Home & Design

When Leslie Bowman-Friedlander presents her bold, abstract wall quilts at craft shows, a passerby occasionally comments, “I could do that.” Many others, drawn by the vibrant colors to look close up, admire the expertise and admit, “I tried making a quilt once…”

“It looks simple,” says the self-taught quiltmaker, who has spent more than two decades smoothing out the wrinkles of her minimalist fabric art. She hand-dyes the cottons, designs the patterns and hand-stitches the perfect squares, turning humble cotton into contemporary art that appears effortless.

From her studio overlooking what used to be farmland in Reisterstown, Maryland, it is easy to imagine the early days of this venerable craft form, when women at quilting bees came together over their sewing. “I love taking tradition and giving it a twist,” says Bowman-Friedlander.

Pulsating color brings a modern edge to her work. Early on, she ruled out cute calicoes and familiar florals in favor of solid fabrics. But finding strong colors proved more difficult than expected. Salespeople told her, “We don’t do solids. We do tone-on-tone,” which prompted the artist to start dyeing her own.

For two or three weeks each summer, Bowman-Friedlander can be found outside on the deck of her home, next door to the studio, dipping pima cottons and muslin into tubs of water mixed with procion, a chemical dye. Fabrics are laid out to bake for several hours in the sun while the heat intensifies their hues. It often takes three or four repetitions—dyeing and washing each time to eliminate added fixatives—to achieve the earthy, saturated oranges, ochres, mossy greens, rich reds and blues that she prefers.

“It’s like painting, but painting with color,” the quiltmaker says. “This way, you get wonderful colors all your own.” Careful formulas and record keeping are not part of her routine. “It’s one of the fun parts,” she adds. “I’m not going to get exactly the same color twice.” Happy accidents also happen when she irons and stacks fabrics in random color combinations that later find their way into compositions.

Inspiration may strike anywhere. Abstract artist Josef Albers’s Homage to the Square studies influenced her Windows and Rooms series of small geometrics. Mosaic tiles discovered on a visit to Turkey fired her imagination, while motifs in an American Indian blanket resurfaced with brighter hues in her series, Navajo Steps. “If I like the way the colors work, I’ll think about how I can translate that into fabric, and I’ll just start playing,” she explains.

In her studio, Bowman-Friedlander stands by a wallboard covered in white flannel. Small squares sewn from cut-fabric strips are tacked to the board in a trial composition. She shifts these basic blocks around, assessing the color balance, adjusting one here or there, filling in with additional strips to conform to her standard-sized wall quilts, typically 50-inch squares.

This evaluation is repeated over several days, or however long it takes. Her rule of thumb: “If I haven’t moved anything for a week, then I’ll sew it.” She positions the squares beside one of four sewing machines, then chooses from a stock of hundreds of cotton and silk threads to match or contrast with the fabric. Sewn together in strips, the composite becomes the top of a three-layer quilt sandwich, which also includes a cotton-batting core and backing.

The artisan’s long, nimble fingers, like those of a pianist, are able to produce seven or eight running stitches at a time. Hand-stitching proceeds in straight rows in the time-honored way, but in her recent work, threads bend and sway, shaping their own decorative element. She leaves the traditional grid design behind in Pickup Sticks, for which she sliced through fabric and inserted narrow strips in asymmetrical designs that, she says, “keep people’s eyes moving around.”

Like her quilting predecessors, she exercises economy by recycling leftover fabric into colorful 16-inch pillows and other functional accessories. Her quilts vary in size, starting at six-by-12 inches and reaching up to 90 inches square in commissioned works.

Tall and lanky, wearing jeans and a ready smile, Bowman-Friedlander is surprised by the turn of her career. She started out studying creative writing at Johns Hopkins University. After graduating with a degree in art history, she went with a friend to a papermaking workshop and ended up making paper sculpture and cut-paper quilts for seven years. Her paper quilts evolved to incorporate photos and fiber, until only the fiber remained.

“I was the last person anyone thought would be sitting at a sewing machine,” she reflects. “I was the girl who rode horses and played outside with the dogs.” Gazing out of her studio’s wide windows at picture-perfect views, she talks about the satisfaction of creating work recognized by the public and of having earned a Maryland State Arts Council fellowship.

“If I ever stopped enjoying it, I’d stop doing it,” this fortunate quiltmaker concludes.

Writer Tina Coplan is based in Chevy Chase, Maryland. For more information, visit bowmanfibers.com, or contact Leslie Bowman-Friedlander at [email protected] or 410-526-0120.

 

 

New Dimensions DC designer David Mitchell had been purchasing traditional, hand-painted iron furniture from Salvations Architectural Furnishings for years before he approached the company with an idea: What about a line of modern pieces, designed by Mitchell, that would answer the increasing demand for cleaner lines in bolder, transitional spaces? The designer envisioned pure, geometric shapes in crisp brass and bronze finishes. “The timing was right,” he says. And Barry Remley of Salvations agreed: A year later, David Mitchell for Salvations has taken off. The collection includes occasional and coffee tables, dining tables and desks, as well as consoles (above: the 3-Square Console in a bronze finish). The spring 2013 collection will usher in all new designs. salvationsaf.com

 

Design Celebrity Q & A To celebrate the first dedicated Calligaris store in Washington, company president Alessandro Calligaris flew in from Italy for the grand opening of the new Friendship Heights showroom (5252 Wisconsin Avenue, NW; washingtondc.calligaris.us). Home & Design caught up with the third-generation Calligaris to lead the family-run brand to discuss the latest trends in furniture design. Launched by his grandfather in 1923, the company designs and produces a wide range of modern home furnishings and accessories distributed in 90 countries worldwide.

