“It’s a bespoke community,” says Phil, a technology executive. “Each house has a different philosophy.”
The couple scooped up a tree-laden lot there in 2015—with their own philosophy in mind for the roost that would follow. “A rustic yet refined atmosphere was what we were going for,” reveals Cathy, a homemaker.
Architect Mark Sullenberger and builder Mitch Racoosin translated that credo into a French Country-style abode, concocted of natural fieldstone, stucco-coated brick and stained cedar. They carried the aesthetic inside with reclaimed-oak ceiling beams and a fieldstone fireplace surround, among other agrarian accents. These soulful details swayed designer Rebecca Penno, who joined the team during construction, as she wove a cohesive color story throughout the three-level home and appointed the main-floor spaces.
“I kept going back to the interior architecture—the rough-hewn timbers, the different tones in the stone,” Penno recalls. “The neutrals we used have warmth to them. We love incorporating browns and taupes with ivories, making rooms a little cozier, but in this case we left the wall colors fairly light to keep them bright.”
Creating a relaxed vibe reigned supreme. “I really wanted it to feel comfortable when you come in the front door,” says Cathy. “I wanted traditional-but-fresh interiors, nothing too formal. Rebecca knew how to bring those elements in to make it a little bit fresher.”
The designer established the palette and approach in the entryway, where a hand-knotted rug embodies her penchant for earthy shades. An eye-catching lantern, with its aged-iron finish and fanciful curves, encapsulates the rustic-to-refined ratio. The center table is one of several pieces from the owners’ existing collection that Penno worked into her furniture schemes (it displays a pair of Foo dogs from Cathy’s prized collection).
The foyer leads back to a decidedly unstuffy dining room, replete with pattern and texture. Above the wainscoting, which stretches two-thirds of the way up the walls, Penno installed a graphic, tone-on-tone Phillip Jeffries grass cloth. A stylized damask print from Stroheim enlivens wingback chairs that preside over the dark wood table. As the designer notes, the space “is not overly formal but it’s still refined.”
The kitchen lies to the right of the dining room, down the hall. Emily Neifeld of Lobkovich Kitchen Designs conjured the homespun space, mixing time-honored ingredients—from a subway-tile backsplash to honed-marble countertops—with touches of rusticity such as the bleached-walnut panels on the Sub-Zero refrigerator. The goal, Neifeld reveals, was “to create a kitchen that is bright and traditional with rustic charm.”
Penno collaborated with Artisan Builders on a built-in banquette to fit the curved breakfast area. Acknowledging her clients’ “no-fuss way of life,” she covered the fronts of the side chairs in easy-to-clean vinyl; a trellis-patterned textile from Kravet dresses the less-spill-prone backs.
Laid-back, generously scaled furnishings inhabit the adjacent gathering space. “This room has the volume ceiling with timbers and stone on the fireplace, so it wouldn’t take delicate furniture,” the designer states. A sectional sofa from CR Laine, clad in Crypton fabric, offers ample seating when the Horvitzes’ two grown children visit.
Phil’s study and the master-bedroom suite sit on the opposite end of the first floor, to the left of the entryway. In designing the study, Penno took her cues from its clubby, white-oak wall paneling. “I wanted this room to feel masculine, playing off the oak,” she explains. A plaid, leather-bound rug, custom-crafted from broadloom carpet, launched her vision.
The master suite epitomizes the home’s traditional-yet-fresh milieu. A Cowtan & Tout grass-cloth wall covering, bolstered with metallic shimmer, graces the suite’s vestibule. Cathy refinishes furniture as a hobby and the hall’s antique cabinet is a product of her handiwork. The bedroom’s lattice-patterned Wilton rug hits a classic note, while its painted furniture and upholstered bed keep the design from veering toward stodgy.
“There are little nods to tradition here and there, but it’s not too fussy—or too casual,” asserts Penno. “That’s the story behind all the interiors. They are a happy medium.”
Completing the custom home, from architectural drawings to relaxed décor, took more than three years. According to the Horvitzes, the outcome justifies the commitment. “It was a lot of work,” admits Phil, “but we enjoyed the adventure and couldn’t be happier with the end result.”
Architecture: Mark R. Sullenberger, AIA, Custom Design Concepts Architecture, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. Interior Design: Rebecca Penno, Penno Interiors, McLean, Virginia. Kitchen Design: Emily Neifeld, Lobkovich Kitchen Designs., Vienna, Virginia. Builder: Mitch Racoosin, Artisan Builders, McLean, Virginia.
How do you impart personality to a space?
There are many ways to tell your story. Replacing light fixtures can change a mood entirely, or using wallpaper in unexpected places. Incorporating millwork, such as a coffered ceiling, will add a dimension.
What makes a neutral palette sing?
When working with a tone-on-tone interior, I tend to keep the eye moving by layering patterns and textures so nothing appears flat or dull.
Go-to paint color for walls?
I use Sherwin Williams’ Natural Choice quite often. It has a nice, creamy undertone without going yellow and works great with both warm and cool tones. We used it in the Horvitzes’ public spaces.
Combining metals like aged brass and bronze often gives a collected-over-time appearance. If that is outside your comfort zone, use different finishes of the same metal, such as polished and brushed nickel.
“It’s a little like walking into Oz,” says homeowner Art Richer. Indeed, step inside the Reston, Virginia, abode he shares with wife Leslie and a tranquil panorama of Lake Thoreau transports you to an enchanted land where toll-road troubles melt away.
That full-on display was a mere promise, however, when the Richers bought the ’70s-era contemporary house in 2016. Missed opportunities abounded. For starters, the home’s quirky design obstructed sightlines from the front door. Expanses of glass existed but the spaces could accommodate more. Drywall partitions hemmed in the tiny galley kitchen; the separate dining room up front lacked a lake view. And mundane details—think carpeted-plywood stairs—left Leslie, an attorney, and Art, a retired technology executive, feeling cold.
Transforming the dated digs took a major renovation and tons of vision on the part of architect Jim Rill and designer Lauren Liess, who teamed up to instill the airiness, functionality and meaning the owners were after. “It was funky architecture to be inspired by,” admits Rill. “There isn’t a lot of historical precedent for this style of home so we had to make it up.”
Rill’s plan centered on two goals: opening up the spaces and integrating the home with its surroundings. Walls came down to create a seamless kitchen/dining/living area. In the process, the kitchen shifted and expanded, acquiring additional turf from the former dining room.
Working largely within the existing footprint, the architect added less than 400 square feet in total by capturing space in three areas. First, he enclosed the deeply recessed entryway to create a roomier foyer. To establish an unimpeded link from front to back and clear the way for the new dining area, he also enclosed a portion of the courtyard that awkwardly protruded into that interior zone.
“Before, there were lots of pinball barriers,” Rill recalls. “When you walked in, you looked into a little garden court that blocked your lake view. That area became interior space but we filled it in with glass, so it still feels connected to the outdoors.” The architect extended windows on the stair wall to create a tower effect; a third set of sliding-glass doors joined the two already accessing the redesigned outdoor-living oasis. “Now,” he adds, “there’s a strong flow, functionally and visually.”
To enlarge the upstairs master bedroom, Rill claimed space previously occupied by a deep balcony. Glass sliders invite the outdoors in and open to a new, streamlined balcony. “The house was more introverted than it should have been. Now, it’s completely extroverted,” notes the architect. “We kept focusing on drawing your eye to the lake and establishing a connection to the natural setting.”
With the renovation underway, the Richers sought help defining and executing their interior vision. Leslie spotted Liess’s work online and was smitten with the designer’s approachable aesthetic. Once on board, Liess began the process of teasing out her clients’ tastes by sharing inspiration photographs. The owners, she recounts, “were very attracted to things that had a hard-working look to them.”
As the conversation continued, Art revealed his lasting appreciation for turn-of-the-20th-century architectural details, especially those recalled from his childhood school building in Upstate New York. “I remember classrooms with those old oak windows—all the glass, metals and marble floors,” he reminisces. “The school just had a warm feeling.”
It was that feeling the Richers wished to capture. Drawing on a “schoolhouse-industrial” vocabulary, the team developed interior details that celebrate functional beauty. Steel plays a recurring role; look to the exposed posts and beams supporting the catwalk and the sleek stair design for examples. “The geometry is impressive—all the clean lines,” asserts Leslie. “There’s something very reasonable, rational and sensible to it all.”
While the Machine Age inspired one layer, Mother Nature influenced another. Cases in point: The overhauled kitchen and master bathroom, which meld utilitarian-style lighting and fixtures with wood and stone. “I have an obsession with nature and what’s going on right outside a home,” Liess confesses. “We wanted to bring as much of that inside as we could. We took industrial and natural elements and married the two.”
The designer employed a pared-down palette of black, white and tan, adding textural moments—from wood-plank ceilings to cowhide rugs. “It was about keeping things interesting enough that it didn’t feel boring,” she explains, “but quiet enough that we didn’t compete with or detract from the beautiful setting.”
Antique and retro finds fill the spaces. Vintage side chairs line a farmhouse-inspired table from RH in the dining area. When they visit, Art’s four young-adult children can watch Dad cook from industrial-leaning stools mounted at the kitchen island. New upholstered pieces round out the mix; the living room’s leather-covered sofa hails from Liess’s own collection. (Not surprisingly, this home appears in the designer’s 2019 tome, Down to Earth: Laid-Back Interiors for Modern Living.)
The Richers would not trade their life on Lake Thoreau. “It’s so peaceful here, definitely an escape,” says Art. “I have no desire to leave any time soon.”
Renovation Architecture: James F. Rill, AIA, Rill Architects, Bethesda, Maryland. Interior Design: Lauren Liess, Lauren Liess, Great Falls, Virginia. Renovation Contractor: Woodhaven Contractors, Frederick, Maryland. Landscape Design: Charles Owen, Fine Landscapes, Ltd., Sterling, Virginia.
RESOURCES
GENERAL
Flooring: White Oak, slate tile. Windows: windsorwindows.com through thesanderscompany.com. Doors: westernwindowsystems.com through thesanderscompany.com. Front Door: Applewood Doors & Windows; 706-835-3667. Family Room Fireplace: pietrastudio through stoneremnantsonline.com. Bedroom Ceiling Panels: Custom.
DINING AREA
Table: rh.com. Host Chairs: verellen.biz. Side Chairs: Vintage Tolix through 1stdibs.com. Light Fixture over Table: etsy.com. Hide Rug: westelm.com.
DECK
Woven Seating: Clients’ collection. Bar Stools: rh.com.
FAMILY ROOM
Leather Sofa: laurenliess.com for taylorking.com. Pair of Chairs & Fabric: verellen.biz. Rug: fibreworks.com. Round, Marble-Topped Occasional Table: noirfurniturela.com. Coffee Table & Lamp on Round Table: palecek.com. Pendants: rejuvenation.com. Shades: horizonshades.com.
KITCHEN
Cabinetry: Custom. Cabinet Color: Off-Black through farrow-ball.com. Backsplash: subwaytile.com. Countertops: Wood and Soapstone. Stools: rh.com. Pendants: holophane.acuitybrands.com through 1stdibs.com. Range: ilveusa.com.
BEDROOM
Bench & Fabric: Olystudio.com. Rug: landryandacari.com. Bedside Wall Lamps: photonicstudio.net through etsy.com. Nightstands: bungalowclassic.com. Standing Mirror: fourhands.com. Throw on Bed: etsy.com. Vintage Butterfly Chair: 1stdibs.com. Occasional Table: Antique Senufo stool through chairish.com. Drapes: raoultextiles.com through johnrosselli.com.
MASTER BATH
Tub: signaturehardware.com. Tub & Sink Fixtures signaturehardware.com through rejuvenation.com. Wall Tile: subwaytile.com. Floor Tile: southcypress.com. Vanities: Custom. Mirrors: rh.com. Wall Sconces over Vanities: illuminatevintage.com through etsy.com. Ceiling Light: rejuventation.com. Shower Enclosure Frame: Custom steel-framed glass.
