MAY/JUNE 2010
As a boy whose grandfather and great-grandfather were homebuilders, Bret Anderson knew that the family business was in his blood. Inspired by these two role models, he followed in their footsteps and founded Annapolis-based Pyramid Builders in 1987.
Clearly, Anderson learned a thing or two from his mentors. Today, Pyramid boasts an impressive portfolio of custom homes in a wide variety of styles—all unified by an extreme level of detail and craftsmanship. Examples of recent work include a home built in the style of a French chateau and a stone mansion with a slate roof reminiscent of a historic estate in England. A riverfront retreat is now under construction featuring an elaborate Roman-style bath with carved limestone walls and a sunroom with 180-degree views of the Severn River and its surroundings.
Anderson takes pride in the quality of Pyramid’s finished product, but also in the methods he and vice president Mark Sanders have developed to carry every project seamlessly from design through construction and maintenance. “Everything we do is one-of-a-kind,” Anderson says. “For 20 years, our focus has been on building a better company, creating a predictable outcome out of a one-of-a-kind, unpredictable process. It involves an incredible amount of capability, management, craftsmanship and talent.”
Pyramid’s focus is on careful planning, attention to detail and solving problems before they arise. “We take the stress out of building for clients and make it enjoyable,” says Sanders, who joined the company in 1998.
Once a design for a home is finalized, a project manager “builds” the project on paper before construction even starts, so the company can anticipate exactly how the job will unfold. After breaking ground, a project manager in the office handles day-to-day orders and deliveries while a full-time site superintendent in the field ensures that “the job is crafted with the intent of the architect, designer and builder. It’s all about the craft, detail, fit and finish,” says Anderson.
Rather than relying on subcontractors, Pyramid employs a staff of 50, including skilled carpenters, painters, tile-setters, masons and even a full-time cabinetmaker. “We hire craftsmen and allow them to do their best, unlike smaller companies where staff has to wear too many hats, or larger ones that lose personalization or control of projects,” Anderson says. He and Sanders remain closely involved during every step of a job, visiting work sites and communicating with clients on a regular basis. “We have enough help so we can be meaningful and have the time needed to add value to the process,” says Anderson.
Once a project is complete, Pyramid offers a program to help clients with routine maintenance work. “It’s comforting to know that if anything comes up, we’re a phone call away,” says Sanders. “We consider ourselves a builder for life.”
Facts & Stats
About 50 percent of the company’s work is centered around Annapolis, while 50 percent is located in the Baltimore-Washington area.
SPECIALTIES
Providing homeowners and architects with the highest level of service
possible, emphasizing craftsmanship, durability and quality while managing costs and schedules.
INQUIRIES
Pyramid Builders,
2 Womack Drive,
Annapolis, MD 21401;
410-571-7707;
www.pyramid-builders.com
**Out of the array of interior design magazines, Home and Design magazine stands out as a primary idea source for luxury home design and building/remodeling features. Wonderful visuals of custom homes and eco-friendly resources are combined with expert advice to provide a fundamental reference point for bringing amazing home interior design and remodeling projects to life.
MAY/JUNE 2010
In 1976, the picturesque, waterfront city of Annapolis beckoned Bob Hammond, AIA, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s school of architecture and then a member of a Philadelphia architecture firm. “I wanted to be near water and it was a perfect town to combine architecture and waterside life,” he recalls.
Hammond moved his family and hung out his shingle in Annapolis, creating his own architecture firm. In 1992, Leo Wilson, AIA, LEED AP, another Chesapeake-area fan and fellow alumnus of University of Pennsylvania’s school of architecture, joined the practice. Wilson and Hammond turned out to have other things in common as well—in particular, “a similar design sensibility,” says Wilson, who became a partner in 2000.
Today, Hammond Wilson Architects does a thriving business, about 70 percent of which is residential. “We don’t respond to fads of the moment,” Hammond says. “We want our designs to stand the test of time.”
According to Wilson, the firm’s architecture reflects the region in which they are building: They work in what Wilson refers to as a “Chesapeake vernacular. We build a lot of houses on the water so our architecture reflects that lifestyle.”
Since the shift in the economy, Hammond Wilson has seen an increase in renovations over new construction, and a wider range in the size of projects. There’s also a greater emphasis on green design, as a response to both environmental and economic issues. With the firm’s focus on timeless design, these changes work well for Hammond Wilson. “We have a commitment to sustainable design,” Wilson says. “One of the keys is building with a sense of permanence.”
Facts & Stats
COMMERCIAL PROJECTS
In addition to a number of other commercial projects, LEED-accredited Hammond Wilson has created master plans for school renovations utilizing green design principles.
SPECIALTIES
Hammond Wilson oversees each project start to finish without reducing involvement once the design phase is past.
INQUIRIES
Hammond Wilson Architects, P.C., 209
West Street, Annapolis, Maryland, 21401;
410-267-6041;
www.hammondwilson.com
**Out of the array of interior design magazines, Home and Design magazine stands out as a primary idea source for luxury home design and building/remodeling features. Wonderful visuals of custom homes and eco-friendly resources are combined with expert advice to provide a fundamental reference point for bringing amazing home interior design and remodeling projects to life.
MAY/JUNE 2010
After a two-year overhaul of their waterfront home, a friend walked onto its deck and reminded the owners why they poured so much effort into the project. “I think my blood pressure just fell 20 points,” he said.
The allure of this 11,000-square-foot perch on the Severn River was so great that the couple with three young kids committed to a scenario that would cause most people’s heart rates to skyrocket. The husband, an executive with an international consulting firm, had accepted a temporary position in Australia. He and his wife decided to purchase the Annapolis home just before their departure and entrusted interior designer Beth Kittrell to orchestrate everything from design to construction during their 18-month absence.
“It was a very unique situation because we hadn’t really worked together yet,” recalls Kittrell. “We had a one- or two-hour meeting at the house. I presented as much as I possibly could in one fell swoop and they were gone. They actually did the settlement from Australia and I got handed the keys.”
