Jingle All The Way
Wow. That’s all I can say. Not only are the Georgetown Jingle trees at the Four Seasons decorated with spectacular creativity and imagination, but the cause is equally impressive: Georgetown University Hospital’s Pediatric Hematology, Oncology, Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program.
David Iatesta’s tree was sold on the spot to a generous Four Seasons guest.
Fourteen designers – each partnered with a young Georgetown patient – dressed up holiday trees to be auctioned at the Jingle on Dec. 13, but only 13 trees will be on the block. That’s because a “regular VIP guest” of the Four Seasons snapped up David Iatesta’s striking driftwood tree just hours after his team completed it yesterday – to the tune of $15,000. Not only that, but he donated it right back to Georgetown, to be given to a young patient or to display at the hospital.
David Iatesta’s Molly Zlokovitz and Matt Quinn
“I got the phone call this morning. It almost brought tears to my eyes,” said Matt Quinn, Iatesta’s chief executive officer. The tree, which took 500 man hours to build, is assembled from driftwood collected throughout the summer on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. It’s strung like one of Iatesta’s exquisite chandeliers, using $3,000 worth of European crystal, and lit with the help of 20 battery packs hidden under the tree skirt.
Here are some notable details:
Individual limbs were either drilled or screwed into the central “trunk,” and then epoxied and faux painted at the joints to make it look authentic.
Several different types of crystal grace the tree.
There are many more amazing trees to go. Get yourself a cup of cocoa, settled into your chair, and read on.
Jerry Begley, Dawson Begley Design
“A Nordic Christmas”
Designer Jerry Begley’s tree hearkens back to his mod childhood in 1960s Los Angeles.
Jerry Begley had two goals in creating this tree: To cue his “early 60s youth” with multi-colored trees in all their metallic fabulousness; and more importantly, to introduce the United States to the work of his friend Helge Brink, a Danish designer who makes glass ornaments by hand.
Jerry Begley
Brink used to work with Georg Jensen and Royal Copenhagen, and wanted to revive the tradition of handmade ornaments, Begley said. The Jingle marks their U.S. debut, and Begley noted that Queen Elizabeth ordered “a ton” of them for this year’s decorations at Buckingham Palace. Check out the details:
Gloria de Lourdes Blalock, Blalock Interiors LLC
“Let There Be Light”
Blalock’s tree has 1,000 lights, hopefully lighting the way to a cure for childhood cancer.
From a distance, Gloria Blalock’s tree merely looks like a lovely tree. Step closer, and you’ll see that all the ornaments represent peace, light, and happiness. “Gloria has a very spiritual nature – it’s very much about the energy of the holiday,” said her friend, Designer Brad Weesner. (Blalock was unable to attend yesterday’s press preview.)
Shazalynn Cavin-Winfrey, SCW Interiors
“It’s a Jungle Out There”
Shazalynn incorporated furniture and a rug into her vignette.
Shazalynn Cavin-Winfrey was not only designing for her patient-partner, Hayden Z., but also for the memory of her cousin, “Kelly Girl” Rogers, who died of brain cancer when she was only 9.
Shazalynn Cavin-Winfrey
“It is indeed a jungle out there, and nothing better gives a child a sense of ease in the world than a perfectly composed seating nook of their very own this holiday season,” she wrote in the program.
Notable details include Anthropologie’s Dream Menagerie rug:
The delicate trim on the Cowtan & Tout upholstery:
And the delightful jungle animals hanging from the flocked tree branches.
Paul Corrie, Paul Corrie Interiors
“Tree of Hope”
“The idea behind the ‘Tree of Hope’ is that we can all better ourselves as individuals and live united – in our personal goals, our relationships, our interactions with family, friends, neighbors, and our surrounding world,” Paul Corrie wrote in the program.
He was unable to attend the preview, but I loved his small porcelain reminders that we can all do better – and follow our passions.
Wendy Danziger, Danziger Design
“Children’s Tea Party”
Being Jewish, Wendy Danziger said this was her first time ever decorating a tree, and what a brilliant beginning. The tea party theme was inspired by her mother’s love of tea, her granddaughter’s tea set, and the fact that her patient-partner, Katie, has her own tea set.
Wendy Danziger
Katie provided input on the design, and Danziger’s mother painstakingly wrapped each little tea bag in each little teacup with tulle.
And her assistant Mary Biletnikoff made all the ballerina tutus, which are all different. Wow.
Karen Luria, Karen Luria Interior Identity Inc.
“Holiday on Ice”
Karen Luria’s “tree” was fabricated from acrylic through the local design firm Spectrum, which we featured in a piece on local furniture makers in January.
Karen Luria
“I thought I’d really like to create a very different interpretation of a tree,” Luria said. “It’s really a sculpture. It transforms the rest of the year into a floor lamp.” There’s a hole at the top for a light, and a ridge down one of the sides to string the cord. How cool is that?
Even more, Luria got figure skater Scott Hamilton to sign a pair of ice skates at the “tree’s” base.
That means the winning auction bidder will not only get a stylized Christmas tree, but she or he will also get signed skates and a super-cool floor lamp for the rest of the year.
Lynni Megginson, L&M Designs
“Aspen Holiday”
Lynni Megginson’s tree is all about Nicholas, her patient-partner.
“Nicholas, he loves Christmas. He loves everything about Christmas. I wanted to evoke the dream of what Christmas would be – all the winter elements, combined with the fact that the tree is done in his honor,” Megginson said.
Lynni Megginson
Can’t you just imagine yourself in the mountains, with the snow, the pinecones, the deer in the snow – along with the steadfast encouragement to “believe.”
Marika Meyer, Marika Meyer Interiors
“A Natural Nantucket Christmas”
“I wanted to do something timely and really resonate with the way people are decorating for Christmas right now,” said Marika Meyer, explaining that the tree, inspired by her favorite place, is all very natural and organic.
Marika Meyer
Shells, garlands made of bark, and the classic Nantucket lightship baskets and whale weathervane grace the tree.
Her favorite find was the “Nantucket red” fabric from Murray’s Toggery, trimmed with gorgeous shells on linen from Samuel & Son.
Darren Miller, And Beige
“Winter Nights Dream”
Darren Miller, founder and owner of And Beige, used natural elements for this mantel decoration, as if they were “stumbled upon in a forest environment during a winters nigh exploration,” he wrote. (He couldn’t be at the preview.) He used deer antlers and pine cones, which beautifully accent the Four Seasons’ black and white marble mantel and surround.
Michael Roberson, Michael Roberson Interior Design
“Joy to the World”
A truly joyous vignette for Michael Roberson’s patient-partner, Tyeshia, who loves bright colors. Roberson named the setting after Tyeshia’s favorite Christmas carol. (Roberson was unable to attend the preview.)
Camille Saum, Camille Saum Interior Design
“L’Arbre de Noel Elegant”
When Camille Saum begins a project, she doesn’t immediately know where it’s going to go. “It just comes out” along the way, she said.
