A sloped property in McLean had experienced severe flooding from stormwater runoff. A French drain did not adequately solve the issue—and left an ugly cleft in the earth to boot. Looking for a balance between functional infrastructure and beautiful design, the homeowners turned to Moody Graham. “They envisioned a garden that would embrace wabi-sabi—the Japanese mindset of finding beauty in life’s imperfections,” relates landscape architect Mila Antova.
The eventual plan utilized underground pipes to channel runoff down into a series of rain gardens. “The focal point of the landscape is a curvilinear Corten steel runnel that resembles a mountain stream,” says Antova. “The runnel weaves between the plants and the ground, drawing your eye through the garden.”
Landscape Architecture: Mila Antova, ASLA; Avantika Dalal and Allison Fields, project designers, Moody Graham Landscape Architecture. Landscape Contractor: Oldetowne Landscape Architects.
Reimagining a 1960s-era penthouse in Northwest DC came with a particular dilemma: A glass-enclosed, open-air atrium in the middle of the apartment interrupted flow between the kitchen and living/dining area. Enlisted for a complete redo, architect Colleen Healey reclaimed the atrium as interior space. In her plan, a single-pitched roof with a central skylight and clerestory windows now crowns a sunroom that establishes open sightlines throughout the home.
“Our client desired a warm, modern palette with ample book display and dedicated places for work and reading,” notes the architect. The renovation upgraded the existing kitchen and outfitted the home with clean-lined, white oak millwork. The unit’s concrete ceilings dictated that most of the lighting was wall-mounted. New wood flooring grounds the interiors.
Architecture: Colleen Healey, AIA; Casey Meyer, Colleen Healey Architecture. Millwork: Mersoa Woodwork and Design.
Ed Ball Landscape Architecture transformed a blank-canvas backyard in Vienna into a luxurious outdoor living area. “The clients envisioned an extension of their home,” relates landscape designer and principal Ed Ball. “They wanted a transformation.” His plan added a raised deck and lower patio to the rear of the house; both overlook a 40-by-20-foot pool graced by a spa and a sheer-descent water feature. A covered pavilion with a fireplace anchors the far end of the pool. Mature plantings and extensive hardscape complete the scene.
Landscape Design: Ed Ball, Ed Ball Landscape Architecture. Landscape Contractor: Ed Ball Designs.
On completing construction of a modern custom home in Vienna, the owners asked Pristine Acres to create a backyard haven on their small lot. With careful planning, the design team was able to accommodate a 35-by-18-foot pool and an adjacent, flat-roofed pavilion housing a kitchen with a bar counter and lounge area. A fire feature borders the pool on one side. “Our solution weaves all the project elements together in a compact footprint that leaves only one square foot of buildable area untouched,” notes landscape architect Kevin Kurdziolek. A waterfall feature rains into the pool from the cantilevering roof of the custom shelter; the steel structure’s sleek lines complement the contemporary architecture of the dwelling.
Landscape Architecture: Steve Waldron, president; Kevin Kurdziolek, PLA, ASLA, Pristine Acres.
A few blocks from the Supreme Court building on Capitol Hill stands a stately row house that once was home to Frederick Douglass. Its current owners hired Moody Graham to upgrade the small front garden and make the backyard functional for family living—but with an eye on respecting the site’s cultural heritage. “Material selections and design choices were made to complement the historic neighborhood while responding to a contemporary rear addition,” says landscape architect Ryan Moody. The property (now dubbed North Star Garden after a newspaper Douglass founded to help enslaved people find freedom) features a copper star on its wrought-iron entrance gate. In back, horizontal wood fencing conveys a modern feel around a patio with zones for grilling and entertaining.
Landscape Architecture: Ryan Moody, ASLA, PLA; Avantika Dalal, project designer, Moody Graham Landscape Architecture. Landscape Contractor: Oldetowne Landscape Architects.