The changes the owners had in mind were structural and complex. As it stood, the house did little to show off its phenomenal river views. Its small, closed-in rooms and overall lack of detail begged for what Kittrell calls a “gut job.” So she and her clients launched into design discussions that spanned continents and time zones, communicating via email and the occasional FedEx package.
In conjunction with architect Mark J. Bandy, Kittrell reworked every inch of the interiors. Her goals were to improve flow, define rooms with architectural detail and maximize water views with more open spaces and larger windows and doors. During the process, major upgrades or replacements would be made to the plumbing, HVAC, electrical systems, decks and landscaping, though the footprint of the home did not change.
The family returned from Australia in time to see the drywall go up. “All of the major skeletal work was done, but we were able to participate in a lot of the decisions that made the house just what we wanted,” says the husband. The family moved in during the summer of 2008 and has received a steady stream of overnight guests ever since.
In contrast to the walled-in foyer that once greeted visitors, arrivals are now dazzled by the view right at the threshold. The entry opens to a family room where a row of rocking chairs in front of oversized arched windows overlooks the river. In the foyer, a new floating staircase leads to a second-floor gallery that displays photography and art collected during the family’s stint in Australia and a previous one in Japan. Asian art and mementos also figure prominently in the formal living and dining rooms, which flank the foyer.
In the reconfigured kitchen, a multi-level eat-up island makes casual meals a breeze. New doors lead from the kitchen to the sunroom—a rustic dining area with slate floors, reclaimed beams and breathtaking river views.
Kittrell designed coffered ceilings in the kitchen as well as in the family room, study and sunroom, working with carpenters on site to “hammer out the details.” This attention to detail was also lavished on custom moldings, trim and intricate tile work throughout the home. “I was given a lot of artistic freedom,” says Kittrell. “It was a responsibility that I embraced.”
The second floor boasts a new master suite adjoining the husband’s study, children’s bedrooms and a laundry room. The third floor houses another guest room and bath plus a fabulous playroom with a view—perfect for crafts, games and homework.
The lower level revolves around the home’s many outdoor amenities, including a pool with stairs leading down to a private dock and the family boat. A comfortable seating area with a custom river-rock bar opens onto a large outdoor room complete with a fireplace. There is also a media room, a changing room with sauna and a gym. Linking all of the levels is an elevator with a three-story mural painted by the wife’s mother depicting scenes of Annapolis, the house and the owners’ three kids at play on the water.
Despite its size, guests marvel that the home feels intimate and warm. And the owners are thrilled with the outcome. “I wake up in the morning and think, ‘I can’t believe I live here,’” says the wife.
Kittrell attributes the project’s success to her clients. “They are interesting people, they’ve led interesting lives and they have interesting objects,” she says. “It makes my job easy if I’m inspired by my clients. From a style standpoint, it was all about them.”
Photographer Bob Narod is based in Herndon, Virginia.
INTERIOR DESIGN: Beth Kittrell, Kittrell Interiors, Fulton, Maryland. ARCHITECTURE: Mark J. Bandy, Mark J. Bandy, Inc., Ellicott City, Maryland. RENOVATION CONTRACTOR: KPK Construction, Columbia, Maryland.
To see before & after photos click here.
**Out of the array of interior design magazines, Home and Design magazine stands out as a primary idea source for luxury home designs. Wonderful visuals of inspired décor and lush landscapes are combined with expert advice to provide a fundamental reference point for bringing amazing home interior design ideas to life.
MAY/JUNE 2010
A non-descript 1970s-era office building in downtown DC just became cutting edge. Newly renovated, its fifth and sixth floors are now home to the U.S. Green Building Council Headquarters, which recently won Platinum-level LEED certification. “It’s arguably the greenest office space on the planet,” say lead architect Kendall Wilson of Envision Design.
According to Wilson, the USGBC wanted to set an example by drastically reducing energy use. It worked: A combination of natural light and a lighting plan that works at different levels throughout the space has reduced energy output by more than half. In addition, the use of salvaged gumwood paneling and recycled furnishings, fabrics and carpets reflects an eco-friendly mantra. Indoor plants, water features and long-distance views of the outdoors all emphasize a connection to nature.
"The big take-away,” Wilson says, “is that if you can do a smart interior it will have a huge impact.”
RENOVATION ARCHITECTURE: Kendall P. Wilson, FAIA, FIIDA, LEED AP, principal in charge; Rod Letonia, AIA, LEED AP, project director,
Envision Design, PLLC, Washington, DC. CONTRACTOR: James G. Davis Construction, McLean, Virginia.
**Out of the array of interior design magazines, Home and Design magazine stands out as a primary idea source for luxury home designs and coverage of luxury living. Wonderful visuals of luxury getaways and dining options are combined with inspired decor to provide a fundamental reference point for bringing luxury to life in home interiors and beyond.
MAY/JUNE 2010
In 1976, the picturesque, waterfront city of Annapolis beckoned Bob Hammond, AIA, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s school of architecture and then a member of a Philadelphia architecture firm. “I wanted to be near water and it was a perfect town to combine architecture and waterside life,” he recalls.
Hammond moved his family and hung out his shingle in Annapolis, creating his own architecture firm. In 1992, Leo Wilson, AIA, LEED AP, another Chesapeake-area fan and fellow alumnus of University of Pennsylvania’s school of architecture, joined the practice. Wilson and Hammond turned out to have other things in common as well—in particular, “a similar design sensibility,” says Wilson, who became a partner in 2000.
Today, Hammond Wilson Architects does a thriving business, about 70 percent of which is residential. “We don’t respond to fads of the moment,” Hammond says. “We want our designs to stand the test of time.”
According to Wilson, the firm’s architecture reflects the region in which they are building: They work in what Wilson refers to as a “Chesapeake vernacular. We build a lot of houses on the water so our architecture reflects that lifestyle.”
