Home & Design

 


MB Visnic’s homes at The Woods of Woodmore in Mitchellville,
Maryland, start at 8,500 square feet.
 

MB Visnic’s Estate Homes

Only nine lots are left at The Woods at Woodmore, an enclave of 24 estate homes being built by award-winning custom homebuilder MB Visnic on two- to four-acre home sites in Mitchellville, Maryland.

The Woods at Woodmore will be a gated community featuring beautiful views and plenty of open space. Despite its peaceful setting, the community is only 20 minutes away from Washington, DC, Baltimore, and Annapolis during rush hour. It is also only a short drive from the Country Club at Woodmore, and in close proximity to the new National Harbor Waterfront property.

The estate homes at The Woods of Woodmore feature a minimum of 8,500 square feet of living space on three levels. Floor plans include expansive master suites and master baths, gourmet kitchens and large finished lower levels. Luxury touches include exquisite fit and finishes for floors, cabinets and more. All home sites feature extensive professional landscaping. Homes at The Woods of Woodmore, including home sites, are priced from $2.2 million.

For more information, call (301) 814-2600.

Hamlet Collection at Creighton Farms

Luxury-home buyers at Creighton Farms, an ultra-luxury community featuringa Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course in Loudoun County’s Aldie region, have a new series of large luxury homes from which to choose. The community’s Hamlet Collection is a series of eight different home styles and floor plans designed to offer a luxurious lifestyle in a sought-after community with prices starting in the $2 million range. Home styles include American vernacular, Colonial revival, English manor, or English romantic architecture.

Floor plans include, per plan, libraries, mudrooms, in-law suites, guest suites, terraces, home offices, game rooms, garden rooms, tap rooms and more. Master suites include large sitting rooms and walk-in closets, luxurious master baths, dressing rooms and private terraces, per plan. First-floor master suites are available. Depending on the model they choose, buyers will also find motor courts, garage space for two to four cars, porte-cocheres, terraces and optional swimming pools and pool houses.

Floor plans range from 3,460 to more than 5,400 square feet. Systems include minimum 400-amp electrical service; full access data portals for voice, Internet/intranet, phone and high-definition television in each room; dual-zone gas furnace and AC systems; and dual hot water systems with a minimum capacity of 100 gallons per system.  Along with the Nicklaus golf course, Creighton Farms features a clubhouse and concierge service managed by Ritz-Carlton, tennis courts, a resort-style swimming pool, a fitness center and a children’s activity center.

For more information, call (703) 957-4800.


The new Hamlet Collection at Creighton Farms in Loudoun
County, Virginia, offers eight home styles with prices
starting at approximately $2 million.

 
Indulgences- Fashion


I. Gorman Jewelers' new showroom

new design gem
I. Gorman Jewelers recently relocated to a swank new showroom designed by Washington’s Hickok Cole Architects. The space has an inviting but unmistakably hip vibe with floating display cases and a white-resin beverage bar. It’s the perfect backdrop to spotlight I. Gorman’s well-edited collection, including a pendant and cufflinks by jewelry designer Todd Reed. 1133 20th Street, NW; www.igorman.com

made in the shade
Beach-bound sun worshippers are snapping up Jimmy Choo’s new sunglasses. The Marge Ring-Temple shades come in Dark Havana or Black Shiny frames. They’re $296 at Bloomingdale’s Chevy Chase, 5300 Western Avenue, Chevy Chase, MD; www.bloomingdales.com

bag alert
We love the Dior Gypsy hobo in soft red leather from the spring 2008 collection. Its curvy contours are embellished with perforated ruffles—too much fun to resist. Available in three sizes, the medium is $1,750 at Dior, 5471-E Wisconsin Avenue, Chevy Chase, MD, or the Dior handbag boutique in Saks Fifth Avenue in
Tysons Galleria; www.dior.com


Dior Gypsy Hobo

Jimmy Choo sunglasses

 
Indulgences- Toys


Panasonic's 150-inch Life ScreenScreen Envy
Not long after Panasonic introduced the largest plasma TV available—the 103-inch Panasonic TH-103PH9UK—the company outdid itself, introducing the 150-inch Life Screen at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show. The largest TV in the world, it will hit stores in 2009. Both models feature full HD resolution. The 103-inch model retails for about $70,000; the Life Screen has yet to be priced. www.panasonic.com/proplasma.Hot Wheels
Porsche’s limited-edition Boxster RS 60 Spyder was inspired by the automaker’s 1960 racecar sensation, the Type 718 RS 60 Spyder. This 2008 release pays homage to the original down to its silver metallic paintwork and Carrera red leather interior. Fewer than 800 of the 1,960 units produced will make it to U.S. shores. $64,900; www.porscheusa.com

Smooth Sailing
The 143-foot Wally Esence marries the sleek form of an America’s Cup contender with the comforts of a luxury yacht. The high-performance, Italian-built sloop boasts a teak deck, a one-person sail handling system—plus air-conditioned cabins and satellite TV. Visit wally.com


Porche's Boxster RS 60 Spyder

Wally Esence

 
Indulgences- Food


Mrs. K's Toll House Restaurant

A Vintage Pour

Mrs. K’s Toll House Restaurant, a Silver Spring landmark since the early 1900s, just opened The Wine Press, a temperature-controlled cellar that spotlights a wine list of 600 labels and 64 wines by the glass. The brainchild of general manager Spiro Gioldasis, the space recalls an Old World cave complete with exposed native stone, vintage brick floors and iron details. The Wine Press serves lunch and dinner and hosts special wine dinners every other Wednesday. 9201 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, MD; www.mrsks.comNews Bite
Wolfgang Puck is the latest celebrity chef to tip his toque to Washington. The Source brings Puck’s fare to DC under the direction of executive chef Scott Drewno. The modern, three-level restaurant located in the Newseum serves a casual lounge menu (prime beef sliders, wood-fired pizzas) on the ground floor and Asian-inspired cuisine using seasonal organic ingredients upstairs. Roasted suckling pig with plum-fig chutney, anyone? Pennsylvania and Sixth, NW; www.wolfgangpuck.comChef Watch
Bertrand Chemel, new executive chef at 2941 Restaurant, started whipping up magical plates—such as grilled octopus with cannellini beans, red peppers and chorizo oil (above)—upon arrival. Don’t miss the apple tarte tatin with caramel for dessert. 2941 Fairview Park Drive, Falls Church, VA; www.2941.com

 


Wolfgang Puck's The Source comes to Washington, DC.