On balmy summer evenings, designer Tracy Schlegel can be found relaxing on her lofty deck, nestled among the tall trees lining the backyard of the home she shares with husband Mike and their two teenage children. The C&O Canal and Potomac River meander in the distance. “I sit there with a glass of wine and look out to the view,” reveals Tracy. “It feels like you’re in a treehouse.”
The sylvan parcel—bordered by protected parkland and located within Bethesda’s quaint Brookmont enclave—sealed the deal for the Schlegels in 2001. Charming outside yet crumbling inside, the 1928 “Hansel and Gretel cottage,” as Tracy describes it, checked all the boxes too. “We were purposefully looking for a house that needed a full makeover with the intent to completely gut it,” recounts the designer, who worked in advertising back then. “We didn’t want to take on someone else’s style.”
They also intended to be hands-on, with Mike, now COO of a construction and property-management company, serving as general contractor and Tracy supplying the vision for the spaces—on top of their day jobs. They asked Jim Bryan of Heffner Architects to devise a plan for open, functional and light-filled interiors that would leave the curb appeal intact. “First and foremost, we wanted something that fit in the neighborhood,” Mike asserts.
Ultimately, the mission grew into more than a makeover. Bryan preserved the brick façade; everything behind the exterior front wall was torn down and rebuilt from scratch (the project was deemed a renovation/addition since that wall remained). Cedar siding and cultured stone complement the brick. “By using part of the old house and keeping a similar look for the front elevation, we maintained the existing community feel,” the architect explains. “It still feels like a cottage even though it is a very, very nice one.”
Its magical allure aside, the downward-sloping lot presented a challenge. “It was narrow and incredibly steep, so fitting all of the program elements [into the plan] took a lot of care,” recounts Bryan. Though deeper and taller than its predecessor, the 4,400-square-foot dwelling doesn’t overwhelm the property or adjacent homes.
An airy foyer with an open staircase and soaring ceiling beckons guests; Tracy’s office lies to the left. Across the back of the house, the living and dining rooms share a double-sided fireplace and the bumped-out breakfast nook flows into the kitchen. The second floor houses the master suite and a bedroom for each child (both born after construction was completed in 2002). The at-grade lower level comprises a television-viewing area and game zone, plus two guest bedrooms.
Bryan integrated three outdoor-living spaces, including the main-level deck off the living room, into the rear façade. The lower-level recreation areas spill out to a flagstone patio, perfect for entertaining al fresco, while the master bedroom opens to a deck offering an unparalleled panorama.
Indoor spaces commune with nature courtesy of some 100 windows and glass doors, which also usher in soft, natural light. “With so many trees, the light there was dappled and filtered,” recalls Bryan. “I put as many windows as I could fit” along the back and sides.
As Tracy explains, she and her husband “wanted it to be a surprise when you come through the door, where you can’t believe how open it is and connected to the view.”
Mike adds: “Tracy and I are outdoors people. So being inside and feeling like you’re outside is fantastic.”
The designer chose—or eschewed—interior details with a cottage vernacular in mind. She dismissed crown moldings as too formal for the setting. More plainspoken selections, such as the wide-plank, pine floors that flow through the home, have stood the test of time. Still, the spaces have evolved over the years with Tracy’s aesthetic. Take, for instance, the warm-gray paint color that replaced a “peanut butter” hue on social-area walls.
“I have a rolling palette of neutrals, and I can switch up the ‘pop’ colors on pillows and blankets,” notes Tracy. “Neutral finishes on more permanent selections lay a good foundation for the interiors. That’s really what I try to do for my clients too.”
As it turned out, Tracy’s experience crafting her own homes (the Schlegels had previously overhauled a Cleveland Park duplex) sparked a career change. “I’ve always loved fashion, flowers, making things look beautiful,” the ad-exec-turned-designer reveals. Her new path “became an extension of that, thinking about what you want your environment to be.” When her interior-designer sister, Kelcey Huff, suggested they go into business together, Tracy eagerly agreed. The two started Waterlily Interiors in 2009.
The Brookmont abode reflects Tracy’s signature blended style. “I like to mix antiques or pieces that were handed down with upholstered pieces that have a cleaner profile,” she says. “It’s about figuring out how to bring things you like together as a cohesive collection.” For example, the living room tableau combines a circa-1870 Asian cabinet with transitional seating.
From her tranquil master suite to her beautifully appointed outdoor spaces, Tracy cultivates a sense of escape. “To be able to stop, sit and find peace in your home—I feel really lucky to have that,” she admits. “Everyone deserves a home they can step into and feel happy.”
Architecture: Jim Bryan, Heffner Architects, P.C., Alexandria, Virginia. Interior Design: Tracy Schlegel, Waterlily Interiors, Bethesda, Maryland. Renovation Contractor: Mike Schlegel, The Bozzuto Group, Greenbelt, Maryland. Landscape Contractor: Blue Ridge Landscape & Design, Winchester, Virginia.
RESOURCES
Art Consultant: merrittgallery.com.
DECK
Rug & Pillow Fabric: westelm.com. Center Table, Chairs & Chair Fabric: rh.com.
TERRACE
Rug: westelm.com. Tables, Seating & Fabric: rh.com. Pillow Fabric: kravet.com. Poufs: serenaandlily.com.
BREAKFAST ROOM
Antique Pine Tavern Table: Owners’ collection. Chairs: potterybarn.com. Chandelier: isualcomfortlightinglights.com. Custom Shades: gretcheneverett.com.
LIVING ROOM
Sofas: henredon.com. Ottoman, Ottoman Fabric & Sofa Fabric: leeindustries.com through americaneyewdc.net. Pillow Fabric: kravet.com; hinescompany.com. Rug: greenfront.com. Coffee Table: jlambeth.com. Side Tables: Henredon.com; baker.com (round). Table Lamps: baker.com. Drapery Fabric: rh.com. Wall Covering Around Fireplace: phillipjeffries.com. Mirror: urbancountrydesigns.com.
BEDROOM
Bed: bernhardt.com. Bedding: frette.com; sferra.com. Pillow Fabric: frette.com. Drapery Fabric: kravet.com. Nightstand: hickorychair.com. Table Lamp: curreyandcompany.com. Chair & Ottoman: centuryfurniture.com. Chair Pillow Fabric: ralphlaurenhome.com. Paint: benjaminmoore.com.
BATHROOM
Limestone Tile: marblesystems.com. Paint: benjaminmoore.com. Plumbing Fixtures: ferguson.com.
Exterior Photography by David Burroughs | Interior Photography by Angie Seckinger
Sweeping vistas of Island Creek, a tributary of the Tred Avon River, sold an Arlington couple on an idyllic, five-acre point of land in Oxford, Maryland. “We’re surrounded on three sides by water,” observes the wife, a community volunteer. “That’s really what makes this place so special.”
The pair had dreamed of owning a second home on the Eastern Shore, in part because the husband, an energy consultant, loves to sail—a passion their two kids, now ages 21 and 18, inherited. Unfortunately, the property’s existing 1950s farmhouse, which had served as the family’s retreat since they purchased it in 2004, did little to celebrate its surroundings. “When you opened the front door, all you saw was the stair,” the wife recalls. “You couldn’t see the water. We really wanted to maximize the beautiful view.”
With its choppy layout, the farmhouse also lacked a comfortable, open space for hosting large groups of family and friends. And its dearth of spare bedrooms and baths posed a challenge with overnight guests. After considering a renovation to address these drawbacks, the couple ultimately decided to build anew. They tapped architect Cathy Purple Cherry and designer Marika Meyer to conjure a custom escape tailored to their goals and needs
The watery panorama dictated Purple Cherry’s site-sensitive plan. Curved to follow the shoreline, the house is one room deep, with a circulation spine extending from end to end across the front. As the architect notes, “Every single room is rotated to the incredible view and connects to the water.”
An expansive sightline to Island Creek greets guests as they step inside, thanks to smart positioning of the stairs and vast expanses of glass along the rear. Beyond the entrance hall, Purple Cherry set the open-plan gathering space—which encompasses the kitchen, everyday dining zone and living area—in the center core. She then built out from there with angled wings. The library and guest quarters sit to the right; the butler’s pantry and dining room to the left. Above, each of the four en-suite bedrooms, including the central master, boasts a balcony overlooking the picturesque point.
The winged design, executed in an exterior mix of stone and clapboard, imbues the new, 8,000-square-foot abode with a sense of history befitting its locale. “Those decisions—transitioning from the center core to the stone links to the white clapboard—were intentional. I wanted to reinforce the feeling of evolution and keep the roof mass down,” explains Purple Cherry. “Nothing about the scale of the home feels big; it’s a series of smaller pieces.”
Intricate interior details throughout, from coffered ceilings to built-in cabinets, dovetail with the evolved-over-time aesthetic. Divided-lite windows, coupled with transoms on the first floor, feed the narrative too. “Most clients facing the water do not want those divisions, but [the wife] wanted the house to feel older,” reveals Purple Cherry. “We morph our architecture to our clients’ wants.”
The kitchen’s foremost must-have: double islands. One island serves as the food-prep station (where crab cakes are often in the making); the other, lined with stools, as a congregating spot. Marble counters cover the custom-crafted cabinetry.
Access to the outdoors also topped the owners’ priority list. The living area’s sliding French doors open to a sizeable porch, fitted with retractable screens, that extends their entertaining space. “The porch was the best decision we’ve ever made,” enthuses the wife. “This is where everybody hangs out, and it’s got a beautiful view.”
A saltwater pool, bluestone terraces and contextual landscaping enhance the scene. Using native plants, from lush grasses to flowering shrubs, Campion Hruby Landscape Architects created a Chesapeake garden to complement the natural terrain. “There’s a casual informality to the Eastern Shore landscape,” notes principal Kevin Campion. “We designed the planting to let that casual elegance just flow right up to the house.
Inside, Marika Meyer, who also outfitted the couple’s primary residence in Arlington, found inspiration in the setting too. “We wanted the interiors to reference the home’s coastal location but not be specifically nautical,” she recounts. “The palette of blues and greens ties to the water and views.” The designer left the windows bare in the main-level public spaces. “Without drapes, your eye is drawn to the exterior,” she explains. “We embraced the sightlines and there’s a continuity from inside to outside.”
Much of the designer-client conversation centered on the need for durability. “This is a family home, a retreat, and [the owners] wanted everyone to feel welcome and to enjoy the space without worrying,” says Meyer. “The overarching goal was to create a happy home.”
To that end, she instilled a relaxed yet polished sensibility. There’s a mix of casegoods sporting anxiety-proof, distressed finishes, and clean-lined upholstered pieces such as the living-area sofa and
ottoman—both sheathed in performance fabrics.
As the designer points out, “The furniture and finishes are carefree, but we elevated the look to match the integrity of the interior architecture.”
The clan escapes often to their easy-going home, which they appropriately christened “Week’s End.” Reports the wife: “It’s wonderful for family time.”
Architecture: Cathy Purple Cherry, AIA, LEED AP, principal; Brian Bassindale, RA, Purple Cherry Architects, Annapolis, Maryland. Interior Design: Marika Meyer, Marika Meyer Interiors, Bethesda, Maryland. Builder: Choptank Builders, Easton, Maryland. Landscape Design: Kevin Campion, ASLA, principal; Nick Ries, project manager, Campion Hruby Landscape Architects, Annapolis, Maryland. Styling: Frances Bailey.
As a member of Queer Eye’s Fab Five, Los Angeles-based designer Bobby Berk consistently demonstrates the power of design to transform lives. H&D caught up with the star on March 1 at Belfort Furniture in Dulles,
Virginia, where he was promoting his new furniture collection, Bobby Berk for A.R.T. Furniture (visit belfortfurniture.com). Following is an excerpt from the conversation.
