During her years as a corporate recruiter, Shannon Hickok longed for more creativity. Eventually, she decided to embrace her love of home décor, completing a BA in interior design at Marymount University while working for DC designer Lisa Bartolomei “to make sure I was on the right track,” she says. Subsequent positions with Knoll and Herman Miller resulted in her first big job: furnishing the IMF’s Washington headquarters.
After that, Hickok redesigned a 10,000-square-foot building in Arlington for Eagle Hill Consulting while tackling residential projects that included an apartment at the Ritz Carlton in DC’s West End. Hickok’s practice still combines commercial and residential projects. “I like a mix,” she explains, “but I find residential work more creative.”
Her aesthetic emphasizes bright colors in vibrant, transitional spaces. “I enjoy mixing old and new elements—always infusing lots of color,” she relates. “I try to get clients to step outside their comfort zones.”
Interior Design: Shannon Hickok, Allied ASID, Shannon Hickok Design, Alexandria, Virginia. Renovation Contractor: Robert Douglas, Creighton Construction, Arlington, Virginia. Styling: Kristen Alcorta, Pursuing Vintage.
While most future designers spend their childhoods rearranging furniture, Melissa Colgan took it a step further. “When my parents said I couldn’t have wallpaper,” she recalls, “I tin-foiled my bedroom.”
After majoring in journalism, Colgan segued into design by way of Martha Stewart’s publishing empire, where she worked on content and styled photo shoots. A subsequent position with Hearst sent her on shoots for Elle Décor, Veranda and others. “Working at Martha Stewart taught me to build spaces, while at Hearst I learned about products and the market,” she recounts.
After 10 years in New York City, a move to DC offered Colgan an opportunity to switch gears. She gained knowledge and confidence working for luminaries Darryl Carter and Lauren Liess, then hung her own shingle in 2018. Current projects include a house in Great Falls and a chic Alexandria makeover. “I mix styles and eras, pairing classic shapes with color, pattern and vibrancy,” she says. “My background makes me a stronger designer with a wider perspective.”
Interior Design: Melissa Colgan, Melissa Colgan Interiors, Washington, DC. Contractor: Allgood Contracting, Frederick, Maryland. Portrait: Michael Ventura.
With its quaint cottages and Colonials, Alexandria’s historic Rosemont neighborhood exudes old-fashioned appeal. No wonder a couple with a young daughter elected to stay and renovate the 1928 Cape Cod they’d had for six years. They tapped architect Laura Campbell, designer Kristin Try and builder Harry Braswell to improve the existing spaces and add much-needed square footage. “They wanted to remake it into their dream house,” recounts Campbell. “They were ready for a complete makeover that would embrace the idea of ‘vintage meets new.’”
The house was saddled with a poorly functioning family room addition, a cramped kitchen and outdated bathrooms. The design team replaced the addition with a larger one encompassing a family room, home office, powder room and mudroom with access to the driveway. The existing spaces were reconfigured to accommodate a spacious new kitchen and dining room.
The owners—the husband, a CFO at a medical-supplies company, and wife, a retail buyer—are thrilled with their rejuvenated home. Says Try, “We were able to hold onto what made the house feel special to begin with.”
Describe your mandate for this project.
Kristin Try: To understand what the clients liked and make it come together. There were several ideas they wanted to incorporate, and they feared the interiors might feel disjointed.
What ideas inspired your clients?
They’re from Michigan and loved the concept of lakeside living. They also love blue and the wife is a fan of vintage things. We tried to merge all those elements into a cohesive look combining farmhouse and urban-bungalow styles.
How did you improve the existing house?
The front door opens into one end of the living room, where a hall closet beside the staircase made the entry area tight. We replaced the stair, which was steep and hazardous, and removed the closet to make the space feel airy and a little more formal. We enhanced the living room with paint and new window treatments, furniture and lighting. The dining room now spills out onto a deck for grilling.
Explain your color-palette choices.
I’m a color person, but white is definitely what brought this house to life. The wife has a number of vintage-wood pieces. The white showcases them but also tempers the rustic vibe by imparting clean lines and light. She has collections of vintage items like jars, and the white backdrop keeps them from feeling cluttered. We added the clients’ favorite blue hues in rugs, fabrics and accessories throughout.
