The Home of LaRon Landry SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010

Soon after first-round draft pick LaRon Landry joined the Washington Redskins in 2007, he began searching for a home in the area. The Louisiana native was drawn to a neighborhood of stately homes on the outskirts of Leesburg, Virginia—only about 10 miles from Redskins Park. He saw potential in a 13,000-square-foot residence with its spacious rooms and full lower level, where he envisioned a home gym, a theater and a billiards room. But its bright yellow color scheme and run-of-the-mill finishes left him cold. And the garage was too small to accommodate his luxury car collection.

Landry met designer Janelle Marshall via mutual friend Sibel Halac. He toured a house Marshall had designed, liked its style and turned to her for help on his own interiors. (By coincidence, Marshall is the former wife of linebacker Wilber Marshall, who played for the Redskins and the Chicago Bears, among other teams, in the 1980s and ’90s.)

“I handled the gym and garage, but I wanted Janelle to help me make the house a home, someplace where my parents and family and ‘boyz’ would all feel comfortable and would want to spend time,” says Landry, 26, whose older brother, Dawan Landry, plays for the Baltimore Ravens.

Marshall toured the residence and discussed its problems—and potential—with her client. “Every single room had bright yellow walls,” she recalls. “It was very hodgepodge and didn’t give you peace of mind.” She immediately got to work creating an elegant yet masculine look, introducing gold and brown tones with splashes of color to soften the darker shades. She sought classic furniture scaled on the generous side to accommodate her six-foot-tall client and his NFL teammates. “LaRon left me to do whatever I wanted. He just gave me free reign to do my thing and didn’t say no to anything,” says Marshall. “He totally trusted my taste.”

Today, the grand foyer opens to the dining room, where a decorative tissue treatment by faux painter Laura Harris on the tray ceiling creates a dramatic effect. To the right of the foyer, a hall leads to an intimate living room and a much larger sunroom with a vaulted ceiling. Here Marshall paired sofas by RC Furniture upholstered in a solid gold Kravet fabric with John-Richard chairs in a stripe by Kashmir.

The foyer also leads directly into a great room and the adjacent kitchen, which boasts two large islands, a dining area and a casual seating space. Harris painted the once-bright yellow cabinets taupe with a fine vertical threading, giving the space instant sophistication. And Marshall selected furnishings to complement the room’s new look; pendants over the island replaced overly formal chandeliers.

“I love the open kitchen area because Gucci [Landry’s white-face capuchin monkey] and my dog Trauma are close to the action—and food,” says Landry.

But the football player’s favorite space in the house is the lower level, which he dubbed “Landry’s Lounge.” The ultimate man cave, it encompasses a home theater, a large entertainment area with a pool table, a smoking room and a well-equipped gym decked out in the purple and gold colors of Louisiana State University—Landry’s alma mater, where he became a football star.

Marshall transformed the entire lower level with new hardwood floors, custom arched doors and a faux leather treatment on the walls by Laura Harris. The state-of-the-art home theater, designed by Mike Sines of Homerun Communications, is a big draw for Landry’s teammates. “The theater gives me a chance to kick back and catch my brother play for the Ravens, as well as scout the opposition,” says Landry. “I also like to have the ’fellas in and we all just hang and watch a movie on the big screen.”

Despite rigorous workouts at Redskins Park, Landry uses his home gym every day. “I love to lift,” he says. “At home it’s two to three hours every day. I got my music, my LSU colors. It makes me feel young and strong.”

Just a few days before the start of training camp, Landry is upbeat about his newly completed house—and about the upcoming NFL season. “The house gives me a good vibe,” he says. “It now feels like a home. It’s comfortable, has everything I need and want and is close to Redskins Park. I’m very proud of what we have all done.”

Photographer Bob Narod is based in Sterling, Virginia.

INTERIOR DESIGN: JANELLE MARSHALL, Distinctive Designs by Janelle, Potomac Falls, Virginia.

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