A river ran through it—and how. The temptation of owning a second home on the lush banks of Little Hunting Creek—a tributary of the Potomac River in Mount Vernon, Virginia—was too great for a cosmopolitan, Manhattan-based couple.
“We found it while surfing the Internet,” says one of the homeowners, describing the four-bedroom, 4,400-square-foot abode. “It spoke to us right away. The waterfront location was a big draw, and the house had great potential for entertaining. We have lots of family and friends who come to stay. We also love to kayak and canoe, and just got a boat. It felt like the right place for a retreat.”
Shortly after purchasing the residence in 2014, the owners met Alexandria Davenport, a decorator and the owner of Tchoupitoulas Furnishings, a home store and interior-design studio in Old Town Alexandria.
“They invited me to tour the property,” says Davenport, who was hired to execute a complete makeover of the home. “It had a nice, open layout and was very livable, but definitely needed a redesign. The wall paints were bright, with colors like lime-green, and there were no window treatments. There was also no landscaping, just scrub and mud, and poor indoor-outdoor connectivity.”
The homeowners’ wish list was simple but specific. They wanted a comfortable, low-key getaway conducive to entertaining, both indoors and out. In terms of décor, they sought a rustic elegance in spaces that would forge a natural connection to the riverfront setting without, in Davenport’s words, “being kitschy.”
“The first room we worked on was the dining room,” she recalls. “The thing that turned it around and ultimately affected the whole redesign was the lighting choice. The owners picked these cool triple pendants made of steel wire with exposed bulbs that look like little crab pots.”
Davenport covered the dining-room walls in textured grasscloth and selected a rustic wood dining table with a wrought-iron base. A wool-blend rug defined the space, which is bordered by an open hall running from the foyer to the great room on one side and a full bank of French doors on another. In lieu of a bulky china cabinet, the designer cleverly created stylish storage with charcoal chests by Vanguard on either side of the fireplace.
Meanwhile, Landscape Associates, Inc., worked with the homeowners to design a deck—accessible from either side of the house—that leads to a central limestone terrace out back overlooking the river. This arrangement allows guests to walk out of the dining room or great room and meet on the terrace, which is also accessible from the kitchen area. Plantings and boulders now embellish new raised beds that, along with walking paths, wind down the hillside to the dock below.
Davenport and her clients selected a neutral color scheme that would not distract from the outdoor scenery. “Our palette became a natural linen, as opposed to a stark white, along with pops of gray, gray-blue and yellow,” she says.
In the great room, where the kitchen and living area meet, the challenge was to fill the large space while maintaining a flexible layout that could work for a large party. “We picked two matching, custom English roll-arm sofas instead of a sectional. They allow for better movement when you remove the round side table between them,” explains Davenport. Two coffee tables, positioned side by side, can be separated if needed. Throughout the home, the designer varied stains on the wood furniture. “We wanted everything in the house to look collected—not like it was bought all at once,” she explains. “We also wanted to create the air of a multigenerational, family holiday home.”
Since frequent visitors occupy the home’s three guest bedrooms, the designer created a master suite that serves as a private retreat for her clients. “I wanted it to be a cozy place for the owners to go and rest,” she adds. She painted the walls a deep gray-blue shade and selected a beautiful recumbent chaise with nail-head trim for lounging or reading by the window. The windows are dressed in minimalist linen panels on the same wrought-iron curtain rods used elsewhere in the house.
“We love how it turned out,” concludes the homeowner. “The contrast between our Manhattan lifestyle—all those skyscrapers and the cold—and this is amazing. It’s so special to come down to this house, have friends and family over and unwind in a completely different place.”
Writer and stylist Charlotte Safavi is based in Alexandria. Robert Radifera is a photographer in Charlottesville.
INTERIOR DESIGN: ALEXANDRIA DAVENPORT, Tchoupitoulas Furnishings, Alexandria, Virginia. LANDSCAPE DESIGN: David Adams and Joseph Condie, RLA, Landscape Associates, Inc. Aldie, Virginia.
It’s hard to put a finger on what is most extraordinary about The Rest, a historic Tidewater property in Easton, Maryland, dating back to the pre-Civil War era. Until you see it, of course. The four-acre site on the Miles River is complete with an allée of sycamores and a Colonial-style residence built in place of an original home that burned down in the 19th century.
“The first impression is one of casual beauty, but once you open the front door, the Jeffersonian-style architecture knocks your socks off,” says Jamie Merida, owner of Bountiful Interiors, who most recently worked on the home with lead designer Amanda Friend. “The foyer has a barrel-vaulted ceiling with arched Palladian windows and there are two sets of enfilades.”
The homeowners, Andy Hess, CEO of a construction management company, and his wife Susan, a pilates instructor, were also smitten with the property at first sight. They had downsized from a Potomac house to a DC condo and were looking for a second home where they could spend quality time with their grown children, close family and friends on weekends and holidays.
“This was the 13th house we’d seen,” recalls Susan Hess of the fortuitous day in 2009 when they discovered the property. “The French doors in the back on the river were open. There was all this light and a breeze coming in. The architecture took our breath away and we knew this was the one.”
They purchased the property knowing that the house—built by a Philadelphia architect in the 1960s—would require a lot of work. Exterior elements needed repair and the infrastructure needed an upgrade. The kitchen, last renovated in the 1970s, cried out for a total overhaul. The Hesses brought in Jennifer Gilmer to update the kitchen, and worked with Fiona Weeks of Easton-based Dwelling & Design on the dining room. They also focused their attention on converting the unused attic into a master suite.
As their plans took shape, the couple discovered Bountiful Interiors, Merida’s Easton home-furnishings store and design studio. “Susan was especially drawn to our signature Tidewater style, which is a fresh, clean take on traditional,” says Merida. “Some of the earliest Colonial homes were located in the Tidewater region, stretching from South Carolina to Delaware. We’re smack in the middle here. It’s an area and lifestyle that’s rich with tradition, but doesn’t have the stiff formality of the inland cities. What we consider Tidewater style is a relaxed, refreshed version of traditional forms and furnishings, with the use of painted wood finishes, bold patterns and a brighter palette.”
The Hesses turned to Merida and his team to help with the overall redesign of the home. The couple’s mandate was simple. While their former Potomac home had been formal and traditional with a darker palette, they wanted their Eastern Shore escape to capture a look that was “pretty, crisp and bright,” in Susan’s words, but also “livable” enough to accommodate casual get-togethers as well as their dogs and grandchildren.
From the foyer, with its patterned rug in striated shades of blue, to the dining room, with its alternating chartreuse and turquoise upholstered chairs, the décor is awash in vibrant colors that stand out against white millwork. Upstairs in the master suite, the blues and greens soften to restful seaglass hues.
Patterned textiles, with contemporary interpretations of traditional motifs, further define the décor. These include stripes, chevrons, botanicals, geometrics and paisleys. Chinoiserie also works its way into the skillful pattern play, as well as into small furniture and home accessories such as garden stools and ginger jars.
In the kitchen makeover, done in conjunction with Gilmer, Merida and Friend modified an antique counter that now serves as a breakfast bar and island lined with French café stools. An existing cupboard, custom-painted in celadon, takes up an entire wall to provide aesthetically pleasing storage.
“One of the homeowners’ favorite spaces,” says Friend, “is the screened porch in the back, where the ceiling is painted sky blue in traditional Eastern Shore style.” The porch is deftly divided into seating and dining areas, focused on weather-
resistant furnishings and Sunbrella fabrics. The distressed pine dining table is eight feet long and the hub of many a casual meal. Just outside, the lush lawn dips down to the river.