Since the shift in the economy, Hammond Wilson has seen an increase in renovations over new construction, and a wider range in the size of projects. There’s also a greater emphasis on green design, as a response to both environmental and economic issues. With the firm’s focus on timeless design, these changes work well for Hammond Wilson. “We have a commitment to sustainable design,” Wilson says. “One of the keys is building with a sense of permanence.”
Facts & Stats
COMMERCIAL PROJECTS
In addition to a number of other commercial projects, LEED-accredited Hammond Wilson has created master plans for school renovations utilizing green design principles.
SPECIALTIES
Hammond Wilson oversees each project start to finish without reducing involvement once the design phase is past.
INQUIRIES
Hammond Wilson Architects, P.C., 209
West Street, Annapolis, Maryland, 21401;
410-267-6041;
www.hammondwilson.com
**Out of the array of interior design magazines, Home and Design magazine stands out as a primary idea source for luxury home design and building/remodeling features. Wonderful visuals of custom homes and eco-friendly resources are combined with expert advice to provide a fundamental reference point for bringing amazing home interior design and remodeling projects to life.
MAY/JUNE 2010
As a boy whose grandfather and great-grandfather were homebuilders, Bret Anderson knew that the family business was in his blood. Inspired by these two role models, he followed in their footsteps and founded Annapolis-based Pyramid Builders in 1987.
Clearly, Anderson learned a thing or two from his mentors. Today, Pyramid boasts an impressive portfolio of custom homes in a wide variety of styles—all unified by an extreme level of detail and craftsmanship. Examples of recent work include a home built in the style of a French chateau and a stone mansion with a slate roof reminiscent of a historic estate in England. A riverfront retreat is now under construction featuring an elaborate Roman-style bath with carved limestone walls and a sunroom with 180-degree views of the Severn River and its surroundings.
Anderson takes pride in the quality of Pyramid’s finished product, but also in the methods he and vice president Mark Sanders have developed to carry every project seamlessly from design through construction and maintenance. “Everything we do is one-of-a-kind,” Anderson says. “For 20 years, our focus has been on building a better company, creating a predictable outcome out of a one-of-a-kind, unpredictable process. It involves an incredible amount of capability, management, craftsmanship and talent.”
Pyramid’s focus is on careful planning, attention to detail and solving problems before they arise. “We take the stress out of building for clients and make it enjoyable,” says Sanders, who joined the company in 1998.
Once a design for a home is finalized, a project manager “builds” the project on paper before construction even starts, so the company can anticipate exactly how the job will unfold. After breaking ground, a project manager in the office handles day-to-day orders and deliveries while a full-time site superintendent in the field ensures that “the job is crafted with the intent of the architect, designer and builder. It’s all about the craft, detail, fit and finish,” says Anderson.
Rather than relying on subcontractors, Pyramid employs a staff of 50, including skilled carpenters, painters, tile-setters, masons and even a full-time cabinetmaker. “We hire craftsmen and allow them to do their best, unlike smaller companies where staff has to wear too many hats, or larger ones that lose personalization or control of projects,” Anderson says. He and Sanders remain closely involved during every step of a job, visiting work sites and communicating with clients on a regular basis. “We have enough help so we can be meaningful and have the time needed to add value to the process,” says Anderson.
Once a project is complete, Pyramid offers a program to help clients with routine maintenance work. “It’s comforting to know that if anything comes up, we’re a phone call away,” says Sanders. “We consider ourselves a builder for life.”
Facts & Stats
About 50 percent of the company’s work is centered around Annapolis, while 50 percent is located in the Baltimore-Washington area.
SPECIALTIES
Providing homeowners and architects with the highest level of service
possible, emphasizing craftsmanship, durability and quality while managing costs and schedules.
INQUIRIES
Pyramid Builders,
2 Womack Drive,
Annapolis, MD 21401;
410-571-7707;
www.pyramid-builders.com
**Out of the array of interior design magazines, Home and Design magazine stands out as a primary idea source for luxury home design and building/remodeling features. Wonderful visuals of custom homes and eco-friendly resources are combined with expert advice to provide a fundamental reference point for bringing amazing home interior design and remodeling projects to life.
MAY/JUNE 2010
Growing up in Kosovo, Kadire Biberaj spent many evenings around the hearth with the women on her family farm. There she learned to embroider delicate floral patterns on white linen, as her grandmother twisted washed sheep’s wool into yarn, and her mother knitted the yarn into socks and sweaters.
Now, 40 years later, Biberaj updates traditional handwork with modern methods. In her Manassas, Virginia, workroom, she uses an industrial embroidery machine to create made-to-order designs for leading interior designers and other clients. Proprietor and sole practitioner of European Design, Inc., she embroiders familiar motifs and imaginative concepts to exacting standards.
“Whatever I have customized from my mind or from a pattern on the walls, Kadire can apply as a decorative element on fabric. I’ve found her work exceptional,” says Rina Yan, senior designer for Hughes Design Associates. Biberaj has translated Yan’s sketches into embroidery on a table skirt that’s ornamented in a leaf figure with muted hues matching those on a rug.
Her appliquéd pillows are on display through May 9 on a veranda created by interior designer Kelley Proxmire at the 2010 DC Design House in Chevy Chase. Proxmire based the design of these chocolate-brown pillows with a floral motif and grey thread on the pattern of a carved-wood plaque, and colors she selected for an adjoining sitting room.
Biberaj has precisely executed designs by Thomas Pheasant—a stylized Greek key on sheets and shams, a discreet vine on an upholstered ottoman. She has also elegantly monogrammed hand towels for The White House, including ones created for the current President. And she reproduced a flora-and-leaf cluster on 80 yards of silk for interior designer Barry Dixon, after he discovered that a fabric chosen for master bedroom draperies had been discontinued and all coordinating fabrics in the room had been ordered. Biberaj “replicated it to a T, even better than the original,” says Dixon, adding appreciatively, “Hers is such a bespoke effort.”
