Urban Elegance

Living Room

Gloria de Lourdes Blalock of Blalock Interiors LLC created this dining room for imaginary clients who are from London and have this pied à terre in DC. “I’ve called it the grand salon. I’ve created an area more for entertaining,” Blalock says, with the seating situated in the room’s corners, leaving most of the middle open for mingling. Taking cues from her jet-setting “clients,” she had a clock painted on the ceiling and hung a compass-like light fixture from it. The surrounding scrim is hung from conventional coat hooks, which throw off a cool starburst shadow.

Blalock also displays her talent for arranging client’s collections, as she has assembled chests around the room holding exotic shells, antique tea caddies (so English), and writing slopes.

Photograph by Jacob Goodman

Dining Room

Samantha Friedman of Samantha Friedman Interior Design created the dining room that she’s always wanted for herself: one that is not too stuffy, and can accommodate functions other than sitting around a table. “So few clients nowadays use formal dining rooms, but everyone needs one,” she says. The table, for instance, can reduce down to 60 inches for a poker game. The built-in bar and banquettes with small cocktail tables are perfect for a cocktail party when the dining table acts as a buffet. “I really like the idea of benches and flexible space,” she says.

Both photographs by Jacob Goodman

Media Room

Matt Costigan of Costigan Design (who also owns the Michael-Cleary LLC showroom in The Design Center) wanted to bring natural elements into this room so a city dweller would be reminded of nature while he or she is using the remote to lift the artwork over the flat-screen in the wall. There’s a separate nook (and TV) for video games and a game table. The main area has a roomy sectional and large console that makes for a handsome bar.

As one of 10 children, he says, “This is my parents’ dream – to have everyone in the same area and doing different things at the same time.” He had the deep wood-like grasscloth wallpaper made, and he hung it horizontally and purposefully hung the seams askew so it would resemble a wood-plank floor. Airy touches such as acrylic tables and pedestals, and pale blue, shimmering pottery make the space look like the woods on a spring day under a clear blue sky.

Photographs by Jacob Goodman

Bar/Lounge 

Nestor Santa-Cruz, Gensler’s director of design who is well known for his minimalist elegance, used his space here to demonstrate that beauty doesn’t have to come at a steep price. He didn’t touch the molding details or paint left over from the room’s previous designer, except for a white strip down two walls to highlight art and a Mondrian-inspired mirror. He used a remnant carpet, and proudly boasts that none of the accessories cost more than $150 (most of the picture frames, moreover, came from Ikea). He points to things around the room – “flea market” is just as likely to be the source as Baker or Century. “It doesn’t have to say, ‘I’m low,’ or ‘I’m high.’ It should say, ‘That is my personality,’ ” he says. We’ve written about Santa-Cruz here, and here.

Yves Saint Laurent’s home inspired this space, and the placement of art, accessories, color, and furniture is meant to channel the geometry of Mondrian. “It’s an architectural approach – urban elegance – this is not a suburban house. It cannot be confused with a McMansion,” Santa-Cruz says.

Family Office

Though this space is populated with Baker furniture, Sandra Meyers of Sandra Meyers Design Studio wants this space to feel comfortable – and eminently usable – by parents and kids alike. “I wanted you to walk in and feel like anybody could live here,” she says. “My goal was not high design. It doesn’t have to be so formal – just comfortable.” The children’s work and play space, for example, is laminate, fitted on top of a custom bookcase. The built-in shelving contains ample cubbies for any number of homework and/or play supplies.

The parent’s wall is set off by lovely wallpaper. “You almost don’t feel like you’re in the rest of the room,” Meyers says. She infused lots of pattern and texture throughout with the furniture, art, and the exquisite Stark rug. There’s truly something in here for everyone.

Children’s Room

Shazalynn Cavin-Winfrey of SCW Interiors designed this children’s room – which a boy could sleep just as comfortably in as a girl – with an urban (read: small) locale in mind. “An urban dwelling was the driving force of this – you need to maximize the space. You need to build in all of your storage needs as well as the bed,” she says.

Cowtan & Tout donated the draping around the bed and the wallcovering for the room, and the carpet is from Stark’s new spring line. The feel is designed to suit children, or to serve as a guest room in their absence. “It’s really a multi-functional space. It will grow with the needs of the space,” Cavin-Winfrey says.

The dramatic frames over the desk can hold children’s art, and they can also be switched out as they grow, or ultimately hold more mature art once they leave.

Photographs by Jacob Goodman

Bedroom

Jennie Curtis of Material Differences wanted to go for soft and organic for this lovely owner’s bedroom. Where silk once ruled the day, linen – white linen – is where it’s at now, she says. She chose cream and white to be the dominant colors, with the “playful horizontal movement” of the Cole & Son wallpaper taking the lead.

The Ebanista carpet provides the color turquoise palette that is picked up through accessories in the room. “A bedroom should be uplifting in the morning but soothing in the evening, and I really felt this color palette achieves that,” Curtis says.

The rooms in the Design House are full of wonderful design ideas. Even if you can’t afford some of its sumptuous furnishings, it’s worth a free visit to The Washington Design Center to do some dreaming. The rooms are open though June 27.