Camille Saum
What came out in this case was inspired by France, “where elegance is a fact of life, [and] Christmas décor is a serious fashion statement.” Saum’s paint company painted her tree white, and then her team used silver spray paint on top of the white. She then covered the branches in glitter,
used endless white and silver ribbon,
and filled the holes with silver “stretchy paper.”
The star on top – made from a pillow – is in honor of her partner-patient, Cinzia.
Brad Weesner, Brad Weesner Design
“Modern Tree of Crystal”
Brad Weesner was still awaiting the completion of his high-tech tree on Wednesday, but he had these cool sketches to demonstrate what it will look like:
It will be clear acrylic sheets embedded with crushed glass, with LED lights flickering and changing color underneath the glass. A triangle base will be upholstered in silver fabric.
Brad Weesner and his patient-partner, Kara Amey
Kara’s story is “light and inspiration,” which he tried to reflect in his tree, Weesner said. “She’s ahead of her years, and I knew immediately that she was never going to let her disease define who she was going to be.” In fact, the two have hit it off, he said, and she’s already showing some of her own design skills at age 17.
Sarah Wessel, Sarah Wessel Designs Ltd.
“Secret Garden”
The children’s classic, The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett, was one of Sarah Wessel’s all-time favorites, and she used it as the inspiration for her tree.
Sarah Wessel
You have to look up close to see all the wonderful details of this tree, including the book itself and a handsome set of old-fashioned keys.
Peer into the tree (the “secret” won’t reveal itself if you stand at a distance), and you will see gardening implements, wheelbarrows, flowers, birds, and nests. How enchanting.
The Jingle is 4-8 p.m. on Dec. 13 at the Four Seasons. Tickets are $150 per person, family packages are available for $350, and kids 3-18 are $50/ under 2 are free. The event will feature gourmet fare from area restaurants, holiday music and live entertainment, a “Santa’s workshop” for the kids that offers activities, crafts, cookies and kid-friendly food, and a meeting with Santa. The trees will be auctioned, along with many other amazing packages in a silent auction.
And considering the brave kids at Georgetown the proceeds will support, it’s the best money you will spend this season.
White House Decorations Unveiled: Reflect, Rejoice, Renew
First Lady Michelle Obama, surrounded by members of the U.S. Marine Corps from the Toys for Tots program, greeted guests and thanked volunteers in the Grand Foyer of the White House at the unveiling of the White House decorations today.
Today, First Lady Michelle Obama, looking festive in a jade green sleeveless dress, unveiled the gorgeous decorations in the White House that will be seen by more than 50,000 guests who visit the historic home during this holiday season. Holding a press conference in the Grand Foyer of the White House, Mrs. Obama talked about the planning and care that’s gone into these beautiful decorations and spoke of two causes that are particularly important to the First Family.
“We’ve actually been planning this day, and the holiday season, since the summer,” Mrs. Obama said. “Our starting point was a very simple idea: that we include as many people, in as many places, in as many ways as we can.”
Here’s what happened: The First Lady and her staff dug deep into the White House warehouses where they took about 800 ornaments remaining from previous administrations and sent them to 60 community groups throughout the country to decorate.
Mrs. Obama thanked the volunteers.
“We asked them to decorate them to pay tribute to a favorite local landmark and then send them back to us for display here at the White House,” she said. “And today, thanks to the East Wing and Residence staff, and 92 volunteers from 24 states who spent more than 3,400 hours decorating over the last several days, we have ornaments hanging on the tree behind me, throughout the White House, and everywhere else that include the Statue of Liberty, Mount Rushmore, the Kennedy Center - Space Center, as well as some less known places like Davy Crockett Park in Tennessee, Pompey’s Pillar in Billings, Montana, and one of my favorites, the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago.”
This year’s White House Gingerbread House features the South Portico and special additions, including Bo, the First Dog.
In addition to the official White House Christmas tree, one of the favorite traditions at the White House was also revealed: “It’s the gingerbread masterpiece by our brilliant chef Bill Yosses and his team,” Mrs. Obama said. The gingerbread house holds a few surprises, but we’ll get back to that later.
Reflecting on a Wonderful Year
This year’s theme for the White House décor is Reflect, Rejoice, Renew. Mrs. Obama explained why she selected this theme. “For the Obama family, Christmas and the New Year has always been a time to reflect on our many blessings, to rejoice in the pleasure of spending time with our family and our friends, and to renew our commitment to one another and to the causes that we believe in. And I wanted to continue that part of the tradition during our first holiday season here at the White House. And this year has been filled with an infinite number of blessings for me and my family,” she said.
Mrs. Obama also said the First Family is focusing on supporting local food banks and the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program. “The President and I are urging everyone to join us in these efforts, or to find some way to give back some time during this holiday season.”
White House Christmas Tree
The official White House Christmas tree, a Douglas fir that’s 18½ feet high and nearly 13 feet wide, is from Shepherdstown, WVA. To see video of the tree being delivered last Friday to the North Portico of the White House by horse drawn carriage, as is customary, click here
Kim Fawley, one of the many volunteers who did a beautiful job of helping to decorate the White House, shared secrets about decorating the White House Christmas tree, which is in the Blue Room.
“This room was filled with boxes, scaffolding and cherry pickers,” said Kim Fawley, a volunteer, who is a 7th grade civics teacher in Broadway, VA, in the Shenandoah Valley. “We started last Friday taking the ornaments out of the wrappers and putting on the wire hangers.” She explained that in addition to the beautiful hand-decorated ornaments - some were decoupaged, some painted or adorned in other ways - gold Christmas balls were hung towards the inside of the tree and clear glass balls were hung closer to the outside so they’d reflect the low-energy lights on the tree. This year’s theme was reflected on blue ribbons tied to the ornaments. Reflect, Rejoice, Renew was hand- or machine-stitched by Girl Scouts onto the blue ribbons, Fawley said.
It looked like one giant gold ribbon crowned the tree, but it’s really four gold bows tied at the top. And what appeared to be one continuous golden ribbon circling the tree is actually 6-foot sections of ribbon, she shared.
Me with the spectacular White House Christmas tree
Gingerbread White House
“This year we’ve included something a little bit different. In addition to the gingerbread White House we also have the White House Kitchen Garden on the South Lawn, a shadow box that lets you look into the gingerbread White House and view the State Dining Room,” Mrs. Obama said. And as she just learned this morning, a little replica of Bo, made of marzipan.
White House Executive Pastry Chef Bill Yosses describes what went into making the White House Gingerbread House.
A team of pastry chefs worked on this gingerbread house under the guidance of Executive Pastry Chef Bill Yosses.