What is the Calligaris design philosophy?
Good design means making a product that is interesting to the consumer. It has to be sophisticated and adaptable. It’s a combination of material, finish, quality and, of course, cost. We’re not at the bottom fighting with price and we’re not at the top. It’s a democratic product because we’re in the middle of the market.  

What are some of the most innovative pieces in the latest Calligaris collection?
The Traslo dining table is one of our hallmarks. It expands and contracts and comes in matte glass or ceramic. 

Is it possible to blend modern and traditional furniture?
People like to try their own combinations. They move furniture around and mix different styles. This is why our company is so broad with its products, because people like to play with their houses. We try to let them do that. 

What is your own favorite piece of furniture?
The piece I love most in my house is not by Calligaris. It’s a long chest designed by a Danish architect and for its age it is extremely modern.

5 Amazing Kitchens: Contemporary Classic The owners of a Tudor-style, 1920s home in DC’s Kalorama neighborhood were looking to renovate their house—including its outdated kitchen. They tapped architect Caroline Boutté for the job, which would entail protecting the home’s existing architecture while introducing modern, unfussy interiors.

Boutté envisioned a timeless look throughout the house that would bridge past and present. To evoke that classic aesthetic in the kitchen, she relied on symmetry of design, with a perfectly centered island and a bank of mirrors on one side of the room that mimics the windows directly across. With the classical lines in place, she then selected contemporary, streamlined Poggenpohl cabinetry. She worked with Poggenpohl designer Elizabeth Cosby to create an uncluttered space with clean lines and functional work areas that would feel both modern and  timeless in their traditional home.

Because her clients appreciated beautiful materials and textures, Boutté proposed Honey onyx for the walls and backsplash, backlighting the stone surfaces to create a kind of halo effect near the ceiling. The designer even flew to Florida to select the particular onyx slabs that would afford the level of translucence she wanted. 

Poggenpohl’s sustainable Teak collection of cabinetry blends harmoniously with the onyx surfaces, and Juparano Gold granite countertops meld almost seamlessly where they meet the onyx backsplash. Miele appliances are carefully concealed behind cabinetry to maintain a spare, uncluttered look.

RENOVATION ARCHITECTURE & INTERIOR DESIGN: CAROLINE BOUTTE, Graybanks Design Group, LLC, Easton, Maryland. KITCHEN DESIGN: ELIZABETH COSBY, Poggenpohl, Washington DC. PHOTOGRAPHY: JENNY YANG.

 


See other Amazing Kitchens:

Inspired by Nature
Sharon Kleinman marries rustic accents and sophisticated style in a spacious Bethesda kitchen

Open Plan
An airy, integrated design imbues a modern kitchen with a crisp, European look

Sustainable Style
Designer Sheryl Steinberg creates a "California coastal" aesthetic in her own kitchen renovation

Visual Balance
Biedermeier-style cabinetry lends distinction to a lavishly appointed kitchen by Jennifer Gilmer

5 Amazing Kitchens: Visual Balance A Pikesville, Maryland, couple looking to update their kitchen went shopping for appliances—and fell in love. The object of their attraction was a display of Biedermeier cabinetry by Premier Custom Cabinetry, and they knew right away that it was what they wanted. They decided that Jennifer Gilmer, who had worked with Biedermeier cabinetry before, was the designer for the job.

“Designing with Biedermeier is complicated,” Gilmer explains. “It has to be really balanced visually because of the black framing. Everywhere you have a door you also have a rectangle.” If you’re not careful, says Gilmer, the result can look disjointed, with a jumble of black frames in disparate sizes dotting your kitchen’s landscape.

The homeowners’ initial thought was to place a large island in the center of their spacious kitchen. However, this would block easy access to the periphery of the room, where all the appliances—including two traditional ovens and a microwave/speed oven by Miele and a Gaggenau steam oven—would be located. Gilmer suggested two islands instead of one, enabling the cook to pass easily between stations and to stand between islands for food prep. One island also has seating so the family can dine buffet-style, which is their preference. 

The cabinetry is made of quartered, figured cherry and the black-and-white marble backsplash is cut into tile shapes. Absolute Black granite counters line the perimeter, while Caesarstone tops the islands. A built-in desk occupies one area.

KITCHEN DESIGN: JENNIFER GILMER, CKD, Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen & Bath, Chevy Chase, Maryland. INTERIOR DESIGN: EDWARD R. STOUGH, Edward R. Stough, Inc., Pikesville, Maryland. CONTRACTOR: ANDY SHAW, Shaw Contracting, Inc., Royal Oak, Maryland. PHOTOGRAPHY: BOB NAROD.

 


See other Amazing Kitchens:

Inspired by Nature
Sharon Kleinman marries rustic accents and sophisticated style in a spacious Bethesda kitchen

Open Plan
An airy, integrated design imbues a modern kitchen with a crisp, European look

Sustainable Style
Designer Sheryl Steinberg creates a "California coastal" aesthetic in her own kitchen renovation

Contemporary Classic
Sleek cabinetry and onyx walls lend a glamorous touch to a Kalorama kitchen

5 Amazing Kitchens: Sustainable Style </spanThe natural wood hues and wind-swept grays and blues of Northern California were Sheryl Steinberg’s inspiration for the kitchen renovation in her own Bethesda home. Having moved from that region with her family, Steinberg held the California coastal vernacular close to her heart—along with a determination to remodel as sustainably as possible.

The original kitchen was cramped and dark. “We knew immediately that we were going to want to open up the kitchen,” she says. “We took down the wall between the kitchen and dining room to create an open, eco-friendly space with better flow.” 

