High Style for the Home

Open house lovers, this is going to be your weekend. Gorgeous early-fall weather is predicted for Saturday and Sunday, when the Northern Virginia Custom Builders Council is opening the doors to 36 custom homes in Virginia and Maryland for the 11th Annual Parade of Homes.

Whether you want to take advantage of the down market and look for a deal, or if you’re like me and do it for voyeuristic purposes, your $20 ticket will help raise money for HomeAid Northern Virginia, which builds shelters for homeless children and families.

Here are some of my favorite homes after a quick peek at the Parade of Homes’ online directory: One ticket will get you and your family into all the homes. 


Artisan Builders, McLean, VA
Seeing that Pierre Deux did the interior design is all the excuse I need.

Change is, quite literally, in the air. Temperatures are dropping. At the farmer’s markets, tomatoes are moving aside for Virginia winesaps and acorn squash. On feet, calfskin boots are replacing espadrilles. And online, holiday airfares have already gone through the roof.

With the economy dominating the headlines, people are making some adjustments to their holiday traditions. (I know folks who are actually planning their Thanksgiving dinners a weekend early to cut airfare costs.) It’s a season for gathering and merriment, but perhaps not a stay at the Ritz. So you may want to think about how you’ll put everyone up.

Enter the sleeper sofa. I know what you’re thinking: Chiropractors aren’t cheap. But as downsized dwellings have become de rigueur, so has multitasking furniture. Sleeper sofas have advanced since the thin, sagging mattresses propped up by metal bars.

Natalie sleeper sofa by AU Furniture

AU Furniture by American Leather is an oft-blogged name in sleeper sofas – the mattress is uniform high-density foam in a strong wood frame. AU gets bonus points for having most designs available in six sizes, from cot to king.

HGTV got a plug last night on NBC’s season premiere of “The Office,” when Pam, in New York for three months to take design classes, tells Jim back in Scranton, PA about her evening plans in the big city: staying in to watch HGTV.

I think that was supposed to make Pam look pathetic. But if you’ve ever watched that channel, you know how addictive it is. You start watching it, and all of a sudden, you’ve watched three shows before you even know the first one ended. When I used to work there, I was shocked by how many people wrote in to say how the network had changed their lives. Yes, that’s the language they used.

So, I’m going to take this opportunity to indulge myself once more. I went to the site for the first time in a while, and it looks like the 2009 Dream Home – in Sonoma, CA – is already getting a lot of traffic.

If there ever was a reason to buy pink For the Cure, the likes of Charles and Ray Eames, Eero Saarinen, and Phillipe Starck are giving you one now. Design Within Reach on Monday announced the auction of five classic chairs, with all proceeds going to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation, which raises money for breast cancer research.

The auction is being held on eBay, where the bidding is already active even though it doesn’t close for at least a week. Here’s where it all stands:

Swan Chair, designed by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen, is in the lead with 25 bids so far. The high bidder is offering $2,025, more than double the starting price of $750, but still less than the $3,045 retail price.

The Tulip Stool by Eero Saarinen for Knoll has 16 bidders so far, and the price is at $1,275, way up from the starting $350 price and also over the retail price of $1,014.

The Eames Management Chair also has 16 bidders, with the bid up to $1,875, just shy of the $1,999 retail. Bidding started at $750.

Twelve bids are in place for the Wassily Chair by Marcel Breuer for Knoll, and the current bid of $2,025 has surpassed the $1,824 retail price. Bidding started at $500.

The Heritage Rocker by Phillipe Starck for Emeco is the clear sleeper hit here, with just 10 bids up to $510, still below the $825 retail price, and not much above the starting price of $350.

Of all the dozens of products that have come out to raise money for breast cancer research, these classics are by far the coolest. But in case you want more pink in your home, you can also get KitchenAid appliances such as a toaster or stand mixer. And for an occasional flash of fuchsia, try the Orek vacuum.

OK, maybe I’m going a little overboard with this faux thing, as I realize I just wrote about faux florals a couple weeks ago. But I was doing some catch-up reading of last month’s Metropolitan Home this morning when I saw this gorgeous Hollywood Hills home with the most pristine postage stamp of lawn separating the terrace from the infinity pool and the city down below.

Photographs by John Ellis

It’s fake!! I thought artificial turf existed only in football stadiums and on putt-putt golf courses. Not only is this lawn beautiful, but think about it: no mowing, no watering, and no pets turning it brown when they do their business.