Here are some fun facts that Chef Yosses shared:
- The White House gingerbread house weighs 390 pounds
- The gingerbread alone weighs 140 pounds
- The white chocolate that covers it weighs 250 pounds
- It’s based on the design by the James Hoban, the architect of the White House
- The furniture in the State Dining Room is made of dark chocolate
- The windows are hand carved or molded
- It took six weeks to create
“We cooked the gingerbread until it was really crispy. Then we let it sit on a rack for a few weeks (to dry out). It’s really stale gingerbread,” Yosses said with a laugh, adding that if it were fresh, moist gingerbread, the whole thing could collapse.
“The Kitchen Garden is a huge part of our life here in the White House. The vegetables are all the things that were harvested with local school kids,” he said. “I think we’re almost up to 800 pounds of vegetables we’ve taken out of the garden.”
Yosses mentioned that the miniature White House Kitchen Garden replicates the many vegetables grown in the garden, including carrots, radishes, cabbage, cauliflower, eggplant, and lettuces, among other veggies. “Students created the (gingerbread) garden,” he said. “We gave them a lesson in marzipan,” and they made the veggies.
At the end of the season, the gingerbread house will go to the White House Visitor Center on 15th Street so many can see it.
It Feels Like Christmas
Other beautiful sights throughout the State Floor include this mantle, covered in cranberry garland in the Red Room…
The treatment has a twist this year. Unlike previous years, when the tradition was to include a cranberry tree, see our blog from last year, the Obamas embellished the mantle with cranberry garland and created cranberry wreaths around the necks of the carved figures that support the mantel.
In the Green Room, lovely arrangements of amaryllis adorn the side tables.
In the East Room, the crèche is displayed in all its glory…
the four fireplaces that grace the historic space are adorned with fresh garlands that integrate blue hydrangea, seeded eucalyptus, and beaded fruit. Sixty-inch wreaths were suspended with silk cord, and hung behind antique torchieres to complement the garland on the mantels.
Even the Grand Staircase is festooned with beautiful garland.
In the State Dining Room, in addition to the magnificent gingerbread house, two Fraser Fir trees, beautifully decorated, flank the famous portrait of Abraham Lincoln by William Cogswell.
In a word, the White House looks magical!
Speed Decorating
Now that we’ve been in our house for 10 years, I’m starting to get that itch. Some colors seem tired, other window treatments outdated – you get the idea. And in this era of HGTV and instant gratification, I want it all done right NOW.
That’s why a new book called Speed Decorating by Jill Vegas ($21.95, The Taunton Press) seems so timely, especially for anyone looking for gift ideas for design-minded family and friends.
Home stylist Jill Vegas, who specializes in quick home makeovers, features projects in this book that can all be done in one week or less.
Here are some of my favorite tips in a book that is jam-packed with them:
Details count, such as these decorative plates and French soup tureens on a trio of open shelves.
All photography by Michael Grimm
Add instant pizzazz to a plain-Jane sofa with a tapestry, such as this Suzani print, and colorful pillows. I especially love how the lines of the textile enhance the artwork in the stairwell.
Create a functional foyer: Furnishings and accessories should not only look good, but they should work for you, too. The chair provides a place to sit and put on shoes, the credenza offers space for mail and keys, and the mirror lets you "check your smile before heading out the door."
Design a "bombshell bookcase." Weed out old books, arrange the ones left both vertically and horizontally; add accessories and artwork to break up the rows (but don’t overdo it); and paint the inside a vibrant, attention-getting color. Voilà.
And as this is peak-holiday season, I especially appreciated Vegas’ ideas for party prep and entertaining:
- Clean up the clutter.
- Make an instant side table from a stack of magazines; top it with a bowl of nuts.
- "Decorate" your sideboard with wine and cocktail accessories – glasses, mixers, liquor bottles, a cheese plate, a pretty bowl of olives.
- For the holidays, add a themed serving piece to the mix.
- Spray and shine all mirrored and glass surfaces.
- Arrange one or more vases of fresh flowers.
- If you are setting out candles, instead of one or two votive candles on a credenza, why not arrange an entire tray of them?
Debbie Wiener's Thanksgiving Feast for the Eyes (And Other Tasty Treats)
What a warm way to greet the holiday – with an authentic Arts and Crafts setting that includes a vintage mantel, a surround using Motawi Tileworks, and William Morris fabric on the windows. “It couldn’t look Arts and Crafts. It had to be Arts and Crafts,” Designer Debbie Wiener says of the directive she was given.
The look is all the more delicious, considering what her clients gave her to start with:
Debbie’s beautiful Thanksgiving greeting on the mantel whetted my appetite for more fabulous Thanksgiving décor, because this is a holiday that can get pretty kitschy, pretty fast.
Let’s start with Eddie Ross, a stylist and flea-market guru, who just blogged about his own Thanksgiving table. The setting glows with casual elegance.
The details of his table show off his finds from past flea markets and antique shops.
Eddie also blogged about how to make an Indian corn centerpiece. Do I really have to tell you he used to work for Martha Stewart?
Next up is HGTV, which is always brimming with creative home décor ideas, especially when it comes to the holidays. They’ve got some great tabletop inspiration this year.
My dining room will never look like the ones above, but just gazing at these pictures puts me in the right mood. This table below from Martha Stewart, moreover, makes me smile. Its pale colors and airy centerpiece would surely act as a digestive to all those heavy foods we’re going to eat.
Getting back to the fall colors, Martha also offers this room for consumption. I love all the cascading red and purple grapes.
Country Living, too, has some yummy ideas. The outdoor table (which is actually intended for kids) is completely unrealistic for our part of the country, but it makes for a nice fantasy.
So, wherever your Thanksgiving table is or what will be on it, we all wish you a warm and fruitful holiday, and we’ll see you next week.
Heavenly Stairways
It’s Tuesday, and I’m in the mood for eye candy.
My current obsession (I have a lot of them, OK?) is stairways – the steps and the sweeps and the balusters and the moldings and the runners – they’re like the necklace that links the levels of your house.
I fell in love with the most amazing stairs I’ve ever seen while we were laying out our current issue. I saw an ad by Mountain Lumber, which contained an image of this room:
I mean, hello? Don’t these stairs make you catch your breath, like a movie star just walked into the room?
So that’s what got me on this kick. That – and the sweet memories of Amy Lau’s showstopping stairway at this year’s Kips Bay Decorator Show House in New York:
And, OMG, can you imagine living in this home, and opening your front door to this every day? From an Architectural Digest compilation of its most dramatic stairways.
I recently read about Thom Filicia’s “Designer Visions,” show-house apartment, which was covered on the House Beautiful Web site.
Besides the fact that Trish and I – and everyone else – were wowed by him when he was in High Point last month (see Trish’s blog for more), I also fell for his cool stairway with the rope “banister.” I never would have thought of that.
And here’s a stairway in honor of the story on organization we’re preparing for our upcoming issue. Why not make the risers and stairwell into book cases? So brilliant, I want to cry.
From above, looking down
What’s even more brilliant is that these homeowners color-coordinate their books, so they make a design statement as you climb up and down the stairs.
I’m bummed the stairway is in London and not in DC, where we could put it in the magazine. Apartment Therapy gave the house some nice coverage in this article here.