Now that the dining room is only separated from the kitchen by a peninsula, light bathes both areas. Steinberg installed two small windows high up along a wall that faces the busy street to admit light while still retaining privacy.

At the other end of the kitchen, a former walk-in pantry has been replaced with a wall of decorative cabinetry. Steinberg bumped one wall out three feet and borrowed space from the former dining room in order to accommodate a spacious island.

Sustainable materials abound. The cabinets, made from rift-cut oak by Holiday Kitchens, use pre-consumer recycled fibers and are finished without VOCs, PVCs or formaldehyde. They’re paired with Green Guard-certified Silestone countertops, no-VOC ceramic-tile floors and energy-efficient appliances. A backsplash of sculptural clay tile from Heath Ceramics in Sausalito completes the space.

KITCHEN & INTERIOR DESIGN: SHERYL STEINBERG, Allied ASID, Sheryl Steinberg Interior Design, Bethesda, Maryland. CONTRACTOR: BETHESDA CONTRACTING COMPANY, INC., Chevy Chase, Maryland. PHOTOGRAPHY: SANDY KAVALIER PHOTOGRAPHY.

 


See other Amazing Kitchens:

Inspired by Nature
Sharon Kleinman marries rustic accents and sophisticated style in a spacious Bethesda kitchen

Open Plan
An airy, integrated design imbues a modern kitchen with a crisp, European look

Visual Balance
Biedermeier-style cabinetry lends distinction to a lavishly appointed kitchen by Jennifer Gilmer

Contemporary Classic
Sleek cabinetry and onyx walls lend a glamorous touch to a Kalorama kitchen

The owners of a ranch-style family house on a wooded Bethesda lot had just become empty nesters. With the idea of staying in the house long-term, they decided to integrate the kitchen with the living and dining rooms in one big open plan. They turned to Vincent Sagart of Poliform | Sagart Studio for help with the renovation. Their first move was to eliminate the interior wall that separated the kitchen from the other rooms. The resulting space offers both southeast and northwest exposures, providing, as Sagart describes it, “wonderful light all the time.”

The couple wanted a clean, contemporary look that would complement their Mid-Century Modern house. They also wanted the kitchen to be functional and easy to maintain. Sagart juxtaposed cabinetry by Poliform Varenna in a deep-grained spessart oak veneer with crisp, white Silestone countertops. “I wanted to work with a simplified selection of materials—wood, stone and steel,” he says. 

He created several work areas, including a double island with a bar of spessart oak that floats above its Silestone-clad counterpart. The other island holds the Wolf cooktop, while peripheral cabinetry houses Miele dishwashers, Wolf convection ovens and a Sub-Zero refrigerator and freezer drawers. 

In the corner by the bank of windows, a banquette and a steel table create a comfortable breakfast nook that takes advantage of the wooded views.

The Silestone backsplash is bisected by an open shelf made of oak. “The shelf allows things to be reachable without cluttering the countertop,” explains Sagart. Brown-hued roller shades further unify the space.

RENOVATION & KITCHEN DESIGN: VINCENT SAGART, Poliform | Sagart Studio, Washington, DC. PHOTOGRAPHY: POLIFORMDC.COM

 


See other Amazing Kitchens:

Inspired by Nature
Sharon Kleinman marries rustic accents and sophisticated style in a spacious Bethesda kitchen

Sustainable Style
Designer Sheryl Steinberg creates a "California coastal" aesthetic in her own kitchen renovation

Visual Balance
Biedermeier-style cabinetry lends distinction to a lavishly appointed kitchen by Jennifer Gilmer

Contemporary Classic
Sleek cabinetry and onyx walls lend a glamorous touch to a Kalorama kitchen

A Positive Experience Bruce Bowers learned construction at the feet of his grandfather, who was a contractor, then put himself through the architecture program at the University of Maryland by working as a carpenter. These experiences, which showed him the building industry from all sides, inspired Bowers to combine his knowledge and experience into a design build firm.

His decision proved to be a good one: Bowers Design Build has been thriving ever since its inception in 1990. With a staff that includes five architects, an interior designer and a team of carpenters, the Northern Virginia-based company assigns each project a supervisor, lead carpenter and purchasing manager who keeps the timing on track from design through construction. A project estimator ensures that the work is being done within the client’s budget.

Bowers and his team emphasize the client’s needs, making it a priority that the building/remodeling process be a positive one for every client. “The client is key,” explains Wilma Bowers, who is Bruce’s wife, co-owner of the company and the vice president of business operations. “From the beginning, Bruce’s vision was a well-run design build business that would defy the expectation that you couldn’t have a good experience building or remodeling your home.”

Today, Bowers Design Build is mainly a remodeling firm, though they build a couple of custom homes a year. Most of the time, Bowers finds he can modify an existing space and that tearing it down is not necessary. Because they work largely in Northern Virginia, the company deals with a lot of older homes—traditional Colonials that need to be repurposed for today’s lifestyles. Major structural alterations, kitchen and bath renovations and the transformation of main-floor spaces are among the most common types of projects they work on—which is just what the owners prefer. “The inherent constraints in the remodeling process mean that it can be more challenging than a custom building job,” says Wilma Bowers. “Bruce is energized by challenges!”

Along with learning construction from his grandfather, Bruce Bowers also picked up a very specific work ethic. “I was taught that there’s a right way to do things and you don’t cut corners,” he says. “Our brand stands for doing the right thing for the client. I think that’s the reason we’ve weathered the economic storm so well—clients know that they can depend on us to do the right thing.”