Biberaj loves resolving each new challenge. “Whatever the client likes or has, I can reproduce or personalize,” she says. The dark-haired artisan with sturdy hands and a serious purpose pulls out books of design motifs and calligraphic styles for those seeking a particular theme or monogram. More often, designers provide their own sketches or samples with measurements.
In her second-floor workroom, embroidery hoops hang along one wall ready for use on the machine, which is equipped with 12 large spools of thread. Two sewing machines assist in fabricating pieces to be embroidered, mainly duvet covers, pillow shams and dust skirts. A central worktable conceals bolts of fabric piled beneath.
Biberaj moved to the U.S. in 1968 and founded European Design, Inc., 14 years ago. Starting as a hobby, her interest led to classes in embroidery and on using an industrial embroidery machine. She worked first as a seamstress for Carol Studios in Fairfax, before turning to embroidery full time. Her former employer now sends her work.
While machine embroidery speeds up the process, it has its own rigors. “You have to understand how to work with it to get the effect you want,” says Biberaj. Patterns must be positioned and meticulously lined up on a fabric, whether on a chair back or as a leading edge on curtains. Her most complicated assignment involved resizing a two-inch compass design to 30 inches, then perfectly joining its four separate quadrants and finally centering it on a headboard.
Sketches are sent out for digitizing before the program is inserted into the electronic machine. The process typically takes four or five cycles of corrections. “Everything has to be figured out perfectly before I start. It takes a lot of thread and a lot of time,” Biberaj says. To create proper coverage, for example, a six-inch cornflower pattern called for 3,100 stitches in outline form and 5,600 stitches when completed with a shaded effect. Raised designs require an even higher thread count.
Depending on the look desired, or by special request, Biberaj may add beading or monogramming by hand. In all cases, she prepares a fabric sample for approval before getting started.
It’s a long way from where Biberaj started as a child. The accomplished professional mentions with amusement words that still ring in her ears: “My mother said, ‘You’re so lazy, you need a machine that does things for you.’ Now there is [a machine], but she’s not around to see it.” Or what her daughter achieves with it.
Writer Tina Coplan is based in Chevy Chase, Maryland.
Kadire Biberaj can be reached at 703-331-3863 or [email protected]. For more information, visit www.europeandesigninc.net.
**Out of the array of interior design magazines, Home and Design magazine stands out as a primary idea source for luxury home designs. Wonderful visuals of inspired décor and lush landscapes are combined with expert advice to provide a fundamental reference point for bringing amazing home interior design ideas to life.
MAY/JUNE 2010
About 10 years ago, two attorneys bought a home in downtown Washington to be close to work and their favorite theaters and museums. Soon after moving into their century-old brick row house near Mount Vernon Square, David Tarler and Leah Lorber felt like they were living in a no-man’s land. “There were empty lots filled with trash, empty buildings that had caved in and lots of boarded-up windows,” says Lorber, a public policy director of a healthcare company. “Sometimes we asked ourselves, ‘Do we want to stay here?’”
Fast forward a decade and the urban neighborhood is now home to new condominiums, businesses and institutions such as the Walter Washington Convention Center just a few blocks away. “It’s completely changed for the better,” says Tarler, who works for the National Park Service.
So, too, has the couple’s house. After deciding to stay put, the two tapped DC-based architect Robert M. Gurney to transform their dark and dreary residence into a cool, contemporary pad filled with planes of color and texture. Open spaces lined in wood and glass take the place of the compartmentalized rooms typical of the city’s row houses, providing plenty of daylight and dynamic views through three levels. “Light is so important in these types of houses because they are inherently dark,” says Gurney. “I judiciously removed pieces of walls and floors to gain more light and allow you to sense the volume of the house.”
The architect not only gutted the interior down to the floor joists, but he also replaced the exterior brick wall at the rear with huge sheets of glass to increase the amount of light inside. Glass panels set into the wooden floors allow daylight to penetrate through the middle of each floor, from a large rooftop skylight clear to the lowest level.
Steel staircases positioned next to the glass bridges are fitted with aluminum treads and slatted risers to let in more light from the skylight overhead. Walls finished in blue Venetian plaster and quarter-sawn oak rise to either side of the open stairwell to connect and unify the spaces on each floor. “Bob uses materials that are contemporary but he is able to bring in warmth through the plaster and wood,” Tarler notes. “The spaces don’t feel sterile.”
Functionally, the house is almost as unconventional as its form. Gurney moved the kitchen and dining area from the basement to the main floor off the entrance, while sequestering the living area and a guest suite on the lower level. The living area is small, even cozy, and well lit from the window wall at the rear. Seating is arranged around a gas fireplace with a shiny metal flue and a built-in cabinet housing a television. An adjacent garden patio serves as a warm-weather retreat and outdoor living room. Enclosed by walls covered in wood slats and fiber-cement panels, and a tall, steel planter filled with bamboo, the space feels completely private and far removed from city traffic.
On the top floor, the couple’s bedroom and bathroom form another sanctuary. Next to the bed, a built-in desk extends into a nook overlooking the staircase to provide a place for a computer and books.
“It’s a small house and we wanted to make sure we would use all of the space,” says Tarler. Custom-built cabinets lining the sides of the living and dining rooms provide ample storage for the couple’s belongings, including a colorful collection of Fiestaware, so that the interiors remain clutter-free.
“We were into collecting a lot of different things—too many for the space we had—and the house was unfocused and cramped,” says Leah Lorber. “So the less-is-more look of modern design was very appealing.”
Furnishings were selectively chosen with the help of interior designer Therese Baron Gurney, who often collaborates with her husband. “I enjoy working on Bob’s projects because they are so architecturally rich,” she says. “Here, the furniture has its own integrity in being more fluid than the geometry of the architecture.” Softening all the straight lines are curvy chairs set around an oval dining table, a comfy, rounded swivel chair and plenty of cushions on the sectional sofa in the living area.