The article quotes outdoor designer Tory Polone, who used SYNLawn – “the most realistic imitation she could find. ‘The homeowners have three dogs, so this was our only hope for keeping it green and lovely,’ Polone says.”

Here are some other residential projects from SYNLawn.

I adore my artificial Christmas tree, which is pre-lit and looks much more dazzling than I could do with the real thing, and I don’t have to water it, and I don’t have to vacuum fallen pine needles every day. I wonder what my husband would think if I asked for fake grass, too? (“Dear Jim,” my editor, Trish Donnally, writes in reply. “Just say NO!”)

There’s a reason car dealers use scantily-dressed women to sell hot cars to wealthy men. It works. And it’s the same reason Napa Home & Garden uses these adorable pooches to sell dog beds to those of us who can resist cute and cuddly pets. 

Have you ever seen a dog ACTUALLY smile at you? “I can always get dogs to smile. I am a dog person!” writes Martyn Fernambucq, director of merchandising and marketing for Napa Home.

I’m not a dog owner, but I’m sold. Too bad these adorable dogs aren’t included.

The Washington Design Center unveiled its Fall 2008 Design House yesterday, allowing members of the press to see the eight rooms that carry the theme of “Casa Couture: Designers in Vogue.” The Design House opens to the public next Friday, Sept. 26, and runs through Dec. 13. Unlike designer show houses that raise money for charity, this tour is free.

Here’s a sneak peek of the rooms and their designers (all photographs by Timothy Bell). 

Entry/Foyer: Yvette Piaggio, Piaggio’s Loft
“European Transitional”

Living Room: Emily Bishop, Emily Bishop Interior Design
“Think Café de Flore meets Studio 54 meets Velvet Lounge”

Family Room: Brad Weesner, Brad Weesner Design
Combines looks from the last century with cutting-edge gaming technology.

Dining Room/Bar: Michelle Pilon, Michelle Pilon Interiors
“Dining Menu: Yesterday – Today – Tomorrow”

Kitchen: Todd Martz, Todd Martz Interiors
Clean style of the cabinets and furniture is warmed by the collection of outsider art.

Bedroom: Michelle Miller, Jenkins Baer Associates,
Natural fabrics such as silk, linen, velvet and wool in tonal shades of gray.

Gentleman’s Retreat: Wayne Breeden, E. Wayne Breeden
Textiles from Kravet and Lee Jofa in shades of moss, cement, putty, ivory, and celery.

Photographer’s Study: Tami Hatch and Pattie Gunter, Gunter-Hatch Design Group
Inspired by runway trends with dressmaker details for world-traveling photographer.

The Lorton prison is getting lots of press today over the opening of its long-planned conversion into the Workhouse Arts Center, borrowing its name from the original Occoquan Workhouse that opened there in 1910.

I grew up in the DC area, and I vividly remember all the terrible stories about that place, which the government ultimately shut down in 2001, so it’s nice to know the structure has a new lease on life. Check out today’s story in The Washington Post, for starters.

There are already 125 artists whose work you can peruse during its grand opening week, which starts today. I did a quick survey online, and was taken by David Barnes’ “Springtime” glass art:

But I really fell in love with all the photography.

Designer Barry Dixon, whose new furniture collection and book we feature in our fall issue, is becoming more relaxed in his personal style, according to the current issue of House Beautiful.

Dixon and eight other designers were asked to comment on how their homes have evolved over the last 10 years. Here’s what Barry said:

“My home is a lot more relaxed, less rigid. As I’ve ‘matured,’ I’ve gotten comfortable with the serendipitous migration of things. I’m less of a slave to putting things back where they belong. The chairs used to have to sit at perfect right angles to the sofa, but, you know, it’s nice when they’re angled so I can look out the window or see the TV more easily. It’s great to loosen up. And I notice that people are more at ease when they come over because it’s not all too-too perfect.”

Here’s his family room – I’d definitely feel relaxed in here! This and other images of Barry’s home, Elway Hall, are in his new book, Barry Dixon Interiors.

Here’s another thing Barry Dixon fans will love – you can be his friend.

Barry recently jumped on the social networking bandwagon and opened an account on Facebook. He really needs friends, too – he only had 38 at last count, but we know he has so many more!

If you ever wondered if it were possible to create an atmosphere for your children that was stylishly devoid of puppies and duckies and soft pastels, check the stores on Oct. 1 for Designed for Kids by Phyllis Richardson (Thames & Hudson Inc., $34.95), a sourcebook for great kids design and décor.