Facts & Stats
Bowers Design Build builds and remodels homes with a high level of customization. The firm has 24 employees. At any given time, 30 percent of their projects are for former clients.

Specialties
About 95 percent of Bowers Design Build’s portfolio includes kitchen and master bath renovations. Whole-house structural alterations are also common.

Inquiries
Bruce Bowers, president, and Wilma Cairns Bowers, vice president of business operations, Bowers Design Build,
6715 Whittier Avenue, Suite 200, McLean, Virginia 22101.
703-506-0845; bowersdesignbuild.com; email: [email protected]

5 Amazing Kitchens: Inspired by Nature In the kitchen of a house perched on a hillside, views of the treetops abound. These vistas provided Sharon Kleinman with a mandate for the kitchen, which she redesigned along with the rest of the house. Though their home is traditional, the owners wanted a contemporary sensibility. “Modern kitchens can feel cold,” Kleinman says. “The challenge was to make it warm, and I did that by bringing in natural materials to tie it in with the outdoors.”

Kleinman paired custom maple cabinetry from Montgomery Kitchen & Bath with a slate backsplash; distressed, reclaimed walnut floors; and leatherized granite counters. To incorporate the windows into the overall design, she framed them in panels, boxing those flanking the stove and adding glass shelves in front of them. 

The new kitchen is a rectangle dominated by a massive center island. Since the owner is a serious cook, Kleinman devised four stainless-steel work stations to suit her specialized needs; they punctuate the expanse of wood cabinetry. A cooking station centers on a Thermador stove and warming drawers, a Viking grill and a custom Viking hood; a cleanup station includes a Franke sink and two ASKO dishwashers; a breakfast station houses a Jura coffee maker, two Sub-Zero refrigerator drawers and a Viking convection oven; and a storage station offers a Sub-Zero refrigerator and freezer drawers. 

A pantry supplies additional storage and an extra refrigerator, as well as a cabinet on wheels that holds an industrial-sized Hobart mixer. It fits flush with the other cabinetry and can be moved as needed.

RENOVATION ARCHITECTURE: MARK KRAMER, AIA, Kramer Architects, Inc., Bethesda, Maryland. KITCHEN & INTERIOR DESIGN: SHARON KLEINMAN, Transitions by Sharon Kleinman, Potomac, Maryland.


See other Amazing Kitchens:

Open Plan
An airy, integrated design imbues a modern kitchen with a crisp, European look

Sustainable Style
Designer Sheryl Steinberg creates a "California coastal" aesthetic in her own kitchen renovation

Visual Balance
Biedermeier-style cabinetry lends distinction to a lavishly appointed kitchen by Jennifer Gilmer

Contemporary Classic
Sleek cabinetry and onyx walls lend a glamorous touch to a Kalorama kitchen

Black Magic Chefs Jeff and Barbara Black, owners of the Black Restaurant Group, had plans in place to build their dream home on a two-acre lot they’d purchased in Bethesda. The only problem was that their restaurant openings kept getting in the way. First, it was Black Market Bistro. Then BlackSalt. Then Pearl Dive Oyster Palace. The new house was relegated to the back burner for so long, the couple eventually concluded that they didn’t need another construction project in their busy lives. 

So they sold the land, plans and all. Soon after, they happened upon a gracious new home in Chevy Chase built by Sandy Spring Builders. They loved its light-filled interiors, generous floor plan and thoughtfully designed kitchen. It was soon a done deal.

The Blacks and their sons, Oliver and Simon, now 12 and 14, easily settled into the new residence three years ago. It offered some obvious improvements over their former home—a charming 1853 Victorian in Kensington with a cramped, outdated kitchen and one bathroom (the new house has eight). “We loved our old house, but if you put a golf ball on the floor,” Barbara recalls, “it rolled.” And two chefs at work in its galley kitchen was a recipe for disaster.

“The first time we cooked in the new house,” Jeff marvels, “we didn’t even argue. It physically works very well.”

Architect George Myers of GTM Architects designed the center-hall Colonial-style home to blend into the fabric of its historic neighborhood. While the exterior clapboard and front porch harken back to earlier times, the interiors suit a 21st-century lifestyle. 

Working with Myers and the builder, kitchen designer Amy Collins created the kitchen’s functional layout with two distinct work zones: a clean-up and storage area along the exterior wall and a prep and cooking area near the six-burner Wolf range. Her “quiet design” combines Wood-Mode cabinets in a vintage white finish and a darker Brookhaven island for contrast.

Barbara furnished the interiors of the home with a mix of antiques and transitional finds. Like the couple’s restaurants (which also include Black’s Bar & Kitchen), the décor is classic, with a collected style and respect for natural materials. “One of the things we try to achieve in the restaurants also ties into the house,” says Jeff. “A home needs to feel like a home and the restaurants need to feel like a place where you can come and feel comfortable too.”

With a portfolio of five popular restaurants and a couple of new concepts in the wings, this energetic couple—who met as students at New York’s Culinary Institute of America—manages the 24-7 demands of the business with aplomb. Jeff oversees the savory menus and day-to-day operations of the restaurants, each of which has its own executive chef and manager. Barbara runs back-office operations and leads the pastry program—and most often cooks for the boys if they are not dining out at one of their own hot spots. (Pearl Dive’s Fried Catfish BLT, which is topped with a fried egg, is a current favorite.) 

After Simon was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes, the couple formed the Black’s Family Foundation to support the needs of children. They recently raised $200,000 to build a kitchen in the new diabetes complex at Children’s Hospital, projected to open in 2013. 

“We try to support local communities,” says Jeff. “Local is not just going to the farmers’ market to buy produce—local is everything. It’s the banks, the dry cleaners, the contractors. When you keep community strong, everybody prospers.”