“We are still getting accustomed to living in the house,” says Tarler, who has left the spaces largely free of personal touches, including artwork. As he notes, “The architecture is the art.”
Washington, DC-based Deborah K. Dietsch is a frequent contributor to HOME & DESIGN. Photographer Paul Warchol is based in New York.
ARCHITECTURE: Robert M. Gurney, FAIA, lead architect; Brian Tuskey, project archiect; Robert M. Gurney Architect, Washington, DC. INTERIOR DESIGN: Therese Baron Gurney, ASID, Baron Gurney Interiors, Washington, DC. CONTRACTOR: Prill Construction, Bethesda, Maryland.
**Out of the array of interior design magazines, Home and Design magazine stands out as a primary idea source for luxury home design and building/remodeling features. Wonderful visuals of custom homes and eco-friendly resources are combined with expert advice to provide a fundamental reference point for bringing amazing home interior design and remodeling projects to life.
MAY/JUNE 2010
1. An Outdoor Oasis
Out of the terraced decking of a 1970s contemporary in McLean, Virginia, Douglas Burton and Raed Alawadhi of Apartment Zero created a modern, sophisticated al fresco living space. Three connected levels allow for separate outdoor rooms, including a seating area (pictured here) with sofas by Modern Outdoor, a sculptural rocking chair by Ron Arad for Magis and a fire pit by Extremis. Planters by Serralunga are filled with wild grasses. "People are replicating indoor spaces outside,” says Burton.“There are tons of options.” The following pages present some of the hottest outdoor accoutrements on the market today.
2. Form and Function
A sculptural quality lends JACLO’s Aqua Adagio outdoor shower a whole new dimension as functional art. The minimalist shower column features a round waterfall spray as well as a foot wash. Made of durable, weather-resistant stainless steel in a polished or matte finish, it can be fitted with a valve for draining. Available through Ferguson. www.jaclo.com.
3. A Moveable Feast
Wolf’s gas grill is now portable, with all the same bells and whistles—and wheels to boot. The 30-inch, 36-inch and 40-inch grill carts offer two-position rotisseries, four-position warming racks, smoker boxes, LED lights above the knobs, halogen lights inside and more. Available through the Fretz Corporation. www.fretz.com.
4. On a Curve
Designer John Caldwell’s Parkway Curvilinear sofa for Brown Jordan boasts a gracefully arced silhouette. The sofa’s five units—including an ottoman—can be reconfigured; the frame is aluminum in an assortment of finishes and the cushion fabrics are from Suncloth. Available through Sheffield Furniture & Interiors in Rockville, MD, and Sterling, VA; prices are per unit and start at $1,835 including cushions. www.brownjordan.com.
5. A Soft Glow
Stone Forest’s new Wabi Stone Oil Lamps are made of solid granite, hand-carved from small boulders with a hammer and chisel. They feature removable tops and hollow interiors with a brass insert for oil; a wick is included. $59; www.stoneforest.com.
6. A Bold Statement
Sunbrella’s new Horizons Collection offers lively indoor and outdoor fabric designs with a contemporary flair. It encompasses 17 new patterns, including jacquards, twills, damasks, florals and more. Through Calico Corners. www.sunbrella.com.
7. Poolside Perch
The Great Lakes Collection by designer Terry Hunziker for Sutherland is both elegant and eco-friendly. The Armless Chaise (below) is made from powder-coated aluminum and EcoPlex—a composite of recycled plastics that requires no waterproofing or staining. It’s pictured with cushions covered in Perennials Fabric. Through Hines & Co., Washington, DC. www.sutherlandfurniture.com
8. Holiday on Ice
McKinnon and Harris takes the party outside with the Wicklow Wine Cooler, which can chill beverages—and the occasional watermelon. Handcrafted from high-performance aluminum and powder-coated with an architectural-grade finish, it has an insulated ring that lifts out of the base so you can easily dump out leftover ice. It’s available in a palette of colors and runs on gliders. $9,800. www.mckinnonharris.com.
9. Party Lights
Illuminate your next outdoor event with the INVISILED Tape Light System by WAC Lighting, a flexible, easy-to-install LED system that accents fountains, pools, home façades and landscapes. The energy-efficient tapes are available in one-, five-, and 10-foot sections and come in amber, blue, green, red and white. Available through Dominion Electric, Arlington, VA. www.waclighting.com.
**Out of the array of interior design magazines, Home and Design magazine stands out as a primary idea source for luxury home designs and landscape design ideas. Wonderful visuals of inspired décor and lush landscapes are combined with expert advice to provide a fundamental reference point for bringing amazing home interior design ideas, and outdoor spaces to life.
MAY/JUNE 2010
The affluent DC neighborhood of Kalorama is known for the Washington dignitaries who have called it home—William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson and FDR, to name a few. It’s also known for its elegant houses and quiet, tree-lined streets that offer an oasis within the urban chaos of downtown Washington. Nestled within an imposing block of row houses just off Connecticut Avenue sits one of Kalorama’s more emblematic residences: a 100-year-old brick home that combines its history with a modern redesign that brings it beautifully into the present.
When Joe Lockhart, a founding partner at the communications firm Glover Park Group and a former White House press secretary under President Bill Clinton, bought the four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath row house in 2006, he found it perfectly comfortable—until a friend commented that it felt like a nice hotel. “That got me going,” Lockhart says. “I’ve been in a lot of nice houses that look like no one lives there. I knew I didn’t want that.” Lockhart tapped Bethesda-based designer Celia Welch to make the house “look like a home that’s lived-in, with nice but not fancy things.”