Last year, Merida and Friend put the finishing touches on the living room. Among the updated transitional elements are a geometric wool rug and a painted sideboard, as well as a variety of occasional tables, standing lamps and art.
Reflecting on the completed project, Merida enthuses, “It was so refreshing for us to use saturated colors and bold patterns with abandon—and end up with a house like this.”
He commends his clients for taking their time and getting to know the house gradually during the design process. “Decorating over time can be enjoyable,” says the designer. “You and your client develop a special relationship and can take your time finding the perfect item for a particular spot. Above all, it allows you to be more creative.”
Writer and stylist Charlotte Safavi is based in Alexandria. Robert Radifera is a photographer in Charlottesville.
INTERIOR DESIGN: JAMIE MERIDA, principal; AMANDA FRIEND, lead designer, Bountiful Interiors, Easton, Maryland.
RESOURCES
DINING ROOM—pages 152, 153: Dining Table: stanleyfurniture.com. Dining Chairs: leeindustries.com through dwellinganddesign.com. Wall Color: dwellinganddesign.com. Chair Upholstery: sunbrella.com. Chandelier: olystudio.com. Lamp on Sideboard: curreycodealers.com. Rug: dmikc.com. Sunburst Mirror: chelseahouseinc.com. Sideboard: vanguardfurniture.com. Painting over Mantel: nancyhammondeditions.com. Blue & White Jars: gjstyles.com.
LIVING ROOM—pages 154, 155: Draperies: ralphlaurenhome.com. Sofas, Club Chairs, Bar Cart & Art above Bar Cart: Owners’ collection. Lamp on Bar Cart: curreycodealers.com. Console: stanleyfurniture.com through brookscollection.com. Matching Green Lamps on Console: pacificcoastlighting.com. Art above Console: screened prints, custom for bountifuldecor.com. Rug: dashandalbert.annieselke.com. Coffee Table: modernhistoryhome.com.
FOYER—page 154: Console: Custom, made in England using reclaimed wood. Ottomans: Custom. Art above Console: Vintage Louis Vuitton poster.
KITCHEN—page 156: Kitchen & Custom Hood Design: Jennifer Gilmer, CKD, and Meghan Brown, gilmerkitchens.com. Cabinetry: greenfieldcabinetry.com. Island: sarreid.com. Range: subzero-wolf.com. Pendants: visualcomfort.com. Window Treatment Fabric: stroheim.com. Window Treatment Fabrication: draperiesetcinc.com.
SCREENED PORCH—page 157: Furniture: laneventure.com. Cushion Fabric: sunbrella.com. Light over Dining Table: curreycodealers.com. Rug: dashandalbert.annieselke.com.
POOL AREA—pages 156,157: Chaises: Owners’ collection.
MASTER BEDROOM—page 158: Upholstered Bedstead: Design by bountifuldecor.com. Nightstands: modernhistoryhome.com. Bedside Lamps: lampworks.com. Bedding: Custom by bountifuldecor.com. Bench: globalviews.com. Rug: helioscarpet.com.
DRESSING ROOM—page 159: Mirrored Vanity & Chair: Owners’ collection. Rug: helioscarpet.com.
MASTER BATH—page 159: Tile: Carrara marble. Tub: waterworks.com. Fixture above Tub: curreycodealers.com. Window Treatment & Seat Fabric: kravet.com. Fabrication: draperiesetcinc.com. Cushion & Pillow Fabrication: bountifuldecor.com. Sconces above Sinks: visualcomfort.com.
When Christopher Patrick was tapped to overhaul an outdated kitchen in Northwest DC for a homeowner who enjoys entertaining, he worked within the existing layout—yet managed to completely transform the space, which had last been updated in the early 2000s.
“None of the locations of the major functions changed,” says the designer. But he upped the design quotient considerably to create a stylish sensibility that is reflected in crisp white-painted peripheral cabinets, polished-chrome hardware and gleaming subway tile that clads the walls. Previously, the center of the room was dead space; Patrick installed a custom island with a walnut top and blue-painted base that has deep drawers for storage. Gilded quatrefoil light fixtures hang above it. “The island is multi-functional,” explains Patrick. “It creates seating options and serves as a casual buffet when the homeowner hosts parties.”
Patrick bumped the sink and surrounding marble countertop out about three inches to give the area spatial definition and made a statement above the new stove with a decorative-tile panel. “We opted for open shelving to keep the space airy and light,” he says of the decision to dispense with upper cabinetry. By claiming part of a wide stairway previously leading down to the kitchen from the living room, he was also able to accommodate a built-in bar, completing the redesign.
KITCHEN DESIGN: CHRISTOPHER PATRICK, Christopher Patrick Interiors, Alexandria, Virginia. CONTRACTOR: Premier Contracting and Design, Inc., Berlin, Maryland. STYLING: CHARLOTTE SAFAVI.
All The Details
Cabinetry: Stuart Kitchens. Marble Countertops: Marmara Corporation. Wood Countertop: Maryland Wood Countertops. Backsplash: Architectural Ceramics. Appliances: GE Monogram. Sconces: Visual Comfort. Pendants: Currey & Company. Faucet: Danze.
Interior designer Jennifer Wagner Schmidt truly embraces the process of transformation—so remodeling a hopelessly dated condominium in Chevy Chase was a welcome challenge. “The condo was in its original 1970s form, with stained carpets, dirty walls and old Formica countertops,” Schmidt recalls. “My client wanted a complete redo.” Before Schmidt and the owner, a fashion professional, could tackle the fun parts like picking fresh finishes and furnishings, certain structural fixes were needed. First, one of the bedrooms in the three-bedroom/two-bath unit became a small office off the master bedroom with a coveted walk-in closet. Cutting back dead drywall space also created a more expansive foyer.
When they were ready to focus on furnishings, the owner asked Schmidt to infuse the apartment with glamour. “She loves white and gold, art, and fashion, and she likes to travel,” says the designer, adding, “We had all that in common.”
Ebonized hardwood floors and white marble tile replaced the dreary wall-to-wall carpet. The marble was laid on the diagonal for a fun twist. Throughout, an ugly popcorn ceiling was removed and the whole condo refreshed with paint.
“By opening up space and using reflective elements and luxury finishes, we created a glam bachelorette pad,” says Schmidt. The designer stuck with gray shades of wall paint, except in the living room where she covered the walls with textured paper in a natural-pearl hue with a slight shimmer. By contrast, the room’s plain aluminum window casings were painted matte black to frame views of urban Friendship Heights and update the overall look of the space.
A focal point in the living room is a silk scarf the owner purchased in Brazil; Schmidt had it framed in a Lucite shadow box and hung between two bookshelves. Pulling from the scarf’s colors, Schmidt honed in on a soft palette reflected in blush-colored velvet pillows, a faux-fur rug and a tufted, leopard-print chenille bench and accent pillows.
“For lighting, my client wanted feminine gold statement pieces,” says Schmidt. “She also likes crystal.” Finding the right lighting for the living room, where ceilings are only eight feet high, was a challenge. Luckily, Schmidt discovered a pair of beautiful gold-and-crystal light fixtures to hang near the ceiling at either end of the space.