Where did you find inspiration for your furniture collection?
I was inspired to design things I would want in my own home. When you design what you’re passionate about, it shines through. My collection is modern but warm, minimal but not too minimal. It’s all about mixing the right materials to make modern, clean-lined pieces feel warm and inviting.
How do you define a well-designed home?
A home that is well-designed functions well. I always first worry about how a room needs to function, then I worry about how it’s going to look. A well-designed home makes your life easier, not harder.
What do you love about your own home?
I love the views. Our house isn’t big, but it’s perched up on a hill where we have 360-degree views of L.A. There’s a lot of glass so nature is part of the home.
What’s happening in design that excites you?
Colored cabinets are something that I’m really loving. Painting the cabinets is a great way to modernize your kitchen without spending a lot of money, and colored cabinets just look cool. In Season Four of Queer Eye, I did a yellow kitchen with open shelving that has been one of my favorites.
What do you want viewers to take away from Queer Eye?
Your spaces can affect your mental health and how you interact with your friends and family. If your phone doesn’t get a good charge, it’s not going to make it through the next day. It’s the same with you. I want people to really realize that your home has a huge effect on that. The show allows me to help way more people than
I would ever have been able to help before.
The interiors of the ’40s-era Arlington home shared by husbands John Palmer and Ray Taylor were showing their age. A tight layout within the compact, Cape Cod-style abode, which Palmer purchased in 1997, compounded the problem and inevitably prompted action. “The format wasn’t working for us,” recalls Taylor, a real-estate appraiser. “It wasn’t about making the house bigger. It was about making it more livable and functional—and giving it grown-up flair.”
Interior designer Paul Corrie accepted the challenge. The owners had previously enlisted him to decorate a couple of rooms and trusted his keen eye to guide a major renovation and redesign. “Paul figures out what we like,” says Palmer, a software executive. “Then he takes us down a road that works for both of us.”
The first step was reconfiguring the layout of the 1,200-square-foot house. The team started by flipping the positions of the dining room and kitchen, so the kitchen moved to the back of the house while the dining room was relocated in front. Removing an entryway wall improved the flow between the dining and living rooms, which are used for entertaining. “John and Ray wanted an open floor plan that would be more conducive to their lifestyle,” reveals Corrie. “We wanted to modernize the space without disrupting the original bones too much.”
Taking advantage of a bedroom and hall bath at the back of the first floor, the team shifted the bathroom’s doorway from the hall to the bedroom to create en-suite guest quarters. Upstairs, walls shifted to establish a more spacious master bedroom and an office. A lower-level recreation zone received a décor refresh during the recent undertaking.
With the new layout in place, Corrie introduced architectural elements that lean toward modern. For example, he traded the existing wood stair banister for one of his own design featuring black, wrought-iron balusters that provide “a particular level of detail and high contrast,” he explains. An ebony-walnut finish revived the original hardwood floors.
In the new kitchen, custom cabinets, painted a putty-gray hue, extend to the ceiling for maximum storage. Honed-soapstone countertops and a farmhouse sink “create a timeless aesthetic that fits with the rest of the house,” Corrie notes. A vintage, flea-market ladder adds another layer of charm.
A full-gut makeover transformed the first-floor guest bathroom. With honed-marble subway tiles and unlacquered brass fittings, it illustrates Corrie’s use of materials and finishes to instill a sense of luxury, even in modest quarters. As the designer points out, “You see a consistent theme, a masculine-chic vibe, throughout the house.” His dominant palette of black, white and warm neutrals supports that feel.
So does the masterful mix of new and old furnishings. Corrie has a knack for blending laid-back retail pieces with antiques of various provenances. The living room provides proof: an RH leather sofa and linen-covered, tufted chair sit companionably with a French armchair and an American butcher-block side table, both from the 1800s. “The number-one priority was that the spaces be comfortable and livable, but they also had to reflect a certain taste and sophistication,” maintains Corrie.
“We wanted a casual but adult environment, nothing super fussy,” Palmer concurs. “You can put your feet up here and relax.”
The couple also sought interiors that tell their story. In response, Corrie deftly incorporated meaningful possessions into his carefully balanced schemes. For instance, he paired vintage dining chairs (one of the couple’s first purchases together) with a new zinc table inspired by a 1940s Belgian design. “There’s a subtle juxtaposition but I didn’t want to take it too far in a modern direction,” he explains. “I respected the pieces they already had and created an eclectic mix of things that quietly marry well.”
According to the designer, his clients enjoy being “surrounded by things they love.” In the living room, RH étagères display Taylor’s trove of 19th-century French confit pots. Corrie also framed black-and-white family photographs and scattered them throughout the home. A trio surrounds an antique, giltwood mirror in the hallway and two hang above the guest bedroom’s metal headboard—kept company by a flea-market, taxidermic find.
“I do a lot of layering,” notes the designer. “I try to present it in a way that looks lived-in, not museum-like. I worked to find the right environment to showcase each of these collections in their best light.”
There’s talk of more layers to come. An antique Oushak rug for the master bedroom tops the couple’s 2020 wish list, and the pair plans to call Corrie when they are ready to invest. So what first drew them to the casually elegant aesthetic of their designer, who they discovered on Facebook? “We both lead stressful lives at times,” says Taylor. “Paul’s work looked very soothing but very luxe. It looked like something we would want to come home to.”
Interior Design: Paul Corrie, Paul Corrie Interiors, Washington, DC. Renovation Contractor: Aaron Daley, Remodeling & Restoration Services, Arlington, Virginia.
RESOURCES
DINING ROOM
Table: rh.com. Chairs: goodwooddc.com. Light Fixture: earlyelectrics.com through 1stdibs.com. Rug: Vintage through 1stdibs.com.
LIVING ROOM
Sofa, Tufted Chair, Etageres: rh.com. Curved-Back Chair: foxgloveantiques.com through 1stdibs.com. Side Table: spindlerantiques.com through 1stdibs.com. Table Lamp & Wall Sconce: industrialartifacts.net.
HALL BEHIND STAIRCASE
Demilune Console: rh.com. Mirror: cotejardinantiques.com.
KITCHEN
Cabinet Paint: sherwinwilliams.com. Farmhouse Sink: rohlhome.com. Countertops: Honed soapstone. Ladder: thebigfleamarket.com. Backsplash Tile & Faucet: waterworks.com.
GUEST BEDROOM
Bedstead: rh.com. Chair by Bed: thebigfleamarket.com.
GUEST BATHROOM
Shower Tile, Shower Fittings, Sink & Toilet: waterworks.com. Medicine Cabinet: rh.com. Hanging Light over Medicine Cabinet: circalighting.com. Wall Sconce: industrialartifacts.net.
When Sean and Lisa Creamer purchased a 1914 farmhouse on a sublime stretch of Oak Creek near the Miles River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, they hoped it would become a magnet for family and friends. And it has. A recent remake of the house, grounds and an outbuilding has only enhanced the place’s powerful allure. “It’s absolutely beautiful here,” says Lisa, a community volunteer. “We try to share it as much as we can.”
The Olney, Maryland, couple swooped up the Dutch Colonial abode and five-acre property in Royal Oak, a stone’s throw from St. Michaels, in 2006. For years, they spent weekends and summers there—boating, crabbing and fishing with their three children and guests. Now that the kids are in their 20s, the one-time retreat is transitioning to a full-time residence for the two (Sean, a financial executive, continues to commute to work) and a long-anticipated renovation was in order.
Changes by previous owners had saddled the faded farmhouse with a confusing layout and circa-1970s detractions. The Creamers sought to retain—or revive—old-soul charm while improving function and flow. They enlisted architect Gregory Wiedemann to update the home’s infrastructure, resuscitate its exterior and interior, replace an awkward addition, and convert the barn-turned-garage into a pool house.
“The Creamers wanted a family compound where they could gather,” explains Wiedemann. “The challenge was striking a balance, keeping as much of the historic fabric as we could yet dealing with the irregularities. We wanted to undo things that were not consistent with the original house and restore its character.”
Wiedemann and project architect Andrew Dan shifted main-floor walls, doorways and windows to clarify the plan, create a more logical arrangement and introduce front-façade symmetry. For example, a centered set of French doors ousted two off-kilter entryways in the living/casual-dining room. Throughout, the team preserved or matched the original architectural details, including heart-pine floors and plain trimwork.
Tucked into the interior, the kitchen once constituted, “a really strange conglomeration of spaces that snaked around,” as Lisa describes it. The architects relocated the kitchen to the former breakfast area and expanded it by enclosing a portion of the porch. The revamped kitchen now sits opposite the dining room and to the left of the approach-side entrance. Nostalgic elements—such as the island’s walnut top, reminiscent of a farm table—lend period-appropriate appeal.
A flat-roof, one-story appendage that housed the master-bedroom suite also demanded attention. The goal, says Wiedemann, “was to replace the box with a more sympathetic addition that works with the home’s historic character.” Bound by 100-foot-buffer restrictions on the waterfront site, the team retained the ground-level footprint but added a second story onto the new addition. A curved staircase connects the first-floor master suite and second-floor sitting room and also provides secondary access to the four main-volume bedrooms. Through its compatible massing, gabled roof and exterior materials, the 847-square-foot wing blends harmoniously.
The site informed the plan for transitional spaces. The architects restored the waterfront-facing covered porch and removed unsightly open decking to extend it, screening in the side facing the pool. As Wiedemann notes, “The wraparound porch addresses the two major orientations of water and the southern outdoor-gathering area.”
That zone comprises a reimagined pool/hot tub and outbuilding. The original barn, converted to a garage at some point, was in disrepair; the team transformed it into a high-functioning pool house designed for year-round use. Its first floor contains a hangout space, wet bar, changing area and bathroom; the second-floor game room leads out to a deck with panoramic views. The pool house serves as the daytime social hub and also attracts noisy night owls after dark.
Restrained landscaping reflects the home’s humble roots. McHale Landscape Design repurposed existing plants and selected others, such as boxwood, “representative of the time period of the house,” says principal Steve McHale. “We created a simple design that would complement the architecture and keep the views open. It was very intentional not to overdo the landscape.”
The interiors bow to the setting too. Designer Carol Wheeler of Bountiful Interiors instilled what she calls a “Tidewater coastal feel,” employing a neutral palette and taking a pared-down approach. “You always want to play up the view,” she advises. “Big window treatments would have blocked the scenery outside.”
Wheeler specified “come-sit-here” furnishings, covered in performance fabrics. “The selections had to be functional,” she says. “This house is meant to be used, not just to look pretty.”
Indeed, the Creamers entertain often—and sometimes in a big way. Every year, they gather 100 guests for their Turkey Bowl, a touch-football game on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. “It’s gone way overboard,” laughs the wife. “Sean built goalposts out of PVC pipes. He’s out there weeks ahead of time getting ready.”
Other weekends, the couple welcomes 20 family members, or their adult children invite friends to stay. “We’re practically running a B&B,” quips Lisa. “Everyone has to sign up early because weekends go quickly here.”
Renovation Architecture: Gregory Wiedemann, AIA, principal; Andrew Dan, project architect, Wiedemann Architects, Bethesda, Maryland. Interior Design: Carol Wheeler, Bountiful Interiors, Easton, Maryland. Kitchen Design: Justin Cunningham, Stuart Kitchens, Bethesda, Maryland. Renovation Contractor: O’Neill Development, Gaithersburg, Maryland. Landscape Design: Steve McHale, McHale Landscape Design, Upper Marlboro, Maryland.
Drive along the Delaware shore and one thing becomes clear: Shingle-style architecture dominates the residential scene. Though many homeowners in the area covet a coastal New England vibe, one couple envisioned something altogether different for their weekend escape—and turned West for design inspiration.
The Potomac, Maryland, pair looked past the tired, existing cottage when they purchased a Dewey Beach lot within a block of the ocean in 2017. Planning to build anew, they asked architect Randall Mars and designer Arlene Critzos to define and execute their non-traditional vision for a family retreat.