From a design standpoint, the challenge was to update the home while staying true to its original style. “The house has such great bones,” Welch says. “I didn’t think so much about changing it as about how to improve on it.” She tore out the worn carpet that covered the floors, exposing the original inlaid parquet. Other fine original touches abounded, and Welch tried to create an environment that would better showcase them, using soft creams and putty colors on the walls, “a warm but soothing palette, tone on tone, to allow visitors to enjoy the architecture.”
Like many townhouses, the home flows vertically, with the living and dining rooms on the main floor and the family room upstairs. The entry is wide and airy, opening into a welcoming living room.
Prior to the redesign, the living room was gray and dark, which “made it a walk-in point,” Welch says, rather than a place to linger. She delineated the spaces by emphasizing the ornately carved marble fireplace along the living room wall and creating an intimate seating area with elegant yet inviting furniture. New built-in bookshelves provide substance. Beyond the entry, the dining room was updated with fresh paint, a new chandelier and an Asian-inspired sideboard.
Though Lockhart had done some work on the home’s exterior spaces when he moved in, it was Welch who transformed the patio into an outdoor living room with enticing dining and seating arrangements. “It was cluttered,” she says. “It didn’t feel connected to the house.” She brought out colors from inside, replaced latticework and added slate paving. At the far end, a pergola was constructed over a full kitchen complete with Viking appliances and a granite countertop. A wicker sectional with deep, luxurious cushions offers guests room to lounge, and large planters bring in greenery. Lighting is strategically placed to enhance the patio’s nighttime mood.
Upstairs, the master bedroom suite has been reconfigured to include “a conversation zone,” as Welch describes it, beside windows with chocolate-and-blue draperies and sheers that let in the light. The second floor also houses a cozy family room with a built-in movie screen and projector, while the third floor houses Lockhart’s daughter’s bedroom, a guest room and a home office with furniture that’s been repurposed from other rooms. Above the third floor, a roof deck offers a panoramic view of the city.
Welch juxtaposed colorful abstract artwork with traditional furnishings, creating a fresh, warm look that enhances the venerable home’s architecture. She and Lockhart worked with Kaller Fine Arts in Bethesda to select the right pieces, and both are happy with the results. “The bottom line,” Lockhart says, “is that I want people to feel welcome and comfortable when they come into my home. I think we achieved that.”
Photographer Angie Seckinger splits her time between Potomac, Maryland, and Spain.
INTERIOR DESIGN: Celia Welch, Celia Welch Interiors, Bethesda, Maryland. CONTRACTOR: Stout Restorations, Inc., Hyattsville, MD. LANDSCAPE CONTRACTOR: Cordt Gardens, LLC, Washington, DC.
MAY/JUNE 2010
When landscape architect Scott Brinitzer encountered this new Bethesda, Maryland, house, it sat alone high upon a hill, isolated from its surroundings. The homeowners wanted an entry sequence so that visitors wouldn’t have to walk up the driveway, in addition to a pool and an outdoor “room” in back.
To marry the house to its surroundings, Brinitzer designed a series of retaining walls that step down gracefully from the house to street level, creating broad terraces, with a walkway through them, that allow room for handsome plantings. To the left of the entry-level terrace, a magnificent Southern magnolia nestles in a bed of white azaleas. To the right, three serviceberries obscure the view of the house while still allowing visitors to see through to the front door.
Patterned after the architectural lines of the residence, the area behind the house includes a stucco fireplace, swimming pool and patio. Little Girl magnolias form an intimate canopy around the swimming pool and patio, and soften the effect of the 100-foot-tall tulip poplars that were already present on the property. A raised bed screens the garden beyond the pool, accessible through the small dining terrace. Brinitzer explains that the design moves people through the landscape in such a way that it cannot be seen all at once. “It makes the site more interesting,” he says, “and gives people the illusion of discovery in the garden.”
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE: Scott Brinitzer, Brinitzer Design Associates, Washington, DC. CONTRACTOR: Gibson Builders, Washington, DC. POOL DESIGN & INSTALLATION: Alpine Pool, Annandale, Virginia. PHOTOGRAPHY: Roger Foley, Arlington, Virginia.
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**Out of the array of interior design magazines, Home and Design magazine stands out as a primary idea source for luxury home designs and landscape design ideas. Wonderful visuals of inspired décor and lush landscapes are combined with expert advice to provide a fundamental reference point for bringing amazing home interior design ideas, and outdoor spaces to life.
MAY/JUNE 2010
A grand allée of willow oaks lines the entrance to this 25-acre Potomac, Maryland, property, a perfect welcoming touch to both a stately residence and an ordered landscape that’s home to polo ponies as well as a large family. Jay Graham, FASLA, and Kevin Campion, ASLA, of Graham Landscape Architecture, were brought in by DC-based architect David Jones to design a landscape that would complement the grand Georgian-style residence, which includes a wing with an indoor swimming pool, staff apartments and a garage.
According to Campion, because the family spends a lot of time outside, the garden “was laid out as a series of outdoor spaces.” Adjacent to the indoor swimming pool there’s a winter garden with evergreens and river birch trees. In front of the house, an herb garden is tucked into a nook outside the kitchen, and at the rear, bluestone terraces span the width of the home between the garage and the pergola that leads to the pool garden. The landscape also includes an English perennial border; a spacious lawn large enough for weddings; and two long allées of flowering crape myrtles with overlooks at the ends, providing views of the pastures and dressage ring.
Graham says he “looks at what the architect is doing,” and tries “to extend it out into the landscape.” In this case, he adds, “The garden is formal in a casual way. The organization gives it some clarity and there’s a relaxed feeling almost everywhere.”
LANDSCAPE DESIGN: Jay Graham, FASLA, and Kevin Campion, ASLA, Graham Landscape Architecture, Annapolis, Maryland. LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE: Hugh Latham, Grown to be Wild Nursery, Brandywine, Maryland. PHOTOGRAPHY: Victoria Cooper, Chevy Chase, Maryland.
