Washington Spaces blog

I met Eric Henderson last weekend at the Aspen Institute’s Socrates Society, and while the rest of us were snapping pictures of each other with our digital cameras, he was using a 1950 Brownie Hawkeye camera. And by the looks of his work, there’s something to be said for the low-tech method.

Louvre Rain and Shine

By day, Henderson is the communications director for Living Cities, a collaborative of 21 of the world’s largest foundations and financial institutions. But he’s developed a side business as a fine art photographer, and he’s been commissioned by the likes of the World Bank and Starbucks Corp. You can browse his work right here.

Sic: Ultra Boom was shot in DC.

Designers frequently give us pictures of individual rooms they’ve designed, and we’ll feature those pictures as examples of their work, as we did in my recent story on color in the Spring issue of Washington Spaces.

All photography of this home is by Michael Kress

Fiona Newell Weeks supplied this photo by Michael Kress for that story, so it was really cool to hear recently from Architect Richard Leggin, who designed the whole-house renovation of which that room was a part.

He sent me photos of the rest of this glorious house in Potomac, MD, which he designed around the homeowners’ inspiration from the Louisiana governor’s mansion.

Here’s the Potomac home:

And here’s the governor’s mansion:

I’m still basking in the afterglow of a glittering weekend in Aspen, CO, where my husband and I attended seminars at the Aspen Institute’s Socrates Society.

I knew Aspen would be beautiful, but I had no idea the Aspen Meadows Resort, home to the Aspen Institute, was a near-perfect example of the Bauhaus movement.

Aspen Institute founder Walter Paepcke commissioned Herbert Bayer, a leading Bauhaus artist, to design the 40-acre campus in that architectural tradition.

The buildings were constructed between 1953 and 1973, and they were all positioned to take advantage of the surrounding mountain landscape. There’s a great article about the history of the buildings right here.

It seems to take about 20 years for fashion and design concepts to circle back in style - consider the resurgence of all things ’80s. Sure enough, skinny jeans are everywhere. 

Another ’80s trend making a comeback? Wallpaper murals. Still big, still bold, but thankfully less tacky than in the past. And as local Interior Designer Lori Ludwick of InDesign showcased in her Washington Spaces 2009 Best of Remodeling award-winning design, the right jumbo-sized image can add much-needed depth to a small space. Be sure to check out Ludwick’s design in our Summer issue and read on for more mural ideas.

Lori Ludwick of InDesign had a photo that Elliott Teel took of the Lincoln Memorial converted into wallpaper by myfotowall.com and transformed a small bedroom. Photograph by Gordon Beall.

Guests were all smiles at last night’s soirée to celebrate the Washington Spaces 2009 Best of Interior Design winners. They enjoyed the cozy, intimate atmosphere at Morton’s The Steakhouse in Vienna, VA.

Associate Publisher Heather Heider presents Barbara Billet and Kellie Collins of Billet Collins LLC an award for their winsome, colorful bedroom design. 

“It’s exciting to be recognized and to meet new people in [related industries],” said Interior Designer Sophie Prévost, who with her ColePrévost partner and husband Architect Robert Cole received an award for a sociable overlapping living room solution that gave a young family room to entertain but also some private space.

Senior Editor Jennifer Sergent with Interior Designer Sophie Prévost of ColePrévost

Claude Zein, principal of Boffi Studio DC, Coverings Etc,, and Jesse; Designer Andre Sabbagh and Terry Kees of Tas Interiors; and Tom Wells, CEO of Integrated Media Systems Inc.

The Irish-born New York designer dropped her last name long ago, and with that kind of a distinctive first name, why would you need any other?

I first found out about Clodagh at the Kitchen/Bath Industry Show several years ago, when she designed a kitchen that was so earthy and natural looking, it blew me away. It was such a pleasing space; I didn’t even notice any appliances.

She was one of the first people I had seen to hang a candle-filled chandelier (which she did over the dining table in that stunning kitchen), and of course, now everyone does. Here’s her version:

I was reminded of her lately when I saw she had a new line of indoor-outdoor fabric for Perennials Outdoor Fabrics, which designers say is top of the line when it comes to outdoor fabric.

We generally like to focus on the positive here at Washington Spaces, but I’ve had an itch to say something for a while now about a trend that just won’t die: the sunburst mirror.

I have to confess I never much liked them to begin with. I saw a spread in one of the big design mags years ago hailing the renewal of these oddly commanding ornaments, and I was dubious even then – they’ve since become as ubiquitous in home design as that objectionable Papyrus font is on restaurant menus and street signs. A few versions:

Chefs say there should not be anything on the plate that’s pure garnish, that isn’t edible. I feel similarly about decor – nothing should be pure embellishment, that just feels like affectation – everything in a room should serve a purpose, have personal value, or just be astonishingly lovely, and the best things do all three. These gaudy reproduction pieces, which are neither relics of a bygone era nor functional mirrors, to me represent a sleepy imagination – I’d rather see a framed work of art, a gorgeous sculpture or piece of pottery, or a softer and less emphatic mirror above the mantel or headboard any day.