And while we’re in Europe, check out this staircase by a Stockholm architect, made with prefab pine kitchen worktops. I’m sure it would never pass code in the United States, but boy is it cool to look at. Apartment Therapy also covered this one here.
Moving on to Australia, where this beauty comes from these architects:
And once again, Apartment Therapy has uncovered another WAY COOL staircase here, also in Australia, which fulfills every child’s deepest wish to climb on the kitchen counter.
Back in the US, I’m loving what one of my favorite design bloggers, Janell of Isabella & Max Rooms, did with her own sweeping staircase. The paint, along with the quiet yet solid design, is just beautiful to look at.
I get the same contented feeling with this staircase, which was profiled on the PointClickHome site.
And this stairway would wipe the worst of moods away as I climbed to my private quarters each night. (From this feature in Architectural Digest)
The staircase above is so spectacular, in fact, that it got its own tower:
We would love to do a future magazine spread on fabulous staircases in our own area. Designers (and design-savvy homeowners), please let us know what you’ve got!
Celebrating Our Fifth Anniversary
The traditional fifth-anniversary gift is made of wood, and if last night’s party at Turnberry Tower Arlington was any indication of our first five years of publishing unforgettable homes in the DC region, let’s knock on some wood for continued success in the same vein.
At least 200 of the region’s best designers, architects, builders, and home-interior tradespeople gathered to help us celebrate – and to tour Turnberry’s fabulous $7.1 million Tower Suite, which is situated above the penthouses.
Imagine waking up to views of the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and Kennedy Center, or sipping wine in the living room as you gaze down at what look like strands of diamonds and rubies streaming back and forth over Key Bridge and the inky Potomac River below, while the lights of Georgetown twinkle in the background.
It’s kind of unimaginable, actually, and we want to extend huge thanks and gratitude to Turnberry Tower, which opened the space to us and catered the party with scrumptious hors d’oeuvres from Windows Catering and red velvet cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcake.
Jim Cohen, vice president of sales for Turnberry Ltd., poses with his wife, Diana.
Washington Spaces Editor in Chief Trish Donnally stands with Senoir Vice President Ron Smith and Executive Vice President Ann Scully of Mayhood, the sales agents for Turnberry.
The walls of the unfinished space were lined with gigantic images of the magazine’s 31 covers to date, and everyone was asked to vote for their favorite.
Here’s the ballot box,
And here’s Daniel Steinkoler, owner of Superior Home Services, getting busted as he tried to stuff the box with his favorite pick. Sorry, Danny!
The winner, shot by photographer Morgan Howarth, was our striking Fall 2008 cover of Architect Lavinia Fici Pasquina’s house in Bethesda, MD.
This cover is among the few we’ve ever done of a home’s exterior, which caused a bit of a debate when we were choosing it, but now that the votes are in, we’re glad we did.
In addition to a spectacular setting, we had a stellar group of guests. We wouldn’t be where we are now without the amazing people in the home-design industry who supported us along the way. Here’s to you.
Here we all are toasting our guests who made our fifth anniversary possible. From left: Trish Donnally, her husband, Robert Donnally, Associate Publisher Heather Heider, Associate Art Director Susan Chong, Senior Graphic Designer Kevin Tseng, Senior Account Executive Emilia Philip, Senior Editor Jennifer Sergent, Senior Staff Writer Emily Lyons, and Account Executive Jill Yager.
Designer Barry Dixon stands with the Early Winter 2007 cover, which features his kitchen at the stately Elway Hall in Warrenton, VA.
Now Barry stands with Trish Donnally, analyzing the composition of another cover.
Photographer Kenneth M. Wyner and his fiancée, Alice Ng, stand before two covers he shot for our magazine.
Jonas Carnemark, whose gorgeous Konst Kitchen Interior Design showroom was the setting of our Best of Architecture design awards two weeks ago, stands with Architect Nuray Anahtar of NOA Architecture Planning Interiors.
Jill Yager relaxes with the dashing Bret Anderson, president of Pyramid Builders.
Our beautiful art directors Susan Chong and Angie Grandizio enjoy the celebration.
Designers Miriam Dillon, left, and Rebecca Foley flank Architect Mark Sullenberger, all of Custom Design Concepts Architecture + Interiors.
Amanda Kaufman of Charles Luck Stone Center, left, stands with her date, Jason Levitt, and Daniel Steinkoler and Kelly Sullivan of Superior Home Services.
Trish Donnally poses with Shimon Garibi of Elite Kitchens.
Heather Heider, left, and Jennifer Sergent mug with Architect Brad Mellor in the Tower Suite’s incredible Snaidero kitchen.
Brigitte Reyes, left, and husband Mills Davis, right, who own Reyes + Davis Independent Exhibitions, are embraced by artist James Huckenpahler.
Emilia Philip poses with Berkay Demirkan, marketing director for Tatari Construction, and his date, Anastasia Ivanova.
Marty Valentine of Advertising Your Way, and Heather Heider.
Jennifer Sergent finds herself between two handsome men – Ilan Fulop, left, and Tom Fulop of Rockville Interiors.
Emily Lyons shares a laugh with Architect Andreas Charalambous of Forma Design.
Trish and Robert Donnally stand before the poster of our current cover, hoping for five, 15, 25 more years, and then some!
Bedrooms – Only Adequate?
Williams Sonoma Home provides a great guide map in the search for the perfect bedroom.
When we were in High Point last month, we were given the results of a survey taken by the American Home Furnishings Alliance, which among other things stated that one-third of younger Americans (the tech-savvy, just-graduated-from-college crowd) see their bedrooms as “practical spaces.” That’s fine – they don’t have that much money to splurge on luxurious bedding at the start of their careers.
But what surprised me the most is that the next two generations – the 35-44 and 45-54 age groups – “most commonly describe their bedrooms as ‘adequate environments,’ ” the survey said.
Really? Really? I’m sorry, but after a long day at work and an evening filled with minding young children, I need to snuggle away to an environment that’s a whole lot better than adequate.
Especially when we feasted our eyes on so many new sleeping beauties at the market, which beg you for a better bedroom. Don’t you all agree that it’s time for an upgrade?
Just imagine yourself sleeping like royalty in this bed by French Heritage, which is sold locally through Colony House.
I can’t get over this bed by Ankasa, which is upholstered in gray and blue herringbone tweed and embroidered with lovely crewelwork on top.
The coordinating ottoman and pillow are luscious – you can design a whole bedroom around these pieces.
Hästens – the handmade-mattress maker from Sweden, also had a booth at the market, where they explained in minute detail precisely why these things cost as much as a car.
The 2000TII, for example, has no fewer than 29 layers of wool, cotton, horsehair, and individually wrapped springs on top of a wood frame. The horsehair draws the moisture out of the bed (yes, we sweat while we sleep), thus eliminating the lure for dust mites.
These are beds where you don’t want to completely cover the mattresses, as you can choose from many colors:
Ok, this bed might be worth going into debt for – we spend more time sleeping than driving, no?