“They wanted a modern beach house, but that could have gone many ways,” says Mars. “I had in mind a California Modern home with lots of glass. The idea was to open up the interior to the outdoors.”
That desired connection—and the tight, 5,000-square-foot parcel—shaped the three-story plan. Other functional must-haves included an office for the husband, a commercial real-estate developer, and separate en-suite bedrooms for each of their three teenage children. From the get-go, it was a given that friends of all ages and extended family would visit often. “The site had some constraints and the program had many requirements,” recounts Mars. “It took some work to get everything to fit.”
First, the architect bucked convention by setting the open living/dining/kitchen sweep, along with the master suite, on the second floor. The entry level houses the kids’ bedrooms and hangout space, plus a guest room. The loft office sits on the third floor, which accesses a rooftop deck and ocean-facing, side balcony. “Functionally, the layout works perfectly,” notes Mars. “We wanted to raise the main living space for better views.”
Mars captured the essence of the Golden State’s vernacular—and oodles of natural light—with a 25-foot span of glass doors across the width of the great room. When open, the rolling panels disappear into a pocket, effectively erasing the indoor-outdoor line. “The whole main floor, inside and outside the doors, is an entertaining space,” explains the architect. “There’s a continuity, which is perfect for big gatherings.”
Beyond glass, the exterior mixes various materials: Concrete and ipe reinforce the modern ethos, while white stucco lends a beachy feel. Indoor materials sustain the architectural aesthetic. Concrete reappears in floor and wall panels; soapstone covers the living area’s fireplace and television wall. An open-riser staircase, mixing walnut with steel, connects the three levels.
The wife, a technology entrepreneur, requested a sleek white kitchen, warmed up with natural wood. To achieve her ideal in his cabinetry design, Mars sourced milky glass on the upper perimeter; walnut for the base perimeter, island and hood; and high-gloss, painted wood on the appliance wall.
Outfitting the home’s seven bathrooms, the team sought surfaces that adhered to the wife’s preferred palette of gray and white. Dynamic materials, such as the richly veined marble on the wall of the master bath, add personality.
Critzos and her team at Interior Concepts had previously appointed the couple’s primary residence in Tuscan style. But for their modern getaway, the owners sought streamlined interiors that would feel more at home in the hills of Hollywood than in Tuscany. “Their Potomac house is very different,” reveals Critzos. “Here, they wanted a clean, contemporary look.”
White walls provide a crisp backdrop for laid-back furniture in soft neutrals. Prioritizing comfort and ease, the team kept their choices practical and family-friendly, says the designer. The living area’s sectional sofa, covered in a terrycloth-like chenille, seats a crowd. The gray-toned-wood dining table and chairs boast a forgiving, wire-brushed finish.
A smattering of earthy accents balances industrial details. Take the primavera-wood coffee table and flitch artwork in the kids’ quarters, for example. As Critzos notes, “When you use steel and concrete, you want to add some warm, organic elements.”
To complete their new spaces, the owners commissioned two hanging-glass sculptures from Czech artist Jitka Skuhrava. The artist’s husband flew over to install the bespoke pieces—one above the dining table and another from the double-height ceiling at the loft end of the great room. The latter comprises a cluster of translucent, hand-blown plates, an effect Mars likens to “a smack of jellyfish.” It’s
a fitting final touch for this coastal vacation home.
ARCHITECTURE: Randall Mars, AIA, Randall Mars Architects, McLean, Virginia. INTERIOR DESIGN: Arlene Critzos, Joyce Pearl and Catherine Belkov, Interior Concepts, Inc., Annapolis, Maryland. BUILDER: Garrison Homes, Lewes, Delaware.
RESOURCES
Throughout
Shading System: lutron.com. Windows: pella.com.
Foyer
Stair: saiennistairs.com
Exterior
Sliding Doors & Window Above Them: westernwindowsystems.com through thesanderscompany.com. Fire pit: rh.com. Ceiling Fan: modernfan.com.
Kitchen
Range & Ovens: subzero-wolf.com. Cabinets: plainfancycabinetry.com through ahfdesigns.com. Countertops: marblexinc.com.
Master Bathroom
Cabinets: plainfancycabinetry.com through ahfdesigns.com. Countertop: marblexinc.com. Marble on Wall: architecturalceramics.com.
Master Bedroom
Fan: minkagroup.net.
Great Room
Fireplace: montigo.com. Soapstone Fireplace Surround: marblexinc.com.
Nick and Liane Pace found their forever home in 2012, just after their third child arrived. They fell for the 1938 abode’s Georgian-style façade and grand interiors, not to mention its knoll-top setting above Richmond’s James River Valley. But after living in the house for a few years, they recognized its shortcomings for their young family and decided to take action. “Our goal was to keep the charm and character of an older home, but add some modern amenities and an updated feel,” reveals Liane.
Preservation ranked doubly high, given the property’s historic ties. Robert Merhige, Jr., a renowned federal judge from the 1960s to the 1990s, once called it home. His trailblazing legacy includes opening the University of Virginia to women in 1970 and later integrating Richmond’s public schools.
The Paces faced a challenge: how to honor the home’s past while adapting their stately residence to the present-day lifestyle of a family with three kids, now ages seven, 11 and 14. They enlisted architect John Voight and designer Janie Molster to mastermind a solution.
“They live their lives in a more informal style than the architecture of the house,” observes Molster. “They’re a young family in blue jeans on the weekends. We wanted to be respectful of the structure of their house, but also make it a more family-friendly environment.”
Voight devised a plan to renovate the existing residence and add on a new wing. “The request was, ‘Make this a family house and give us a connection to the backyard.’ That’s what drove the design,” explains the architect, formerly of Charlottesville-based Madison Spencer Architects. The clan moved out for more than a year while the thoughtful transformation took place.
A spacious kitchen with a sizable island topped the couple’s requirement list. “When we bought the house, it had a narrow, galley kitchen,” recalls Nick, a healthcare-industry executive. He adds that they also envisioned “a family hub around the kitchen” for watching TV and hanging out.
A luxurious upstairs master suite—with his-and-her bathrooms—and a lower-level kids’ zone were also priorities. Voight delivered on all fronts by reconfiguring existing spaces and adding 1,300 square feet above ground, plus an additional 800 square feet in the excavated basement.
For the new kitchen, Nick—as the family’s head cook—set his sights on a brass-accented black range and hood from the Florentine line Officine Gullo (so it’s no surprise that Italian classics such as osso buco are his specialty). The team made these a focal point in the space, which now opens to a cozy keeping room that connects to the repaved and expanded rear terrace through French doors.
Across the back of the main block, two additional sets of French doors—one in the living room and one in the butler’s pantry—now join the existing pair in the dining room. “When we have parties, those doors are thrown open and people can move in and out easily,” says Nick.
Most of the original interior architecture, including the stairs, remained intact. The team retained “the rich collection of moldings and profiles,” recounts Voight. “In the new rooms, we used trims that were sympathetic to the originals.”
Molster washed most walls in quiet hues to highlight the home’s classic bones. “The paint colors are made to disappear,” she explains. “We want you to look past the wall color to the really pretty architecture.”
Within the muted envelope, Molster established a fresh, timeless look that is in keeping with the residence’s architectural lineage. “When you walk inside the house, I didn’t want a real shock,” she says. “I want the inside to feel like it talks to the outside. The furnishings that go into such a grand house need to have significance and importance.”
The designer mined a bevy of markets for Swedish antiques with painted finishes and sprinkled these finds, such as the living room’s shapely settée, throughout the spaces. “We used beautiful antiques, but they aren’t dark and heavy,” she notes. “Gustavian-era furniture gives you the formal feeling of a Georgian-style house without adhering to dark English antiques. They’re significant furnishings with a lighter touch.”
Modern elements mingle with these and other antiques for calculated tension. As Molster explains, “Things show up better when they have a contextual rub.” The entryway’s mélange—where an ornate mirror crowns a clean-lined console—illustrates the point.
The team adopted the mantra “Larger pieces, fewer things” in their selection of lighting and accessories. Ceiling heights—some reaching over 10 feet—also swayed the conversation. “Scale was a driving force,” reveals Molster. “In rooms with tall ceilings, we like to go big.” Look to the dining room’s trumeau mirror and the kitchen’s iron lanterns for examples.
Practical considerations came into play. Contract-grade or coated fabrics ensure that upholstered furnishings can withstand wear and tear. “I didn’t want rooms we couldn’t live in,” says Liane.
Now complete, the redesigned nest not only lives easier, but also effortlessly welcomes friends and relatives. Understanding their family’s needs before plunging into the project was key to success, according to Nick. “This is our last house, so we wanted to do it right.”
Architecture: John Voight, John K. Voight Architects, Charlottesville, Virginia. Interior Design: Janie Molster and Robyn Framme, Janie Molster Designs, Richmond, Virginia. Contractor: Tony Pitts, Pitts & Associates, Richmond, Virginia. Landscape Design: Monit Rosendale, VSLD, Gardens by Monit, Richmond, Virginia.
A yearlong renovation and interior-design project typically starts with a lengthy list of homeowner must-haves. But not this one. When DC architect and designer Andreas Charalambous met new clients at their recently purchased flat in Georgetown, the ask boiled down to a single request: “Tell us what the space could become.”
As Charalambous explains, owners David and Ruthie Carliner “wanted to bring [the condo] to its full potential” yet had not arrived at any specifics. “They were open to exploring the possibilities. It was an interesting process, a conversation.”
The empty-nesters, who live in northern Baltimore County, longed for an in-town getaway where they could enjoy the District’s many attractions. “We love the scale and walkability of Washington,” says David, a retirement-community developer. “And access to the Kennedy Center was definitely an important draw.”
Housed in a 12-year-old building, the unit they bought—lined along the back with floor-to-ceiling windows framing views of the C&O Canal—hardly constituted an eyesore at the outset. “The realtor said we should buy it because it was in perfect condition,” David recounts. “Then Andreas came in with all these great ideas. We ended up demolishing everything.”
At first, Charalambous focused on maximizing every inch of the 1,400-square-foot flat. He opened up the living area by removing a wall separating it from an adjacent den. A double-sided gas fireplace—organically shaped with televisions on both sides—now divides the long space into two zones: a sitting area and a lounge.
An aesthetic direction began to emerge with the selection of large-format, stone tiles to replace the existing wood floors. “The moment we made the decision on the stone, things started to fall into place,” recalls Charalambous. “The flooring choice guided the other decisions we made.”
With streamlined flooring on its way, the mundane kitchen begged for an update. Sitting to the left of the entry, the space “needed to look good because it’s the first thing you see when you enter,” notes Charalambous, who collaborated with Vincent Sagart of Poliform | sagartstudio on the redesign.
Glossy white cabinets and countertops replaced darker versions in stained wood and granite, respectively. The team traded a solid wall of cabinets and integrated appliances—which stretched to the ceiling—with an airier arrangement of base cabinetry and a floating, LED-lit upper unit. As Sagart reveals, the goal was “to create the illusion of more space” in the open-plan living/dining area.
The couple’s escape-the-everyday Georgetown lifestyle dictated the kitchen’s functional aspects. “The storage and cooking areas are fine-tuned to their needs for a second home, where they come to unwind,” says Sagart. Scaled-down appliances, including under-counter refrigerator and freezer drawers, made sense.
“There aren’t any pots or pans because I don’t cook here,” admits Ruthie, a culinary school-trained chocolatier. “We go out to eat when we’re here. We walk to dinner. It’s so much fun.”
Opposite the kitchen, the office multi-tasks as a guest room for visiting grandchildren. Its customized desk/storage system rotates to reveal a Murphy bed. In the master suite, Charalambous flanked the bed with smoky mirrors to expand the space visually. Both the master and guest bathrooms received full-gut upgrades.
