Home & Design

The dining area centers on a sculptural Gabby table and Interlude chairs.

In the living area, a Venetian plaster finish by Artstar Custom Paintworks and a marble mantel create a striking backdrop for Donghia side chairs and a sectional and concrete coffee table, both from Bernhardt. A recessed chest displays collectibles.

Architect Peter Miles orchestrated the living area’s wall of windows and doors, connecting interiors to the waterfront landscape.

An olive-wood vanity by Colmar and floral wallpaper make a statement in the powder room.

Farnady refreshed the existing kitchen with a lightened cabinet finish, a Taj Mahal quartzite backsplash and a custom hood.

Lee Jofa grass-cloth wall covering, velvet Kravet swivel chairs and a wet bar framed in a new wall of cabinets dress up the music room.

A chic sitting area marries a Vanguard sofa and geometric tables in the wife's home office.

The wife’s home office features a Noir desk with a view.

The foyer’s painting from Oly Studio inspired a palette of neutrals and greens.

All Organic

A design team revives a dated Annapolis home on Mill Creek

Fringed by manicured beds of boxwood and hydrangea, the lawn of an Annapolis home slopes down to Mill Creek, where yachts gleam on nearby moorings. But the dated, 1980 home on the property did not make the most of this coveted view. The longtime owners, a business executive and his wife, a healthcare professional, had raised three kids in the four-bedroom residence. Now empty nesters, they were ready for a change.

Among the flaws to be addressed were the main level’s choppy layout, a cramped dining room and bulky millwork. Case in point: A double-height living room wall dominated by a trio of stacked mantels framing a fireplace, large TV and display shelf.

The couple called on designer Katalin Farnady, who had updated their primary bedroom and created a chic home office for the wife a few years earlier. “I wanted to introduce a modern vibe and make the rest of the home feel brighter and lighter,” says the wife. After Farnady invited architect Peter Miles into the fold, a close collaboration ensued.

“Everything felt very disconnected,” recalls Miles. “The living room was cut off by arches and there was no place to put a table in the dining room because of existing columns. Our goal was to make little changes so that all the pieces fit together and made sense.”

A plan took shape to scrap useless partitions; even out haphazard ceiling heights; replace columns supporting a second-floor walkway with hidden steel beams; and install two-story, floor-to-ceiling windows to play up views of the creek and lush landscape.

With remodeling in the hands of Bayview Builders, disarray gave way to open, airy spaces defined by a mélange of textures and finishes. The revamped layout revolves around easy entertaining. The foyer delivers guests into the open living/dining area and kitchen—which was treated to a game-changing facelift. The former, boxed-in dining room is now a glam music lounge. Miles and Farnady also retooled the laundry and mudroom, creating an abundance of storage.

The update introduced a sophisticated palette of architectural details, from the reimagined fireplace wall covered in Venetian plaster to a custom, wrought-iron railing that replaced heavy white pickets on the main stair and second-story walkway. “We created a light, earthy aesthetic that infused the house with new energy,” says Farnady.

Inspired by the wife’s love of nature and her favorite color—green—the designer wove verdant accents throughout the interiors, from foyer stools dressed in olive velvet to leafy Lee Jofa wallpaper in the adjacent powder room. No barriers block entry to the living/dining area, where a Montoro marble fireplace surround stands out against seating swathed in textural, tone-on-tone fabrics. To avoid clutter, the team crafted an arched niche that houses a Four Hands chest displaying ceramics collected on the owners’ travels.

Miles went the extra mile to be sure the mullions of the new, oversized Loewen windows and doors lined up horizontally. “We tried to stay away from high contrast between windows and trim, since we wanted to draw attention outside,” he explains.

Positioned between the seating area and kitchen, a dining table beneath a glassy Arteriors chandelier makes hosting a breeze. As does the adjacent music room, where velvet Kravet swivel chairs convey a clubby vibe. A wet bar sheathed in Patagonia quartzite is centered in a new wall of cabinetry; a hanging shelf keeps glassware at arm’s reach.

“Our clients love everything that is natural,” notes Farnady, who sought earthy materials and pared-down furniture with organic forms. “Woven textures and natural stone connect to the outdoors, bringing in a sense of calm. We have so much of nature’s beauty in the house that you really don’t need anything else.”

Cosmetic changes to the existing kitchen garnered dramatic results. Dark cabinets were treated to new hardware, doors and a gray-green finish; Taj Mahal quartzite replaced the dated backsplash and countertops; and a custom hood in a metallic-copper patina added gravitas. “It’s a brand-new kitchen now,” relates Farnady. “I’m a big believer that if cabinets work and are solid wood, there’s no need to replace them. I can give them a full life.”

Reflecting on the finished project, she continues, “Though I love a bit of glamour and the unexpected, it’s also about functionality. This house became much more organized and that gives me so much joy.”

The wife, who tends beehives and a vegetable garden on the property, says the redo has enhanced her sense of well-being. “Getting out in nature, gardening and meditation are a huge part of my self-care; our home now complements all those things,” she asserts. “It’s serene, beautiful and I feel tremendous gratitude that I get to wake up in such a special space.”

Renovation Architecture: Peter Miles, The Drawing Board, Washington, DC. Interior Design: Katalin Farnady, Farnady Interiors, Annapolis, Maryland. Renovation Contracting: Bayview Builders, Annapolis, Maryland.

ENTRY
Table: cb2.com. Chandelier: kellywearstler.com. Painting: olystudio.com. Paint: Aged White by sherwin-williams.com.

KITCHEN
Cabinet Refinishing: artstar.com. Countertop & Backsplash: inhomestone.com. Hardware: walterworkshardware.com. Paint: Aged White by Sherwin-williams.com. Bar Stools: gabby.com. Pendants: Thomas O’Brien for visualcomfort.com.

BREAKFAST AREA
Table: noirfurniturela.com. Chairs: bernhardt.com. Paint: Aged White by sherwin-williams.com.

DINING AREA
Table: gabby.com. Chair Fabric: interludehome.com. Chandelier: arteriorshome.com. Candlesticks: collectedbyschwung.design.

LIVING ROOM
Wall Treatment: artstar.com. Fireplace Surround: inhomestone.com. Sectional: bernhardt.com. Coffee Table: Custom. Side Chairs: Donghia for kravet.com. Side Chair Fabric: kravet.com. Chest: fourhands.com. Rug: fabricut.com. Windows: loewen.com.

MUSIC LOUNGE
Swivel Chairs & Fabric: kravet.com. Ottoman: Custom. Ottoman Fabric: kravet.com. Rug: fabricut.com. Wall Covering: Lee Jofa for kravet.com. Ceiling Fixture & Pedestal Tables: arteriorshome.com. Cabinets: custom. Bar Stone: inhomestone.com. Shelf: davefields.com.

HOME OFFICE
Wallpaper on Ceiling: christopherfarrcloth.com. Sofa: vanguardfurniture.com. Sofa Fabric: kravet.com. Coffee Tables & Desk: noirfurniturela.com. Side Chairs: Vintage. Chair Fabric: Stroheim through fabricut.com. Rug: jaipurliving.com. Table Lamp: kellywearstler.com. Side Table: customfurniturela.com. Desk Chair: vanguardfurniture.com. Art Above Sofa: bblafineart.com. Pillow Fabrics: romo.com.

POWDER ROOM
Mirror: Vintage. Sconces: julieneill.com. Wall Covering: Lee Jofa for kravet.com. Paint: Modern Grey by sherwin-williams.com.

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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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The H&D Portfolio of 100 Top Designers spotlights the superior work of selected architects, interior designers and landscape architects in major regions of the US.

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