**Out of the array of interior design magazines, Home and Design magazine stands out as a primary idea source for luxury home designs and landscape design ideas. Wonderful visuals of inspired décor and lush landscapes are combined with expert advice to provide a fundamental reference point for bringing amazing home interior design ideas, and outdoor spaces to life.
MAY/JUNE 2010
Informal plantings can be the best solution for a very formal landscape: They soften the straight lines of pool, patio, deck and retaining walls, and lend a casual air to a backyard geared for the enjoyment of family and friends.
For designer Joseph Hafner of Fine Earth Landscape, Inc., combining formal and casual was the key to landscaping a sweeping Potomac property, where a pool and patio created the elegant yet welcoming look he wanted. The main design scheme, says Hafner, was “to create a feeling of under-story and sanctuary down by the pool,” while maintaining views of the landscape from the deck off the rear of the residence. The major roadblock to the design was an existing septic system, which dictated that the pool be built atop special support piers screwed into bedrock 25 feet below grade. Hafner connected the house to the lower landscape with stone retaining walls, planting beds and wide steps to the pool and patio area, which is a generous 2,400-plus square feet.
A planting of evergreen Japanese cedars on one side of the property maintains privacy by the pool so it can be used well into fall, and plants were selected for deer resistance and interest throughout the year. The blooms begin in spring with the heavy scent of Virginia sweetspire, which gives way to summer-flowering hydrangeas, crape myrtle, black-eyed Susans and other colorful shrubs and perennials. An array of ornamental grasses extends the blooming season well into autumn.
Washington, DC-based Jane Berger is publisher of GardenDesignOnline.
LANDSCAPE DESIGN: Joseph Hafner, Fine Earth Landscape, Inc., Poolesville, Maryland. PHOTOGRAPHY: Bob Narod, Herndon, Virginia.
**Out of the array of interior design magazines, Home and Design magazine stands out as a primary idea source for luxury home designs and landscape design ideas. Wonderful visuals of inspired décor and lush landscapes are combined with expert advice to provide a fundamental reference point for bringing amazing home interior design ideas, and outdoor spaces to life.
MAY/JUNE 2010
On March 11, architects, builders and designers gathered for the most recent installment of For the Greener Good, a lecture series at DC’s National Building Museum. Titled “Greening the Supply Chain,” the event shed light on the movement towards sustainable building and design. The moderator was Ken Langer, president of the Architectural Energy Corporation. Panelists included Gwen Davidow, director of corporate programs for the World Environment Center; Kirsten Richie, director of sustainability for Gensler's Asia-Pacific region; and Nadav Malin, vice president of publishing company BuildingGreen, LLC.
While there are still more questions than answers revolving around the topic of sustainability today, the following insights should help homeowners make wiser choices as they embark on their own building or remodeling projects.
How do we define green building?
Richie: There are five key concepts in green building:
1. Less space, less stuff used more intensively.
2. Continually innovate for carbon-neutrality; get the CO2 out of our building stock.
3. Build at plant, assemble at job site. Forty percent of construction waste comes from the building environment.
4. Sustainability doesn’t equal austerity. It can be beautiful.
5. If I don’t ask, they won’t tell me. Be sure to ask for information on materials.
How can you tell what products are really green?
Malin: It’s not just about choosing the right product; it’s about how you use it. For example, recycled rubber flooring is great outdoors or in a well-ventilated space. But even though it’s great from a waste-management standpoint, some of that recycled rubber off-gasses toxic stuff. So it’s best to have a level of information to allow you to make value judgments based on your own priorities. Our publication, GreenSpec, is a vetted directory of products for sustainability. You can assess products in it by category.
If the product includes information, can’t the consumer make a choice based on that information, like labels on food?
Malin: No, there has to be some sort of third-party verification to be sure the information is correct. When I make a food choice it affects me. When I made a green choice it affects everybody.
What avenues can we as consumers pursue to help the process?
Malin: Stay local when you can. If I’m buying wood locally I can see how those trees are harvested, I can see the impact on the ecosystem. If not, I don’t have a connection to it.
Some people don’t want to be experts. They just want to do the right thing. How can we do this without going crazy?
Davidow: We need certification of a baseline so that there’s regulation in the industry. The goal should be that the consumer assumes a basic level of green in a product. But the devil is in the details—how do we get there?
Is there a push for manufacturers to build on-site, in clustered assembly sites that minimize waste and carbon footprints?
Davidow: Yes, and it’s a great way to do it, but it will take government incentives to create an environment with the level of encouragement where it really happens.
Is the third-party LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification program driving this movement into greener products more than any other institutional factor?
Richie: Clearly, LEED has done a phenomenal job building awareness and getting manufacturers to ask the right questions. It’s also helped because it’s a global platform for how we’re quantifying green from a building perspective.
What about Cradle-To-Cradle certification?
Richie: LEED is building certification; Cradle-To-Cradle is certification on the product side. It’s one of a growing number of holistic programs to help certify for the consumer whether a product is truly green or not.
Can you be cheapest and best environmentally at the same time when it comes to sustainability?
Richie: I don’t believe green and low-cost are mutually exclusive; I think in many cases they are closely aligned, especially when it comes to building products. On the one hand we have very mature industries with huge volume so they can spread out costs, which makes them low-cost providers. But there’s nothing innovative or new going on there. On the other hand, green-product companies are small operations, very innovative, investing and using money wisely. The costs for established
businesses are artificially low because they don’t innovate or invest. The challenge is to reinvigorate them so their true cost is reflected.
Do we have to make sacrifices to pay deference to the environment?
Richie: It depends on what you mean by sacrifice. We want people to live a lifestyle that’s of benefit to the entire community. Maybe there are changes in behavior and choices. Is that austere? I don’t think so.
For information on building green, visit the U. S. Green Building Council Web site at www.usgbc.org. To view a video of this lecture and others in the For the Greener Good series, visit the National Building Museum Web site at www.nbm.org.