The publisher sent us an advance copy, and as a mom, I quietly cursed not having this at my fingertips when my sons were born. In addition to fabulous products, Richardson also interviews top designers about their kid-design philosophies. Yet for all the gorgeous objects in this book, some of them are literally too good to be true. I pounced on a car seat that can swivel to the side so you don’t have to contort yourself reaching around to get the strap fastened, but psych! You can’t buy it in the U.S. And I LOVED a “modern playshed” with mid-century lines, but some quick checking proved that it’s been discontinued. Same thing with a Lego building table that I would have bought on the spot. I would still recommend this book – just curb your enthusiasm until you type in the Web address to see if you can actually obtain the item. Here are some of my favorites:

The Sleepi line from Stokke includes a crib that transforms later to a toddler bed or day bed, and a changing table that converts to a desk. I’m all for baby equipment that grows with the child – especially when it looks so good. 

Speaking of conversions, this “Tea Pod” children’s furniture not only provides the kids with different shapes to play and sit on, but the tray on one of the elements serves kids and adults equally well.

I’m lovin’ this change in weather, the excitement of kids going back to school, and the refreshing sense of emerging from the languid summer. And so are a lot of people who call the shots in home and design, for the Web is abuzz with new trends to expect, and most of the predictions are on the same page (or in the same living room?).

Here’s what I found:

The Washington Post just issued its predictions last week, which includes bold yellows and purples and gray-toned wood, in addition to intense pattern, nailhead trim, and the use of text in art and on furniture.

Missoni Home Collection

Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Colton cocktail table

Photography by Jay Pigeon, Integrated Media Systems

Many from the Washington, DC, design community, including architects, builders, and interior designers, who gathered last Friday night for a luxurious party at Charles Luck Stone Center in Chantilly, VA, were wowed by the sophisticated showroom that greeted them. Unlike most stone warehouses that have huge slabs of raw stone with few refinements, this one is in a league of its own. This is the second bash Charles Luck, Integrated Media Systems (IMS), and Washington Spaces has hosted within two-and-a-half weeks to highlight their products and services.

Nancy Colbert of Design Partners LLC and Marilyn Burroughs of New Leaf Collaborative Architecture & Design PLC both commented that the clean-lined space, which looks as if it evolved over many years from one small red stone building that could have originally been an old factory, would be a wonderful resource to work with a client.

“I’ve seen some stones here that I’ve never seen before and I thought I’d seen everything,” Colbert says. “When you take a client to a granite yard, it’s overwhelming, really mind-boggling. To come here and see the same stone with different finishes – well polished stone or a honed stone or a stone that’s been flamed – is great.”

Laura Lim, sales and marketing manager of Morton’s The Steakhouse – Tysons Corner, gets the scoop on semi-precious gemstones held together with epoxy resin from William Shifflett of Charles Luck Stone. Great minds think alike, the same cool Bendant lamp by MIO Culture that is featured in the showroom graces the What’s New page in the current issue of Washington Spaces.

“People like to touch stone, it’s a very emotional buy,” says William Shifflett, director of operations of Charles Luck Stone, adding that the center can custom make just about whatever a client desires. “Someone can say, ‘I grew up in a house with a huge limestone fireplace,’ and we can replicate that,” he says, mentioning that people bring in paint chips and fabric swatches, and plan their projects in the showroom.

“It’s exciting to be here,” says Michael Roberson of Michael Roberson Interior Design, who has brought clients to Charles Luck Stone in the past. She and her husband, Rob Roberson, enjoyed the wine tasting provided by The Vintage Vintner, among other amenities.

Michael and Rob Roberson relax in a conference room with stone planking that looks like a hardwood floor.

A custom made limestone fireplace and intricate mosaic hearth are integrated into the Charles Luck Stone Center showroom.

Lynn and Mark Fernandes - he’s president of Charles Luck Stone Centers - exchanged ideas with Daniel Steinkoler, owner of Superior Home Services Inc., who says he had a “blast” that evening.

Left to right: Washington Spaces Senior Account Executive Emilia Philip, Associate Publisher Heather Heider, Greg Powell, sales manager and hardscape developer of Lewis Aquatech, Don Gwiz, vice president of Lewis Aquatech, and Beth Powell, enjoy the evening.

Susan Utley of Design Studio of Bethesda chats with Randy Gore of Charles Luck Stone.