BlackSalt’s Nantucket Bay Scallops

8 oz. Nantucket Bay Scallops, side muscle removed
5 garlic cloves, profile sliced
1 shallot, julienne
1/4 cup Piquillo Peppers, roasted, skinned, seeded and chopped julienne
12 pistachios, roasted and chopped
1 Tablespoon thyme leaves
Parsley, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 oz. unsalted butter
1/2 lemon, juice and zest
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

In a very hot cast iron pan, add 2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Add scallops and season. When they are caramelized, push them aside. Add garlic and shallots, sweat until they shallots are translucent without color. Deglaze pan with chicken stock. Add peppers, lemon juice, thyme and butter.Taste sauce and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Finish with the parsley and pistachios. Enjoy.

Michael Ventura is a photographer in Silver Spring, Maryland. 

 

ARCHITECTURE: GEORGE T. MYERS, AIA, GTM Architects, Bethesda, Maryland. KITCHEN DESIGN: AMY COLLINS, Amy Collins LLC, Potomac, Maryland. CONTRACTOR: SANDY SPRING BUILDERS, Bethesda, Maryland.

 

Culinary Think Tank From the street, the nondescript Penn Quarter office building offers no clue that a trip to the sixth floor will land you in the nerve center of José Andres’s ThinkFoodGroup. This growing restaurant empire encompasses Jaleo, Zaytinya, Oyamel and the newly renovated Minibar in the DC area, plus eateries in Miami, L.A., Las Vegas and Puerto Rico. Additionally, Andrés keeps his plate full with cooking shows in the U.S. and his native Spain, a foundation to combat hunger, a teaching stint at George Washington University and a consulting gig on NBC’s new thriller, Hannibal.

With so much activity, it’s no wonder that he and his team need a “central command” environment so they can manage operations. After outgrowing their former office, they turned to DC architect Eric Gronning to help them create a collaborative, decidedly un-corporate culture in their corporate headquarters. “They needed a space that changes as their needs do,” says Gronning, who recently redesigned the DC Jaleo. “They frequently change menus around the world and things need to be done on the fly.”

First, they found the perfect site for the new office in a building near three of ThinkFoodGroup’s busiest restaurants. Gronning gutted the interiors of what was previously a two-story architecture studio, retaining only the skylights in his new design. The main floor encompasses a test kitchen, open workspaces and glass-enclosed conference rooms. The only conventional walls house human resources and accounting offices on the upper floor, where a living wall of plants and herbs, installed by Rolling Greens, flourishes.

In the completed plan, Andrés, CEO Rob Wilder and 16 staff members work on laptops around a horseshoe of communal desks, scribble menu concepts on floor-to-ceiling sliding white boards and review PowerPoint presentations on a large flat-screen monitor. Meanwhile, a team of chefs perfects recipes in the test kitchen. This sleek, efficient space celebrates Spanish design and industry with Fagor appliances, Silestone countertops and Porcelanosa floors. At their own freestanding islands, “cocktail innovator” Juan Coronado invents drinks for Mi Casa at Puerto Rico’s Dorado Beach—a Ritz-Carlton Reserve—and wine director Lucas Paya pours samples of new Spanish wines.

The open approach, says Andrés, is working. “Before, I would go days if not weeks without seeing some people because they were behind doors or walls. Now I have eye contact with everybody.

“The other good thing about it,” he continues, “is if I take out the tables, put a soccer game on TV and invite my friends over, we are the happiest people in the world.”

Photographer Michael Ventura is based in Silver Spring, Maryland.

ARCHITECTURE: ERIC GRONNING, Gronning Architects, Washington, DC. INTERIOR DESIGN: VIOLETA FIORINO SCHWARTZ, Silver Spring, Maryland. CONTRACTOR: MAIZEL CONSTRUCTION, Bladensburg, Maryland.

Jaleo’s Gambas al Ajillo (Sautéed shrimp with Garlic and Guindilla Pepper)

5 Servings

Sautéed Shrimp:

1 lb. Shrimp, peeled and deveined, 31/35 or your preferred size

¼ cup Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil

4 cloves garlic, peeled

5 Arbol chiles

5 Tablespoons brandy

5 Tablespoons lemon Juice

½ cup Brava sauce (Recipe Below)

Kosher salt to taste

Thinly slice garlic cloves with a knife, mandolin or slicer and set aside. In a large skillet heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until it begins to fry. Add the Arbol chile and cook for 1 minute. Turn the heat up to high and add the shrimp. When the shrimp starts to change color, add the brandy, lemon juice and Brava sauce and stir to combine. Remove from the heat, season with salt and serve.

 Brava Sauce:

2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

1 ounce garlic, peeled and sliced

2 Arbol chiles

2 Tablespoons sugar

2 Tablespoons Spanish sherry vinegar

1 Tablespoon tomato paste

2 pounds whole canned tomatoes (Puréed)

1 tablespoon Spanish sweet pimenton

Kosher salt to taste

In a medium-size pot over medium heat add the oil, garlic and Arbol chile and sauté slowly until they start to brown. Add the sugar and stir until it melts. Add the vinegar and tomato paste and cook for a few minutes. Pour in the tomato purée and simmer until almost dry. Add the pimenton and adjust seasoning with salt if necessary. Strain through a sieve and reserve for later use.