What’s the story behind the floors?
The original oak floors were replaced with reclaimed barn wood. It is stunning and preserves the home’s vintage feel.
How did the kitchen change?
It’s been extended to include a separate storage area. The layout of the work space is more functional. We kept the look classic with white cabinetry and honed, leathered, black-granite countertops. The backsplash is Venatino marble, which has prominent bluish veins. I designed the range hood with white plaster and detailing made of the same reclaimed wood as the floor.
Why the separate space with the blue-painted island?
The wife requested a work and casual dining spot in an open area that connects the other rooms. It has an island and she’s on her computer there most of the day. The gingham window treatment sets the space apart.
What drove the window design in the family room?
The owners requested more wall space for art and furniture; using floor-to-ceiling vertical windows in the family room frees up wall space but still lets in light. From the start, I envisioned white, pleated-linen draperies that would do those windows justice. The windows are set in from the corners of the room to accommodate the drapes, and the frames are painted black for an industrial-farmhouse look.
Describe the upstairs renovation.
Originally, the master bedroom was too big. The redesign divides the addition between the daughter’s room and the master bedroom. Reclaimed beams from a Maryland barn gave the master bedroom a rustic feel, so I chose more streamlined pieces for it. The daughter’s room is painted pale pink with an adorable seating nook. The master bath is in the original part of the house, where a hall leads to two bedrooms and a bath.
How did the look of the master bath evolve?
The wife knew from the get-go that she wanted navy-blue ceramic tile in the shower, in a four-by-eight-inch format. She also wanted to use marble, so I helped her come up with a combination that worked. I designed the reclaimed-wood vanity with vintage flair to warm up the space.
Explain your furniture selections.
Much of it is new. The goal was to minimize the rustic feel of the wife’s vintage pieces, emphasizing clean lines and a slightly beachy vibe. We were lucky because we were able to customize a lot of furniture to fit.
How do you begin a project?
I focus first on lighting, flooring and paint colors. Lighting is key; people often overlook it and don’t budget for it, but I think if you spend money on lighting it will showcase a room much more beautifully.
What’s your lighting-selection process?
I base my choices on being in the space. I think about the scale and sight lines from one room to the next, making sure fixtures are complementary and don’t overpower one another. Sometimes they’re the star of the show, sometimes an accent.
Name a trend you’re tired of.
I get bored of white kitchens that don’t have any special creativity—though I can still make one work when it’s the best choice. I also get sick of houses that are completely neutral. I like colorful moments.
What’s your personal design aesthetic?
It’s a little artsy. I’m an abstract artist and my designs are a bit moody, with lots of color and texture—just like my paintings.
Renovation Architecture: Laura Campbell, AIA, Convene Architecture, Alexandria, Virginia. Interior Design: Kristin Try, Kristin Try Interiors, Alexandria, Virginia. Renovation Contractor: Harry Braswell, Inc., Alexandria, Virginia. Styling: Kristen Alcorta.
