York Wallcoverings managing director Ashley Vizzi Akridge and her family recently moved into a Federal-style Georgetown abode. H&D caught up with her there.
What are the hottest trends in wallpaper?
Large-scale murals and big prints are on the rise. It's a great time to be a maximalist! We’re also bringing nature indoors with botanical and floral prints and organic materials like wood, jute and grasses.
Current favorite wall covering and why?
I love grass cloth. It’s timeless and also helps with noise control. In my home, I feature grass cloth in teal, lavender, off-white and pale blue.
How do you accentuate texture and pattern?
Texture and pattern help create a mood—like textured neutrals and small-scale prints in a tranquil bedroom. A powder room with less natural light is an opportunity to go bold with large-scale patterns.
Rules of thumb for hanging art on wallpaper?
Hanging art on wallpaper can be very stressful because the nail holes are permanent. Be sure you absolutely love the artwork and the placement.
Unexpected space to enhance with wall covering?
The ceiling, which we call the fifth wall, is an under-utilized way to add dimension and personality. I have wall covering on my closet ceiling from Carlisle & Co.; the closet is a great place to start with this trend.
Shawna J. Dillon, ASID, NCIDQ Snaidero DC Metro | Jennifer Gilmer, CKD Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen & Bath, Ltd. | Tracy McGuinness, CKBD Kitchen Encounters | Larry Rosen Jack Rosen Custom Kitchens | Julia Walter Boffi Georgetown
During the Washington Design Center’s Fall Market Day on September 29th, RUE IV hosted a panel discussion entitled “The Power of Women.” Editor in chief Sharon Jaffe Dan moderated the conversation, which focused on the challenges and rewards of creating a design brand with five innovative female entrepreneurs whose lines are represented in the showroom. After the panel, attendees met the makers and perused their wares.
Photos: Kaz Sasahara/Lancer Photography
On October 12, Home & Design celebrated the launch of its 2023 Idea Book with a reception at ABW, a luxury-appliance showroom in Rockville. A highlight of the evening was the announcement of the magazine’s first annual Design Excellence Awards, published in H&D’s Idea Book and at homeanddesign.com.
THEN | NOW |
| Previous, poorly conceived renovations retained the compartmentalized floor plan while erasing character and layering on historically incompatible architectural detailing. | Emerson reconfigured the ground floor, creating an airy, open plan. Extraneous architectural elements were streamlined or removed, which resulted in a spare, uncluttered look. |
| Tucked into the center of the house, the dated kitchen was dark and windowless, flowing into a family room at the back. A covered rear porch limited natural light. | The new plan replaced the old kitchen with a sleek kitchen system by Henrybuilt; additional storage is tucked into a large pantry and separate bar. The back porch was enclosed and opened up to the family room. Rear window walls let in the light. |
| A jumble of wood and tile flooring made the interiors feel disjointed. The original staircase lacked interest. | Wide-plank white oak floors grace the main level. White oak treads and glass-and-steel railings adorn the modern staircase. |
Renovation Architecture: Elizabeth Emerson, AIA, EL Studio, Washington, DC. Renovation Contractor: Added Dimensions, Inc., Takoma Park, Maryland.
THEN | NOW |
A French Country aesthetic—complete with ornate cabinetry, terracotta-look floor tile and granite countertops—felt outdated. | Embracing classicism, the designer installed clean-lined, ceiling-height custom cabinetry, coupled with honed-marble countertops and floors, for a timeless look. |
An overabundance of millwork framed the windows and covered the hood, making the room feel heavy and cluttered. A palette of cream and gold was muted enough to be dull. | The millwork was pared down in favor of unadorned windows. A plaster hood with simple wood molding creates a focal point. Cabinets, walls and trim in Sherwin-Williams’ Snowbelt and a glazed-ceramic-tile backsplash seem to sparkle. |
The soft angles along the cabinet corners encroached on valuable square footage in the room, as did an unused window seat. | Right angles opened the space up, conveying a cleaner sensibility. The window seat is gone, making way for a café table and chairs with a view. |
Kitchen Design: Tanya Smith-Shiflett, NKBA, Unique Kitchens & Baths, Washington, DC, and Great Falls, Virginia. Renovation Contractor: CarrMichael Construction, Oakton, Virginia.