To Serve:

2 Tablespoons chopped Parsley. Stack the shrimp into 5 shallow bowls, garnish with the parsley and serve.

 

Ideas for Small Spaces 1. Loft Living
To make use of a tiny attic loft, JP Ward, AIA, of Anthony Wilder Design/Build created a cozy sleeping space for three young children. First, he replaced a treacherous ship’s ladder with a sleek spiral staircase leading up to the loft. He divided the loft into a room with a desk and a sleeping space (above), where architectural elements double as furniture to minimize clutter. Three half-walls, complete with their own separate wiring, serve as headboards, while the alcoves are used as night stands. On this project, Ward says, “We let the space tell us what to do.”

2. Cleverly Concealed
In a recent project, architect John F. Heltzel, AIA, concealed unsightly outlets and wires around a desk by attaching a corkboard on a hinged panel behind the desktop and framing it decoratively to match. “This solution hides the cords while providing a functional and aesthetic surface,” Heltzel says.

3. Liquor License
Designed by Tarcisio Colzani for Eurotrend, the Nando bar cabinet is made of Canaletta walnut with a maple interior. Meant for a small space, it opens from the top to reveal compartments for bottles and glassware and surfaces for pouring drinks; a drawer holds napkins and utensils. eurotrendusa.com

4. Island Fever
The Studio Becker Butcher Block island is made of beech wood with a concealed drawer that locks in 16 German-made knives. A spice rack and hanging rails attach to the sides, leaving a clear work surface. Stainless-steel legs on optional castors allow for easy mobility. studiobecker.com

5. Small Miracle
A tiny Penn Quarter apartment presented Ernesto Santalla, AIA, LEED AP, of Studio Santalla, Inc., with a challenge: how to create enough room for living, dining, sleeping and storage. Santalla razed walls to admit light and impart the open feel of a larger space. He then separated the living and sleeping areas with a screen wall to provide privacy. Built-ins along the wall keep clutter out of sight. “When designing a small space, think in terms of purpose,” advises Santalla. “Use the available space to the fullest. Unused space leads to clutter.”

6. Smooth Move
The ORG Desk Bed fits neatly in a spare room or kid’s bedroom. By day, it offers an open work surface; by night it’s a twin bed. A mechanism provides a smooth transition while bedding and other items remain stationary. Available through Econize Closets. eco-nize.com; homeorg.com

7. A Tight Fit
During the redesign of a Bethesda condo, Wendy Danziger of Danziger Design was asked to turn a nine-by-11-foot space into a combination TV room and guest room. “It had to include the TV, a sofa bed and two chairs,” says Danziger. Through judicious furniture choices, she managed to fit a sleeper sofa on one wall opposite custom built-ins by SCB Woodworking that frame the flat-screen TV. The sleeper sofa opens to within one inch of the built-in cabinetry. A Lucite coffee table doubles as extra seating.

8. Modular Magic
Presotto is a series of sleek, modular wall-storage solutions by Milano Smart Living, offering plenty of stylish shelving for spaces large and small. These contemporary units are customizable, with multiple shelf options and styles. Materials include stone, wood and metal. milanosmartliving.com

9. Modern Ingenuity
Designed by Tailored Living/Hafele America, the Ironfix Ironing Board offers an ingenious solution to the hassle of ironing in a limited space. The board slides out from a concealed shelf, swiveling 180 degrees for convenience. Available through Tailored Living in Northern Virginia. tailoredliving.com

Cooking with Gas One-Stop Shopping
Porcelanosa’s G680 Kitchen features flat-fronted cabinets with soft-closing drawers (pictured in a combination of Blanco matte and Roble Camel Vintage finishes), Krion countertops and integrated handles. Porcelanosa’s kitchens are customizable and available in numerous colors and finishes at its Rockville showroom. porcelanosa-usa.com

Look, No Hands
Moen’s new MotionSense hands-free faucet is convenient, hygienic and energy efficient. A hand or object placed in front of the top or base of the faucet will activate the stream of water—as will using a traditional lever, also available in this model. The faucet turns on and off only when the sensor is triggered, thereby saving water. moen.com

Classic Style
Brick-style, white porcelain tiles from Architectural Ceramics create a classic look and a fresh, neutral vibe in any kitchen—traditional or modern. Available at all area locations, glazed, unglazed or highly polished and in three-by-six-inch tiles (shown here) as well as a range of other sizes. architecturalceramics.net

A Family Affair
Their Scandinavian heritage was the inspiration for an American mother/daughter design team when they launched the kitchen furniture company Bornholm Kitchen, named for a small Danish island. The cabinet above houses a sink as well as a dishwasher drawer and plenty of storage. Made in the U.S. out of walnut or rift oak and sustainable building materials. bornholmkitchen.com

Quiet, Please
Clean lines characterize Zephyr’s island-mount Next Generation Europa Range Hood. A stainless-steel, chimney-style hood, it includes the company’s DCBL Suppression System, a computer-operated motor that increases energy efficiency and decreases noise. Pictured here, the Modena hood, part of the Essentials Europa Collection. zephyronline.com

Clean Air Act
With its E.ion collection of chic, pendant-style hoods, Italian designer Falmec concentrates on eliminating not just smoke and lingering cooking smells but pollutants like dust, pollen, dust mites and viruses. Sold internationally and through Falmec North America in Ontario, Canada. Pictured here, the Twister hood. falmecnorthamerica.com

A Clean Slate
For those who want the sleek look of stainless steel without smudges and fingerprints, GE Appliances now offers a solution: the Slate finish, which offers a slightly darker metal hue with a matte surface that repels smudges. GE products with Slate finish, including refrigerators, dishwashers, over-the-range microwaves and free standing electric or gas ranges, are available through Appliance Distributors Unlimited. adu.com; geappliances.com

French Flair
The French company THG Paris brings haute design to the kitchen with the Bastide faucet. Featuring porcelain Provençal-style levers, a distinctively curved spout and a turned, cylindrical base, it’s available with a choice of one or two levers and separate hand spray. thgusa.com