WASHING UP
Italian ceramics manufacturer Cielo debuts I Catini, a line of oval, rectangular or round ceramic washbasins perched atop a spare, steel base. The steel-and-ceramic components come in a choice of colors and finishes and feature an integrated drawer or shelf. Pictured above: Catino Tondo with a medicine cabinet that's part of the collection. ceramicacielo.it
MARBLE MAGIC
Art House Reloaded, a line of dramatically veined, marble-look porcelain tiles made by Architessa Brand Collection, marries durability and opulence. The tiles come in myriad sizes from large-format to mosaic, and in a range of bold patterns. Pictured above: Quarzo Kandinsky adorns a luxe bathroom. Available at area Architectural Ceramics locations. architecturalceramics.com
HIDDEN AWAY
In the interest of streamlining the WC, Viega’s in-wall flushing system conceals pipes and a water tank. A Viega Visign flush plate operates the system; it offers a wide range of design options and control functions—including LED lighting for orientation or ambiance and touchless activation. Available at Thos. Somerville locations. tsomerville.com; viega.com
WATERY HUE
The bold veining of Calacatta, Carrara, Statuary and Dolomite varieties of marble is reimagined in watery tones via Ocean Blue, a line of rectified porcelain tiles. The series comes in a matte or polished finish and in multiple formats; herringbone, hexagonal and square mosaics in a matte finish are also part of the mix. Available locally at Best Tile. besttile.com
UNDER GLASS
Island Stone’s Cascade Collection of glass tiles is distinguished by a textured finish that mimics subtle movement on the water’s surface. The tiles come in three sizes and six colors, including Oceana and coordinate with the company’s Glass Essentials line. islandstone.com
MIX & MATCH
The MIX collection of interchangeable cabinet hardware by British company Armac Martin conjures a stylish industrial vibe. Made of solid brass, pieces come in 20 mix-and-match finishes; pictured here: the straight knurled pull handle in burnished brass with a matte-black backplate. Available locally at Push Pull Hardware in North Bethesda. pushpullhardware.com
VANITY FAIR
The solid-oak Solace 48-inch Vanity from Native Trails—part of a transitional bath vanity and mirror collection—is paired with the company’s NativeStone concrete-look surface. Buyers can choose from a range of finishes for both vanity and top. Midnight Oak is pictured above with a counter and shelf in contrasting Pearl. nativetrailshome.com
Clients with kids attending college in DC purchased a 1980s townhouse in Georgetown, which was saddled with builder-grade finishes and a dated look. They enlisted architect Bruce Wentworth to do the remodel. Among the most dramatic changes: a stylish master bath boasting high-end finishes and a spacious new layout. “The original space was choppy,” Wentworth says. “We gutted it and started over.”
The new plan eliminated a bidet and created a smaller WC and a roomy shower enclosure. A double vanity stretches along the opposite wall, while the soaking tub is built into a skirted platform; both the vanity top and tub surround are made of engineered stone. The tub is bordered by built-in storage at one end. The owners wanted a transitional look, so Wentworth selected a clean-lined, walnut vanity. Distinctive marble mosaic tile from Ann Sacks covers the vanity and tub walls, and large-format Arabascato marble floor tiles keep the space light. A frameless glass shower enclosure contributes to the minimalist aesthetic.
Renovation Architecture & Contracting: Bruce Wentworth, AIA, Wentworth, Inc., Chevy Chase, Maryland.
OPEN & SHUT
As part of an extensive redo of their outdoor space, Bethesda clients asked Joel Hafner of Fine Earth Landscape to craft a pergola with a roof that can be closed, sheltering a seating area with a TV. “They wanted to be able to spend their weekends outside,” Hafner says. Modern Patio Covers supplied a solar-powered pergola system with aluminum louvers that open and close; the roof is supported on columns. Wood-look Zuri decking is inlaid in the flagstone patio, creating a rug-like effect beneath the pergola.
Landscape Design: Joel Hafner, Fine Earth Landscape, Poolesville, Maryland. Landscape Contractor: Sandy Spring Builders, Bethesda, Maryland.
WOODED OASIS
An Annapolis couple tasked Colao & Peter Luxury Outdoor Living with creating an outdoor living space complete with pool, pavilion and fireplace on their wooded property. “They wanted something family-friendly but elegant for entertaining,” says principal Joe Colao, “a cozy destination where they can light a fire and feel like they’re in the woods.” The structure is wrapped in synthetic Azek for longevity and topped with a standing-seam metal roof. Imported granite pavers and coping complement the quarried-stone fireplace.
Landscape Design: Joseph Colao, Colao & Peter Luxury Outdoor Living, Fairfax, Virginia.
INSPIRED DESIGN
After a Fairfax couple admired a pergola they saw at a favorite hotel, they asked landscape architect Joseph Richardson to design something similar as part of an extensive landscape plan. “The clients were looking for a contemporary outdoor structure to provide shade in the summer months,” Richardson recalls. The clean-lined, painted-cedar pergola anchors an outdoor environment with places to swim, sunbathe, dine, lounge and play. Hardscape materials include Western Maryland fieldstone on the wood-burning fireplace and a patio combining Pennsylvania bluestone and flagstone.