“In the dining room, which I’d painted a high-gloss charcoal gray, I wanted something that I could hang lower, so I got a high-contrast, white-lacquered chandelier,” the designer explains. The cobalt blue hue in the artwork finds its way into the velvet host chairs that flank the marble-topped table, while the other dining chairs sport chenille upholstery in pale gray.
“The existing kitchen, which we gutted, was rather small,” says Schmidt. She selected an antiqued-mirror backsplash to make it feel larger and dressed the room up with chocolate-brown cabinets and white quartzite countertops. A matching bar with the same cabinetry was installed in the adjacent dining room.
Finally, Schmidt imparted a touch of glam in the master bedroom. An accent wall is painted pale mint and overlaid with a gold trellis pattern. “We didn’t want the bedroom to be all white,” she explains. “The client had originally wanted a brighter turquoise, but I felt the subdued mint was more appropriate, yet still gave her color.”
And so it went between client and designer, while the dated, frumpy condo evolved into a sophisticated yet youthful home.
“It was a true collaboration,” Schmidt reports. “We started by having common interests, and ultimately ended up becoming friends through the creative design process.”
Writer and stylist Charlotte Safavi are based in Alexandria. Stacy Zarin Goldberg is a photographer in Olney, Maryland.
INTERIOR DESIGN: JENNIFER WAGNER SCHMIDT, JWS Interiors, Ashburn, Virginia. STYLING: CHARLOTTE SAFAVI.
Designer Suzanne Manlove traveled a storied path before founding a boutique firm with a mission to create “fresh, livable interiors, respecting tradition while embracing the new.”
After earning a graphic design degree at the University of Maryland, she landed at a Baltimore agency, creating award-winning ad campaigns, and later became an art director at Time Life. But it was a stint selling real estate—which she pursued while raising two young children—that led Manlove to her ideal profession.
“When in real estate, I was drawn more to the houses, the architecture and the people—helping them prepare their homes for sale—than I was to the actual selling,” she explains.
During her real estate days, Manlove also remodeled her own home, gaining further in-depth, hands-on experience. In 2008, she finally founded her firm to help others navigate the home-design process.
“Graphic design gave me a great sense of color and balance, as well as spatial awareness,” says Manlove of her journey. “The real estate experience lit the switch and then it was all about learning the vendors, where to get things and making it happen.”
Interior Design: Suzanne Manlove, Arlington Home Interiors, Arlington, Virginia. Styling: Charlotte Safavi.
The idea of starting afresh in a new house may be alluring, but there are times when simply redesigning an existing space can be just what the doctor ordered. This was the case for a mother with two teenagers whose Bethesda home had become dated and whose lifestyle was changing as the kids grew up. After considering a move, she instead contacted designer Kathryn Ivey to help transform her Colonial-style home into a comfortable space that would reflect her style and needs.
“It occurred to my client that we could make her home look completely different without the hassle of moving, by introducing fresh colors and new furnishings,” says Ivey, who currently splits her time between Washington and Paris. “The homeowner’s taste is very feminine. I wanted the design to be beautiful and elegant, but also feel lived-in and approachable.”
The décor of the 10-year-old, four-bedroom house was formal, with plush sofas, bullion fringe and an outdated palette of sage rose and putty. Its traditional kitchen was laden with heavy cabinetry. “The plan was to lighten and brighten up the house and to center it on family life while creating sophisticated areas for entertaining,” Ivey explains.
The designer worked with her client to develop a fresh color palette of rich cream, soft taupe and powdery blue with blush and lavender accents; metallic and mirrored finishes added a touch of glamour. “All the wainscoting was stark white, but I painted it the same calming color as the walls,” says Ivey. “It still has architectural interest, but in a quieter way that allows the textures and patterns of the new furnishings to play a larger role.”
Bland oak floors were stained deep mocha to provide a crisp contrast to the neutral walls on the main level, where an open floor plan lets in light. Layered carpets delineate the sitting area, along with tailored seating options that include a cream-colored cotton-blend chaise, a buttery leather sofa and a pair of tufted chairs in ivory-and-blue cut velvet.
“The dark wood trim on the chaise and the more masculine saddleback brown sofa help ground the soft, airy space,” Ivey explains. “I wanted to add a gentleman’s touch so [the room] didn’t feel like it was going to float away.”
In the dining area, a French Country farm table is paired with whitewashed, cane-backed chairs in a ruffled linen fabric. Upholstered host chairs in a graphic scroll and a mirrored sideboard sound a less feminine note.
Ivey went more casual in the kitchen’s eat-in area, where painted metal chairs with seersucker seat cushions surround a rustic table and a grasscloth wall covering defines the space. “The breakfast nook so easily could have become a pass-through area,” says Ivey. “This part of the house is the hub of family life, so I wanted the space to be its own room.”
The kitchen underwent major cosmetic changes. White Caesarstone countertops, glinting with metallic flecks, replaced dark granite ones. The cabinetry was painted in white lacquer and new polished-nickel hardware was added. To keep the room open, Ivey replaced upper cabinets along one wall with open shelving.
The designer placed special emphasis on her choice of lighting throughout the house. “To me, lighting is like jewelry,” she observes. “I carefully selected each fixture to serve as a focal point and a nod to the glamorous side of the home, especially in an everyday space.” The double crystal-beaded ball pendants over the kitchen island and the mirrored scroll-arm chandelier in the breakfast nook add a luxe vibe. In the master bedroom, Ivey went all out with a crystal chandelier.
“The homeowner had always wanted one there,” she says. “The bedroom is her personal retreat; it’s feminine and glamorous, and the chandelier is one of its special features.”
Built-in bookshelves and a custom daybed flank the wall opposite the bedstead. To balance the feminine elements, Ivey painted the walls a greige hue and added robust swivel armchairs, which ground the pink toile curtains and ceramic lamps. “When you compare the home now to how it looked before, you’d hardly know it was the same house,” observes Ivey. “Essentially, by embracing a different design aesthetic, we made a new house out of her old one.”
Writer and stylist Charlotte Safavi is based in Alexandria. Helen Norman is a photographer in White Hall, Maryland.
INTERIOR DESIGN: KATHRYN IVEY, Kathryn Ivey Interiors, Washington, DC. CONTRACTOR: CarrMichael Construction, Fairfax, Virginia.
When looking for a weekend getaway from their busy lives in Washington, DC, an established professional couple found the perfect riverfront property on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. But despite its idyllic location on the Tred Avon River, the outdated house was in need of refurbishing.
“My clients were looking for help,” says designer Jamie Merida, who owns both Bountiful Interiors and Bountiful Flooring in Easton. “They bought the house—a 1970s river ranch—for its waterfront setting. But they wanted it to reflect their style and suit their needs.”
Merida collaborated with architect Jon Braithwaite of Atelier 11 Architecture and Bountiful’s lead designer Denise Perkins to bring the modestly sized, three-bedroom home up to speed. Its closed-off kitchen was desperately in need of renovation, as were its old bathrooms. “We gutted and opened up the kitchen to the main living and dining spaces, creating more of a great-room feel,” says Merida. “And we also redid the bathrooms.”
The kitchen—once home to white melamine cabinets, blue Formica countertops, and outdated appliances—now features modern maple cabinets, black granite counters with a leathered finish and a stainless-steel tile backsplash. Separating the kitchen and dining area, a sleek breakfast bar offers stools on one side for quick meals and food-prep space on the other.
“The homeowners both love to cook, and enjoy entertaining family and friends in a relaxed manner. We didn’t want to make the kitchen overly feminine, but kept it edgy and casual,” says Merida.