Bertran Chemel comes to 2941 Restaurant.

Chemel's grilled octopus with cannellini beans, red peppers
and chorizo oi.

Cachet
 


The Belgrave desk boasts an inset leather top, part of
the Roger Thomas Signature Collection for Edward
Ferrell + Lewis Mittman.

Capital Design Week

Celebrity designers and showroom experts introduced a host of chic new arrivals at The Washington Design Center in March

Roger Thomas, the designer behind the interiors of the Wynn Las Vegas and Wynn Macau resorts, unveiled his new 26-piece collection for Edward Ferrell + Lewis Mittman (along with a killer slide show of his luxe hotel rooms and lavish casinos) to a full house of local designers. Thomas travels the world for inspiration. The Roger Thomas Signature Collection includes the Veneto lounge chair with silver-leaf frame (pictured at top with Thomas). The Belgrave desk boasts an inset leather top. “I love chairs to be as dramatic from the back as they are in the front,” said Thomas. As for desks, he continued, “When they stand alone, they need to be pieces of sculpture.” A winning combination, indeed. Visit www.el-fm.com.

The Salon Sofa is one of 25 pieces that recently debuted in the Henredon for Scalamandré collection. This dramatic high-back piece combines tufting and nailhead trim. Visit www.scalamandre.com.

Stephanie Odegard introduced some of her latest rug designsVisit www.odegardinc.com.

Farrow & Ball has introduced 18 fresh new colors to its palette. Visit www.farrow-ball.com.

Interior designer Candice Olsen, host of HGTV’s “Divine Design,” offered design tips and introduced her new upholstery collection during Capital Design Week. “I wanted to showcase beautiful design schemes on classic shapes,” she said, describing her line that includes the Beckett chair and the Ollie sofa. Olson’s collection is available at the Charles Ray showroom or visit www.candiceolson.com. —Sharon Jaffe Dan

Party Central

Find 145 bar stools under one roof

Great Gatherings, a 17,000-square-foot showroom dedicated to the art of celebration, recently opened in the new Virginia Gateway Center in Gainesville. The store offers all the accoutrements of home entertaining—from billiards tables and bar stools to outdoor furnishings and grill ensembles. Great Gatherings also features a wide range of accessories, including tabletop items and barware from brands such as Waterford, Nambé and Mikasa; espresso machines; Wurlitzer juke boxes and more.

Great Gatherings plans to serve the Washington, DC, party circuit well, with four additional stores slated to open in the area by next year. The showroom is located at 13177 Gateway Center Drive in Gainesville, VA. Phone (703) 753-0515 or visit www.mygreatgatherings.com.—SJD

On the Shelf

New books celebrate good design indoors and out

Tour an eclectic mix of residences that capture the cultural diversity of the nation’s capital in Dream Homes: Greater Washington, DC. Part of a hardcover series, the book features homes designed by many of the Washington area’s top architects, with styles ranging from classical Gothic, Italianate and Victorian to chic urban contemporary. Panache Partners, Plano, TX, February 2008; $34.95.

Noted interior designer Charlotte Moss takes you through a couture-inspired home in her latest design book, A FLAIR FOR LIVING. Balancing the rich details of the French court with patterns reminiscent of English manor life in her design, Moss emphasizes that spaces with personalized elegance can be attained without forgoing comfort. Assouline, New York, NY, May 2008; $65.

French author and photographer Sébastien Siraudeau explores the antique shops and flea markets of France in his first book translated into English, VINTAGE FRENCH INTERIORS. Whether your home is minimal, traditional or rustic, a French treasure can spark up any room and make a distinct decorative statement. From hand-embroidered linens to cut-crystal wine goblets, this book provides plenty of ideas to help you create a French-inspired home. Flammarion, Paris, France, March 2008; $34.95.

Porches, versatile additions to any home, not only change the way your house looks but also change the way you live in your house as well. Take a break, sip a glass of lemonade and watch the world go by with ON THE PORCH. Architects James Crisp and Sandra Mahoney offer a complete design guide to porches, with tips on construction, maintenance, lighting and finishing touches. Taunton Press, Newtown, CT, April 2007; $30. —Margaret Lee 

 


The Salon Sofa from the Henredon for Scalamandré collection.

Odegard’s Doka, in Aegean green, is hand-knotted of
hand-spun Himalayan wool colored only with vegetal dyes.

Farrow & Ball's Drawing Room Blue, inspired by the cobalt
pigment of bygone days, works swimmingly well with
Wimborne White , on the mantelpiece.

Candace Olsen's Ollie sofa.

Great Gatherings in Gainesville.

Dream Homes: Greater Washington, DC.

A Flair for Living, by Charlotte Moss

Sebastien Siraudeau's Vintage French Interiors

On the Porch, by James Crisp and Sandra Mahoney

 
Sensuality in Stone


Karen Bengel, ASID, selected silver travertine floors and
black slate walls in this dedicated home spa.

Karen Bengel’s client didn’t just want his primary bathroom equipped as a spa. He wanted a separate, dedicated spa in his new Arlington condominium. After purchasing and combining two adjacent units in the building, he already had two bathrooms in his home. So the spa—configured from what would have been a kitchen in one of the units—developed “as a refuge, a place to really relax and just shed the tensions of life,” says Bengel.

The space, fully open to an exterior wall of windows, was a bit unconventional for a spa. But an automated system of shades provides ample privacy when needed. Bengel proposed a material palette that celebrates nature. “The walls are black slate and the floors are silver travertine. The travertine is just simply gorgeous,” Bengel says. To add contrast to the stone surfaces, she employed wood accents on the custom-designed, stained-beech vanity and on the base of the BainUltra tub, which accommodates two.

In the true spirit of a spa, the tub is equipped with air jets and heated backrests; the floors are also heated. The walls of slate wrap around the tub and enclose a separate shower area. Organic shapes play off one another, from the curves of the tub to the semi-recessed sink that is cradled by the wooden vanity.