A nuanced palette of beige and gray throughout plays up the owners’ collection of vibrant abstract artwork. “We let the art bring in the color,” says Charalambous.
The architect introduced lighted cove ceilings to “subtly define” certain spaces. “The theme of the ceiling starts in the dining area, unites the two living areas, and then reappears in the master bedroom,” he explains. The dining-area recess follows the size and shape of the table below, while the bedroom cove acts as a canopy over the bespoke bed. Charalambous finished the mod forms with white-on-white Venetian plaster that shimmers in the LED lights.
The furniture plan blends mid-century finds with contemporary selections—a mix that developed naturally during designer-client shopping excursions. “We didn’t have one style in mind,” says Charalambous. “We went to see a lot of different things.” Four Pelican club chairs, designed by Finn Juhl, make up the living-room sitting area, while the opposite lounge groups several customized pieces, including a sofa and armchair, from L.A.-based creator Stephen Kenn.
As David reveals, the condo’s clean design offers a welcome change from the French Country interiors of the Carliners’ Maryland abode. “Our favorite thing about the apartment is how it makes us feel,” he shares. “We love the fact that it always feels new and special, but also familiar and comfortable.”
The couple generally spends one night a week in their Georgetown getaway. “It’s a little vacation when we’re here,” says Ruthie. “It’s our date night.”
Architecture & Interior Design: Andreas Charalambous, AIA, IIDA, principal, and Juan Martin Gutierrez, FORMA Design, Washington, DC. Kitchen Design: Vincent Sagart, Poliform | sagartstudio, Washington, DC. Builder: CMG Construx, Washington, DC. Home Automation: Casaplex, Kensington, Maryland.
RESOURCES
THROUGHOUT
Flooring: stonesource.com. Venetian Plaster Ceiling Inserts: Tim Thompson, Creative Transformations, Inc.; 410-458-7136.
LIVING AREA
Finn Juhl Pelican Club Chairs & “Sheep” Rocker: furniturefromscandinavia.com. Chair Fabric: kvadrat.dk. Ottoman: kmpfurniture.com. Console: todvon.com. Custom Area Rug Design: formaonline.com. Rug Fabrication. chachafurniture.com. Floor Lamp: usa.flos.com.
LOUNGE AREA:
Floor lamp: usa.flos.com. Sofa, Armchair, Coffee Table & Ottoman: stephenkenn.com. Sofa, Armchair & Ottoman Fabric: stoneleathergoods.com. Round Side Table: Eileen Gray. Handmade Mohair Throw: lenarewell.fi through furniturefromscandinavia.com. Accent Wall Material: maharam.com. Art Wall: peterglassford.com.
KITCHEN
Cabinetry: poliformdc.com. Countertops: silestoneusa.com. Hood & Speed Oven: miele.com. Faucet: dornbracht.com.
DINING AREA
Table Design: formaonline.com and poliformdc.com. Chairs: furniturefromscandinavia.com. Chandelier: moooi.com. Painting: michaelhedgespainting.com.
OFFICE/GUEST ROOM
Murphy Bed + Desk Millwork: resourcefurniture.com. Area Rug: maslandcontract.com. Lounge Chair, Ottoman, Side Table & Desk Chair: furniturefromscandinavia.com. Chair & Ottoman Fabric: kvadrat.dk.
MASTER BEDROOM
Bed: Custom by formaonline. Bed Fabrication: ferrisllc.com. Bench: kmpfurniture.com. Custom Area Rugs: chachafurniture.com. Pendants: pablodesigns.com. Side Tables: poliformdc.com. Accent Wall Material: nappatile.com. Reading Lights: marset.com/usa. Handmade Mohair Throw: lenarewell.fi through furniturefromscandinavia.com.
DRESSING AREA
Wardrobe & Cabinetry: poliformdc.com.
MASTER BATH
Vanity: Custom by formaonline. Vanity Fabrication: ferrisllc.com. Rain Shower & Sink: us.kohler.com/us. Countertop: silestoneusa.com. Shower Tile & Feature Wall: porcelanosa-usa.com. Painting: Karen Silve through callowayart.com.
Kids will be kids, as the saying goes. A couple with three young children and another on the way took that truism to heart in planning, building and outfitting their custom home in McLean. They pragmatically sought “a house where the kids could jump on the furniture and ride their bikes inside,” reveals designer Kristin Peake, who steered the interiors in a family-first-and-foremost direction.
The pair secured a one-and-a-half-acre lot in a tree-lined neighborhood, intending to replace the existing house with a 10,000-square-foot abode that puts a premium on function. Architects Richard Foster and Patrick Zimmerman provided the expertise to execute their vision. The owners “had given a fair amount of thought to how they would live in the space,” recalls Foster. “The idea was not to segregate but to encompass family life. What they were really looking for was a home they could live in, as opposed to one with all these formal areas that are meant to impress.”
The living-room-free plan reflects those goals. Workhorse spaces flow easily from one to another across the back of the house. Down the entrance hall, the family room links to the kitchen and everyday-dining area, which segues to an office/homework station and a playroom. The children can take their hijinks outside, thanks to a series of French doors connecting the rooms to the backyard. Over-scaled windows provide “good visuals,” says Foster, for parental monitoring. The playroom—or keeping room, as the owners call it—also opens to a screened side porch. A dining room, the main floor’s one grown-up concession, sits to the left of the entryway.
Among the couple’s must-haves for the upper level: en suite bedrooms for each child, as well as a comfortable master retreat. They also requested a central spot where the brood could gather and read. “We implemented that by doing a two-story volume over the family dining area,” explains Foster, adding that the upstairs hangout overlooks the eat-in space below. “That area becomes the hub around which the house revolves—the family’s life as well as the rooms themselves.”
Guests enjoy well-appointed quarters in the attic and on the lower level, where a recreation zone boasts a golf simulator, basketball half-court and bespoke playhouse. “On snow days, everybody’s at their house,” laughs Peake.
White clapboard, black-painted window frames and a metal roof lend the exterior a modern-farmhouse look. The interiors echo the agrarian spirit through nostalgic details such as hand-hewn ceiling beams, reclaimed-wood floors, shiplap paneling and stone fireplaces. “We brought the elements you’d find on a farm or in an old farmhouse into a new home with an open floor plan,” explains Peake. “The architectural details really enhance the house and make it feel like an authentic farmhouse—but in today’s world.”
The kitchen—a collaboration between Peake and Lobkovich Kitchens—balances modern convenience with old-soul charm. “We wanted to create a very relaxed, family-centric kitchen with a farmhouse look,” says principal J. Paul Lobkovich. The wife’s wish list included a generous island with enough elbow room—and bar stools—for all four children to (eventually) perch. Different finishes—white paint on the cabinets and rustic, peppercorn-finished hickory on the island—create an evolved-over-time aesthetic.
As Lobkovich reveals, establishing an “elegant but low-key focal point” behind the range also topped the list. Hand-painted Duquesa tile from Walker Zanger hits the right note. Juxtaposed against a subway-tile backsplash, the feature material—with its Old World motif and deep-blue color—draws the eye.
In fact, a blue current meanders throughout the home’s simple color scheme. “With all the white shiplap and black elements, we wanted to accent with blue,” says Peake. “When you walk around a corner, you have a pop of color and an element of surprise.” Doses and hues vary from room to room. Watery walls grace the dining room; a navy slipcover cloaks the family room’s sectional sofa.
Washable slipcovers are among a handful of childproofing tools the designer employed. Windsor chairs with bare, wipeable seats encircle a Hickory White table with a custom-colored, distressed finish in the family-dining area. Peake specified many durable fabrics, either of indoor-outdoor stock or with a vinyl topcoat.
The home’s functional, unfussy design sustains the lifestyle of the young clan, who moved into the house just months after their newest member arrived. “It’s practical for the way they live, for a family with four children all under the age of 10,” says Peake. As for riding bikes inside? The designer reports: “I’ve actually seen that happen.”
Architecture: Richard Foster, principal, and Patrick Zimmerman, NCARB, Richard Foster Architects, Rockville, Maryland. Interior Design: Kristin Peake, Kristin Peake Interiors, Rockville, Maryland. Kitchen Design: J. Paul Lobkovich, Lisa Antonelli, Lobkovich Kitchen Designs, Tysons Corner, Virginia. Builder: J.L. Albrittain, Inc., Arlington, Virginia.
RESOURCES
KITCHEN
Countertops: Leathered Calcutta Gold. Pendants over Island: visualcomfortlightinglights.com. Round Table: hickorywhite.com.
SCREENED PORCH
Porch Swing: Custom by originalcharlestonbedswing.com. Hanging Chairs: serenaandlily.com.
DINING ROOM
Host Chair Slipcover Fabric: Custom by galbraithandpaul.com. Hutch: One-of-a-kind, whitewashed oak.
ENTRY HALL
Lanterns: visualcomfortlightinglights.com
FAMILY ROOM
Sectional Sofa & Slipcovered Chair: vanguardfurniture.com.
UPSTAIRS SITTING AREA
Mounted Reading Lamps: visualcomfortlightinglights.com
MASTER BEDROOM
Headboard: Custom. Headboard Fabric: kravet.com.
MASTER BATH
Floor, Wall & Accent Tiles: architecturalceramics.com. Vanity & Sconces: Custom. Countertop: silestoneusa.com
For a Quinton, Virginia, couple, the empty nest proved to be anything but. Theirs is a hub of activity, with grown children and umpteen grandkids visiting often. So after living for several years in a cottage tucked into their expansive farm, the pair decided to build their dream home—with plenty of space for gathering their clan and entertaining friends. “The house grew out of a need to have a beautiful but comfortable place, large enough to accommodate their family and lifestyle,” reveals interior designer Gary Inman, tapped by the pair to help achieve those goals.
The husband, a business owner, and wife envisioned a home that would fit the character of their pastoral property comprising 2,000 splendorous acres outside of Richmond. They found their vision online: a Tudor-style house in Toronto designed by Stan Makow. A journey north to tour that residence and meet with Makow sealed the deal. Using his Toronto house plan as a springboard, the Canadian architect conjured a 12,000-square-foot abode with the relaxed elegance of a country estate and a strong connection to its setting.
“The house relates to the surroundings and flows from the inside to the outside,” notes Makow, referencing the tall windows lining the rear and wide French doors connecting the main hall to the loggia. “There is a view from the front entrance right through to the back—to the outdoor sitting area and pool. All the principal rooms are oriented to those backyard vistas.” The first-floor master suite and the library, located in opposite front corners, enjoy side views of the rolling landscape.
With four guest bedrooms upstairs and two more downstairs, the house easily accommodates the couple’s combined brood. The lower level’s other attractions—a wine cellar, hangout/TV space and game room—lure guests of all ages.
Makow describes the home’s exterior, which marries Pennsylvania-quarried stone with mahogany windows, as “transitional Tudor with French influences.” He delivered the architectural drawings, and Williamsburg architect John Hopke took the reins from there, overseeing construction on site.
The interiors suggest a French bent too. The owners enlisted Inman and Dani Fraizer, his design & buildpartner at Baskervill, just as construction got underway. Augmenting the millwork already planned, the designers added bespoke interior-architecture details, using what Inman calls “the basic French Country vocabulary of metal, stone and wood.” The main hall’s mahogany and hand-forged-steel stair railing and the library’s walnut parquetry floor take their cues from age-old French country style designs Inman uncovered during extensive research.
Dovetailing with the French Country lexicon, nature emerged as a powerful design catalyst. The color scheme certainly echoes the large outdoors: blue plays a starring role and green offers support. “The owners talked a lot about the land and wildlife,” recalls Inman. “All the joy always returned to nature. So ‘celebrating nature’ became our catchphrase, and it helped us stay focused with everything we selected—the patinas, the materiality, even the patterns of rugs and textiles.”