**Out of the array of interior design magazines, Home and Design magazine stands out as a primary idea source for luxury home design and custom building/remodeling features. Wonderful visuals of custom homes and eco-friendly resources are combined with expert advice to provide a fundamental reference point for bringing amazing home interior design and remodeling projects to life.
MAY/JUNE 2010
After a two-year overhaul of their waterfront home, a friend walked onto its deck and reminded the owners why they poured so much effort into the project. “I think my blood pressure just fell 20 points,” he said.
The allure of this 11,000-square-foot perch on the Severn River was so great that the couple with three young kids committed to a scenario that would cause most people’s heart rates to skyrocket. The husband, an executive with an international consulting firm, had accepted a temporary position in Australia. He and his wife decided to purchase the Annapolis home just before their departure and entrusted interior designer Beth Kittrell to orchestrate everything from design to construction during their 18-month absence.
“It was a very unique situation because we hadn’t really worked together yet,” recalls Kittrell. “We had a one- or two-hour meeting at the house. I presented as much as I possibly could in one fell swoop and they were gone. They actually did the settlement from Australia and I got handed the keys.”
The changes the owners had in mind were structural and complex. As it stood, the house did little to show off its phenomenal river views. Its small, closed-in rooms and overall lack of detail begged for what Kittrell calls a “gut job.” So she and her clients launched into design discussions that spanned continents and time zones, communicating via email and the occasional FedEx package.
In conjunction with architect Mark J. Bandy, Kittrell reworked every inch of the interiors. Her goals were to improve flow, define rooms with architectural detail and maximize water views with more open spaces and larger windows and doors. During the process, major upgrades or replacements would be made to the plumbing, HVAC, electrical systems, decks and landscaping, though the footprint of the home did not change.
The family returned from Australia in time to see the drywall go up. “All of the major skeletal work was done, but we were able to participate in a lot of the decisions that made the house just what we wanted,” says the husband. The family moved in during the summer of 2008 and has received a steady stream of overnight guests ever since.
In contrast to the walled-in foyer that once greeted visitors, arrivals are now dazzled by the view right at the threshold. The entry opens to a family room where a row of rocking chairs in front of oversized arched windows overlooks the river. In the foyer, a new floating staircase leads to a second-floor gallery that displays photography and art collected during the family’s stint in Australia and a previous one in Japan. Asian art and mementos also figure prominently in the formal living and dining rooms, which flank the foyer.
In the reconfigured kitchen, a multi-level eat-up island makes casual meals a breeze. New doors lead from the kitchen to the sunroom—a rustic dining area with slate floors, reclaimed beams and breathtaking river views.
Kittrell designed coffered ceilings in the kitchen as well as in the family room, study and sunroom, working with carpenters on site to “hammer out the details.” This attention to detail was also lavished on custom moldings, trim and intricate tile work throughout the home. “I was given a lot of artistic freedom,” says Kittrell. “It was a responsibility that I embraced.”
The second floor boasts a new master suite adjoining the husband’s study, children’s bedrooms and a laundry room. The third floor houses another guest room and bath plus a fabulous playroom with a view—perfect for crafts, games and homework.
The lower level revolves around the home’s many outdoor amenities, including a pool with stairs leading down to a private dock and the family boat. A comfortable seating area with a custom river-rock bar opens onto a large outdoor room complete with a fireplace. There is also a media room, a changing room with sauna and a gym. Linking all of the levels is an elevator with a three-story mural painted by the wife’s mother depicting scenes of Annapolis, the house and the owners’ three kids at play on the water.
Despite its size, guests marvel that the home feels intimate and warm. And the owners are thrilled with the outcome. “I wake up in the morning and think, ‘I can’t believe I live here,’” says the wife.
Kittrell attributes the project’s success to her clients. “They are interesting people, they’ve led interesting lives and they have interesting objects,” she says. “It makes my job easy if I’m inspired by my clients. From a style standpoint, it was all about them.”
Photographer Bob Narod is based in Herndon, Virginia.
INTERIOR DESIGN: Beth Kittrell, Kittrell Interiors, Fulton, Maryland. ARCHITECTURE: Mark J. Bandy, Mark J. Bandy, Inc., Ellicott City, Maryland. RENOVATION CONTRACTOR: KPK Construction, Columbia, Maryland.
To see before & after photos click here.
**Out of the array of interior design magazines, Home and Design magazine stands out as a primary idea source for luxury home designs. Wonderful visuals of inspired décor and lush landscapes are combined with expert advice to provide a fundamental reference point for bringing amazing home interior design ideas to life.
MAY/JUNE 2010
A non-descript 1970s-era office building in downtown DC just became cutting edge. Newly renovated, its fifth and sixth floors are now home to the U.S. Green Building Council Headquarters, which recently won Platinum-level LEED certification. “It’s arguably the greenest office space on the planet,” say lead architect Kendall Wilson of Envision Design.
According to Wilson, the USGBC wanted to set an example by drastically reducing energy use. It worked: A combination of natural light and a lighting plan that works at different levels throughout the space has reduced energy output by more than half. In addition, the use of salvaged gumwood paneling and recycled furnishings, fabrics and carpets reflects an eco-friendly mantra. Indoor plants, water features and long-distance views of the outdoors all emphasize a connection to nature.
"The big take-away,” Wilson says, “is that if you can do a smart interior it will have a huge impact.”
RENOVATION ARCHITECTURE: Kendall P. Wilson, FAIA, FIIDA, LEED AP, principal in charge; Rod Letonia, AIA, LEED AP, project director,
Envision Design, PLLC, Washington, DC. CONTRACTOR: James G. Davis Construction, McLean, Virginia.
**Out of the array of interior design magazines, Home and Design magazine stands out as a primary idea source for luxury home designs and coverage of luxury living. Wonderful visuals of luxury getaways and dining options are combined with inspired decor to provide a fundamental reference point for bringing luxury to life in home interiors and beyond.