Since the prior kitchen didn’t relate well to the site with its single window, Braithwaite points out, “We added several windows for better visual access to the river.”
The back door leads out from the kitchen onto a spacious bluestone patio and lushly landscaped garden by Brian Kurtz of Solidago Landscapes; a guesthouse on the property has also been redone. The patio is furnished for entertaining large parties, with hardy teak furniture made comfortable with Sunbrella cushions.
“Jamie and I also added a covered porch off the kitchen,” Braithwaite continues. “The idea was to create an open-air space that would be protected from the elements and mosquitoes, and also connected to the river, kitchen, and patio—whether the couple is alone or entertaining.”
Most rooms in the house feature prominent river views—particularly the main living/dining area, where an entire bank of floor-to-ceiling windows envelops the space. While emphasizing the outdoors was key, Merida’s other goal was to display his client’s collection of outsider art. He selected “a monochromatic, restful palette running blue-gray with punches of truer blues. We used nothing that would detract from either the art or the scenery,” he explains. “I was going for an English country house look, with clean-lined, contemporary and sophisticated furnishings in multiple seating areas where groups or individuals could hang out doing different things.”
The main room divides loosely into seamlessly connected quadrants. There are two seating configurations in the rectangular living area. One arrangement features a Sam Moore sofa and Kincaid armchairs in a Schumacher stripe clustered around an industrial-cart coffee table. The other pairs a sofa and slipper chairs by Vanguard with a steel-and-travertine table.
Sandwiched between the breakfast bar and freestanding fireplace, the dining area features a rustic farm table and chairs by Restoration Hardware. On the far side of the fireplace, a pair of leather armchairs creates an intimate gathering spot. During the renovation, both sides of the two-sided brick fireplace were clad in clean-lined plaster to better suit the color scheme.
The one-story home’s luxurious bedrooms are pictures in serenity. “I wanted them to look like suites at a Four Seasons Hotel,” says Merida. Each boasts custom draperies, fine linens, and furnishings selected for style and comfort.
The master bathroom has a glass-walled steam shower, marble-topped vanities and a deep soaking tub opposite the window that takes advantage of its scenic river view. “It’s such a calming, ageless bathroom—classic, yet contemporary,” says Braithwaite.
The newly completed weekend home perfectly suits its owners’ needs and aesthetic sensibility. In the end, Merida says, it’s all about creating a comfortable environment. “Our clients just want to get here and quickly unwind.”
Writer and stylist Charlotte Safavi are based in Alexandria, Virginia. Robert Radifera is a photographer in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Renovation Architecture: Jon Braithwaite, Associate AIA, Atelier 11 Architecture, Easton, Maryland. Interior Design: Jamie Merida, principal; Denise Perkins, lead designer, Bountiful Interiors, Easton, Maryland. Landscape Design: Brian Kurtz, Solidago Landscapes, LLC, Church Hill, Maryland.
Washington architect and designer Patrick Brian Jones was revamping communal areas in a Logan Circle condo building when a resident, Charlie Griffin, approached him for help. Griffin, a retired World Bank economist, and his partner, Kurtis Brown, a financial analyst, wanted to upgrade their penthouse, starting with the kitchen.
Though spacious at 1,900 square feet, their split-level residence left much to be desired. The finishes were builder-grade and the kitchen was squeezed into a tight spot, as was the dining area, located far from the kitchen in a claustrophobic niche near the front entry. The couple hired Jones not only to address these shortcomings but also to help imbue the apartment with a clean, modern aesthetic that would complement their collection of contemporary art.
Despite the open floor plan, the kitchen was centered against one wall, boxed in by a tiny island. “My clients like to cook and entertain,” says Jones. “I started by separating the kitchen’s functions a bit. I moved the sink and dishwasher into the island, which I doubled in size, creating an efficient work triangle.”
Jones lengthened the kitchen’s footprint along the wall and extended the cabinetry up to the base of one of the condo’s two lofts, tripling storage space. He also upgraded the appliances and cabinets, the latter of which is now a pleasing mix of wood veneer, white oak, and gleaming lacquer. Crisp, white Caesarstone quartz replaced dull black-granite countertops.
The dining area has been relocated adjacent to the kitchen and terrace, forming a better layout and improved flow for entertaining. Slatted-oak bench cantilevers from the wall opposite the kitchen to serve as a window seat or host chair as needed.
Jones developed a plan to add and refine details throughout the interiors. “Early on, I’d noticed the homeowners had a lot of artwork, including art glass, and the collection was getting lost in the space,” he recalls. “For me, the art became a major driving force in the redesign.”
New architectural elements visually enhance the fireplace wall in the main seating area. The prefabricated fireplace has been replaced with a contemporary one with a hot-rolled steel surround. “On either side of the fireplace,” Jones says, “I created niches and shelves for the art. LED lighting highlights the artwork. We also put in translucent shelves so the light would travel through them to the displays below.”
The solution also brings a sense of order to the owners’ collection. “I layered the art in niches, instead of devoting one piece to one space,” Jones explains. “Though I initially had to push the homeowners to do this, they are pleased with the layered effect.” Another built-in feature for the artwork was added in the formerly cramped dining niche, which is now an airy yet intimate sitting area.
To create visual harmony, the baseboards have been recessed in the drywall and hot-rolled steel is employed as wainscoting throughout the rooms on the main floor. Jones also replaced the ordinary bamboo flooring with wide-plank walnut and removed all the extraneous trim—even around the doors. “We painted the walls a neutral, grayish white because the art looks best against a light surface,” he adds.
Finally, the bathrooms—which feature custom-designed teak shower mats—have been remodeled as have both the loft areas that sit above the master and guest bedrooms.
With help from former colleague Sequoyah Hunter-Cuyjet, Jones furnished the condo in a sleek, modern style befitting its architecture. “For furniture, about the only thing they kept was their bed,” says Jones. “We played off existing elements in each space. For example, we picked a coppery hue for the dining chairs to tie in with the copper light fixture above the island. The blue accents on the banquette evolved from the color of the hot-rolled steel elements.”
The resulting space is seamless and light-filled with layers of color playing off a soothing, neutral backdrop. The owners are thrilled with their home’s new look. As Jones reports, “Charlie says he has to pinch himself each morning because he can’t believe he lives here.”
Writer Charlotte Safavi is based in Alexandria. Tony Giammarino is a Richmond-based photographer.
INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN: PATRICK BRIAN JONES, Patrick Brian Jones, PLLC, Washington, DC. LIGHTING CONSULTANT: HINSON DESIGN, Washington, DC. CONTRACTOR: BOHEMIA ARTS, LLC, Washington, DC.
When Samantha Friedman was asked to update and decorate the interiors of a 3,500-square-foot Dupont Circle residence, she took her cues from her debonair bachelor client. “I instantly saw menswear,” she explains of her overall design approach. “I wanted the interior décor to be like a decorative version of menswear—to feel like opening up a man’s closet and looking at his clothing.”
Though the bones of the circa-1890 house were good, the interior design was dated, with heavy wallpaper and ornate chandeliers, lots of dusty pinks and dark woods. Friedman introduced the patterns, colors, and textures that a professional man would wear, with “pops of brighter color that are like the pocket squares and silk ties.”