At Blue Sky Hill, a five-acre family farm in Vienna, a circa-1800s log cabin sat incongruously beside a 1980s abode—until an extensive, whole-property redo preserved the vintage building, updated the residence and connected the two structures. Horn & Company was tasked with incorporating a host of additional site elements: barn, greenhouse, garden pavilion, cutting and vegetable gardens, chicken coop, pool terrace, sport court, dining terrace and paddocks for horses, sheep, goats and alpacas.
“The landscape feels interconnected and grounded in its pastoral setting,” notes landscape architect Jennifer Horn. Salvaged items found on site—including millstones and an antique water trough—are accented by plantings ranging from drifts of pollinators to a crab apple allée.
Landscape Architecture: Jennifer Horn, ASLA; Angela Koloszar, Horn & Company. Architecture: BarnesVanze Architects. Builder: Carrmichael Construction. Landscape Contractor: Planted Earth Landscaping.
After renovating their 17th-century Middleburg abode with a modern addition and building a pool house and pergola, the residents wished to create an expansive outdoor living environment that would bridge the gap between historic and modern elements. Landscape architect J.R. Peter’s sweeping plan entailed renovating the existing swimming pool, implementing a Japanese garden and adding masonry walls, steps and walkways throughout. “Our passion is creating resort-like spaces,” Peter observes. “So the concept of a personal oasis played a substantial role in the design.”
Landscape Architecture & Contracting: J.R. Peter, RLA, Colao & Peter.
June Shea turned the low-height basement of an 1812 Alexandria row house into a European-style wine cellar. “The owners wanted to accommodate 400 bottles and up to six people for tastings,” she recalls. “They also wanted space for a washer/dryer, an HVAC closet and a daybed.” Removing the drywall ceiling to expose beams and timbers added height and ambiance. PVC pipes were replaced by copper and a former well was encased in concrete and topped with granite to form a table. Custom pendants by an artisan found on Etsy are made from wine bottles.
Interior Design: June Shea; Bonnie Cowan, Shea Studio Interiors Inc. Contractor: N Time Design, LLC.
A bachelor with a home in Davidsonville, Maryland, envisioned his mundane basement as an Irish pub-style center for entertaining and watching sports. “I created an immersive experience with timeless appeal,” relates designer Lisa Tullai. Exposed brick, faux-plaster walls and wide-plank, wood-look flooring envelop a space that features a custom bar with a tin ceiling and Guinness on tap; a plush seating area; wine and bourbon storage for tastings; and a room for billiards and darts. Sports memorabilia adorns the walls.
Interior Design: Lisa Tullai, ASID, Annapolis Interiors. Contractor: TailorCraft Builders.
The foyer of a Bethesda home offered stunning architectural details— from its groin vaulted ceiling to extensive millwork lining the stair wall—yet felt disjointed, with a busy color palette and ill-fitting furniture. As part of a whole-house remodel, Bungalow 10 Interiors orchestrated deft changes that revamped the space. “We wanted a calm yet grand entrance that would highlight the ceiling and wall, as well as the reclaimed-wood floors,” recounts designer Kristin Harrison.
Her plan called for painting the walls, moldings and ceiling all white, “to allow the eye to focus on the most beautiful elements of the space,” she says. Statement-making pendants hang above a 48-inch round table accessorized with vintage pieces, books and fresh greens.
Interior Design: Kristin Harrison, Bungalow 10 Interiors. Styling: Kristen Alcorta.
An Oakton, Virginia, family turned to designer Kristen Bonney-James to impart a fresh aesthetic to their main-level spaces. “Up until then, the living room had been a sort of pass-by space,” Bonney-James explains. “The owners wanted it to be a comfortable, happy destination for conversation, reading and music.” The designer homed in on “a new-traditional feel with a touch of Southern charm,” she says. Her plan removed outmoded corbels, updated the lighting and painted the ceiling a soft blue reminiscent of a porch down South. Existing lounge chairs were reupholstered in powder-blue performance chenille. Custom draperies sport a blue-and-green ikat motif while a small-scale print in shades of pink covers the ottoman. Throw pillows adorned with Greek key trim complete the look.