But in case we have to make do with a more common mattress, let’s get back to the pretty beds.
These delightful twin beds are from C.R. Laine.
These handmade linens from the Kevin O’Brien Studio include screen-printed patterns, embroidery, and velvet appliqué on a cotton/linen ground. Mmmm.
And if you want to feel truly regal, check out this formidable bed from Lee Industries.
Having this tall, assertive headboard would seriously boost my self-esteem.
The American Home Furnishings Alliance survey noted that among people age 55-64, 58 percent (rightly) stated that they considered their bedroom to be “a comfortable sanctuary.” Let’s all learn from them and set our horizons a little bit higher than … adequate. Please?
Cocktails With Michael Smith at the W Hotel
Just after Michael Smith’s talk at the Corcoran Gallery of Art last night, select local designers and architects met for a private tour and cocktail party at one of DC’s most dazzling and hospitable perches, the W Hotel. Los Angeles-based Designer Dianna Wong updated and energized the old landmark (formerly the Hotel Washington, built in 1917), which is practically within toasting distance of the White House. Its rooftop bar has unparalleled views of just about all of DC’s big attractions.
Michael Smith and Ali Wentworth, flanked here by Washington Spaces Editor in Chief Trish Donnally, and Washington Spaces Associate Publisher Heather Heider, had cocktails in the W rooftop lounge after his talk.
Pinstriped upholstery, corseted lighting, repurposed antiques, and an “Alice in Wonderland”-themed lounge – the hotel is full of ideas.
The group looks on at an art piece and what could be called a “telefire” – rather than wood, the fireplaces at the W show images of logs burning.
There’s a beautiful blend of old and new going on – this antique reception desk now conceals a “secret space” – a hidden area for reading, gossiping, being waited on hand and foot by the generous hotel staff, or what have you.
These magnificent chandeliers were original to the Hotel Washington – they bring a soft, glowing light to the lower-level Great Room. (I don’t even want to think about how they get cleaned.)
Even the meeting rooms are amazing – white Italian leather chairs, anyone?
We visited the Extreme Wow suite, the room that the W’s Public Relations Director Barbara di Martin quips “has no price.” (Actually, the list price is $10,000 per night.) A Waterworks jet tub, black mohair Louis chairs, cast-bronze seating, a private pantry, and ample space to primp and entertain make this space unforgettable. Of course, the suite’s views are gorgeous.
Miriam Dillon of Custom Design Concepts Architecture + Interiors and Ernesto Santalla of Studio Santalla Inc.
Then it was up to the P.O.V. indoor/outdoor rooftop lounge for an intimate cocktail hour. The hotel uses house-made juices and sodas for its cocktails, which were a huge hit.
Samantha Friedman of Samantha Friedman Interior Designs LLC and Washington Spaces Marketing Director Meghan Marino.
Heather Heider, W Hotel Marketing Manager Kaitlyn Ferrara, Christian Zapatka of Christian Zapatka Architect LLC, W Hotel Public Relations Director Barbara di Martin of The Patton Group, and Trish Donnally.
Kirk Pillow, provost and dean of the Corcoran Gallery of Art, College of Art + Design, Washington Spaces Senior Staff Writer Emily Lyons, and Marc Ross, creative director of Spectrum Collection.
Even dimmed as it was by drizzle and fog, the view from the lounge overlooking the capital city is an utterly powerful sight.
Michael Smith Comes to Washington
To borrow one of Michael Smith’s favorite terms, the White House decorator is extraordinary. And despite his high profile, he’s extraordinarily down to earth and fun to talk to.
We sat with him yesterday before he gave an hour-and-a-half talk at the Corcoran Gallery of Art, – with Ali Wentworth jumping in as his hilarious sidekick – to a sold-out crowd.
Michael Smith poses at the Corcoran before giving his design talk. All photography by Matthew Dandy.
Sadly, he stayed mum on his work for the Obamas’ private quarters in the White House. “I never really talk about any of my clients,” Smith demurred. But we managed to squeeze in a few White House questions that he did answer.
We wanted to know how he connected with the Obamas in the first place. A mutual friend, White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers, introduced them, he said.
How has his life changed since being thrust into the limelight after being selected to decorate the White House? “It’s like getting an extraordinary seat in history. Nobody could anticipate how much attention this White House would get,” Smith said. “It’s extraordinary that the White House has had so many interesting incarnations and so many diverse voices. To be a part of it is amazing, and to work for people I have such profound respect for is an incredible honor.”
Naturally, Smith was involved in helping to find the distinctive array of art that the Obamas have recently added to the White House.
“For the first time to attempt to bring not only contemporary but also some traditional work in the White House is amazing. It’s been extraordinary to work for Bill Allman (the White House curator). The opportunity to have so many new voices in the building, that is history, and it touched a lot of people.” Smith said that the diversity of the Obamas’ choices “represents the best of American ingenuity.”
He added, “The president and Mrs. Obama are incredibly thoughtful and respectful for what this means.”
Smith grew increasingly uncomfortable with the White House questions, so we moved on to his design philosophies in general.
SMITH’S DESIGN APPROACH
Smith strives to create the “culture of a house” when decorating for clients, and does so by keeping three things in mind:
1. A client’s personality and taste
2. The architecture of the house and where it’s located
3. His ability to go in and edit
“I try to hone things down. The house has a particular voice that’s their voice more than mine, but that’s molded by my presence and where they are (i.e. location).”
THE WELL-DECORATED ROOM
Rooms that look beautiful in photos aren’t necessarily “good” rooms to live in.
“Decorating a room is like playing three-dimensional chess. You’re constantly moving things, which impacts other things. The way they live in a house is fundamental.” You consider all the different elements. “You need to think about how these rooms are going to move forward and change. Rooms need to fit comfortably and be flexible,” Smith said, adding that they shouldn’t be so static and specific that you can’t evolve and move forward. “You don’t want a room where you can’t one day decide to hang folk art or your children’s drawings. They shouldn’t ruin a room.” A room might look perfect in a photo, but “how does it feel on a rainy day in February, or when your kid brings home six kids from junior high?” he asked.
CHILDREN’S ROOMS
Smith mentioned that kids’ rooms in particular need to be flexible, because “childrens’ tastes evolve and change in a really accelerated way. Today’s cowboy is tomorrrow’s fireman.”
Furniture is expensive, so it needs to last longer than a child’s momentary whim. “Listen, nobody wanted a car bed more than me,” he joked. But don’t decorate for the moment. “Your 7-year-old is not going to want a car bed when he’s 16. He’s going to want a car when he’s 16.”
Smith tries to be “conscious and judicious, thoughtful and careful. You’re talking about people’s workmanship and people’s time.” He said his clients often move furniture from house to house. They recover it, but if it has “a classical shape and well-made upholstery,” the investment will last a long time.