Bengel also designed a thorough lighting plan for the space. Above the tub, a line of recessed lights accentuates the texture of the slate below. Three ceiling-mounted fixtures provide ambient light, while a pendant with a frosted-glass shade floats over the vanity. Each set of fixtures is controlled by an individual dimmer, providing infinite mood combinations. The medicine cabinet door, when open, has a mirror inside for ease of use in front of the vanity.

To Bengel, the quality of the stone surfaces, supplied by Architectural Ceramics, sets this spa apart. The honed silver travertine floors are quarried in former mineral springs in Italy; the stone has only been on the market for a few years. And the black slate on the walls, quarried in India, is installed in a broken joint pattern. “The beauty of those stones is compelling to me,” she says. “I think often people see themselves in a war with nature on many levels and people try to fight nature in many ways. But I think part of the idea of a spa is reconnecting with nature.”

DESIGN Karen Bengel, ASID, Design Milieu, Washington, DC;

RESOURCES: Floor: Honed silver travertine, Architectural Ceramics. Wall: Black slate, Architectural Ceramics. Bath: Bain-Ultra. Sink: La-Cava. Tub Fixtures: Lefroy Brooks. Pendant: Steng Light. Painting: Alicia Arguelles.


The custom vanity in stained beech cradles the sculptural sink.

 
Suite Relaxation


Decorative aqua-colored glass tile insets provide a splash
of color in this master-bath addition by Fabry Associates
and Corcoran Builders.

For a Bethesda-area couple, a master-bath addition was just another step in the architectural evolution of their rambling 1950s vintage brick rancher located in Kenwood. The couple had previously tackled a major kitchen and family room addition before deciding to add a luxurious master bed/bath suite. According to their architect, Joan Fabry, one of the objectives for the new 1,800-square-foot addition was to provide a private getaway that would incorporate a master bath, bedroom, his and her dressing rooms, separate his and her baths, a powder room and a small study. The couple turned to Chris Corcoran of Corcoran Builders to execute the build-out.

The resulting dramatic, eclectic design places the master bath in center stage. Set into a gray-green, granite-topped platform, the rectangular tub is flooded with natural light that streams in through three windows featuring decorative detail. An overhead rectangular skylight offers additional natural illumination. The homeowners selected a fill valve that is set into a ceramic tile block in a gray-green tone. The same, oversized tiles complement the tub surround and are applied to both walls and floors. “We wanted to keep a very neutral palette in the bath space to achieve a restful feel,” says the wife. Decorative aqua-colored glass tile insets provide a splash of color. The horizontal design is continued onto the textured, opaque shower enclosure. “The entire suite design was all about creating a place that would offer my husband and me a retreat from our busy, professional lives—a space that truly defines relaxation.”

DESIGN: Joan Fabry, AIA, and Dana Short, Fabry Associates, Washington DC. CONSTRUCTION: Chris Corcoran, Corcoran Builders, Rockville, Maryland.

RESOURCES: Stone: Stone Works. Plumbing: Kohler, VitraForm, Sigma, Hansgrohe. Tile: Echo Canyon. Tile Installation: Jarboe & Sons.

 
Tree House Retreat


Alan Field, ASID, and Joseph Handwerger AIA,
The Levine Group Architects + Builders, Inc.

Washington, DC, homeowners Lucantonio Salvi and Tania Chomiak-Salvi had lived in Europe for a while and were attracted to contemporary design. So when they turned to The Levine Group to create a master bedroom and bathroom addition on their 1950s-era Cleveland Park split-level home, they asked the firm to create a streamlined space with lots of luxurious elements.

“We had a lot of real estate to work with, which is a rarity in remodeling jobs in the city, since space restrictions are generally an issue,” says Field, the firm’s design director. “We extended the roof line and incorporated an under-utilized attic space. The extended 13-foot ceiling height makes the bath seem a lot larger than its 175 square feet.” Vertical design elements intersecting with simple strong horizontal planes inform the layout of the space. Amber-colored glass tile blocks, used in the shower stall wall, wrap around to create door casings that extend to the ceiling. The same material is applied to the sink wall and is also used as a baseboard detail. Three ceiling-mounted pendant lights above the vanity are spaced between two floating mirrors. The serene, spa-like feel is enhanced by sea green painted glass countertops and natural light that pours through floor-to-ceiling glass doors created as part of the build-out. “Everyone in the family uses this space,” says Tania. “We feel like we’re in a tree-house retreat and enjoy the new views of our back yard.”

ARCHITECTURE & CONSTRUCTION: Alan Field, ASID, and Joseph Handwerger AIA, The Levine Group Architects + Builders, Inc., Silver Spring, Maryland; photography: Allen Russ, Hoachlander Davis Photography, Washington, DC

RESOURCES: Tile & Mirrors: Waterworks. Lavatory & Shower Fittings: Grohe. Tub: Duravit. Glass Vanity Top: Classic Glass. Cabinetry: The Levine Group Architects + Builders Inc.

 
Old World Style


A double-vanity by Habersham in a distressed finish sets
the tone in this rustic bath by Gwen Seidlitz and Davida
Rodriguez.

Interior designer Gwen Seidlitz had a clear vision of the look she wanted to achieve in her teenage son’s bathroom in her family’s new Great Falls home. She wanted it to be masculine and convey an Old World style, but also wanted to avoid anything too traditional or fussy.

Seidlitz turned to kitchen and bath designer Davida Rodriguez to help make her vision a reality. Given the architecture of the long, narrow space, installing a bathtub and a separate shower wasn’t an option. Seidlitz chose to forgo the bath, since there are several other tubs in her home, and opted for a spacious shower clad in textural travertine. To create interest, Rodriguez added a chair rail detail to the shower, above which she created a diagonal tile pattern on the wall. She also designed a diagonal pattern on the shower floor to complement the walls.

“The travertine is a new material from Turkey,” says Rodriguez. “There’s only one quarry that makes it. It just has this beautiful movement, which really adds a lot of interest.”

As the focal point in the room, Seidlitz selected double-vanity cabinetry by Habersham in a distressed wood finish. The natural material palette also includes an ebony-stained hickory floor, which is used throughout the house. Rodriguez suggested a Cosmic Black granite countertop to tie together the dark floors and the travertine, which has dark striations.