Interior Design: Kristen Bonney-James, KBJ Interiors.
The owners of a cabin near Shenandoah National Forest in Amissville, Virginia, tapped Powell Brower Interiors to outfit their retreat for entertaining and weekend guests. “We added sleeping areas, game tables for both adults and children and enough lounge seating for a crowd,” principal Nancy Powell relates. “There’s also a basement theater and a custom bunkroom.”
Furnishings were arranged to maximize views; pieces highlight wood trim and organic materials. Says Powell, “It’s a refuge to let the clients recharge and soak up the scenery.”
Interior Design: Nancy Powell, lead designer; Bethany Brower, designer, Powell Brower Interiors. Contractor: JMR Contractor LLC.
Conceived in the 1990s by celebrated modernist architect Don Chapell, a contemporary getaway in East Hampton, New York, had become outmoded over time. Spearheading an update, designer Barbara Noguera embraced the home’s pedigree while bringing it into the 21st century. “It’s a quirky house with lots of angles, character and originality,” she notes. “My goal was to honor its architecture and integrity.”
Noguera’s plan conjured airy interiors and a better connection to the outdoors. Drywall rails made way for glass on the curved stair and catwalk, both of which define the sunken living area. The kitchen was relocated and opened up to the pool via an oversized sliding-glass wall.
Whitewashed, wide-plank oak replaced carpeted floors. A new sectional sofa was customized to fit the assymetrical living room, where double-height windows let in the light.
Interior Design: Barbara Noguera; Amanda Strawitch; Karla Rivera, Barbara Noguera Interiors. Contractor: EPM & Services. Styling: Charlotte Safavi.
Inspired by European travel, the owners of a circa-1920s home in DC envisioned a remodel that would channel Old World charm in livable spaces. They tapped designer Sarah Brady to modernize the interiors while incorporating historically inspired details such as dentil molding, wainscoting, herringbone floors and ceiling medallions. Brady combined heirlooms and relics from the couple’s travels with reclaimed Oriental rugs, tasseled draperies and classic furnishings. A vibrant color palette animates the traditional spaces.
Interior Design: Sarah Brady, Aligned Design Interiors. Renovation Contracting: Leveille Home Improvement Consultants, Inc.
The by-product of a poorly conceived renovation, a two-story unit in a 100-year-old Logan Circle townhouse cried out for a better fate. Tapped for a redo, Mary Douglas Drysdale first addressed mismatched architectural details and a poorly configured layout. Two non-functioning fireplaces were covered over and simple crown molding was added throughout. She expanded the kitchen into an airy, open space. “The furniture plan was essential to making the space flow,” says Drysdale, who designed or selected pieces with interesting shapes. “The 10-and-a-half-foot wall height was a canvas for a bold, new art collection.” Colorful abstract works, many by local artists, are showcased. Walls in painted stripes—a Drysdale signature—complement the art.
Interior Design: Mary Douglas Drysdale; Daniel Gossard, Drysdale Design Associates.
A modern, 9,700-square-foot abode overlooking the Magothy River in Pasadena, Maryland, needed an update. Locust Grove Studios collaborated with Delbert Adams Construction on a thorough overhaul that knocked out walls, reconfigured the floor plan and revamped the glass-walled kitchen to take better advantage of the water views.
“Our client expressed a preference for calm, monochromatic tones,” recounts creative director Joe Karlik. “Our aesthetic could be described as ‘industrial light,’ with a muted palette of amber and honey hues complemented by dark steel.”
Cantilevered ceiling details mimic the structure’s concrete forms while also scaling the spaces down to feel more intimate. The firm sought local artisans and artists for site-specific custom furnishings, lighting and art, while a material palette of glass, metal, wood and leather, says Karlik, “becomes part of the home’s living texture.”
Interior Design: Joe Karlik, creative director; Brian Ghiloni, art director; Kristina Herman, senior designer; Dainius Jasinevicius, designer; Hope Myers, designer, Locust Grove Studios. Contractor: Delbert Adams Construction.