WASHINGTON HIGHLIGHTS
Smith’s favorite building aside from the White House? The Octagon
“I find it so, so extraordinary. I love the quirkiness of it. I love the color. There’s something about it that’s kind of great. It feels so extraordinarily American.”
Shopping? “I love to walk around in Georgetown and look at shops. I love John Rosselli. I love to walk into the Pottery Barn and the Baker store. The experience of shopping in Georgetown is so amazing and kind of great. It’s so village-y.”
DC Style? “It’s very smart. You have the benefit of having extraordinary buildings and extraordinary houses.” He loves the combination of historic, “really charming and amazing architecture,” combined with contemporary architecture. “The architecture’s not as homogenous as other cities. You have a quintessential idea of a New York apartment. I don’t think you have a quintessential idea of DC … It lends itself to really distinctive points of view.”
SMITH’S DESIGN PHILOSOPHY
“Personality is so important … The best rooms are personal and eccentric in a way … With the proliferation of design books and curators of our lives, I think that individuality has gone out of people’s minds a little bit.”
We live in a culture where you can get sushi anywhere, “but you don’t necessarily want sushi everywhere. There’s a real opportunity in design … It needs to be personal and expressive, and it’s going to be a better investment for you in the long run.”
Some clients “want trucks to back up and an instant life to go in. I don’t want that.” He later added, “It’s uninteresting. It’s boring, and I think it’s ultimately doing a disservice. It’s like wearing somebody else’s sweater. It’s probably not going to fit you like one you buy yourself – and it’s probably going to smell like their cigarette smoke.”
Michael mugs with Ali Wentworth at a cocktail party with Washington Spaces at the W Hotel after his speech.
HIGHLIGHTS OF HIS TALK
Smith began his speech with slides: One was of him looking debonair with a martini in his hand in a London drawing room – his public persona. The second was of him jet-lagged in his sweats, hood pulled over his head, sacked out on a day bed with his dog. “That’s more true,” he said to huge laughter.
Smith, a history buff, gets obsessed with certain periods in time. He read Shogun when he was 10, “and all I would eat was Japanese food.” Everything then had to be Japanese. “You can imagine what kind of kid I was … I tend to have these obsessions with a particular period.”
He showed slides that illustrate his vast draw on history and cultural influence, such as a kitchen that combines the looks of 17th-century architecture with a Japanese shogun castle. (Shogun strikes again.)
- Smith loves eccentric collections – he’s learned a lot from the interests and collections of his clients, from Mid-century Italian art to 20th-century photography.
- He loves the idea of discord, “the element that makes a room different,” i.e. mixing a Renaissance painting with contemporary furnishings. He mentioned an Old Master painting on an easel in Philip Johnson’s glass house.
- He also showed the home of Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck, which originally looked like a “1982 MTV slumber party.” He stripped it down so it now is an homage to early ranch houses.
- He gets passionate about furniture when he wants a client to purchase something for their home. Discussing one round table, he said, “I think I made my head turn all the way around to get them to buy it … I’ve been known to actually kiss a piece of furniture, saying ‘See, you should buy it!’ ”
- “The dining room for me is always interesting.” You dine in there, pay your taxes there, make Halloween costumes in there. “For me, it’s always about being able to create something that’s beautiful in the day and night.”
- “It’s really hard to find an ideal carpet size, so I layer it over sisal a lot.” That is, buy a basic sisal rug in the size you need, and then put the rug you’ve found whose colors are perfect for your room over the top of it.
But houses do change. Smith talked about a dining room where he hired a decorative painter to make the walls look like Indian sandstone, but the next owner asked him to paint it all over in white. “Decorating is like sand painting for me. It just gets washed away.”
Ali Wentworth, who joined Smith on stage during the question and answer session, commented on what a perfectionist Smith is in terms of creating specific looks and moods in a room. When she hosted a dinner for him at her Georgetown home, “I was sent the tablecloth. I was sent the china. I was told how to hang the globe lights,” she said. Decorating a house for him “is literally soup to nuts… I’m lucky I got a seat at my own dinner.”
Books Afoot
I was at a photo shoot the other day with Interior Designer Dana Tydings, and ever the perfectionist, she arrived with bags of accessories to help style the rooms. She’s a fan of Anthropologie for its home goods (who isn’t??), and she brought a stack of some gorgeous books that she’d gotten there. They are the classic Brontë books, but that was beside the point – the outsides were done in magnificent swirls of orange, yellow and teal. Perfect for home decorating!
Other decorative offerings from Anthro. Reading is optional.
I know. Purists will say it’s sacrilege to view books as mere props, but it seems as if everybody’s doing it these days.
When I was at the furniture market in High Point, NC, earlier this week, books featured prominently – and most creatively – as decorative elements in showrooms.
These lovelies were at Bliss Studio
One really interesting trend I noticed was the practice of ripping the hard covers off books, revealing the raw spines beneath.
Spineless books form a centerpiece at Bliss Studio.
These raw books, paired with shells and other natural artifacts at Artesia, look like they came from nature themselves.
The vintage library cards on these recycled books at Regina Andrew is cool – along with the fact that they are tied up in twine.
Then, there are books whose original covers are removed and replaced with more substantial and decorative outerwear.
These books-by-the-foot at Go Home remind me of the ones I saw by Middleton’s Old World Library at the New York Gift Fair in August.
Books turn into curiosities at Natural Curiosities.
If you happen upon old pads or ledgers – or stacks of sheet music, or anything in aged paperback binding, they make a great natural-looking centerpiece, as you see here at Penthouse Indoor & Outdoor Furniture.
Julian Chichester took books and styled them in a really cool way, proving that they don’t all have to be lined up in the same direction for visual impact.
Also in the Chichester showroom, a display where monochromatic books look sharp as a highlight for accessories.
Last, but not least: the elegant display at French Heritage, where handsome old books and antiques mingle brilliantly in this stunning bookcase.
I love to read, OK? But I definitely look at books with an eye toward how they can dress up a shelf, and I’ve learned more than a few tips on that score this week.
Now, it’s time to reexamine my bookshelf at home. How do I tell my husband that his business and management books just aren’t pretty enough to make the cut?
Mariette Himes Gomez's Style Sensibilities
As promised yesterday when we blogged about New York designer Mariette Himes Gomez, who has been selected to decorate the presidential yacht, we’ll look at her elegant, eclectic style today.
Mariette Himes Gomez designed this space integrating an antique console.
The essence of Gomez’s designs is a purity and simplicity that’s hard to pinpoint. She often integrates exquisite antiques, which provide character to the rooms she designs, and she prefers muted tones, especially an array of whites that whisper. But to her credit, Gomez lets the lifestyles of her clients guide her designs rather than inserting herself in them too much. You don’t look at a room and automatically know she designed it. Rather, you look at a space and your eye lingers – you wonder, “What is it that makes this so appealing?”
