Dark by Alexandra Nechita,” Kalten says. “When I first bought the painting, the style didn’t fit with any of my furnishings but I was drawn to it.” Now, it goes perfectly with the home’s transitional style and hangs in the hallway.
“One of the first things I want to know is a client’s tolerance for color,” Howarth says. Kalten liked bright and rich colors, including some with gray undertones as seen in the living room. Howarth played with stripes horizontally and vertically, such as with the flat and high gloss red stripes in the dining room and the multicolored stripes in the lower level’s adult corner off the playroom.
“We wanted the entire basement area to be multifunctional,” Kalten adds. Most of the space is dedicated to the children, but there is still plenty of space for large adult parties. “Dolly suggested brightly colored stripes. They are gender neutral and sophisticated enough that the room can grow with the kids yet still be used for adult entertaining,” the homeowner adds.
“The creative process for me involves mentally solving a complex equation for a design solution,” Howarth says. Then she works with the homeowners to arrive at the best possible design for their lifestyle. In the Kalten home, the designer chose bold colors on the main floor to be somewhat consistent with the warm Arts and Crafts feel and to bring large spaces together. “The use of color was very important in bridging the gap to art deco,” Howarth adds.
Soft, Subtle Glamour
Howarth mixed metals, including chrome, silver leaf, pewter, and antique brass in the living and dining rooms and brought some of those elements into the Hollywood-inspired owners’ bedroom. Her designs are also inherently based on geometry. “If you think of a classic Kandinsky painting, you think of balance of lines, shapes, and colors that is not necessarily intuitive, but it feels right. That’s the way I like to think about a room,” she says. As far as color combinations, “I prefer to create unexpected ones dictated by a room’s architecture, lighting, function, and a client’s color preferences.”
“My favorite space is my bedroom,” Kalten says. “It’s very glamorous and old Hollywood. It’s a space that’s truly my own.”
The bedroom includes many carefully chosen pieces and has the same level of sophistication as the living and dining rooms. “The color palette is more subdued and restful, and relies heavily on the same mix of metallic tones, even on the ceiling,” Howarth says. The faux finish on the ceiling is by Designs by Lisa Marie.
The striped silk/satin blue, gold, and white drapery and pillow fabrics inspired much of the bedroom’s design. Plus, Tamara De Lempicka’s art deco painting in the sitting area showcases how to combine old style glamour with modern design. Vintage pieces can also be used in just about any decor, Howarth says, and often should be modified for practicality. “They add charm and break up the monotony of a room containing all new pieces.”
Fined-tuned Finishes
Downstairs, Howarth used fairly neutral wall colors, a deep chocolate on the columns, and bright stripes to balance the spaces and add a bit of whimsy. The main hallway leads to the media room, a large play area with a sofa, and a game room.
To Kalten, the theatre is like a work of art, starting with the two-toned chairs by Elite HTS. Howarth designed the table to maximize space and finished it in stainless steel for durability. Labrador Antique granite blends with the color scheme and echoes the blue inset wall panels and the peacock blue accents found upstairs.
“At one point, I realized the art deco influence, the artistic value in the new colors and furnishings, as well as the art itself had taken over the home,” Howarth says. “There was no ‘craft’ about it. The Kaltens’ home is more arts than crafts.”