Plumbing fixtures in a dark, “live” finish are the final touch. “They actually change tone and develop a patina over time,” says Seidlitz.

INTERIOR DESIGN: Gwen Seidlitz, Sage Interiors, Great Falls, Virginia; Bath Design: Davida Rodriguez, Davida’s Kitchen & Tiles, Gaithersburg, Maryland; photography: Bob Narod, Sterling, Virginia

RESOURCES: Vanity: Habersham. Plumbing Fixtures: Rohl. Travertine Tile & Countertop: Davida’s Kitchen & Tiles.


The dark fixtures and granite countertops play off the
accents in the travertine shower tiles.

 
A Modern Escape

Painted-glass counters top red birch cabinetry, while two small niches showcase the couple’s pottery collection, in this bathroom by Ben Osborne.When a McLean-area couple purchased a traditional colonial house several years ago, they knew at some point they would want to update the home’s master bathroom. “The bath reflected the materials and tastes from the 1980s,” says Lisa Banks. “The cabinets were dark, and the counters were made from Corian. My husband and I really like a more contemporary look, in both furnishings and design.” For help creating a more modern bath retreat, the couple turned to designer Ben Osborne.
“My clients had pulled some ideas from books and magazines, but it wasn’t until I sent them to some of my supplier showrooms that the space really started to come together,” says Osborne.

“We looked at so many samples—finding materials that are just right is like the process of finding a great wine,” says Lisa Banks. The major part of the renovation consisted of removing a closet to increase the square footage, and relocating the toilet. The now Zen-like space features a neutral palette—ivory-colored travertine covers the glassed-in shower stall and the double sink wall. Natural light from two large windows surrounding the new whirlpool tub plays off aqua-tinted painted glass countertops that top red birch cabinetry. In keeping with the spare design, accessories are minimal with the exception of small niches carved out to showcase the couple’s art pottery collected during their frequent travels. “This is now my favorite room in the house,” says Lisa of the serene, spa-like space.

DESIGN/BUILD: Ben Osborne, Osborne Company, Inc., Springfield, Virginia
Photography: Greg Hadley, Fairfax, Virginia

RESOURCES: Cabinetry: Quaker Maid Euro Cabinetry through Harvey’s Kitchens & Baths. Shower Door: Custom through Del-Ray. Windows: Great Lakes. Basins: Kohler. Vanity Tops & Shelves: Hutchison Glass & Mirror, Inc.


Two large windows bathe the whirlpool tub in natural light.

 
A Minimalist Palette


Design/Build: Jonas Carnemark systems+design, Inc.,
Bethesda, Maryland

Although a 20-year old, 4,500- square-foot brick colonial home presented investment banker Demetri Diavatis with some significant remodeling challenges, its Georgetown location held great appeal. He turned to designer Jonas Carnemark to recreate the space with contemporary styling.

“The bathroom was the last project we tackled and was part of a master bedroom suite remodel that came together almost like a puzzle,” says Carnemark. “My client wanted to fit a long list of spa-like conveniences into a constricted, narrow space. The challenge was to incor-porate a list of elements that included a whirlpool tub for two, a steam shower with bench, a double vanity, a closet and laundry, while creating an open, transparent atmosphere.” To accomplish the goal, Carnemark located the glass-walled steam shower in the center of the room as a see-through divider that informs the rest of the plan. To avoid having the plumbing on the exterior wall (and risk freezing), a tile-clad pillar deftly conceals the shower’s inner workings—and adds a striking design detail. Frosted panels provide privacy without eliminating sight lines, and in keeping with Diavatis’ streamlined, contemporary aesthetic, the material palette is kept to a minimum. Aqua blue mosaic shower details provide a shot of color against a wall of interior lit sliding doors that lend drama to the new space.

DESIGN/BUILD: Jonas Carnemark systems+design, Inc., Bethesda, Maryland; Photography: Maxwell MacKenzie, Washington, DC

RESOURCESFloor & Shower Floor: Floor Gres, Grigio Bedonia. Shower Wall & Tower: Bisazza. Bathtub: Tea for Two by Kohler. Shower Fixtures: Hangrohe. Steam Shower: Steamist.


Carnemark located the glass-walled steam shower in the
center of the room, a tile pillar concealing its inner workings.

 
Lap of Luxury


A waterfall flowing into the stainless-steel tub makes a striking
focal point in this tranquil bath by designer Karen Luria.

Sleek + Sculptural
Designer Karen Luria set out to create a sleek, sculptural bathroom during the renovation of her client’s Chevy Chase condo. She envisioned a spa-like retreat where everyday pressures would melt away amid a modern mix of natural and industrial elements. Though the original bathroom housed a double vanity, a marble whirlpool tub and a separate shower, it contained a lot of wasted space. So Luria reconfigured the room’s footprint and then fulfilled her client’s chief request: to eliminate the marble. They selected a stainless-steel tub that’s big enough for two which became the focal point in the bathroom. To soften the tub’s industrial edge, Luria honed in on earth-toned porcelain tiles to clad the bathroom’s floor and walls. Other natural elements, including resin panels containing real reeds and dried flowers, a river-rock floor in the shower and teak accessories, create an organic vibe. A calming waterfall flows into the tub from a wall-mounted fixture. The bath shows precise attention to detail in terms of both form and function. All trim is done in stainless steel to reflect the tub. Storage abounds in custom vanity cabinets. A custom teak “stair” serves as a stool and a shelf but also swivels around to help bathers climb into the tub. “I love the concept of bringing the outside in,” says Luria. “I wanted this to be a room that you enjoy looking at but also in which you may totally relax.”INTERIOR DESIGN: Karen Luria, Karen Luria Interior Identity, Inc., Alexandria, Virginia; photography: Lydia Cutter, Arlington, Virginia


Luria selected materials that recall nature, including resin
panels containing real dried flowers and a river-rock floor
in the shower and teak accessories.

Generous storage in a cabinet by the toilet area and in and
above the vanities minimizes clutter.

Less is More


Precise lines in stone, glass and steel define the façade of
the home David Jameson designed to integrate in scale to
the neighboring properties.