THEN | NOW |
The 2,977-square-foot, one-and-a-half-story Cape Cod-style house was too small to accommodate the owners’ growing family. | The renovation expanded the home to 4,240 square feet; the second floor contains three bedrooms and there is a third-story home office above. |
A shallow screened porch on the front greeted visitors. A one-story addition on the back was conceived in modern style and looked out of place. | Winn reconstructed the front porch to accommodate gatherings while a rear addition was built up to house a second-floor primary suite. |
The white siding and brick on the front façade looked dated and boring. Without rhyme or reason, the rear of the house was clad in beige stucco. | Dark-gray, vertical Hardie panels conjure a modern, Scandinavian feel, enhanced by knotty pine accents that add warmth and lighten the massing. The rear addition is clad in knotty pine with dark-gray accents that unify it with the rest of the home. |
Renovation Architecture & Contracting: Michael Winn, Winn Design + Build, McLean, Virginia.
THEN | NOW |
Dilapidated flagstone was laid piecemeal in the back and side yards, flanked by straggly garden plots that wouldn’t grow due to too much shade and the obstructive root system of a nearby tree. | A crisp, new flagstone patio makes the backyard more usable. The side yard was regraded with a layer of soil that allowed grass and shrubbery to take root. |
The backyard had no style and was bordered by a prominent, unattractive wooden fence. There was no place to gather or entertain. | Straight angles and neat beds create a formal aesthetic. The fence is painted gray to blend with the stone; a stone fireplace provides a focal point. The patio accommodates both lounging and dining areas. |
There were no plantings to speak of because of the shade. | Shade-loving European hornbeam, boxwood, hydrangea and hosta bloom in different seasons, creating year-round interest. |
Landscape Design & Installation: Angela Rodrigues, Xtra Care Landscaping & Design, Inc., Damascus, Maryland.
As kitchens evolve, both functionally and aesthetically, designers look to bring drama, interest and a new level of customization to their projects. Capacious, furniture-style islands, move over: Statement hoods, which embrace unusual materials and finishes, are introducing a whole new level of creativity and pizzazz.
“We’re mixing metals and finishes, from copper and iron to natural and bronzed steel or polished and matte metal. Right now, we’re doing three in plaster,” notes designer Barry Dixon, who says that these days, he’s designing a statement hood a month.
“They’re driven by the overall aesthetics of a project,” adds kitchen designer Emily Neifeld of Lobkovich Kitchen Designs. “We love doing statement hoods because they are unique and bring a sculptural element to the kitchen.”
SCULPTURAL PROFILE For a Great Falls custom home, Deb Eastham, a designer at Lobkovich Kitchen Designs, collaborated with interior designer Martha Vicas on an eye-catching statement hood inspired by origami. AK Metal Fabricators crafted this sculptural creation, welding folded-steel pieces to a layer of wood to produce darkened seams that conjure an origami effect.
Kitchen Design: Deb Eastham, Lobkovich Kitchen Designs, Tysons, Virginia. Interior Design: Martha Vicas, Allied ASID, M.S. Vicas Interiors, Washington, DC. Architect: James McDonald Associate Architects, Great Falls, Virginia. Builder: Artisan Builders, McLean, Virginia.
WIDE EMBRACE While designing a spacious McLean kitchen separated into front and rear zones, Emily Neifeld of Lobkovich Kitchen Designs carved a niche into the dividing wall and tucked the 48-inch range into it. She conceived an awning-style, blackened-steel hood with brass accents that stretches the wall’s width. “To expand the wall visually, I wanted clean lines with no upper cabinets,” she relates. Hickory trim frames the niche, clad in Macaubas Fantasy quartzite.
Kitchen Design: Emily Neifeld, Lobkovich Kitchen Designs, Tysons, Virginia. Architecture: WCRA, Chantilly, Virginia. Builder: Thorsen Construction, Alexandria, Virginia.
BACK IN TIME Tasked with designing a kitchen for Medieval history buffs, Barry Dixon recalled the fairy tale Old King Cole as illustrated by Maxfield Parrish—and conceived a massive hood with scalloped crenellations that conjure the ramparts of a castle. Measuring 10 feet wide by eight feet tall, it’s made of bronze-coated steel and heavy-gauge copper and conveys “a handcrafted look that harkens back to earlier times,” Dixon observes. Plaster support brackets by Ornamental Plaster Works were faux-finished by Warnock Studios to look like stone.
Interior & Kitchen Design: Barry Dixon, Barry Dixon Interiors, Warrenton, Virginia. Hood Fabrication: Kelly Metalwork, Cooksville, Maryland.
With the needs of his young family in mind, landscape architect Jordan Crabtree turned to his own backyard, located in Annapolis’ historic district. He and his wife had recently purchased their late-1700s abode, which “was a disaster when we moved in,” he recalls. Among the issues: a porous, granite-block foundation that caused frequent flooding.