Gomez, author of Houses, Inside and Out (2003, HarperCollins), and Rooms, Creating Luxurious, Livable Spaces (2007, HarperCollins), will launch Apartments, HarperCollins, in February, 2010. She gave a fascinating talk at the International Home Furnishings Market in High Point, NC, on Sunday, and used images from her books to illustrate her points.
The distinguished designer has an unfailing eye, and the spaces she designs are superbly edited. She selects art and furnishings for clients because she knows they’ll work well for that specific client, not because of their provenance.
Mariette Himes Gomez’s former flat in London includes a mirror that reflects the beautiful ceiling.
For example, Gomez once chose a particularly distinctive bookcase for a client because “he was a man who needed interesting things; they had to have integrity. I love art, I love great furniture. I don’t mind putting time into [searching for] that,” she said. “When you’re that earnest about things, you want them to have soul.” Gomez didn’t learn until years later that the bookcase she had found for her client was by Paul Frankl, the renowned Austrian art deco furniture designer, and was one of only two of the now famous Skyscraper bookcases he had made.
Gomez’s clients often request English antiques. “Everyone thinks that English furniture is so elegant and so serious and so wonderful.” She paused, and then said, “Well, some of it isn’t.”
The designer, who was reared in a small town – Alpena, MI – has a great love and appreciation for American antiques. “We forget that we have so little… Most of it is in museums.” She has often built entire rooms around a single rare and important antique, including here in Washington. “It’s to the credit of these people who can afford these things to actually live with them and not treat them like they’re in a museum.” She adds that serious furniture needs to be complemented with serious draperies and rugs, and art appropriate for the era of the furniture.
Bedrooms are among Gomez’s favorite rooms to design. This one’s a beauty.
Gomez’s boudoir chair for Hickory Chair is the perfect bedroom chair.
Subtlety reigns throughout Gomez’s designs. You won’t find bling. Instead, she works with nuances, such as ambient light. “We always ignore the immense possibilities of a lamp table… I have a thing about that… We always need more lamps and less recessed lighting,” she said.
Naturally, the designer understands scale. “All men need a good-sized desk, whether working in London or New York,” she said, while showing the image of the large round table in a London flat with a Knoll chair at it.
Gomez designed the Belle mirror and Continental demi-lune cabinet seen here for Hickory Chair.
Gomez loves mirrors. “Never underestimate mirrors. They open up any room – the bigger, the better.” Louvered shutters can provide privacy, plus a lot of light, she added.
For a spectacular room she decorated that has a water view, Gomez purposely chose spider-back chairs that don’t block the view.
Gomez was inspired by her flat in England when she designed the London arm chair for Hickory Chair.
Gomez introduces a large-scale circular artifact in this room that somehow feels just right.
It will be fascinating to see how Gomez decorates the Sequoia, the classic 1925 Trumpy yacht. She’s already taken hundreds of photos. When she’ll fit it into her schedule – between decorating homes for clients, designing a collection for Hickory Chair, and overseeing her store, The Shop in Manhattan, will be a challenge. But we expect smooth sailing from this international design star, who is expected to have the Sequoia shipshape by the spring of 2011.
Mariette Himes Gomez to Design Presidential Yacht
Mariette Himes Gomez has been asked to decorate the presidential yacht, the U.S.S. Sequoia. Gomez was named a Giant of Design by House Beautiful in 2004 and a Dean of American Design by Architectural Digest in 2005. The great respect for American antiques she has revealed throughout her career shows that Gomez is an excellent choice to decorate the Sequoia in time for its 85th anniversary in 2010-2011.
Mariette Himes Gomez
What does Gomez think of being selected? “Major! To do something that’s this important that’s part of our history is major,” she said today. “I really think of it as a museum. I’m very honored and very humbled,” she said, as she was preparing to fly back to New York from the furniture market in High Point, NC.
The U.S.S. Sequoia
Gomez had a lengthy visit to the Sequoia. “I saw it in dry dock, I spent a couple of hours there,” said Gomez, who has designed the interiors of yachts and jets in the past. “You have to do something in a very different way for something on the water.”
The Sequoia was last decorated by Carleton Varney 25 years ago during the Reagan administration. The historic yacht is currently docked at the Gangplank Marina on the Potomac. “It’s been there for several years and is used for special events,” said Jack Cassidy, director of the board of the Sequoia Presidential Yacht Preservation Trust. “It’s continuously used and every year it goes through an intensive inspection by the Coast Guard.”
Stay tuned for more on Mariette Himes Gomez and her design style tomorrow.
Color Tips from Farrow & Ball
I brushed off my public speaking skills at Color Wheel in McLean, VA, yesterday, in which we sponsored a color-coaching talk by Farrow & Ball’s national sales associate and color consultant, Ann Pailthorp. I got to introduce Ann, and at the same time fawn over Farrow’s line of paints and wallpapers, some of which is being used across the street at the CharityWorks GreenHouse.
Here’s a sampling of their subtle, yet deeply pigmented hues (which are all eco-friendly, thank you very much):
The store was delightfully outfitted for the talk, which included more than a dozen primly dressed interior designers.
Ann, below left, and U.S. Stockist Manager Sandra Cohen (don’t you love those British titles?) stand in Color Wheel’s Farrow & Ball display area. This little store in McLean, which has been in the same spot since 1965, was the first in the United States to stock this venerable English paint.
While promoting her paint, Ann dispensed lots of helpful tips on using color in general.
- First, she said, create a continuity of color through different rooms, but change up the combination. Use a deep, dark color with light trim in a vestibule, for instance, and reverse that order in a larger room beyond.
- If you are using wallpaper, make sure your painted trim highlights the pattern in the paper. She held up this deep-blue sample of Farrow’s St. Antoine paper to make her point:
A bright white trim would only draw your eye to the contrast line, she said. Rather, use one of the blues from the paper – either the background or the pattern color – to make the wallpaper pop.
- Ann also addressed the eternal question for painting in a room with a chair rail: What goes above, and what goes below? Try to keep the darker color below the rail, she said, because it will have a grounding effect, such as in this bedroom:
- Painting the darker color above the rail makes the room feel top-heavy, and gives an impression that the room is falling in on itself.
- Of course, she added, rules are made to be broken, as they are here with this ultra-modern kitchen.
- Then there are times when you might think about subtle color gradations on the trim, walls, and ceiling, rather than sharp contrasts. Paint the ceiling in a variation of the wall color, for example. That way, the ceiling will seem to disappear and make the room seem larger. If the ceiling is a stark white, it creates a sharp cutoff from the wall, confining the space. “It’s all about layering colors,” she said.
- Sometimes, it’s best just to use one color everywhere, especially in rooms where there is lots of trimwork all around. One consistent color allows your eye to roam around the space, instead of stopping and starting with each new piece of trim. As a result, other items, such as the kitchen shelving below with its colorful dishes, stand out more.
- Finally, she said, rid yourself of the notion that small, dark spaces need a bright color to wake them up. “Embrace the darkness of the space. Don’t fight its inherent qualities.”