In his manifesto for the Bauhaus just a decade short of a century ago, architect Walter Gropius stated, “The ultimate aim of all visual arts is the building!” Later, his successor, Mies van der Rohe is said to have coined the phrase, “Less is more.” Less is most definitely more in this home-as-art designed by architect David Jameson for Steve Calem, president of Capital Funding Group, and Sandra Rubin, a physician. The couple and their two children live large in their minimalist home located in the Edgemoor neighborhood of Bethesda. Jameson designed a thoughtful home—a home that fits into the neighborhood; a home that is full of light, architectural detailing and visual harmony, implementing all the elements of visual art; a home that focuses on the daily routine and well-being of his clients.

Explaining how he integrates this modern house into its neighborhood, Jameson compares his design to the more traditional homes on the block, those built in the late ’30s and early ’40s. “This is the standard Bethesda-Chevy Chase face of a house, just recreated and reinvented in glass and stucco,” he says. “Behind that, you have the layering of the stone cube.” Preserving only the basement walls of this colonial-style brick home during construction, Jameson dug out the floor and underpinned it for higher ceilings. To maintain the scale of the neighborhood as he built upward, he maintained an eave line consistent with older homes on the block. In place of an attic within a steep roof, he topped his flat roof with a glass cube.

Most of the homes on the block have four or five steps leading to the front porch or stoop. Jameson took the dirt from his dig and deposited it in the front of the house, just behind a new stone retaining wall. Now, two steps lead up from the front sidewalk to a floating “bridge” of Pennsylvania bluestone in a thermal finish. Then, one more step rises to the front door.

This house is an exercise in proportion, scale and line, a melding of art and architecture. The rectilinear outline of glass, stucco and steel gives way to stone, each block precisely cut with no evidence of mortar. The center mullions on the first level bisect the center pane of glass on the second. The front door, a geometric assemblage of stainless steel, teak and translucent Lexan, has become a Jameson signature in many of his homes.

The interior spaces flow with one opening to another: to the right of the foyer is the music room; on the left is Calem’s office, the only room on this floor other than the powder room that can be completely closed. Beyond, the living room connects to the kitchen. From the living room, there is a visual link to the children’s rooms on the second floor; everyone is connected and yet there is privacy and individual space. Conversation flows effortlessly in the living room or kitchen even as daughter Arielle, nine, practices on the piano or son Nathan, 11, strums his guitar in the music room. The four-story steel staircase with cherry treads and an aluminum rail dramatically links the spaces vertically as the diagonal it creates adds a delightful tension to the controlled geometry of the design. Quarter-inch steel rods are spaced at just an inch and a quarter apart for a lyrical quality—walking past them, they appear to move, a subtle tribute to a family who appreciates music.

Viewed from the living room, a bridge threads through an opening leading to the master suite. This link to the children’s bedrooms involved a level of detail in planning and craftsmanship that sets this home apart. Cherry floorboards fit perfectly with no fill-ins or piecing together, a tribute to the pairing of fine craftsmanship with architecture.

One wall of the living room is paneled in African ribbon-mahogany cabinetry. A floating acoustical ceiling of mahogany blocks is encircled by a frame of clear glass. This glass is the floor of the third level, essentially a moat substantial enough to be walked on as light filters down two stories.

There are no baseboards in this home; drywall meets the floor flawlessly. At one point in the construction, Calem recalls his wife’s concern about the small number of workmen hanging drywall. He recalls responding that few installers can manage this level of precision work.

These white walls become a canvas for streams of light and shadows, prisms of color. “Sometimes I see a beam of light and then I see a tree reflected on the wall. Nature makes art inside the house,” says an appreciative Rubin.

For her, the concept of integrating the outside to the inside was fundamental. “I grew up with a lot of space and light,” the Argentinean-born Rubin notes. In planning this home she became interested in “the effect of space on people and how people react to space. When I am in this house, I am really happy.” For this family, their home nourishes the spirit while fostering day-to-day livability. Furnishings are minimal—no need for armoires, china cabinets, chests and bookcases. Storage is built into the house. “David did a really good job in organizing us and making places for different things,” Calem notes. An abundance of cabinetry hides behind the wall of mahogany in the living room. As Calem opens one cabinet filled with DVDs, he explains, “We don’t have them alphabetized. We are not the most organized people, but we know the general places for things to go and there is plenty of room.”

Off the foyer, in a hallway to the powder room, Jameson created four closets for coats, shoes or boots, one for each member of the family, again sheathed in mahogany. The same is true for one wall in the dining room where built-ins store china, glassware and even wine. Only under careful examination are the handles discernable. Jameson designed the dining table himself out of end-blocks of Douglas fir encased in bronze. In the kitchen and breakfast area, aluminum cabinets contain aluminized glass inserts. Storage is everywhere, from the deep drawers in the lower cabinets and island that house coffee pots and small appliances to the pantries opposite the eating area. A deep sink makes it possible to hide dirty cups and bowls until they get loaded into the dishwasher.

In Calem’s office, the desk is surrounded on two sides by anigre cabinets, a bit more decorative than the African ribbon mahogany used throughout the house. “Most people’s books are not beautiful, so we start with the idea to create this calm environment and I think it works,” explains Jameson. Electronic and technical equipment are out of sight along with notebooks, manuals and books. Shades are mounted inside slivers cut into the ceiling. “You can see out but nobody can see in,” explains Jameson. At night, the moon shines through the shades. “It is absolutely beautiful,” Calem says. “When we wake up in the morning, I push the button next to the bed for the shades to go up. How can you wake up and have a bad day when you see all of this beautiful foliage?”

The family room and guest room are located in the glass box atop the two main floors. After dinner, the family usually heads upstairs. “It’s a private area where we spend time with our kids winding down,” says Calem. The main room opens to a roof deck. In the back yard, a two-story outdoor room with one stucco wall for privacy is linked to one wall of the house, the ceiling pierced by a rectangular skylight. The space is an assemblage of mass and voids in precise proportion and scale, a geometric sculpture. When Calem’s 50th birthday party was held in the yard, everyone scooted undercover during a short drizzle. On another occasion, a movie screen was set up in the back yard for a film night with neighbors and friends. An invitation to this year’s movie night is one of the hottest tickets on the neighborhood social scene.

In the summer, they have all slept out on the roof deck under the stars. At the end of the day, this is a lived-in house—a minimalist space where its residents are living large.

Contributing editor Barbara Karth is based in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Paul Warchol is a photographer in New York City.