While the home’s renovation was underway, 12 tons of soil were excavated or amended from the site to create room for drainage that would flow into groundwater. Crabtree established an infiltration basin six feet underground that catches runoff. He then designed a minimalist oasis for kids and adults alike, with room for both play and relaxation. “We needed to create a space to be with our family,” he says. “We love it.”
andscape Architecture: Jordan Loch Crabtree, PLA, ASLA, Loch Collective, Annapolis, Maryland. Landscape Contractor: Solidago Landscapes, LLC, Church Hill, Maryland. Lighting/Irrigation: Terra Nova Design, Crofton, Maryland.
When embarking on a custom-home project with Mid-Atlantic Builders, the owners hired Marika Meyer to mastermind the interiors. Though the plans called for a Craftsman-style exterior, the clients envisioned something more modern and sophisticated inside—embodied by a palette of chic purple and blue hues ranging from eggplant to plum to lavender, with navy thrown in.
“When you work in purple, think about how to make it rich, interesting and modern,” Meyer observes. “I leaned into the eggplant family of purples and set the backdrop with those tones.” She leavened their impact with silver-gray fabrics and rugs, then layered in yellow, teal and green accessories. Says the designer, “It was a deep dive into color.”
Interior Design: Marika Meyer, Marika Meyer Interiors, LLC, Bethesda, Maryland. Architecture & Construction: Mid-Atlantic Builders, Rockville, Maryland.
When Ruben Santos returned with his wife and children to the house he grew up in, his mother was still living there—so he devised a plan that would allow them all to coexist under the same roof. “We decided to make it a two-family home,” he explains.
His plan—which doubled the size of the dwelling to 4,200 square feet—created a modern addition to the traditional center-hall Colonial. A two-story structure with a front bay contains the mother’s digs on the ground floor with Santos’ home office above. A connective volume features separate entrances. Shifting the front door to the addition “makes the original house look secondary,” the architect notes. “This way, the addition isn’t just an add-on. It’s cohesive.”
Renovation Architecture, Contracting & Landscape Design: Ruben Santos, AIA, principal, Convene Architecture, Alexandria, Virginia.
Tasked with designing a modern dwelling on a wooded site in Bethesda’s Mohican Hills enclave, Robert Gurney conceived a two-story structure facing the street with a four-story volume that takes advantage of the site’s sloping grade in back. Two concrete side walls embrace the home, with front and rear façades clad in shou sugi ban. Facing the woods, the four-story rear is mostly glass.
A foot bridge connects the street and the entry, beyond which open, airy interiors beckon. Says Gurney, “The project is modulated as a series of experiences that leads you into a tranquil environment from which to enjoy the serene, wooded landscape.”
Architecture: Robert M. Gurney, FAIA, Robert M. Gurney, FAIA Architect. Interior Design: Therese Baron Gurney, ASID, Baron Gurney Interiors. Builder: Commonwealth Home Design.
Challenges were many when clients enlisted Pyramid to build their new custom home atop a bluff on an Annapolis peninsula overlooking the South River. The five-bedroom plan designed by ABS Architects demanded a high degree of craftsmanship inside and out, from a hand-troweled stucco exterior to a kitchen featuring brass-framed glass cabinetry.
“Extensive millwork with diverse finishes made this residence both exhilarating and complex to complete,” says Pyramid founder and president Bret Anderson. The finished project epitomizes waterfront luxury, with wraparound patios, an infinity-edge pool and hot tub, a pool house and a bath house.
Builder: Bret Anderson, Mark Sanders and team, Pyramid Builders. Architecture: ABS Architects. Landscape Architecture: Campion Hruby Landscape Architects. Interior Design: Bryan Huffman Interior Design.
The owner of a 1900 DC row house wanted a new kitchen that would marry modern style and vintage elegance. Designer Jonas Carnemark made the dream a reality, reimagining the galley-style space with matte SieMatic SLX cabinetry. A central island with a black Silestone countertop houses a sink, dishwasher and trash pullouts. Behind it, a marble-look ceramic-tile backsplash anchors the Wolf range, surrounded by more storage.
The plan also created a refrigerated wine room in unused space under the adjacent stairway. A linear chandelier above the island and illuminated bronze channels that take the place of cabinet hardware impart a touch of glam.
Kitchen Design & Renovation: Jonas Carnemark, CKD, CLIPP, KONST SieMatic.