Throughout the three-bedroom home, furnishings sports houndstooth, herringbone, and Oxford-stripe fabrics, in neutrals like navy, gray, tan and brown. Materials include wool, velvet, linen and lots of leather, and colorful accessories enliven each space. For example, the neutral home office—with its rustic sawhorse desk and chic leather sofa—has teal accents, while bursts of red balance the bedroom’s black- and charcoal-hued furniture.
“My client had originally wanted to go with gray, which was the ‘it’ color when we started the project,” Friedman recalls of the color palette. “But I didn’t want the home to feel too trendy or too classic. I wanted it to have its own voice.”
Architecturally, the biggest change took place in the master bathroom, which had been pokey and small; clad in black marble, it housed an uncomfortable clawfoot tub and an impractical wood-burning fireplace that was never used. “I knocked out a wall and gained 200 square feet from the master bedroom’s oversized walk-in closet, making room for a spacious steam shower, something the homeowner had really wanted,” Friedman says. She raised the fireplace off the floor, replacing it with a gas version that operates via a convenient switch. It sits beside a new soaking tub.
For the most part, however, she worked with the home’s original footprint, looking for ways to freshen and revamp. The kitchen was completely remodeled in its existing layout, with a banquette designed by Friedman in the breakfast nook. Fireplace mantels received modern hearths and surround, while light fixtures were switched out for contemporary statement pieces. In addition to paint, wallpaper in textured grasscloth did the transformative job of refreshing the house from head to toe.
“I wanted the interior décor to be like a decorative version of menswear—to feel like opening up a man’s closet.”
—Samantha Friedman
Friedman played with materials, often combining two or three types of upholstery on one piece. For instance, the dining room chairs are clad in both leather and linen with nail-head trim, while the host and hostess chairs also have a velvet stripe on their backs. The kitchen chairs and armchairs in the living room are covered in a tailored mix of patterned and solid fabrics.
Blending fabrics “lets you be a bit trendier, fun and playful, without putting yourself in a corner with one crazy pattern,” the designer explains her approach. “Each fabric is livable, in a subdued pattern—plus, if and when you get tired of one, you can switch it out without having to reupholster the whole piece.”
According to Friedman, though light and spacious, the living room was the most difficult space to configure. Long and narrow at 13 by 22 feet, it features a fireplace at one end and a bay window at the other. The designer ultimately chose to break up space with a two-way upholstered bench in the center that creates intimate conversational nooks on either side and unifies the room. “I didn’t want to focus either on the bay window or the fireplace in the living room,” she says. “My aim was that you’re drawn to the whole room, not to one part of it, so guests can be just as comfortable sitting in the window area as by the fireplace.”
Because the homeowner had previously lived in a very modern apartment, the furniture he brought with him didn’t work in this new, more traditional setting. Friedman replaced it all with new pieces purchased to fit precisely into specific spaces. Each conveys the clean-lined, tailored look she was after while also being comfortable and inviting for social gatherings.
Among the few previous possessions to pass muster in the new house were clay-and-wire sculptures made by the client’s father. During the final stages of the project, Friedman carefully selected abstract modern artwork and sparingly installed window treatments—including simple silk panels in the living room’s bay window and red-trimmed blackout blinds and curtains in the master bedroom.
“My client really loves his home,” she observes. “It completely works for him and his lifestyle. In fact, he travels so much for work that he often tells me he wishes he were home more.” v
Writer Charlotte Safavi is based in Alexandria, Virginia. Jesse Snyder is a Huntingtown, Maryland, photographer.
INTERIOR DESIGN: SAMANTHA FRIEDMAN, ASID, Samantha Friedman Interior Designs, LLC, Bethesda, Maryland. CONTRACTOR: Capitol Hill Construction, LLC, Washington, DC.
A pair of empty nesters tapped Kirsten Anthony Kaplan of Haus Interior Design to decorate their new condo in Bethesda’s Lionsgate. A professional couple with more than one home, they are never in one place for long—but their hearts held a soft spot for Bethesda, where they had raised their kids and wished to maintain a local base. They also desired a no-hassle move. “My clients wanted it to be turnkey,” says Kaplan. “They wanted to walk in at the end and have the beds already made with linens, the bathrooms set with towels and organic soaps for better skin, the kitchen stocked with dishes, glasses and flatware. They wanted everything new and ready to use.”
Kaplan first met with the wife over breakfast and the duo forged an instant bond while poring over inspirational photographs to establish a design direction. Of the images, Kaplan recalls one of shells that ultimately inspired the home’s neutral palette of rich plum, creamy parchment, smoky gray and warm gold.
The condo’s prior owners had combined two units to create a three-bedroom, 3,000-square-foot residence. Their taste had leaned towards French Provençal, with lots of fussy patterns and primary colors. By contrast, “the look we were going for was tailored, elegant, clean and modern,” says Kaplan. “My client was very hands-off after our initial meeting. She never came on site because she trusted my aesthetic sense and organizational skills.”
The redesign promised to be a dramatic turnaround. It started with the kitchen, which previously sported red cabinets and black counters. With the help of Chantilly-based Dynamic Renovations, Inc., Kaplan transformed the room, painting the existing cabinets a deep, lacquered plum and switching the hardware to polished nickel. Smooth, white quartz countertops delineate the perimeter, while mottled Atlantic Salt quartz tops the reconfigured island, which boasts a wine refrigerator (the husband’s request) tucked into one side and leather-wrapped bar stools on the other.
“From the start, I wanted to convey the use of texture rather than pattern or color,” says Kaplan of her approach. “I used Phillip Jeffries grasscloth in a variety of finishes and shades in the main salon, dining room and guest bedroom, while the master bedroom walls are covered in linen and the foyer’s leather paneling has a metallic sheen.”
Though the palette flows seamlessly from one room to the next, each space is clearly defined—so the airy main salon, with its parchment-hued wallpaper and monotone wool carpet, is distinctly different from the moodier dining room, which has darker walls and a rug with a geometric pattern. A blown-glass and brass chandelier crowns the dining table.
“My philosophy on lighting is that it’s one element where you have to invest, not skimp, as nothing does more to create ambience,” observes Kaplan. “I like to use lighting to accentuate design goals, rather than add it as an afterthought.”
In addition to layering textures such as wood, leather, linen and wool, Kaplan creates interest through her use of metal, especially in furniture—from the nailhead trim on the wool-felt dining chairs to the champagne-metal legs on the lacquered night tables in the master bedroom.
“I wanted everything to be worthy of a second look,” says the designer. “The office looks painted, but its walls are really ultrasuede. And the headboard in the master bedroom appears quilted, but close-up [you see] it has an animal print.”
The layout in the main salon turned out to be a challenge, as the room was large with an awkward bump-out that was difficult to work around. “They wanted a space to have their friends, children and children’s friends over to watch football on Sundays,” Kaplan recalls. “It needed to have lots of seating. We decided to build a banquette at one end, an inviting space where people could play cards or have hors d’oeuvres while others watched the game.”
The condo contains several other welcoming niches, including armchairs in the kitchen where the couple can enjoy coffee and read the newspaper in the morning, or a chaise in the master bedroom that is perfect for an afternoon nap or a late-night work assignment.
“My clients are used to staying in high-end hotels around the world, so their experience is with luxurious finishes, things that work, things that are ready,” says Kaplan, who even filled the pantry with assorted treats after the home was completed.
The clients came through as well. “They brought three glasses and a bottle of Champagne for the big reveal!” she says, clearly touched. “It was just as one would imagine.”
Writer Charlotte Safavi is based in Alexandria, Virginia. Helen John is a North Potomac, Maryland, photographer.