ARCHITECTURE: David Jameson, FAIA, David Jameson Architect, Alexandria, Virginia. GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Madden Corporation, Rockville, Maryland. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE: Gregg Bleam, Gregg Bleam Landscape Architect, Charlottesville, Virginia


The front door, a geometric assemblage of stainless steel,
teak and translucent Lexan, has become a Jameson
signature in many of his homes.

The foyer leads to the living room, where a television is built
into a wall of African ribbon-mahogany cabinetry.

In the dining room, built-in cabinetry stores china, glassware
and even wine. David Jameson designed the dining table
himself out of end-blocks of Douglas fir encased in bronze.

In the kitchen and breakfast area, aluminum cabinets contain
aluminized glass inserts. Storage is everywhere, from the
deep drawers in the lower cabinets and island that house
coffee pots and small appliances to the pantries opposite the
eating area.

The four-story steel staircase with cherry treads and an
aluminum rail dramatically links the spaces vertically as the
diagonal it creates adds a delightful tension to the controlled
geometry of the design. Quarter-inch steel rods are spaced
at just an inch and a quarter apart for a lyrical quality.

The horizontal bridge leads to the light-filled master bedroom.

Located in the glass box that tops the house, the third-floor
family room appears to float in the middle of a glass floor
that filters light to the living room below.

In the back yard, a two-story outdoor room with one stucco
wall for privacy is linked to one wall of the house, the ceiling
pierced by a rectangular skylight.

Step by Step


The renovation started with revamping the living room
fireplace with a granite mantel and surround, cherry
paneling and matching windows. To create an airier
space, oak floors were bleached, a ceiling beam
concealed and windows regrouped. Jeffrey Bernett’s
Metropolitan chairs and Antonio Citterio’s Charles sofa,
both from B&B Italia, and a travertine-topped coffee table
designed by the architects are arranged on a
custom-made wool rug.

Like a lot of homeowners, two attorneys slowly renovated their late 1960s rambler on a cul-de-sac in McLean, Virginia, as their budget allowed. They started with a few improvement projects after buying the house in 1984, remodeled the kitchen and added a master suite and exercise room in the 1990s and three years ago, decided the living spaces needed an upgrade.

“It was a classic case of one thing leading to another,” says John Dennis Murphey of Meditch Murphey Architects. “Their tastes had evolved over time to a more modernist sensibility and they wanted the house to reflect that.” The couple originally hired the firm to redo the living room fireplace and by the time the project was finished, the main wing of the house had been completely overhauled. “If we had an idea, they would listen,” says the architect. “They were fantastic clients in understanding what could happen if we pushed the design in a certain direction.”

In the living room, Murphey and project architect Lael Taylor fulfilled their original assignment by reworking the fireplace wall with a long sill of black granite over a surround of lighter, rougher stone. “The owners wanted the fireplace to be special so we lowered and spread out the mantel to create more of a presence,” says Taylor. A new window was added to the left of the chimney to match an existing opening to the right so the two now symmetrically frame the Venetian-plastered wall above the fireplace and draw the eye to this end of the room.

The combination of the vertical windows and low mantel makes the eight-foot-high space feel taller. To increase the sense of spaciousness, an exposed beam was concealed within the ceiling and oak floors bleached to a lighter color. Windows, once divided by mullions into many panes, were reconfigured into larger openings to contribute to the airy feeling. In the dining area to the side of the fireplace, a picture window was inserted to center the space and make it feel separate from the living area.

The main level was opened up further with a slotted partition in the entrance foyer, allowing for a view of the living space from just inside the front door. This wall is fitted with an etched-glass panel, black-granite countertop and cherry paneling and shelves to mirror the fireplace mantel and its cabinetry on the opposite side of the living room. “The clients wanted us to tie everything together so the scope of the job kept getting bigger and bigger,” says Taylor.

That meant the architects also worked as interior designers in creating furnishings to harmonize with the proportions and finishes of the renovation’s more contemporary look. “The owners’ furniture was dark and heavy and didn’t fit in at all,” recalls Murphey. Wool rugs in colors matching the light oak floors and furniture upholstery were made in Indonesia for the foyer, living space and dining room. Creamy travertine-topped coffee and side tables were also custom-designed to fit the low height of an L-shaped sofa and chairs from B&B Italia in the main sitting area. Once the living room was furnished, the husband and wife noticed a large blank wall and asked Meditch Murphey to come up with a solution. The architects designed what they call a “wavy armoire” for the couple’s growing collection of art glass in the same cherry as applied to the fireplace and foyer wall. To unify the space further, the architects convinced the owners to open up the hall staircase and rebuild the treads and risers in cherry to match the cabinetry.

Another request from the homeowners was to upgrade the bedrooms occupied by their twin teenage sons, leading Murphey and Taylor to line the small rooms with space-saving, built-in beds, dressers and shelves. Adjacent bathrooms were remodeled with showers enclosed by sandblasted glass partitions set into teak sills. In the guest room, the architects designed a cherry platform bed incorporating storage and reading lights. And they customized the wife’s office by extending the desk with a linoleum-lined work surface along one wall.

The assignment to upgrade the fireplace in the basement rec room led to the transformation of the entire space into a family room and entertaining space. “This used to be dark, chaotic space with wood paneling,” recalls Murphey. “Now it is the sons’ favorite place for hanging out.” Around most of this open space, floor-to-ceiling glass and picture windows bring in abundant daylight to banish any sense of being in a basement.

This contemporary space focuses on a fireplace flanked by narrow windows and built-in cabinets. A large curving sofa faces a flat-screen television hung on the chimney wall; cherry panels can be slid over the windows to darken the room for watching movies. On the back wall, the architects extended a kitchenette with maple cabinets and sliding glass doors. A long cherry bar runs along the side of the room and is paired with custom-designed maple stools. At the far end of the walk-out basement, a sitting room in the glassed-in porch provides another place to enjoy company and views of the back yard. It centers on a table designed by the architects in travertine to match the coffee table in front of the fireplace.

Their house has been renovated top to bottom, but still the attorneys want to pursue more improvement projects. Standing in the foyer, Murphey points to a modern grandfather clock near the front door. “Our next project is to recess it into a specially designed niche,” he says. For these discerning homeowners, an architect’s work is never done.