The Biomorphic Mirror from Baker Furniture and the Vintage Latched Window Mirror from Wisteria

So, dear readers, who’s with me? What would you suggest as a go-to for designers instead?

Furniture is a big investment, but it’s easier to splurge when you get the chance to see how it was made.

This Saturday, Hardwood Artisans will open the doors to its workshop in Woodbridge, VA, for its annual lemonade social. There are tours, lemonade (of course), homemade cookies, and a special kids’ activity tent.

A custom hunt board designed to accommodate 18 wine bottles, made specifically for the lemonade social by one of Hardwood Artisans’ most accomplished craftsmen

When I went there last year, I could barely rip myself away after two hours of seeing huge saws, sanders, lathes, and every other manner of woodworking machinery.

When I think about decorating my kids’ room, Target is my destination. But when I fantasize about decorating my kids’ room? The new Knoll Kids line would be IT.

The pint-sized Barcelona Chair ($3,674) and Stool ($1,737)

I would feel like the coolest parent on my block with this stuff. But, could I justify spending more on a kiddie chair and stool than we did on the grown-up sofa, chair, and rug in our family room?

When writ large across a wall, even the most delicately rendered toiles and blooming botanicals can get to looking, well, repetitive. British textile designer Tracy Kendall would rather cure plain wall space with gorgeous, dense typography, rows of carefully stitched sequins, or a single, striking image of a loose feather.

Stitched Text, Black Sequin Stitch 1, and Open Feather

I first saw Kendall’s papers at play in ColePrévost’s kitchen in The Washington Design Center’s Fall 2006 Design House – a stylized, oversized cutlery set gave the sleek room a lighthearted focal point to draw the eye through.

Photograph by Lydia Cutter

Though Kendall may use the same base idea for many projects, each of her designs is custom tailored to the space it will decorate, like these variations of the cutlery graphic.

Postcard Knife and Cutlery

I love art. I love fashion. And I adore fabric.

Now, after seeing the new floor of the Holly Hunt showroom dedicated entirely to textiles, I love Clarence House.

Fabric is the focus on the new textile floor of the Holly Hunt showroom

Clarence House’s in-house art director Kazumi Yoshida is the creative force behind each fabric design from start to finish. The company is driven by ingenuity and imagination. “It’s influenced by a true artist,” says Kate Lluberes, textile sales associate for Holly Hunt.

Kristie Riccio, national sales manager for Clarence House, echoes the sentiment. “If you can see a brush stroke, it’s probably a Clarence House fabric.”

Instead of following trends in fabric, Yoshida is inspired by great works of art, fashion, and his travels. The origin of each design isn’t obvious at first, but if you look closely, you’ll be able to see through his mind’s eye.

Picasso’s Woman Seated in a Garden influenced this Clarence House “Arboles” fabric.

The sunflowers on this Yves Saint Laurent jacket inspired  the “Minerva” print from Clarence House

Yoshida’s fashion insights range from classic pieces and designers to trends found on the runway today, which is evident in the new floral patterns for Clarence House’s Etro collection.

“I opened up Lucky magazine the other day,” Riccio says, “and, sure enough – flowers.”

But, with Yoshida, it’s not always about fine art and haute couture. Sometimes, it’s just about having fun.

Clarence House’s “Jules et Jim”

“This is just him doing his thing,” says Robert Applebaum, president of Clarence House, referring to Yoshida.

It’s a “thing” that only a true artist can accomplish, don’t you agree?

The digital age has brought a kind of image inflation - the impressions made by photos I see online aren’t as powerful or lasting to me as the faded, yellowing images in old newspapers and albums. There was a time in the recent past when knowing how things looked was privileged information. You couldn’t hop on Flickr to bring up thousands of views of a chapel in Russia – you actually had to be there to know what it looked like, or you had to willfully seek out the photographic record of someone who had been there. Photographs were somewhat exotic and expensive, and deciding which pictures to expose to the world could, in fact, change the world.

Untitled from Los Alamos

It occurred to me this morning while previewing the new William Eggleston retrospective at the Corcoran Gallery of Art (opening to the public on Saturday) that so many things we associate with good old Americana – say, simple, home-cooked food or a newly shined Cadillac – were decided in large part by photographs. Photographs defined our icons and changed our minds, in much the same way television and movies now seem to do. So when Eggleston’s work was presented in the first-ever solo color photography show at the MoMA in 1976, it shook the art world’s core. The exhibit effectively decided that unfussy color photographs counted as high art, and that Eggleston’s trick for seeing evidence of life in the dullest of scenes and the dimmest of corners was an idea for the ages.