Nature motifs appear in many artisanal elements commissioned for the home. Adorning the dining room’s built-in cabinets, works of pietra dura, an ancient Italian decorative art, depict birds and branches. Craftsmen in Florence created the images using colorful, inlaid stones. Over the kitchen range, Delft tiles, hand-painted by a Welsh artist,
capture meaningful scenes from around the couple’s farm.
“I’m proud of the level of detail throughout the entire house,” says Fraizer. “The owners and their guests are still looking around and discovering new details.”
When it came time to furnish the house, the designers faced a virtually blank canvas (just a handful of family pieces made the move from the cottage). While Inman admits he “is a big advocate for using antiques” and mixes styles and periods with aplomb, he tends to blend past and present. An old mail-sorting station that started life in a Paris hotel now adds character and French provenance to the family room’s largely new grouping. Though the furniture plan includes “quite a few antiques,” Inman notes, “the house doesn’t feel stuffy.”
Contemporary art keeps stuffiness at bay, as the stairway’s vibrant, abstract paintings affirm. “We wanted the interiors to be elegant and tasteful, but also fresh,” says Inman. “There are moments of modernism throughout, but the overall feeling is French.” The master suite exemplifies the evenhanded approach, juxtaposing a Louis XV-style mantel in the sitting room with abstract works by California artist Linda Donohue in the bedroom.
The back mudroom exudes country-house charm, albeit more English than French. Inman admits that he “kind of went William Morris crazy” in the space where the wallpaper and Roman-shade fabric, both from Morris & Co., are inspired by the late English textile designer’s original creations.
Upstairs, each of the guest rooms carries a different theme. With its whispery green walls, The Old Pear Suite (which boasts a separate sitting room) memorializes a beloved tree that once graced the property. The Audrey (as in Hepburn) Room—where pops of pink zing against a graphic scheme—takes inspiration from the departed actress and fashion icon. “We built each design off the story we developed for the space,” reveals Fraizer. “Everything had a purpose, an order and tied back to the story.”
Visiting grandchildren and the couple’s two Yorkshire terriers figured prominently in the overall narrative. Drawing on their backgrounds in hospitality design, Inman and Fraizer prioritized performance. They selected durable finishes and stain-resistant textiles, such as the topcoat-protected leather on the kitchen’s barstool seats.
The relaxed environment aligns with the owners’ open-door policy. “The house has provided both an exterior and interior that are perfectly set up for socializing and entertaining,” notes Inman. “It’s getting a lot of use and is often at maximum capacity. The owners seem to be living the dream.”
Architecture: Stan Makow, Makow Associates Architect Inc., Toronto, Canada. Architect of Record: John Hopke, RA, LEED AP, Hopke & Associates, Inc., Williamsburg, Virginia. Interior Design: Gary Inman, Allied ASID, and Dani Fraizer, Baskervill, Washington, DC, and Richmond, Virginia. Kitchen Design: Matthew Gunn, CKD, Classic Kitchens of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia. Builder: Superior Contracting, Midlothian, Virginia. Landscape Architecture: Doug Aurand, Siska Aurand Landscape Architects, Inc., Norfolk, Virginia.
RESOURCES
THROUGHOUT
Drapery Fabrication: draperyspecialists.com. Paint: benjaminmoore.com.
MUDROOM
Wallpaper & Drapes: stylelibrary.com. Flooring: waterworks.com. Round Table: Antique Chinese Chippendale. Pillow: elainesmith.com. Area Rug: starkcarpet.com. Built-Ins: classickitchensofva.com
EXTERIOR
Roofing: bvslate.com. Windows: jeld-wen.com. Pavers: Jerusalem Gold Limestone. Chairs: centuryfurniture.com. Side Tables: frontgate.com. Lantern: bevolo.com. Chairs near Pavilion: janusetcie.com. Stools near Pavilion: legendofasia.com. Pillows: elainesmith.com
LOGGIA
Furniture: janusetcie.com. Throw: frontgate.com. Light Fixtures: corbettlighting, littmanbrands.com. Tea Set: juliska.com.
FAMILY ROOM
Painting: osterhausart.com. Sofa: hickorychair.com. Sofa Fabric: scalamandre.com. Chair: crlaine.com. Chair Fabric: gpjbaker.com. Pillows: ryanstudio.com. Throw: jonathanadler.com. Area Rug: starkcarpet.com. Sconces: paulferrante.com. Drapery: stylelibrary.com. Side Table: henredon.com. Table Lamp: aerin.com. Planter: kimfaisonantiques.com. Coffee Table: clubcu.com.
KITCHEN
Flooring: daltile.com. Barstools: tomlinsoncompanies.com, barrydixon.com. Barstool Fabric: jerrypairleather.com, marikameyertextiles.com. Light Fixtures: curreycodealers.com. Countertops: Domani Granite in Leathered Finish. Range Hood: francoisandco.com. Appliances: thermador.com. Cabinetry: classickitchensofva.com. Backsplash Tile: francisceramics.com.
BREAKFAST ROOM
Drapery & Host-Chair Fabric: fschumacher.com. Light Fixture, Table & Chairs: chaddockhome.com.
DINING ROOM
Rug: hollandandsherry.com. Chairs & Fabric: maitland-smith.com. Chandelier: niermannweeks.com. Table Lanterns: jmpierswholesale.com. Mirror: carversguild.com. Cabinets: gastonwyatt.com. Table Lamp: visualcomfort.com. Wallpaper: degournay.com. Sideboard: thomaspheasant.com through bakerfurniture.com. Dining Table: barbarabarry.com through bakerfurniture.com. Ginger Jars: bungalow5.com.
LIBRARY
Sofa: ef-lm.com. Sofa Fabric: foxlinton.com, samuelandsons.com. Armchairs: pearsonco.com. Armchair Fabric: architex-ljh.com Coffee Table: vanguardfurniture.com, erikavadenart.com. Rug: starkcarpet.com. Mirror: kembleinteriors.com, maitland-smith.com. Table & Wooden Chairs: hickorychair.com.
MASTER BEDROOM
Bedstead, Ottoman, Wing Chair: thibautdesign.com. Headboard Fabric: Hodsoll McKenzie through zimmer-rohde.com. Bedding & Pillows: kravet.com. Throw: milesredd.com. Ottoman Fabric: Hodsoll McKenzie through zimmer-rohde.com, samuelandsons.com. Wing Chair Fabric & Area Rug: hollandandsherry.com. Flooring: oldesavannahflooring.com. Night Tables: ejvictor.com. Table Lamps& Sconces: visualcomfort.com. Armchair: crlaine.com. Armchair Fabric: kravet.com. Side Chair: barrydixon.com, tomlinsoncompanies.com. Dining Chair Fabric: iansanderson.co.uk. Drapery: michaelclearyllc.com. Art: lpdart.com.
MASTER SITTING ROOM
Area Rug: starkcarpet.com. Mantel: francoisandco.com. Mirror: niermannweeks.com. Table & Side Table: oomphhome.com. Sofa: hickorychair.com. Sofa Fabric: thibautdesign.com. Pillows: fortuny.com. Throw: matouk.com. Table Lamp: katespade.com. Curtains: stylelibrary.com.
MASTER BATHROOM:
Sconce: visualcomfort.com. Faucets: speakman.com. Bench Fabric: rootcellardesigns.com. Bath Tub: waterworks.com. Tub Filler: kohler.com. Drapery & Armchair: thibautdesign.com. Floor & Wall Tile: tilebar.com. Countertops: carraramarble.com. Light Fixture: niermannweeks.com. Side Table: globalviews.com. Artwork: pheromonegallery.com
STAIRWAY
Custom Stair Rail: Atlantic Staircrafters; 804-732-3323. Runner: starkcarpet.com. Upper Painting: leabarksdaleart.com. Lower Painting: erikavadenart.com. Custom Pendant: paulferrante.com
OLD PEAR BEDROOM
Bed: alexahampton.com through hickorychair.com/ Canopy & Pillows: hollandandsherry.com. Framed Art Flanking Bed: luskstudios.com. Ceiling Wallpaper: stylelibrary.com. Chest of Drawers: centuryfurniture.com.
THE AUDREY ROOM
Beds & Bed Curtains: thibautdesign.com. Bedding: victoriahagan.com. Rug: starkcarpet.com. Benches: crlaine.com. Night Table: oomphhome.com. Table Lamp: barbaracosgrovelamps.com. Art: lpdart.com. Pendant: libbylangdon.com through crystorama.com. Chaise: suzannekasler.com through hickorychair.com. Chaise Fabric: scalamandre.com. Drapery: stylelibrary.com.
Designer Patrick Sutton loves a good story. And he knows how to tell one through the interiors he carefully crafts. The remake of a 200-year-old Georgetown manse—a collaboration with architect Ankie Barnes—weaves a decidedly hometown tale. “Washington is a classically designed city, so there is a classicism inherent to the location,” explains Sutton. “But Georgetown is also very human in its scale and somewhat informal in its interactions. We layered those two things together as an attitude and made the interiors reflective of that.”
Rooting the design to place honors the home’s—and its past owners’—inextricable link to local lore. “The house has obviously seen a lot of people [live there] over the years, the most storied of whom is Ambassador Bruce and his wife, Evangeline,” notes Sutton. David Bruce held top U.S. posts around the world during his illustrious diplomatic career. Between tours of duty from the mid-1940s to the ’70s, the late couple resided in the Federal-style abode, still known as the “Ambassador Bruce House,” where they famously hosted DC’s elite in grand fashion.
The current owners— Under Armour founder and CEO Kevin Plank and his wife, DJ—enlisted Barnes and Sutton to renovate and redesign the home, the oldest portion of which dates to 1815. (As this issue goes to press, the house is privately listed for sale through Washington Fine Properties.)
The brick residence expanded over time, first with a pair of additions flanking the original side-hall structure. Later, the Bruces added on a ballroom to the right for large-scale entertaining, with a master suite above it. “The whole shell had to remain because it is historic and protected—and we loved it,” explains Barnes, who navigated the historic-approval process before any improvements were made.
The architect drafted a plan to maximize the home’s above-ground footprint and increase the overall square footage by excavating the basement. “The house was charming and generally in good condition, but it had a challenging flow,” he recalls. “We did a tremendous amount of reorganizing, much of which involved moving structural doors and removing structural walls.” In the narrow entry hall, for instance, dramatically widening the opening to the dining room on the left created, as Barnes describes it, “a sense of expansion.”
New detailing, around that opening and throughout the house, “respects and even heightens the classicism of the trim and molding package that was there,” says Sutton. The substantial, arched pediments that now cap the living-room openings offer proof positive.
The kitchen also opened up under the reorganization. The previous owners had renovated the space a few years before, but the floor plan remained choppy, with a separate butler’s pantry, working kitchen and breakfast room. Combining these distinct areas created a continuous eat-in kitchen with space for an ample island.
Three sets of stairs, including those in the front and back halls, received makeovers of varying scope. The pièce de résistance is an elliptical staircase crafted of Imperial Danby marble from the Vermont quarry that supplied the Jefferson Memorial.
Before, a half-story, wooden stair connected the living room to the sunken ballroom. When Barnes and Sutton decided to extend that stair to the newly expanded basement, they reimagined it. “The new stair is made out of self-supporting, solid marble,” notes the architect, “the way it might have been done in Roman times.”
At the top of the stair where the ceiling barely reaches seven feet, a conservatory-style, mirrored ceiling tricks the eye, creating the illusion of height. “A conservatory [mirror] makes sense because the landing is right off the garden,” explains Sutton. “We were able to solve a functional problem with an aesthetic solution that was on-message.” French doors on the landing open onto the stone terrace.
Upstairs, each of the six bedrooms takes design inspiration from a past U.S. president. In the master suite (which boasts his-and-her bathrooms), George Washington’s influence is evident, from the portraiture to the period-style furnishings. The Lincoln chamber features a somber palette, befitting a wartime president.