INTERIOR DESIGN: KIRSTEN ANTHONY KAPLAN, Haus Interior Design, Rockville, Maryland
When the Lukken family bought their four-bedroom Capitol Hill row house in 2011, they knew an extensive renovation lay in their not-too-distant future. A sociable couple with three kids under the age of ten, they wanted the home to reflect their taste and align with their lifestyle.
“The house was nicely appointed but somewhat dated, with a darker palette—lots of maroons, beiges and forest greens. It also had very formal moldings and fixtures,” recalls DC-based interior designer Kathryn Ivey, who was hired by the owners to revamp their house in 2013. “It was the home of a sophisticated older woman versus one for an active young family of five.”
Though the Colonial-style row house was built only ten years ago, its exterior blends seamlessly with the area’s period homes. However, with polished wood floors and shiny brass fixtures, the interiors smacked of new construction. A plan evolved that would lend the new home a sense of history and timeless character. “My client is originally from Louisiana,” says Ivey. “She loves the rustic yet elegant New Orleans style, with its weathered finishes, rich natural materials and Old World sensibility. I wanted to bring these timeless elements into the home and better connect it to its historic neighborhood.”
Working with Claire McLane of Residential Concepts and builder Ryan Keith of Redux Garden + Home, Ivey finalized plans for a first-floor remodel that would open up the layout and improve circulation between the foyer, living room, dining room and kitchen.
To achieve this, a superfluous wall separating the kitchen and dining room came down, as did ornate double columns dividing the living and dining rooms. “We wanted to preserve the openness,” explains Ivey, “but maintain differentiation between these two spaces, so we bricked the drywall supports and created a brick arch.”
The interior brickwork imparted instant character, adding a desired “forever there” component to the home. Ivey created spatial definition in the now-open floor plan while continuing to add details that would “age” the house. She paved the foyer with coarse Tennessee bluestone, and replaced builder-grade mahogany floors throughout with custom-planked old-growth hickory from Vermont in a foot-worn finish. She also installed a tongue-in-groove painted wood ceiling in the refurbished kitchen.
“The kitchen was completely gutted and redone,” says Ivey. “Opening it up really lent itself both to relaxed entertaining at home and hectic everyday life with the kids.”
Two wrought-iron lanterns provide New Orleans-style lighting above the island, which is topped in Absolute Granite with a user-friendly leather finish. This is where the kids grab quick meals and food prep takes place. A farmhouse apron sink, marble perimeter counters and paneled, Shaker-style cabinets with aged brass hardware add further definition.
“All the finishes in this home are really important,” says Ivey. “They are textural yet refined, with all the warmth of natural materials.”
She took a similar approach to the clean-lined, traditional furnishings. French-inspired bentwood chairs with X-backs and caned seats pull up to a distressed-wood oval dining table, while seating in the living area includes a pair of powder-blue slipcovered armchairs and an oatmeal-hued linen sofa. Aged brass, rubbed bronze and wrought iron are used throughout as metal accents. Adult sophistication pairs with family comfort in each nook.
“We painted almost everything soft white,” says Ivey of the largely neutral canvas, “but we also wanted a light and airy historical color palette for select accents.”
Timeless hues such as sage green, caramel tan and Colonial blue quietly enhance the neutrals in the form of small accessories and throw pillows, as well as in carpets and artwork. Punches of black on the ebonized stair rail and painted front door add dramatic flair.
Ivey made her boldest color statement in the living area, where she painted the fireplace mantel light tan and the matching built-in bookshelves a muted blue. “The decision to add the infusion of color to these architectural features was definitely more European,” says the designer, who has spent time in Provence. “In America, we tend to color the walls and keep the trim white or stained. I did the exact opposite. It’s a different expression of color. And it was another way to bring that French influence into the home.”
Other inspired details include the Moravian star fixture, casting points of light in the foyer; needlepoint-embroidered pillows, layering in texture; and pale Roman shades, with their playful pompom trim, filtering sunlight and adding warmth.
“The house speaks to that New Orleans style of living,” says Ivey of the home’s irresistible charm. “The homeowners are a fun couple who love to entertain. Now, they can comfortably interact with their guests and keep track of their young family.”
Charlotte Safavi is an Alexandria, Virginia, writer. Photographer Helen Norman is based in White Hall, Maryland.
INTERIOR DESIGN: Kathryn Ivey, Kathryn Ivey Interiors, Washington, DC. RENOVATION DESIGN: Claire McLane, Residential Concepts, Chevy Chase, Maryland. RENOVATION CONTRACTOR: Ryan Keith, Redux Garden + Home, Washington, DC.
Rachel James’s decorating career took a different turn in 2006 when she first appeared as a featured guest designer on HGTV’s popular show “Kidspace,” which focused on children’s room makeovers. Before launching her own firm in 2003, James worked as a guidance counselor for students in all grade levels—a background the producers loved.
“My training on the show really got me into design,” says James. “The staff and I did virtually everything, from painting murals on the walls to sewing custom window treatments to construction. It was like being on the front lines.”
She has since continued to apply her skills and further build her boutique interior design firm, taking on a wide variety of jobs over the years. James, who holds a minor in art history, is equally content—and comfortable—doing contemporary, transitional or traditional projects. And her laid-back attitude immediately makes clients feel at ease. As she says, “I’m more interested in helping clients develop the very best of their own look, rather than putting my stamp on their style.”
INTERIOR DESIGN: Rachel James, Rachel James Interiors, Vienna, Virginia.
Jamie Merida—soon-to-be featured designer on HGTV’s “House Hunters Renovation” and longtime owner of the Easton design studio and furniture boutique Bountiful—is always up for a remodeling challenge. It came in the form of a 19th-century Tidewater Colonial on ten acres, overlooking a scenic stretch of the Tred Avon River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. “It really needed some love,” recalls Merida. “It hadn’t been lived in for over a year.”
The potential for coastal charm was great in the 4,764-square-foot house, whose main entrance faces the waterfront, but there was plenty of work to be done. In addition to Merida’s interior design team, which included Denise Perkins and Amanda Friend, architectural designer Jon Braithwaite of Atelier 11 Architecture was also on board.
“I’d previously known the homeowner,” says Merida of the DC-based husband, who shares the house with his wife, three young boys and mother as a weekend retreat from their primary home in Washington. “It started with the husband thinking he could simply paint it and buy some furniture—until the mom came down and the project’s scope got a lot bigger. It became apparent that the property and the house deserved a major overhaul.”
Like many Tidewater Colonials with age on them, this home had evolved laterally, receiving a hodgepodge of additions over different eras; the latest one, a multi-columned family room, had been added in the 1980s. “We had to figure out how to tie this rambling house together,” says Merida.
“The side entry, kitchen and family room consisted of a warren of rooms at different heights and levels, with minimal connection to either the river views or to each other,” Braithwaite agrees. “It wasn’t functional.”
The architect created a plan in which all the choppy, non-weight- bearing walls and superfluous dated columns would come down, irregular floors would be leveled out and door and window openings refreshed and expanded. The cramped kitchen was opened up to the family room, creating a great room with vistas onto the water from every angle.
“We now have these areas with great water views that also relate to each other visually and socially,” says Braithwaite. “So even though there are concentrated nodes of family activity throughout the home, the spaces and people are still connected.”