Oh, Canada
The Canadian cabinetry company Zonavita—part of the Decor Cabinet Company—was inspired by contemporary European design. Products boast clean lines, smooth, polished surfaces and smart storage solutions, with more than 100 door style, material and color combinations. Zonavita is now sold locally through Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen & Bath in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Pictured, a Zonavita kitchen designed by Gilmer. jennifergilmerkitchens.com

Blast From the Past
First used centuries ago, the fireclay sink remains a popular alternative to porcelain and stainless steel. The clean-lined, modern Cerana sink is Blanco’s first fireclay sink to be sold in the U.S. Fired at ultra-high temperatures, the clay is highly resistant to shock, heat, acid, discoloration and chipping. Available with a rounded or contoured apron front. blancoamerica.com

Oven Ready
The custom Electric Premiere Oven from Viking’s Professional Series offers such extras as a glass-enclosed infrared broiler, a meat probe, full-extension racks and a multifunctional digital/analog clock that’s exclusive to Viking. Available in 24 vibrant colors, in widths of 27 and 30 inches.vikingrange.com

 

Urban Chic Sometimes, the right location is worth a little sacrifice. In the case of Matthew Fearnside, an attorney who decided to make a move from Alexandria, Virginia, to DC’s trendy 14th Street Corridor, the trade-off was space. “I came from a much larger place,” he says. “When I moved into my place in DC, none of my furniture fit!”

While his tiny, one-bedroom condo apartment boasted great touches like an exposed concrete ceiling and ductwork that gave it a hip, industrial look, many of its finishes were merely builder grade. Its quirky layout imparted character but also was tough to navigate. “It was full of nooks and crannies,” Fearnside recalls. “I needed holistic help to make it work—artwork, furniture, finishes and space planning.” He was starting from scratch.

Fearnside turned to Will McGovern for help planning the space to best suit his lifestyle and needs, upgrading finishes, selecting furniture and art and gutting the bathroom, which was sorely lacking in style and function. “The unit is on an angle,” McGovern explains. “The challenge was to take this very choppy layout and make it functional.”

McGovern came up with a plan that would make use of every precious inch in the home—and also imbue it with the stylish urban vibe his client was after. 

Among the apartment’s quirks was a small, lofted area to the left of the front door that offers an intimate gathering space but also truncates the rest of the room. McGovern made it a niche for TV watching, installing a flat-screen on the wall and a substantial, creamy white leather sofa from BoConcept that comfortably fills the space. He also painted the two walls that flank the loft an inviting purple hue that envelops visitors. Clusters of Puck Lights by Vibia complete the look. The lower-level walls of the loft—facing the entry and kitchen areas—have been clad in an eye-catching, metallic paper from Innovations.

The apartment’s main living space includes a kitchen and a small sitting area. McGovern had to get creative to best take advantage of the modest footprint—and he succeeded. The kitchen island now partially conceals a Parsons table designed by McGovern to be pulled out and its top unfolded; in its open state, it can accommodate six for dinner. A cupboard from BoConcept in one corner has a door that opens out to reveal an efficient desk surface. 

McGovern was careful in his design not to overwhelm the space, which has a spare, modern feel but is also welcoming. To the right of the kitchen, two small armchairs from BoConcept sit atop a shag rug, while the eye-catching Dandelion Pendant by Moooi hangs above like a piece of sculpture. Behind the seating area, draperies of woven raffia in a purple color scheme echo the colors in the loft. Beyond the drapes, a compact balcony is visible through sliding glass doors that admit plenty of light. 

The kitchen, which came with dark wenge cabinets, Silestone countertops and Bosch appliances, was not in need of much help. McGovern added a backsplash of textured ceramic tiles by Ann Sacks to enliven and personalize the area; it creates a strong focal point. To the right, above the desk, hangs a large, abstract piece they commissioned from local artist Rob Vander Zee, which beautifully picks up the tile color and unites the space.

In the tiny, cozy bedroom, Fearnside was able to use furniture from his previous home, including a bedstead and nightstands from West Elm. McGovern cleverly arranged bike mirrors to decorate the wall behind the bed; the Silence Pendant by Molto Luce hangs above. The traditional closet door has been replaced with a modern, sliding barn door in frosted glass that opens and closes without obstructing the room.

The redesign of the bathroom constituted the biggest change. From the beginning, Fearnside knew it was a space he wanted to upgrade, as it clearly didn’t come with the level of finishes and fixtures that he wanted. McGovern gutted it, replacing the cheap vanity with a sleek, dark-wood version coupled with a large, recessed medicine cabinet, both by Robern. Above the vanity, a Kohler pendant with three fixtures adds interest while the existing shower has been enlivened by a new floor of blue ceramic penny rounds by Ann Sacks.

Throughout the apartment, dark-stained teak floors add warmth. McGovern finished the job with a surround-sound audio system that encompasses the whole unit. Fearnside couldn’t be happier with the results of their labors. “What was great about working with Will was he had a modern sensibility but also made it comfortable, which was what I wanted,” Fearnside says. “I was able to give him free rein because I felt I could trust him.” 

Anice Hoachlander is a principal of Hoachlander Davis Photography in Washington, DC. 

INTERIOR DESIGN: WILL McGOVERN, ASID, McGovern Design Studio, Washington, DC. CONTRACTOR: K&R CONSTRUCTION, Fairfax, Virginia.