Previously, the lower level comprised a staff apartment and storage/service space. “Digging out the basement essentially created a whole new floor below grade, which added wonderful amenities to the house,” remarks Barnes. These include a recreation/lounge space, bar, whiskey-and-wine cellar and two powder rooms.
Sutton exercised poetic license in these spaces. Take the lounge area: A brick-and-steel, vaulted ceiling creates a catacomb effect, while a chenille-covered sectional and mohair-covered chairs—not to mention the metallic cork wall covering—impart a speakeasy vibe. “You have this contrast between luxurious and playful materials and the ancient character created by the brick arches,” the designer notes. “When you mix things that are old with things that are new—or take an old space and put new furnishings in it—you elevate the qualities of both.”
Employing a combination of found objects, fine antiques and comfortable, modern furniture, Sutton lent each room a distinct identity. As he explains, the classical detailing, though “rendered in different materials and different levels of refinement or rusticity,” creates a sense of unity. “A thread of classicism knits it all together. We respected tradition and then layered in soft things that feel tactile, engaging and warm.”
Sutton’s upcoming book, Storied Interiors (Images Publishing; October 2018) will feature the Georgetown residence and highlight the designer’s narrative-building approach.
This house, it turns out, has much to say. “Through its decoration, it tells a broad story of varied interests,” Sutton reflects. “Each room is a different chapter in the overall story.”
Architecture: Ankie Barnes, FAIA, LEED AP; Wayne Adams, Barnes Vanze Architects, Washington, DC. Interior Design: Patrick Sutton, Patrick Sutton, Baltimore, Maryland. Builder: Bret Anderson, Pyramid Builders, Annapolis, Maryland.
Landscape Design: Amy Mills, DCA Landscape Architects, Washington, DC.
RESOURCES
ENTRYWAY
Paint (White Dove): benjaminmoore.com. Stone & Marble Flooring: xsurfaces.com. Console: michelcontessa.com. Lamps: cotejardinantiques.com
DINING ROOM
Chairs + Fabric: gregoriuspineo.com. Chair Fabric & Fabric Wall Covering: Great Plains through hollyhunt.com. Leather Chair Trim & Wall Covering Trim: samuelandsons.com. Rug: marcphillipsrugs.com. Table: newclassics.net. Drapery: asamance.com. Drapery Leading Edge & Trim: osborneandlittle.com. Mirror: alfonsomarina.com. Chandelier: 1stdibs.com. Paint (Black 2132-10): benjaminmoore.com.
LIVING ROOM
Wall Covering: phillipjeffries.com. Chandelier: 1stdibs.com. Drapery Fabric: dedar.com. Drapery Leading Edge: samuelandsons.com. Rectangular Coffee Table: gregoriuspineo.com. Sofa + Armchairs: ef-lm.com. Sofa Fabric: coraggio.com. Armchair Fabric & Pillows on Wing Chairs: Great Plains through hollyhunt.com. Round Table: gabriel-scott.com. Drinks Table: viyahome.com. Tufted Ottoman: bradley-usa.com. Console: thebrightgroup.com. Pillows on Swivel Chairs: laurenhwangnewyork.com. Pillows on Sofa with Mokum Patter: osborneandlittle.com. Trim on Sofa: kravet.com. Pillows on Wing Chairs: Great Plains through hollyhunt.com. Rug: ladybaltimorefloors.com.
BACK STAIR
Floor: chesapeaketileandmarble.com.
PARLOR
Table: 1stdibs.com. High Gloss White Dove Fireplace Paint: benjaminmoore.com. Eagle: gregkramerandco.com. Window Shade Fabric: fjhakimian.com.
KITCHEN & BREAKFAST AREA
Paint Color (Stormy Monday 2112-50): benjaminmoore.com. Backsplash: waterworks.com. Countertops: (Statuarietto – Honed) nashgranite.com. Island Countertop: (London Grey – Honed). Countertop Source: marmistone.com. Bar Stools & Stool Fabric: hickorychair.com. Island Pendants: rejuvenation.com. Cabinets & Island: duncancabinetry.com. Black Dining Chairs: palultd.com. Circular Dining Table: Custom Design by mitchellyanosky.com. Black Chandelier: bakerfurniture.com. Flooring: parisceramicsusa.com.
MARBLE STAIRWAY
Marble Stair Fabrication & Installation: marmistone.com. Wrought Iron Rail Design: patricksutton.com. Wrought Iron Rail Fabrication: cardinestudios.com. Lighting: bobointeriors.com.
MASTER BEDROOM
Paint Color (White Dove): benjaminmoore.com. Bed: alfonsomarina.com. Headboard Fabric: dessinfournir.com. Bed Rail Fabric: pindler.com. Canopy Fabric & Armchair Fabric: Great Plains through hollyhunt.com. Bedding: sferra.com through phinas.com. Blanket: bemboka.com. Rug: ladybaltimorefloors.com. Drapery Fabric: pierrefrey.com. Drapery Leading Edge: samuelandsons.com. Desk & Chair: hickorychair.com. Brown Leather Chair: georgesmith.com . Chair Fabric: edelmanleather.com. White Sofa: bradley-usa.com. Coffee Table: salvationsaf.com. White Armchair: hinesfurniture.com. Night Chests: bennetts.ca. Bedside Lamps: 1stdibs.com.
MASTER BATH
Backsplash Tile: walkerzanger.com through chesapeaketileandmarble.com. Wall Covering: innovationsusa.com. Marble & Stone Floor: marblesystems.com. Bench: formationsusa.com. Bench Fabric: laurenhwangbespoke.com. Sconces: urbanelectricco.com. Mirror: rh.com.
LINCOLN BEDROOM
Paint Color (Wall: Dior Gray 2133-40 & Fireplace Mantel: High Gloss Black): benjaminmoore.com. Drapery Fabric: duralee.com. Drapery Leading Edge: samuelandsons.com. Bed: rh.com. Antique Jacobean Chest: randalltysinger.com. Rug: elikorugs.com. Wood Cabinet/Drawer: eronjohnsonantiques.com. Bench: ef-lm.com. Bench Fabric: pindler.com.
LOWER LEVEL
Sofa: arudin.com. Sofa Fabric: Great Plains through hollyhunt.com. Lamps: redmodernfurniture.com. Coffee Table: lawsonfenning.com. Armchairs: bradley-usa.com. Armchair Fabric: maharam.com. Bar & Wall Covering: elitis.fr.
STAIR LANDING
Floor: chesapeaketileandmarble.com.
WINE CELLAR
Floor: chesapeaketileandmarble.com. Custom Ottoman:leeindustries.com.
As the star of DIY Network’s “Big Beach Builds” show and CEO of a custom-home building company, Marnie Oursler helps others achieve the modern yet welcoming getaways of their dreams. So it’s no surprise the builder’s own year-round residence in Bethany Beach, Delaware, sits squarely at the intersection of high function and coastal charm.
Christened “Dream Catcher,” the four-story abode—one block off the ocean—is the fourth bespoke home Oursler has crafted for herself. Each one has brought her closer to the shore and her ultimate vision. “I’ve always wanted to see the ocean from my bedroom,” she reveals. “You learn from every house.”
The opportunities have been ample. When Oursler is not renovating beach cottages for her television series, she’s designing and constructing waterfront retreats through Marnie Custom Homes. She also co-hosted “HGTV Dream Home 2018,” a show that aired in January; it featured the transformation of a waterfront abode on the Puget Sound that she also helped renovate. Still, her present 6,300-square-foot roost remains a proud accomplishment. “I use this house as a model and bring my clients through it,” says the builder.
She designed the layout and specified all the interior architecture. “A lot of thought goes into traffic patterns, how you’re going to use the rooms," explains Oursler, who lives alone but welcomes frequent guests to her beach house. “I have friends and family here all the time. There are people constantly coming in and out.”
An inverted floor plan capitalizes on the views, with guest suites on the second level, a great room on the third and a fourth-floor master suite. The entry level boasts a spacious foyer and game room. The kitchen—a collaboration with Jennifer Gilmer of Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen & Bath—features a glass-mosaic backsplash that evokes the azure sea.
Oursler decorated the house herself, painting the walls in sandy hues that combine with natural materials—from the great room’s natural-stone fireplace to the master bedroom’s reclaimed-wood accent wall—for added warmth and texture. A whitewash over both elements softens the effect. As Oursler notes, “The colors in the house are the same colors you see when you walk over the dunes.”
As a fifth-generation builder, Oursler comes by her construction know-how naturally. The Fairfax, Virginia, native grew up working on job sites alongside her father, Marvin Oursler (often seen extending sage advice on her TV show). “I’d pick up trash, sweep houses, eat lunch on an upside-down drywall bucket,” she recalls. “It was miserable. But that’s how I learned the business.”
She entered it by a circuitous route, however, starting at the U.S. Naval Academy, then transferring to East Carolina University to study education and information technology. She moved to Bethany Beach after her 2001 graduation and landed a tech-support position in a real-estate office.
Oursler soon purchased a fixer-upper, renovated it herself and flipped it. Her next move: building her first house (she was selling vacation homes by then, but ready for a change). When her craftsmanship impressed a local couple looking to build anew, Oursler bid on the project. “I got the job,” she recounts, laughing. “Then I realized, ‘Shoot, now I’ve got to start a company.’”
So in 2007, the petite novice joined a male-dominated industry, unfazed. “I’m clearly not as strong as most men in the field, but I have a work ethic you can’t compare,” says Oursler, sporting an orchid-pink sweater and jeans. Today, she designs conceptual plans for clients, creates blueprints, then works with a local architect to execute her plans. She is famous for her coastal style: Her open plans are functional and modern with a vintage, beachy vibe.
Oursler earned an MBA at Duke in 2013. After watching her accept a Gold Stevie Entrepreneur of the Year award for women in business that same year, a TV producer offered her, in his words, “a feel-good show,” on DIY Network. Soon after, “Big Beach Builds” was launched.
On each episode, the camera follows Oursler recasts an outdated cottage near Delaware’s coastline into a modern escape while preserving its vintage character. Season 2 debuted in early April.
Oursler pays her success forward by selling Marnie Custom Homes merchandise through her website using woo-commerce marketing techniques and donating the profits to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, among other charities. “It’s a nice way to give back,” she maintains. During her downtime, she entertains a wide circle with ease. “We grill seafood and sit on the porch,” she says. “You get the breeze right off the ocean.”
Interior Architecture, Design & Contracting: Marnie Oursler, Marnie Custom Homes, Bethany Beach, Delaware. Kitchen Design: Jennifer Gilmer, CKD, and Meghan Browne, Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen & Bath, Ltd., Chevy Chase, Maryland.
The couple had purchased the home the summer before. The Champagne-popping reveal was the culmination of an 11-month collaboration between builder Jim Kennerknecht of Monarch Homes and his wife, interior designer Charlene Kennerknecht of Monarch Design DC. Charlene’s partner, West Coast-based designer Arch Williams, weighed in too.
A rare, double lot in the Edgemoor neighborhood—and numerous nearby restaurants—prompted the Fredericks’ move from DC. They also liked the home’s L-shape, with an enclosed yard where their two daughters, ages 12 and 14, could kick a soccer ball. However, the house needed an intervention. “It had good bones, but there was way too much going on,” recalls Scott, a venture capitalist. “We wanted to open it up and de-quirk it. We wanted Zen home design livability.”
Built in 1995, the structure boasted elaborate details-—most noticeably a web of ribs and beams that covered the family-room ceiling. Simplifying the aesthetics was a given. Beyond that, the owners were open to ideas for improving function and flow and soon embarked on a top-to-bottom renovation (a lower-level remodel is in progress). “They allowed us to take them on a journey and use our collective talents to design a sophisticated, livable home,” says Jim.