The kitchen overhaul, by Easton-based Barclay Designs, incorporated smooth marble countertops, crisp, white cabinetry and a pair of furniture-like islands. The Viking stove is now a focal point, flanked by blue-hued, open hutches and boasting a backsplash of white and red brick. A rolling butcher-block island makes food prep easy, and an AGA stove offers more space for cooking.
“We worked a lot on consistency with architectural materials,” says Merida. Throughout the home, original heart-of-pine floors were restored and replaced where needed; all the brickwork and plaster was repaired; and the antique windows were salvaged or replaced with new ones in the same style.
When it came to decorating the interiors, Merida first conceived a color palette of soft grays, warm taupes and creamy beiges for walls and furnishings, adding punches of color in the accents. “As a unifying agent, color really made the whole house come together,” he says.
In the kitchen/great room, navy and other shades of blue interplay like ripples on water—a motif borrowed from the nearby river. Bright blue fabric covers the dining room chairs and there’s a powdery blue finish on the kitchen cabinets around the stove. Weathered wood furniture complements the home’s more casual spaces perfectly, while rich, lustrous mahogany takes over in the formal double parlors.
“We tried a fresh take on traditional East Coast style,” Merida explains. “We definitely have a nautical thing going. Why fight it? We live on the coast. Everybody sails. Folks fish, and shoot geese and ducks. It’s part of the culture.”
The designer subtly incorporates these waterside motifs, including the recessed wall of Audubon prints in one of the parlors and the triple pendant lights hanging above the great room’s dining table, which are reminiscent of those on an industrial freighter. The sign above the kitchen stove, which reads “To the Dock,” whimsically points the wrong way.
But there’s no getting lost in this coastal home now, where flow and consistency light the way. “I think when creating a house for an extended family, you need to be kid- and adult-friendly,” Merida says. “The home needs to be easy to live in, where no one feels like they can break something. But at the same time, it has to have a certain sophisticated and elegant feel for the grownups. I believe we achieved our goal.”
Writer Charlotte Safavi is based in Alexandria, Virginia. J. Brough Schamp is a Baltimore photographer.
Renovation Architecture: Jon E. Braithwaite, Atelier 11 Architecture, Ltd., Easton, Maryland. Interior Design: Jamie Merida, Bountiful Interiors, Easton, Maryland. Kitchen Design: Barclay Designs, Easton, Maryland. Contractor: West & Callahan, Easton, Maryland.
Betty and Jennings Connell were the original occupants of a three-bedroom, 1984 house in Vienna, Virginia. A couple of renovations over the intervening years had increased the home’s footprint—an added kitchen and family room in back, as well as a master suite expansion upstairs. But Betty was looking to hit the “refresh” button as their college-age twins left home and she and her husband became empty nesters.
“I felt a big change coming in our lives and I wanted the house to accommodate it,” says Betty. “Our kids are now young adults. We didn’t want to move, but we did want to create a space that felt grown-up.”
She hired Charlene Kennerknecht and Arch Williams, principals of Monarch Design DC, to help her achieve what she was looking for: a fresh, clean-lined look that, in her words, “wasn’t too sterile, but was warm and inviting.”
As Kennerknecht recalls, “When I did the initial walk-through, the house felt tired. But despite the pinks, teals and Hunter greens, I knew we could make it work.”
Williams set about creating “good bones” in the choppy floor plan. First, the downstairs rooms were opened up and spatially connected to each other by removing unnecessary doors, including the French doors separating the parlor from the family room. Next, the existing moldings and wainscoting were removed; the latter, especially, cut the rooms in half and made the eight-foot ceilings seem lower. “We then added fresh architectural layers like brighter, cleaner trim work,” says Williams. “With the parlor fireplace, we went oversized to make it an element that would lend architectural weight to the room.”
Perhaps the biggest stretch for the Connells was the designers’ suggestion to ebonize their floors. They resisted at first, but after looking at images and mulling it over, they decided to take the leap. The inky floors and gray walls not only provide visual continuity on the main level, but also set a casual yet elegant tone in the overall décor.
“Arch and I have a holistic approach to design,” says Kennerknecht. “We call it our ‘global plan.’ We prepare ideas for every room based on how our clients live and what they want to accomplish. These homeowners really love Charleston and are drawn to a Southern aesthetic.”
The Connells owned some family heirlooms including an antique piano that needed to be incorporated into the redesign. Otherwise, they were open to starting afresh with their furnishings. In general, Kennerknecht and Williams adhered to neutral, tone-on-tone linen upholstery on tailored and appropriately scaled pieces. For example, the furniture in the small parlor is diminutive in comparison to the hefty sectional in the larger family room.
The narrow parlor effectively demonstrates how Monarch creates “destinations” in a given room, no matter its shape or size. The parlor includes a music area; a work area with a writing desk; a sitting area by the fireplace for Betty and her friends; and a reading area for Jen, with his armchair dividing the room. “Jen and I never used the parlor,” says Betty, “except to listen to a kid play the piano. Now that it’s opened up—and the way it’s laid out—it’s become the core of our house.”
The designers added layers of texture to room plans that allowed for multitasking. “We laid down lots of sisal rugs,” says Kennerknecht. “There’s also nailhead trim outlining the furniture instead of fussy trim, and wrought iron, leather and cowhide furnishings. We integrated wood pieces to tie in the antiques.”
In keeping with the sophisticated Southern vibe, there are also subtle chinoiserie elements in the home, evident in black-lacquered wood details. Artwork purchased in Charleston adds pops of vibrant color to the serene spaces. A palette of greens, yellows and oranges punctuates the window treatments and other accents.
In the master bedroom, Williams added a peripheral soffit to hold recessed lights and create architectural interest. A cozy, tufted bed occupies center stage while a serene meditation nook is defined by upholstered walls. “We switched from grays to creams, and reversed the moldings, making them darker than the walls,” says Williams.
The twins’ bedrooms were also overhauled: The son’s sports his University of Virginia blue-and-orange, while the daughter’s is adorned in fabrics with a bohemian vibe to suit her personality.
“The house has such a good feeling,” observes Betty. “When our friends or the children’s friends come over, I keep hearing how everyone loves it. To me, it’s like a big hug, all comfortable and warm—which is exactly how I wanted it to be.”
Charlotte Safavi is a writer in Alexandria, Virginia. Photographer Lydia Cutter is based in Las Vegas.
RENOVATION & INTERIOR DESIGN: CHARLENE KENNERKNECHT and ARCH WILLIAMS, Monarch Design DC, Vienna, Virginia. CONTRACTOR: Monarch Homes, Inc., Vienna, Virginia.
Our home sits on two acres of land in the heart of Alexandria,” says Alex Deringer of the remodeled 1912 farmhouse that she shares with her husband and three children. “What appealed to us is that it’s cloistered, yet central.”
However, when they bought the house it was in bad shape, with dark, choppy rooms, a cumbersome rear addition from the 1970s and an overabundance of wood paneling. “We used to joke that elves and trolls lived in the dingy, compartmentalized rooms,” says Deringer, who runs the design firm 2 Ivy Lane with partner Courtney Cox.
Working with McLean-based architect Thomas French, Deringer rolled up her sleeves and got down to the business of renovating the home to suit her family’s needs. “We took the back off and gutted most of the interior,” she recalls. “We kept the front of the house—the foyer, parlor and library—intact, and the kitchen retains its footprint. But the rest was reconfigured or added on.”
An open floor plan now runs throughout the main level and most of the wood paneling is gone. In the front rooms, existing six-foot-high case openings were enlarged and raised up to seven feet, making the spaces brighter and more airy. The new rear addition encompasses a butler’s pantry, family room and dining room on the first floor, with a master suite on the second floor.