Randy Gore of Charles Luck Stone escorted interior designer Susan Utley of Design Studio around the showroom, while her friend, Lisa Tureson of Faux Creations Inc., a decorative art firm, explored and looked for particular stones. John Kiernan of Blue Line Studios, which also specializes in glorious decorative finishes and murals, enjoyed the many luxurious elements of the evening, including the Lamborghini, Maserati, and GranTurismo from Ferrari Maserati of Washington that were parked just outside the building. IMS provided six Sharp LCDs placed around the showroom that played a continuous loop about luxury providers Charles Luck, Ferrari, Maserati, and IMS.

Lisa Tureson of Faux Creations Inc. examined the beautiful selection of stone.

Maureen Morris, co-owner of Morris Stone Inc., Tom Wells, president of Integrated Media Systems, and Heather Heider, associate publisher of Washington Spaces, shared a few laughs.

Many raved about the delicious jumbo shrimp and delectable crab cakes that Laura Lim and her crew from Morton’s The Steakhouse Tysons Corner served. Heather Heider of Washington Spaces ate one irresistible bite-sized cheesecake by Fresh Confections and said she thought she’d died and gone to heaven.

Lee Odess, director of marketing and sales for IMS, takes a tasty break with his fiancée, Jen Ingberg, owner of Fresh Confections.

Left to right: Front row, Jim Colbert and his wife Nancy Colbert of Design Partners LLC, Rebecca Hubler of Designed Interiors and her husband David, and back row, Paul Parker and his wife Jennifer Parker of Patera Home LLC enjoyed the festivities of the evening.

The intriguing architecture of the building, designed by Andrew Moore of Glavé and Holmes Associates, impressed Architect John Burroughs of New Leaf Collaborative Architecture & Design, the most. “You would really want to bring clients here,” Burroughs says.

John and Marilyn Burroughs admired the architecture of the Charles Luck Stone Center, which he says reminds him of an old mill.

Mark Fernandes had the last word as he pointed out that the red stone at the core of the building was hand-tooled Chinese sandstone from the same province where Confucius was born. Now that’s impressive.

Quick – which word in that headline doesn’t belong? If you don’t know, you need some serious help, because clutter in the bedroom is not conducive to good sleeping, and it’s certainly not something to dream about.

If your bedroom is too crammed with everyday stuff to be any kind of respite from, well, everyday stuff, consider Nealey Levi’s services at On Track. She recently sent us some handy tips for organizing your bedroom so it becomes a proper getaway – not something to get away from, as she puts it. (And for added inspiration, I’m including some dreamy bedrooms we’ve featured recently in Washington Spaces).

Photograph by Geoffrey Hodgdon

Purge

Start with one section of the room and work your way around. Get rid of any items that are unwanted, never utilized, or no longer usable. Don’t forget to go through the nightstands, under the bed and any other out-of-sight storage areas.

Pick up ONE item at a time, and decide if it is worth keeping. In order to accomplish this, ask yourself appropriate questions (Is it still usable? How often do I use it? Do I have more than one of this same item?).

As you make decisions, put the item in the corresponding pile/bag/box - Keep, Donate, Distribute To Others, Distribute Around The House, Trash. Don’t forget to record your donations for tax purposes.

M2L, the distributer of modern designs from cutting-edge European manufacturers, is preparing a collection called “Iconic Finds Holland” next month that will feature the work of notable Dutch designers from the 1920s to today. And unlike a museum collection, you can actually buy the pieces you like at the showroom in Georgetown’s Cady’s Alley.

Here’s a sneak peek:

The Crate Chair Junior originates from the designer Gerrit Rietveld’s crate furniture, which he started making from crates in 1934. These junior chairs are made from beech, and perfect for a chic child’s room.

Gerrit Rietveld designed these asymmetrical chairs in 1963 for the Steltman Jewelry House in The Hague.

Designer Shay Alkalay of Raw Edges created this cabinet for Dutch design firm Arco, with drawers that pivot out rather than slide, so you can open both at the same time.

I can’t understand people who pooh-pooh faux flowers (hello, Oprah?). I love them – you don’t have to water them and they never die. What’s there to complain about?

Certainly, really obvious fakes can be just awful. But with the likes of Diane James Designs out there, you really can’t go wrong. When I saw her new introductions for fall and winter, I had to read through the descriptions because I honestly didn’t know whether or not they were real. See for yourself:

Orchids:

Bouquets:

Plants:

Carolyn James McDonough, vice president of Diane James, was kind enough to send a list of DC-area retailers where you can find these floral gems:

Barkley Limited
3301 New Mexico Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20016
202.363.6664
 
Dalton Brody
3412 Idaho Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20016
202.244.7197

Valerianne

The Kellogg Collection

Neiman Marcus