Under the new plan, the living and dining rooms retained their positions to the right of the entrance hall, along the L’s horizontal axis. All similarities end there. The previously compartmentalized spaces now connect to one another through oversized twin openings—one set between the hall and dining room and one between the dining and living rooms. “That region just didn’t feel good before,” explains Jim, who passed his conceptual plans to an architect on staff to execute the final drawings. “Now it’s a very visible, approachable zone.”
The house was already blessed with an open-concept great room along the L’s vertical axis, but Jim’s plan maximized functionality. He borrowed a few feet from the kitchen for a mudroom and removed an obtrusive fireplace to create an expanse of wall along the back for a big-screen television.
As Scott explains it, the couple envisioned “a parallel family room outside that flows seamlessly” from the indoor living quarters. The inviting new outdoor space features various zones for dining, entertaining and relaxing.
Cedar lap siding and a natural-stone veneer along the sightline perimeter elevate the exterior’s look. “Now the home feels appropriate for Edgemoor and like it was part of the original neighborhood [which dates to the early 1900s],” says Jim. “We tried to bring a level of sophistication throughout.”
Upstairs, the revamped master-bedroom suite certainly hits the mark. It’s a far cry from the original narrow bedroom that Scott Frederick likened to “a bowling alley.” Removing a back deck freed up space for a 280-square-foot addition. The three other second-level bedrooms only needed fresh paint, while on the top floor another deck area was enclosed to create space for a gym and a hangout room.
With the renovation underway, Charlene Kennerknecht and Arch Williams selected details, finishes, and materials in keeping with the clean aesthetic. “With the architectural changes, the house looks like one you might find in the Hamptons,” notes Charlene. “We respected that direction.”
Limestone replaced black marble on the living-room fireplace surround. A custom gray-brown stain now covers the red-oak floors. “My background is in architectural history, so I work a lot on fireplaces, trims, and those elements,” reveals Williams.
The house-in-the-Hamptons movie set for Something’s Gotta Give provided inspiration for the airy palette. “We knew the colors had to be quiet,” says Charlene. The living-room rug, in shades of blue, served as the scheme’s springboard. “That rug became the foundation for the whole plan,” the designer adds. “There are threads of blue going all through the house.”
The Hamptons influence aside, most of the new furnishings—from the family-room sofa to the bed in the master suite—hail from California. The designers visited showrooms in Los Angeles and San Francisco with their clients, selecting pieces that balance comfort, durability and casual elegance. “We put together spaces that fit their vision and made the house livable for a young, active family,” explains Williams.
Stain-resistant, indoor-outdoor fabric covers both main-floor sofas. The designers “were very cognizant of the kids and dog,” says Jennifer. “As we own a hyperactive dog who keeps on chasing his own tail which has made us wonder why do dogs chase their tails so we didn’t want to be walking on eggshells in our own home”, If you want to calm an over-excited dog then you should explore Bored Cesar.
Indeed, the team honored the owners’ request for a relaxing home environment. “They pulled it off,” Scott confirms. “And it takes a fair amount to get me to relax.”
Architecture & Renovation Contractor: Jim Kennerknecht and Mark Jurgielewicz, AIA, Monarch Homes, Vienna, Virginia. Interior Design: Charlene Kennerknecht and Arch Williams, Monarch Design DC, Vienna, Virginia. Landscape Design: Jim Kennerknecht, Monarch Homes; and Howard Robinson, Forever Green Plantscapes, Manassas, Virginia.
Reources
DINING ROOM
Table & Chairs: formationsusa.com. Chair Fabric: rosemaryhallgarten.com. Chandelier: studiobelvetro.com. Console: gregoriuspineo.com.
LIVING ROOM
Armchairs, Skirted Stools under Console, Ottomans & Round Side Table: formationsusa.com. Stool Fabric: sandrajordan.com. Drapery Fabric: rosemaryhallgarten.com. Drapery Fabrication: monarchdesigndc.com. Ottoman Fabric: mimilondon.com. Sofa & Fabric: arudin.com. Side Chair garrettleather.com. Rug: jhminassian.com. Console: ironies.com. Lamps: tuellreynolds.com.
HALL
Painting: kevinbarryfineart.com. Stair Runner: starkcarpet.com.
POWDER ROOM
Countertop: marblesystems.com. Styling: Charlotte Safavi. Mirror: avrett.com. Light Fixture: objetinsolite.com. Washstand: waterworks.com.
FAMILY ROOM
Sectional, Armchairs & Fabric: arudin.com. Coffee Table: paulferrante.com. Rug: houseoftaiping.com. Desk: formationsusa.com. Desk Chairs: ef-lm.com. Lamps: circalighting.com.
KITCHEN
Quartzite Countertops: marblesystems.com. Sink: kohler.com.
BREAKFAST AREA
Styling: Charlotte Safavi. Table: marcalidesigns.com. Chairs: ef-lm.com through hinesandcompany.com. Chair Fabric: romo.com. Chair Leather: arudin.com. Bench & Fabric: heleneaumont.com.
MASTER BEDROOM
Bed & Nightstands: marcalidesigns.com. Drapery Fabrication, Custom Chairs & Ottoman: monarchdesigndc.com. Chair Fabric: rosemaryhallgarten.com. Lamps: allan-knight.com. Armchair by Fireplace: formationsusa.com. Painting: kevinbarryfineart.com. Rug: jhminassian.com. Shades & Fabric: hartmannforbes.com. Drapery Fabric: decordeparis.com.
MASTER BATH
Marble Floor & Countertop: marblesystems.com. Vanity: thomasville.com. Ottoman Design: monarchdesigndc.com. Ottoman Fabric: chrisbarrettdesign.com.
OUTDOOR LIVING AREAS
Styling: Charlotte Safavi. Custom Firepit: monarchhomesinc.com. Firepit Chairs: davidsutherlandshowroom.com. Firepit Chair Fabric: dedon.de. Other Chairs & Fabric: formationsusa.com.
The land has been in Kathryn Giampietro’s family for more than a century. Tucked between the Allegheny and Blue Ridge mountain ranges in Churchville, Virginia, the rolling hills are where her great-grandparents put down roots, and it’s where the clan still gathers annually for a reunion. Given those long ties, Kathryn and her husband, Fred, acted quickly when a cousin decided to sell 150 acres of the larger family plot. They then set out to craft a weekend retreat worthy of this pristine parcel.
“Our goal was to build something that would relate to the land and environment, that would be respectful,” reveals Kathryn, a musician. “We didn’t want the house to feel out of place.”
The Giampietro enlisted architect Jim Burton to translate their vision. “Jim was on the same wavelength as we were,” says Fred, who owns an art gallery in the couple’s hometown of New Haven, Connecticut. “We had an overall idea of what we wanted to accomplish. Jim got it.”
Burton conjured a modern house to fit the knoll-top site—christened Elk Run Ridge—and surrounding farmland. Natural materials, mainly cedar, and fieldstone, combine with large expanses of glass; the home’s shed-style roof is common to the region. “It’s a modern design, but it has some vernacular qualities,” notes Burton. “The structure looks like an agrarian shed from a distance.”
The shape gradually unfolds. Its linear design starts low on the western end with a welcoming scale along the entry courtyard, bordered by the stone-constructed master bedroom. Then, the structure slopes up to two stories on the opposite end. “We broke down the massing a bit,” says the architect. “It’s very friendly.”
The elongated, east-west approach not only marries house and land but also sustains the couple’s lifestyle. The empty nesters needed ample space to host large family dinners. They also wanted separate, turnkey quarters for weekend guests, who often include their grown son and his family.
Burton’s bifurcated design evolved from there. A common roof and breezeway unite the home’s two volumes. In the main portion, the central great room and kitchen link to the master-bedroom suite via a core that conceals a pantry and powder room. The two-story guest quarters opposite include a multi-tasking space with a kitchenette and Murphy bed on the first level, two bedrooms upstairs—accessed by a spiral staircase off the breezeway—and one guest room downstairs.
The views also informed the design. Both ends angle slightly north to expose the panorama from the courtyard while highlighting the family’s connection to the land. “The house intentionally bends out of the way to reveal the landscape,” explains Burton. “As you approach, the bend reveals the distant pavilion where the annual family reunion takes place.”
Walls of windows and a pair of sliding glass doors, one apiece on the north and south sides, “connect the living space visually and functionally to the porches and landscape,” says the architect. “The clients wanted an open plan with a strong inside-outside relationship. The magic really happens when you open the giant sliding doors and people can filter in and out.”
The energy-efficient layout, adds Burton, also “takes in passive solar qualities from the south.” Other design elements bow to the heat and humidity of western Virginia’s climate. The high ceilings and breezeway provide ventilation, while wraparound porches and a screened porch offer shade. “We used regional design techniques,” explains Burton. “It’s not a sentimental re-creation. It’s functional. There are some physics that have evolved over hundreds of years that we respect.”
Showcasing the artistry of local craftsmen also “roots the design to place,” says Burton, who dubbed Walter Wittmann of Staunton-based Helvetica Designs “MVP on Craft” after seeing the hand-carved front door and steam-formed basket-weave core walls he created for the house.
Such artisanal elements, made from the highest quality woods, balance the more rustic fieldstone fireplace and eco-friendly, glue-laminated fir ceiling. “I wanted the house to have an heirloom quality, a refinement—to be constructed like a fine cabinet,” says Fred Giampietro. “It boils down to creating a timeless aesthetic.”
To that end, the couple filled the spaces with naturalistic George Nakashima furniture. “We had a couple of pieces by [the late] Nakashima, and commissioned the studio his daughter, Mira, took over to make the rest,” reveals Fred. The dining table and chairs, as well as the kitchen’s black-walnut shelves, are among the commissioned works. In the master bedroom, father-daughter pieces sit in conversation: Two chairs, crafted by the elder Nakashima and purchased at an Andy Warhol estate auction, flank a new, maple-burl-topped table. Interior designer Michelle Timberlake of Carter + Burton assisted with furniture layout and lighting selections.
The Giampietro pilgrimage monthly to the Shenandoah Valley, where the area’s natural beauty offers a welcome respite. “When we drive in here, our blood pressures drop and we go into relaxation mode,” says Kathryn. “Our lives in New Haven are pretty busy, so it’s wonderful to be here and just watch the cows graze.”
Architecture: Jim Burton, AIA; interior design: Michelle Timberlake, Carter + Burton Architecture PLC, Berryville, Virginia. Kitchen Design: Christine Ingraham, Fletcher Cameron Design, New Haven, Connecticut. Builder: Community Builders, Staunton, Virginia. Landscape Design: Gregg Bleam, ASLA, Gregg Bleam Landscape Architect, Charlottesville, Virginia.
RESOURCES
GENERAL
Windows: durathermwindow.com. Spiral Stair: duvinage.com. Front Door & Core Walls: helveticadesigns.com. Concrete Floors, grill center and bath fixtures: Richard Lew, Frederick County, Virginia.
LIVING AREA
Console, coffee table: Black walnut through nakashimawoodworker.com. Rug: josephcarinicarpets.com. Armchairs: Brazilian Jacaranda and leather circa the 1950s, owners’ collection.
DINING AREA
Dining Table, Chairs, Long Bench, Small Table: nakashimawoodworker.com. Light Fixture over Table: daviddimperio.com.
KITCHEN
Cabinetry: Sustainable aniline-dyed wood veneer by TABU through fletchercamerondesign.com. Open Shelving: Book-matched black walnut by nakashimawoodworker.com. Countertops: Burnished stainless steel. Resin Backsplash: 3-form.com. Stools: nakashimawoodworker.com. Hood Design: Jim Burton. Hood Fabrication: abbaka.com.
BEDROOM
Bench: Walnut and brass by Hugh Acton. Rug: josephcarinicarpets.com. Braided Rug: Shaker, circa 1890 through riccomaresca.com. Chairs & Occasional Table: nakashimawoodworker.com. Photography: Vintage, circa 1900. Dress Form: Antique, circa 1880 through Worthington Hardware (724-297-5701).