Rooms in the rear addition overlook the property’s lush gardens. “Our design concept was that we’ve got these fabulous outdoor areas for three seasons of the year,” says Deringer, discussing the strong architectural connection she and French made between the home’s interior and exterior spaces. “The outdoor rooms are great for everyday living and for the big parties we throw.”
Multiple French doors now open onto beautiful gardens designed by landscape architect Susanne Fyffe. The master bedroom, with its airy cathedral ceiling, has its own private balcony amid treetops. The extra glasswork filters natural light from room to room.
“Light’s such a valuable design commodity, whether natural during the day or artificial in the evening,” says Deringer, who studied interior design at the Corcoran College of Art and Design. “It adds to the mood and atmosphere of any room.” Her entire home is layered with recessed, chandelier, sconce, task and standing-lamp lighting options—all on dimmer switches.
When it came to overall décor, Deringer wanted a departure from her prior home, which was more traditional with bolder colors. In the new house, she selected quieter hues accented by pops of color in accessories. The nature of the home itself largely drove this approach. “It’s a historic farmhouse,” she explains, “and it has a more relaxed feel. I wanted something elegantly casual, with a sense of formality for entertaining guests, yet approachable because a family lives here.”
Deringer lent a subtle identity to each room, while allowing the soft palette to connect them. For example, the parlor boasts beige grass cloth walls and diminutive chairs in oat and pale blue fabrics; the dining room has silvery gray upholstered seating and a partition-wall papered in a trellis pattern with sheen; and the family room combines comfortably scaled furniture in similar colors.
An eclectic mix of new and vintage pieces prevails in every room. “My husband and I inherited a lot of family antiques with sentimental value,” says Deringer. “I like to incorporate them, but also to bring in more contemporary pieces.” In the dining room, she combined antique American corner cupboards and an old French farm table with dining chairs that are brand new. The juxtaposition of old and new, as well as of casual and formal, are cornerstones of Deringer’s transitional style.
However, she remains imminently practical. Dining chairs are covered in durable pleather and a custom-fitted tablecloth protects the dining table in a house where little ones come into play. The family room furniture is hardy, and also upholstered in stain-resistant and indoor/outdoor materials.
Just as important as meeting her family’s needs was Deringer’s desire to have a sophisticated home. She created flair with chic patterns and luxe fabrics on accent pillows and side chairs. “I added glamour to otherwise organic rooms by using gilded, metallic and mirrored elements, as well as with light fixtures that sparkle,” says Deringer. “We feel lucky to have found our diamond in the rough. It’s received a lot of TLC and we have a special home in a place we love.”
Charlotte Safavi is a writer in Alexandria, Virginia. Photographer Angie Seckinger splits her time between Potomac, Maryland, and Spain.
RENOVATION ARCHITECTURE: THOMAS FRENCH, Thomas French Architect PC, McLean, Virginia. INTERIOR DESIGN: ALEX DERINGER, 2 Ivy Lane, Alexandria, Virginia. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE: SUSANNE FYFFE, Fyffe Landscape Architecture, Arlington, Virginia. RENOVATION CONTRACTOR: RALPH CARDER and TRIP CARDER, Ralph Carder Company, Fredericksburg, Virginia.
Courtney Cox experienced an idyllic childhood in the Alexandria neighborhood of Belle Haven—and even then, she had a designer’s eye. “As a girl,” she recalls, “I always loved this one property because the house had a pink door.” Ironically, the home she’s referring to came on the market at a time when Cox and her husband were house hunting. Cox’s parents still lived in the neighborhood, so she and her husband jumped at the opportunity to buy there.
Unfortunately, the house had too many problems to salvage—pink door notwithstanding. So the couple enlisted architect Stephanie Dimond to design a classic, red brick house on the site that would work well in the traditional neighborhood.
For the new house, Cox and her husband chose a Colonial-style exterior with an open plan inside. “I had to plan ahead,” explains the designer, who now has a boy and a girl under four. “At the time, we didn’t have any kids, so I was trying to envision what I would need with children running around. An open floor plan seemed to me the perfect way for a young family to live.”
The first floor features high-ceilinged, light-filled rooms that connect via expansive case openings. A circular traffic pattern on the main floor leads from the foyer to the living, family and breakfast rooms, then to the kitchen and dining room and back to the foyer. French doors, glass-paned windows, understated moldings and random-width, old-growth heart-of-pine floorboards abound. “I’m inspired by nature,” says Cox, co-owner of 2 Ivy Lane with partner Alex Deringer. “I wanted my home to be soothing, fresh and light. Simplicity and clean lines matter to me. I also didn’t want anything jarring with respect to color or pattern.”
Cox achieved her vision by sticking to a palette of creams, grays and tans for large furnishings; case goods are either left natural or painted in her favored light hues. Mirrors reflect space and light. Upholstered pieces are mostly of linen, with silk curtains in the formal dining room and cut-velvet armchairs in the living room.
“The palette may not seem realistic with kids, but it works,” says Cox. “I use a lot of indoor-outdoor fabrics. Everything is stain-resistant. And the slipcovers on the kitchen benches are machine-washed every week.”
The kitchen design was very important to Cox. “Whether we entertain or not,” she says, “everyone gathers there so I wanted it to be really beautiful. I also wanted to bring in as much natural light as possible.”
She commissioned a stunning kitchen skylight by the British company Marston & Langinger, a designer of greenhouses and conservatories. “Whether it’s sunny skies or pouring rain, I get such a good feeling working or sitting beneath the skylight,” says Cox. “I feel so connected to the outdoors.” Other highlights in the crisp, white kitchen include double bell jar light pendants and a rosewood island countertop that exudes organic warmth.
In the adjacent breakfast room, the chairs have chevron-patterned embroidery on their linen backs, while the seats are covered in easy-to-wipe pleather. Cox, who formerly owned a clothing boutique, applies her fashion sense to décor. “I put people in great dresses with clean lines. Then I added punches of interest through earrings or a pair of shoes. My house is the same,” she says, “simple, with small doses of color and pattern through its accessories.”
In the dining room, rays of sunshine peek through in the colors of the wingback chairs and settee. The living room blooms with blush and pink-dot accent pillows, and the family room carries ripples of blue and gray. Barely-there patterns are updated versions of their traditional cousins, from leopard prints and oversized paisleys to soft geometrics or botanical motifs.
“I don’t have an enormous backyard, so I brought the garden inside,” says Cox, explaining her use of glass lanterns and hurricane lamps as ambient lighting indoors. Wrought iron, often painted, finds its way into chandeliers, sconces and curtain-rods. Stone statuary, woven baskets and ceramic garden stools are other outdoor-inspired elements. Potted plants and cut flowers abound. Contemporary paintings of wildlife or antique-framed botanicals hang in groups.
“I love our home,” says Cox. “As the children are growing, I know we made the right decisions. They’re lucky to have grandparents up the street. Everything we need is right here.”
Charlotte Safavi is a writer in Alexandria, Virginia. Photographer Angie Seckinger splits her time between Potomac, Maryland, and Spain.
ARCHITECTURE: STEPHANIE DIMOND, Dimond-Adams Design Architecture, Alexandria, Virginia. INTERIOR DESIGN & CONTRACTING: COURTNEY COX, 2 Ivy Lane, Alexandria, Virginia.