Thanks, Ann, for the tips. These will serve me well as I contemplate a new color scheme for my dining room and my sons’ bedroom. But you didn’t help me with the hardest part: deciding which colors to use!
Mixing High and Low with Annette Hannon
Interior Designer Annette Hannon recently sent us pictures of this really cool addition to a Great Falls, VA, home. What I love most about it is that she blends items from Crate & Barrel and Pottery Barn with high-end choices such as custom works by David Iatesta.
Here’s a view of all the new spaces, looking from the living area to the dining area, through to the study on the left, and a hallway back to the kitchen on the right. I love the mix of materials – iron chandeliers, brick wall, giant painted wood trusses, and warm hardwood floors – all enhanced by the subtle colors of upholstery and window treatments – and illuminated by the gigantic skylights and windows. All photography by Angie Seckinger
The homeowners, who have three grown daughters, two sons-in-law, and two young grandsons, wanted their addition to be family friendly and big enough for entertaining. “They really wanted to have the kids come home – to create a great place for the kids’ vacation,” Hannon says.
And to make sure there was room for everyone, Hannon had David Iatesta create a huge dining table topped by equally impressive chandeliers.
Come closer, and you’ll see that the side chairs at this table are lovely – and they come from Crate & Barrel. Yet Hannon paired them with higher-quality armchairs at each end by Rose Tarlow for Melrose House. The Indian dhurrie rug is by Carpet Impressions in McLean, VA.
Just beyond the dining area, and behind the massive brick wall, is this cozy little jewel of a study, which used to be the home’s family room. You can just see the leather sofa in the foreground, which the couple already owned and which served as the foundation for the decor.
Hannon added chairs and a coffee table by Iatesta, and a rich cocoa grass cloth wallcovering by Phillip Jeffries Ltd. – like a blanket you just want to wrap yourself into. Hannon had the carpet custom-made through Carpet Impressions to bridge the home’s “cool blue living room” and the warm browns of the new great room.
Light was important to the owners when the addition was designed, and they didn’t want window treatments to interfere with it. So Hannon chose these creamy sheers by Pollack for the newly designed spaces.
Moving into the living room, Hannon chose muted colors for the furniture, so as not to distract the eye from the energy of the light and the room’s massive architectural features.
Sofa and club chairs by Edward Ferrell, and the coffee table is by Baker. The sofa fabric is chenille by Kravet, while the chairs are upholstered in Pollack’s Suede Charade: “The most divine Ultrasuede around!” Hannon wrote in an e-mail. “Why do we love it? No handprints or marks are ever seen; it wears like iron, and wipes up like a dream – even pen comes out easily.” Rug by Carpet Impressions.
The console and ottomans are by David Iatesta (I’m starting to see a theme here…). The ottomans are covered in chenille by Rogers & Goffigon. The unusual sculpture came from a trip to California. Lamps by Baker.
The Rogers & Goffigon fabric from the ottomans under the console carries through to this wing chair and ottoman that sit between the living and dining areas in a lovely vignette,
which is topped by an equally pretty sconce by David Iatesta.
While it’s great fun to design an addition, bridging the old construction with the new can be a challenge. Hannon had to design this pass-through from the kitchen to the great room in a way that would blend the looks from both spaces.
The kitchen tile had long since been discontinued, but she found larger tiles in a similar color. To make it look like she wasn’t trying – and failing – to match the kitchen tile, however, she used planks from the great-room hardwood to create a trellis pattern. “Now you look at the space, and there’s no way you can tell” it wasn’t always that way, Hannon says.
The chairs, furthermore, came from Crate & Barrel, and the table in between is a sculpture from the couple’s travels that Hannon topped with glass.
The throw pillows on the chairs are the same fabric as the grand Colefax & Fowler window treatments, which make an otherwise ordinary pass-through a space worthy of stopping and staying a while.
The owners didn’t know what to do with an old, rustic pitchfork they already had, but Hannon loved it, and knew exactly where it should go. “I said, if things get really rough in the kitchen, she can always use it!” Hannon also thought it would be great “to have this little roughness next to the Colefax & Fowler.”
Last but not least, Hannon designed this adorable changing room just off the pool, where the couple’s grandsons could change – and even nap – in between their outdoor adventures.
The ladder in the foreground leads up to a loft built especially for the boys. The built-in daybed is covered in durable – and inexpensive – pillows from Pottery Barn.
Let’s see. I have two young sons – and a handsome husband who is very handy around the house. I wonder if this energetic couple is looking to adopt any more grown daughters? I already live in Arlington – I wouldn’t even have to travel very far. Mom? Dad? What do you say?
Before and After with Nancy West
Interior Designer Nancy West sent in pictures of this charming bedroom she redecorated for a recent college graduate living with her parents in Middleburg, VA. Not only is the space adorable, but it’s incredibly sentimental: She incorporated furnishings and fabrics from the young woman’s mother and grandmother into the design.
But let’s start at the beginning. Here’s the “before” picture.
Clearly, West needed a lot of imagination to go from “before” to “after.” Let’s see how she did it.
The “before” picture doesn’t show that the ceiling was already painted like a blue sky with clouds. Nancy let the ceiling, along with the glorious views out the window, direct where she would go next.
Kravet’s Dotted Swiss in White, #704-1, pairs with Fabricut’s Alvarez01
She fashioned a “cloud-like bower” above the bed, to make it look like it fell from the sky. The canopy and drapery fabric on the wall are dotted sheers by Kravet. The pale blue directly behind the bed is a silk plaid by Fabricut. Those same fabrics were used for the window treatments.
The bed and desk chair were in the client’s mother’s room as a girl. The yellow side chair was her grandmother’s, where her grandmother used to do her sewing. West re-upholstered the headboard and side chair in a happy yellow fabric (Pasture Green, #83806-430) from Brunschwig & Fils. West also found a bedspread by the Martha Stewart collection at Macy’s, which she had tailored to fit the bed’s unusual thee-quarter-size, extra-long dimensions.
If you look back to the top picture, notice that West used two existing wood file cabinets as a base for a new desk. Amazing what a simple glass top can do for your décor.
This is so “Sound of Music” – West used the curtains that used to hang in the mother’s girlhood bedroom and had them made into a skirt for the dressing table, as well as dust ruffles and throw pillows for the bed. The gorgeous vanity mirror, by the way, came from the Baileywyck Shoppes in Middleburg.
West found a great bookcase from Ballard Designs that picks up on the room’s style. Capping it all off, a vibrant rug by Stark.
I love how West blended new items with pieces that go back two generations for this room. It reminds me of an upholstered rocking chair that my mother originally bought for her dorm room at Smith College, which I had in my bedroom as a girl, and which I reupholstered for my first apartment – after I, too, graduated from Smith. It then became the inspiration piece for the baby nursery where I rocked my two sons, and it now lives in our master bedroom.
Does anyone else have sentimental furniture stories?
And designers, if you have any other great “before and after” projects to share for the blog, please let me know at jsergent@washingtonspaces.com.