Memphis c. 1969-71 and Memphis c. 1969-70

The subject matter – whether a nearly-bare ceiling, a stationary vehicle, or a roadside sign – is always fairly usual, specific to its place and time. The color is rich and real thanks to his dye-transfer method of printing. We see vaguely similar images showing up in our camera cards today and plop them in the virtual garbage can. Eggleston sees these images and is compelled to capture, print, and share them. The shining pins in coiffed hair, the crossed legs of a woman at rest, a tiny black tattoo on a hand – these specifics combine for a world view that feels honest and inclusive, messy and odd in its arrangements but ultimately knowable. 

Untitled from Los Alamos (all)

Untitled from Los Alamos and Untitled from Troubled Waters

It’s art that doesn’t give the slightest whiff of snobbery – as Eggleston says, “I never had favorite pictures or subjects,” rather, an ability to see all things on an equal plane. He doesn’t take ten differently angled frames of the same woman or slice the viewfinder into thirds, he shoots instinctively, passing from place to place, just a kind, careful collector of all the great and small things there are out there to see.

Through Sept. 20.

In a meeting today, we all had a chuckle about our mutual hatred of red dining rooms. Yeah, it’s supposed to get your digestive juices energized, or something like that, but please.

Then I started thinking about other random design ideas that annoy – and scare – me. Here goes:

• “The best and fastest way to revamp your room is to paint it!” Like, duh?
• “You don’t want your room to be too matchy-matchy.” It seems like every designer says this as if everyone else buys from those pre-packaged “room” stores. We know.
• Wallpaper borders. Eww.
• Is it my imagination, or is mauve really coming back? Please, somebody tell me it’s not. 
• “Don’t be afraid of color!” The thing is, unless you’re paying a talented designer to help you, you really should be afraid of some colors. “Don’t try this at home” should be labeled on certain chips in a fan deck.
• Remember how Domino magazine used to have a section that decorated a room using someone’s outfit for inspiration? I saw a guy on the Metro the other day when this idea came to mind – in a bad way: Olive-toned glen plaid trousers, white and royal-blue paisley shirt, maroon tie. I kept seeing it as some nightmare bachelor living room with corresponding window treatments, sofa, and throw pillows. Yikes. 
• My favorite phrase to describe a country-inspired room: “Holly Hobbie gone awry.” (See: Wallpaper borders) 
• I got into this somewhat the other day when I blogged about wine cellars, but I hate anything with a grape-vine theme. Why does everyone who makes wine accessories need murals of vineyards, wine bottles with candles coming out the tops, wine barrels, and grape clusters pictured everywhere? We get it, OK?

So, dear readers, tell me your most annoying design traits – let’s get on a roll…

We’re just putting our annual Art issue to bed over here (look for it in two weeks!) and I’ve been obsessing lately about the various ways and reasons people bring art into their homes. Everyone knows the art market is experiencing, shall we say, a bit of a downturn, but seeing a striking collection of outsider art in a DC home last night reminded me that great art so often comes from unexpected places, and much of it is more affordable than I thought.  

The Well-equipped Woman and What I Like by Margie Smeller

Outsider art goes by many names – art brut, naïve art – and there are disagreements about what defines it. Joyce Muis-Lowery, executive director of Art Enables, an outsider art nonprofit in DC, says “it’s sort of like trying to define poetry. Outsider in the sense that we use it is equivalent to untrained.” Each of the 30 artists working at Art Enables has some kind of disability. They come to the organization to work, as Muis-Lowery says, to participate in a different, more enjoyable form of work than they might otherwise find. “Success in the program is a function of how much [each artist] likes making art,” she says.

Capitol Watchdog by Raul Ghormley

On the Beach by Paul Lewis

What draws people to outsider art is the immediacy of the work and its primitive nature. It’s gestural and uninhibited, in the way an utterance feels more honest than rehearsed speech. Muis-Lowery and local collector Paul Yandura both tell tales of outsider impostors – as interest in outsider work has grown, trained artists have tried to cast themselves as outsiders with varying levels of success. As Yandura says, this only emphasizes that you should be purchasing for the quality of the art, for your response to the work itself. The art is the product, not the fact that it was created by someone with an unusually rich story. In that vein, the staff at Art Enables curates the work, encouraging the artists to finish pieces and choosing those which are strong enough for sale.

Cosmic Green by Charmaine Jones and Center of Energy by Chris Scallhorn

“We don’t teach anything, we don’t want anyone to lose their style,” Muis-Lowery says. “For the artists, it’s about the pleasure of doing something well… We take care of the things around the edges – buying supplies, marketing – that enables them to work.”

The Cowboy by Robin Wheeler and A Chair and Pots by Egbert Evans

For more, check out the online store here. Original artworks average about $125 apiece.

I spotted this wine cellar this morning on the Velvet & Linen blog.

So sophisticated. It reminded me of the cool wine area off the kitchen of a local home owned by a vintner, which won a Best of Kitchen Spaces award last year for Sagatov Associates Inc.

What I love about these spaces is that they are not your typical cellars that go overboard on grapevine and vineyard themes. So I went looking for more non-theme-y wine cellars.