Deborah K. Dietsch is editor of Waterfront Home & Design. Maxwell MacKenzie is a Washington, DC-based photographer.

Architecture & Interior Design: John Dennis Murphey, AIA, and Lael Taylor, Meditch Murphey Architects, Chevy Chase, Maryland Contractor: Accent General Contracting, Rockville, Maryland.


Both the built-in curving armoire and staircase are finished in
cherry to visually connect the living area and hallway.

The walk-out basement now serves as a lounge and
entertaining area, focused on the flat-screen TV above
the fireplace. Wooden shutters can be pulled over the
windows to darken the space.

New windows and doors turn a formerly dark corner into a
light-filled spot for games and enjoying views of the backyard.

To save space in the son’s bedroom, architects Murphey
and Taylor designed built-in shelving and a dresser with
room for a laundry hamper.

Cherry wood was applied to vanities and storage in the son’s
bathroom as viewed from the porthole in the shower.

Along the back wall of the basement rec room, a new
kitchenette is fitted with maple cabinets and drawers, and
etched-glass panels. A cherry bar along one side is paired
with custom-designed maple stools for dining or doing
homework.

 
A Romantic Retreat


Built in 1836, the original home belonged to a ship’s pilot. 

A large serpentine bed of Knock Out roses causes cars almost to careen off the road when drivers first catch a glimpse of the stunning display that blooms all summer long in front of an old ship pilot’s house in Lewes, Delaware. It’s part of landscape designer Scott Brinitzer’s plan to give the front a “simple treatment” in keeping with the spirit of the architecture.

Despite its appearance, however, this landscape is anything but straightforward and uncomplicated. Site constraints made the project “beyond difficult,” says Brinitzer. Not only is the lot long and narrow, but it is angled, front to back, at 45 degrees and is also bisected by a road that runs in front of the house. Therefore, when the homeowners look out of the back of the house, their neighbor’s yard is directly in their line of sight, while their own property is to the right. Similarly, when they sit on the front porch and look toward the water, the neighbor’s lawn is in front of them, while their own dock and gardens are again to the right.

When Brinitzer first encountered the homeowners, they set the main parameters for designing their landscape, which until that point consisted of swathes of grass, tangled vines and a plastic in-ground pool. Having traveled extensively in Italy, the homeowners wanted a garden that reminded them of Tuscany, complete with a new swimming pool, a spa, an outdoor fireplace, a “summer house” addition that would double the size of the circa-1836 residence and plenty of space for entertaining. To make matters even more complicated, there was a 10-foot setback requirement on each side of the property, so the dimensions of the pool and the addition had to be exact. In the end, says Brinitzer, “we were within an inch of tolerance on every single structure.”

The shape of the property required an unusual layout for Brinitzer’s plan. Like a dance, each adjoining outdoor space moves forward and to the right from the last. The main design for the site is composed of views that are dictated by the 45-degree angles. Brinitzer located the fireplace and dining garden directly off the back of the main house and raised the area to meet the level of the kitchen floor and make a seamless transition between inside and out. The fireplace itself was faced with stucco to match the house, and seat walls of the same material were built alongside it to provide more space for visitors and to echo the architecture of the house. This area is now the garden’s main hub of activity, used as a breakfast room, by children for roasting marshmallows and by adults for after-dinner drinks and conversation.

From the dining garden, guests continue back into the herb garden, where a small circular pool is surrounded by boxwoods and purple and white petunias. Continuing along a pathway, guests walk under a pergola covered with roses and through a gate that takes them around to the home’s new addition, which houses a large great room on the main level and a bedroom upstairs.

Turning a corner around the addition, an entirely new landscape unfolds: a spa nestled among lush planting beds, a swimming pool and a “spring house.” This small structure with a water-trough fountain serves as a focal point and gate leading to the back garden. To the left, a neighbor’s garden with magnificent 150-year-old boxwoods comes into view.

Brinitzer contacted the neighbors, and convinced one of them that it made sense “to blend the properties.” To camouflage the fence that’s required around the pool, he planted fall-blooming camellias and boxwood on both sides of the property line. Each self-contained garden room in Brinitzer’s plan envelops guests completely; it’s impossible to survey the entire landscape from any given point. Upon arrival, says Brinitzer, “you don’t really understand it. You have no idea where you really are until you walk through the whole thing, and then it all makes sense.”

Because of the garden’s strong structural elements, Brinitzer introduced plantings to make the architecture less apparent over time. He introduced a number of “romantic” elements such as climbing Jackman clematis, New Dawn roses, lavender, catmint and hydrangeas with large blue flowers. Imported Italian containers overflow with colorful annuals. Many of the plants were selected by the clients, in consultation with Brinitzer, to determine what would work best in summer heat and humidity.

Three Italian cypresses were planted near the swimming pool, and three more in the contemplative garden, reached by walking through the spring house. That garden includes a bench, numerous shade plantings and a serene lawn that creates a park-like setting.

Across the street from the main house is the “canal garden” that takes guests down to the dock and the Rehoboth-Lewes Canal. The lawn serves as a spillover parking lot and as a big open area where a tent can be set up for large parties. It is flanked by perennial beds that cascade down to the water, each containing a specific plant: rugosa roses in one, Virginia sweetspire in the next, feather reed grass in another, and so on all the way down to the dock house and canal.

Brinitzer notes that the entire site is perfect for his clients’ many, many visitors. Between them, they have about 72 first cousins, so large family gatherings are a frequent occurrence.

Brinitzer says that guests usually spend the entire day at the pool and spa, then wander across the street and down through the canal garden to the water to watch the sunset over drinks and hors d’oeuvres before heading back to the dining terrace for dinner. “What we have here, really, is an all-inclusive resort,” he says. “It’s hard to get anyone to leave the compound.”

Washington, DC, landscape designer Jane Berger is publisher of GardenDesign Online.com. Photographer Roger Foley is based in Arlington, Virginia.


While the front yard is fairly simple, the back yard
includes a seating area with fireplace, a pergola
wrapped in climbing roses and an herb garden
where purple and white petunias surround a
circular fountain.

A gate leads from the herb garden to the “summer house”
addition.

From the addition, guests reach a spa nestled among lush
planting beds.