 

Steve Case, founder of AOL, and his wife Jean have set their substantial sights on Virginia Wine Country with the purchase of a winery in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. After undergoing a major renovation by architects Jay Hugo and Jill Nolt of 3North and ILEX Construction, Early Mountain Vineyards finally opened its doors last year—for the first time since the Cases bought it. The results include a newly appointed tasting room (pictured), where ILEX Woodworking created a serpentine, 38-foot-long bar made of reclaimed oak and concrete, and a bluestone patio outside. The winery’s gallery and event hall received facelifts and space was made for a retail market showcasing wines and other local artisanal fare. Early Mountain Vineyards is open for tours every day but Tuesday.

 

ARCHITECTURE: JAY HUGO, AIA, and JILL NOLT, AIA, 3north, Richmond, Virginia. INTERIOR DESIGN: Janie Molster Designs, Richmond, Virginia. CONTRACTOR: DOUG HELLMAN and PAIGE GILL, project supervisors, ILEX Construction & Woodworking, Charlottesville, Virginia. PHOTOGRAPHY: ERIC KELLEY.

 

 

A Common Thread There are homes we admire from a distance, and then there are homes where we feel—well, right at home. They have a natural cohesiveness that invites us in, no matter their particular style. This welcoming sensibility is a trademark of interior designer Kristin Peake, and it’s in abundance in the Georgian-style Potomac home she decorated for a couple and their three young daughters.

After moving from a cramped, chaotic townhouse they had clearly outgrown, the wife wanted a serene, tranquil environment that would also be kid-friendly. She had been drawn repeatedly to pictures of Peake’s work; finally she contacted her, confident that the designer would understand her vision. 

Peake began by selecting neutral colors that would prevail throughout the house. Not only was this palette restful, but it would set the tone for a cohesive design plan. “The way this house works is we can pull a thread through every room; every piece is flexible,” explains the designer. “If you’re entertaining in the dining room and need a few chairs from another room, we can do that. If you’re redecorating the living room, you can move the existing chairs to the master bedroom and they fit right in.”

Right away, Peake noted the home’s interior architectural details—in particular, the coffered ceilings that embellished most rooms. The designer took her cue from the symmetry of the ceiling designs in creating furniture groupings, which convey a harmonious symmetry throughout. She also painted the coffered ceilings with subtle accent colors that “made them pop instead of just disappearing,” she says. “Before, you couldn’t appreciate them.” 

The peaceful coexistence of palette, furnishings and textures is galaxies away from the home’s former look, with its dark hues and strong patterns. When Peake first walked into the house, she could envision how to get from there to here almost immediately. However, she still hired high-tech imaging firm 3DStormStudio to create a three-dimensional presentation of her vision.

“You can promise all you want, and show a client photos and numbers. But there’s nothing like animation and 3D to really bring it to life,” Peake says. “For people who don’t get it and really can’t see it—and that’s most of our clients because that’s why they hire us—it’s worth its weight in gold.”

Peake’s clients were also sold on her utilitarian approach. A mother herself, Peake is a realist who knows that a room’s beauty must be more than skin deep. “We live in houses that don’t have glass walls; we have children who are going to bring friends over and spill Kool-Aid on a pillow that cost $300,” Peake says. “We try not to think about these things every day, but it’s real life.” 

To aid in the battle against sticky fingers, Peake made ample use of stain protectors and stain-resistant fabrics. “They’ve all come leaps and bounds with indoor-outdoor fabrics,” she observes. “A lot of the furniture in this house is wipe-able.” 

A comfortable and inviting vibe pervades the house; visitors notice it the moment they step through the front door. The first thing they see? A plush, round settee, upholstered in an airy, whimsical floral.

“Every typical builder home has a 20-foot stairwell and a big round table with flowers, which I hate,” Peake laments. “I said, ‘Can we please not do that? You have little kids, let’s make this a focal point that feels a little softer and can serve as a sound barrier to the space rather than being a big echo chamber.’” On the curved staircase, Peake installed a floral stair runner that enhances the room’s design while softening the sounds of little feet running between levels and cushioning potential falls. 

The adjacent dining room houses a focal point of its own: an oversized wood-bead chandelier from BoBo Intriguing Objects that floats over the round dining table and invites guests to gather. It’s a favorite room of both the homeowners and their designer.

While the family room is a haven for lounging, Peake carefully appointed the living room both for intimate family time and large-scale entertaining. “That was probably my most challenging space because they wanted so many functions in there,” she says. Complementary plush chairs, sofas and tables are arranged in precise but fluid groupings. A freestanding bar—an eleventh-hour client request—looks as if it was an integral part of the room from the start.

Peake updated the existing living room draperies with new hardware and banding. It’s a trick she also employed for the draperies in the master bedroom, a room whose long, rectangular dimensions offered their own challenge. 

“It was almost like a ballroom because of the way it was positioned before,” she says of the bedroom. “I definitely needed to rework the existing floor plan and modify it to fit the clients’ wants and needs.” 

Also in need of special attention were a few cherished collectibles—notably, a menagerie of unusual Russian vodka bottles that now are displayed in the husband’s office. Peake selected accessories and art throughout the house using the same guidelines that unite the furnishings: Most would be equally at home in any of several rooms.

“I pride myself on full-service installation—not only designing the space and picking out the furniture, but having everything come together,” says Peake, who enjoys creating the finishing touches. “The final layer is ultimately what we all want to do. We worked so hard to create the space, it’s great when we get to finish it.” 

Cathy Applefeld Olson is a writer in Alexandria, Virginia. Photographer Stacy Zarin Goldberg is based in Olney, Maryland. 

INTERIOR DESIGN: KRISTIN PEAKE, Kristin Peake Interiors LLC, Rockville, Maryland.

 

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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