The main outdoor living space is flanked by seat walls
clad in stucco.

The spring house serves as a focal point and gate
leading to the back garden.

Flanked by lounge chairs and umbrellas from Restoration
Hardware, the pool and spa provide a cool oasis during
the summer months.

Across the street from the main house is the “canal garden,"
which takes guests down to the dock and the
Rehoboth-Lewes Canal. The lawn is flanked by perennial
beds that cascade down to the water, each containing a
specific plant: rugosa roses in one, Virginia sweetspire in
the next and feather reed grass in another.

From the spring house, guests reach the contemplative
garden, where a bench and shade plantings create a
park-like setting.

Happily Ever After


Annette Hannon overhauled the furnishings in the family room.
Walls in Benjamin Moore Copper Clay beautifully offset a pair of
silk rugs framed as art.

Recognize this fairy tale? Once upon a time a young couple settles into their dream home, has a few children and wakes up one morning blissfully happy but swimming in a sea of toys and a hodgepodge of furniture.

For a McLean couple, the plot was moving decisively in this direction before interior designer Annette Hannon came on the scene. Hannon, who runs Annette Hannon Interior Design in Burke, Virginia, was initially enlisted for the singular task of selecting fabric for curtains in the master bedroom. Her suggestion of an embroidered silk Cowtan & Tout fabric called Kimono so captured the wife’s vision that the two immediately set to work on the rest of the room, adding a curvaceous bureau, a velvet headboard and other pieces that brought texture and serenity to the space. The guest room followed soon after, then the team moved downstairs to tackle the family room, kitchen and dining room.

“I began this project thinking I was there to consult on some drapes and...surprise!” Hannon says. “Nearly three years later we have transformed this home into an elegant space the client is proud of.”

The success of the transformation rests with several goals shared by client and designer. It needed to bring calm and continuity to the rooms, as well as a sense of timelessness. “I really wanted a bliss home design that flowed, so there was not the case of, ‘This room was done in 2005, and this one in 2006,’” says the homeowner. “Cohesiveness was very important to me.”

Also important was the concept of highlighting, not replacing, existing family pieces that the homeowners did not want to part with, including a Karges dining set and custom cabinetry by Jerry Marenburg of McLean Artisans in the family room. Above all, the family that hosts a continuous stream of birthday parties, dinner parties, play dates and out-of-town company. Spill-friendly fabrics, storage galore and easy traffic flow were requirements.

“This family really lives at home,” Hannon says. “That meant the furniture had to be comfortable and the upholstery fabrics had to be able to withstand the everyday use of young children and an active family.”

The family room, the home’s epicenter, benefits from perhaps the greatest design evolution. “Frankly, the [existing] furnishings were not complementary to the gorgeous millwork and cabinetry,” Hannon says. To accentuate the depth of the millwork—which includes a maple and elm burl media cabinet and a floor constructed of bird’s eye maple with a contrasting inlay of wenge, maple and bocote—Hannon opted for a sophisticated continuum of warm hues for the furniture.

The mocha-toned custom sofa in ultrasuede and its matching chair “feel like a pair of men’s wool trousers,” she says. A deep chocolate-colored leather ottoman and pair of playful paisley velvet stools that nest under a curvy console table add texture and warmth. “Everything in this room is meant to be functional and beautiful,” Hannon says.

Offsetting the warm tones is a custom Tibetan wool and silk rug. “The key was introducing that rug. The cool Aegean blue background color of the rug is seen nowhere else in the room but balances out the warm tones of the upholstery pieces and case goods,” Hannon says. “And the chocolate mocha color in the ribbon plays up the wenge tone in the [floor] inlay. There are a lot of recessed lights in this room and when the lights are on, everything sparkles.” Although the lighting plan was particularly crucial in the family room, which is the home’s darkest room, the balance of light and color was an important consideration throughout the project. “I naturally gravitate toward warm, serene palettes and in this house I felt it was critical to utilize those colors,” Hannon says. “The home is sited in a way that doesn’t capture tons of consistent light. A lighting plan is certainly crucial in homes like these, but it doesn’t always interject the mood that color seems to be able to project.”

The warm palette extends into the dining room, where the Karges furniture and an existing, traditional chandelier preside. Hannon and the homeowners fell upon the idea of painting the walls in a mottled matte finish. Charma Edmonds of Silver Spring, Maryland-based Shelter Studios layered deep golden brown over lighter tones and incorporated a subtle cherry blossom and hummingbird design. The walls “make the room so much larger, and the wood really dances against these tones. It’s just magic,” Hannon says.

Even in the guest room, where the soft beige wall color, carpeting and dark headboard were set, Hannon lightened things up by replacing dark crimson and gold bedding with cool blue and silvery tones. “I decided to play up the deep walnut wood with the new dresser and balance it with the cool, crisp blue to brighten and still balance the wood," she says.

As the homeowner looks ahead to her next collaboration with Hannon—the laundry room—she is struck by how much the redesign has permeated her family’s home life. “The quality of our lives has been improved because things simply function better,” she says. “The management of the day to day becomes a lot easier when we have places to put things, and when we can walk into a room and actually relax.” A happy ending, indeed.

Writer Catherine Applefeld Olson is based in Alexandria, Virginia. Angie Seckinger is a photographer in Potomac, Maryland.

Interior Design: Annette Hannon, Annette Hannon Interior Design, Ltd., Burke, Virginia


On the adjoining wall is a carving by Tomás Rivas from
Douz and Mille
to brighten and still balance the mood,”
she says.

In the family room, a new custom sofa and chairs in ultra
suede, along with a custom Tibetan wool and silk rug,
dress up the existing cabinetry made of maple and elm burl.

 


On the dining room walls, artist Charma Edmonds layered
deep golden brown over lighter tones and incorporated a
subtle cherry blossom and hummingbird design. The paint
treatment and the silk Bergamo drapes provide a light and
airy contrast with the dark wood furniture.

 


In the master bedroom, Hannon designed drapes using an
embroidered silk by Cowtan & Tout.

 


Hannon dressed up the guest room with a new bureau
and cool blue and silvery tones.
HOME&DESIGN, published bi-monthly by Homestyles Media Inc., is the premier magazine of architecture and fine interiors for the Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia region.

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