Landscape Architecture: Joseph Richardson Landscape Architecture, Washington, DC. Landscape Contractor: Wheat’s Landscape, Vienna, Virginia.
DC Water’s new headquarters perfectly blends utility and art. Positioned on a narrow wedge of land in the Anacostia River floodplain, its bold, curvilinear architecture evokes the fluidity of water while also responding to a cramped, problematic site.
Architects in SmithGroup’s DC office spearheaded the 150,000-square-foot project, which houses DC Water offices—previously scattered throughout the city—in one location on DC Water property. The design team solved space issues by positioning the new structure atop a portion of the existing O Street pump station, adjacent to the historic Beaux Arts building housing the main pump station. Two huge trusses intersect, supporting the new, six-story building where it meets the old one. A massive underground web of 100-year-old clay sewer lines, still critical to the city’s infrastructure, was protected during construction.
The building’s south-facing riverfront façade is sheathed in seemingly undulating glass, composed of four-foot-wide planar glass and metal modules. The other façades are more opaque, employing painted-aluminum panels in green tones that suggest patinated copper. Sustainability was key; varied window overhangs protect from heat gain while admitting daylight deep into the interiors, and a second layer of tinted-glass panels clads portions of the façade for further insulation. A lush green roof reduces storm-water runoff and a thermal recovery system captures heat from flowing wastewater for use in the building. LEED Platinum status is pending.
The project also capitalized on the headquarters’ proximity to pedestrian-friendly Nationals Park and The Yards. The team revived a long-defunct block of Canal Street between the new structure and the historic pump station as a connector and installed a waterfront promenade that links to the existing boardwalk.
Architecture: SmithGroup, Washington, DC. Contractor: Skanska, Rockville, Maryland. Landscape Architecture: Oehme van Sweden, Washington, DC.
Growing up with his mother, Alice Busch—founder of the award-winning design firm Great Falls Distinctive Interiors—Matt Trunnell cut his teeth on all things design-related. He worked alongside Busch as she built her successful business, and by his father’s side as he ran the family’s electrical supplies company. “That’s how my passion for construction was born,” Trunnell relates. “I observed both my parents’ tenacious work ethic, connection to customers and exceptional attention to detail. I absorbed those attributes, and they have helped set my company apart.”
While Busch retired her firm a few years ago, Trunnell Electric is still in business—and Matt Trunnell has been working in the building industry since 2000. He began as a superintendent for a large production firm, then launched his first company, Distinctive Renovations, with both residential and commercial divisions, in 2007. In 2015, he founded Distinctive Building Group, which boasts a portfolio emphasizing detailed residential work—though light commercial projects remain part of the mix. “I found a niche market working with interior designers, who I got to know originally through my mother,” Trunnell says. “A lot of my business still comes from their referrals.”
With help from a stable of subcontractors with whom he’s developed trusted, longtime relationships, Trunnell and his project manager tackle 25 to 35 projects a year throughout DC, Maryland and Virginia, working on five to nine jobs at a time. Projects range in size from small commissions for repeat clients to whole-house renovations. At press time, Distinctive Building Group had just completed its first custom home, a 10,000-square-foot residence in Silver Spring. “We jumped into the deep end,” Trunnell laughs. “It’s a very creative process and it was a great experience. We hope to do two to four custom homes a year in the future.”
Trunnell, who has LEED accreditation, can build in any style. “We do a lot of high-end traditional homes,” he notes, “but I am enjoying the modern-farmhouse trend. I like to work with reclaimed lumber; it’s imperfect by nature and I like that.”
He continues, “My favorite aspect of the job is getting to the finished product and sharing it with the client. I like seeing people happy. I am a people-pleaser.”
Distinctive Building Group LLC
15186 Loyalty Road, Waterford, Virginia 20197 • 703-898-8508; youaredistinctive.com
The right waterfront property is hard to come by near Annapolis, where lots lining the Chesapeake Bay and its picturesque tributaries are always in demand. This was certainly the case for John and Deborah Kontor, who searched long and hard before finding a spot they liked in a charming enclave of older homes. The small lot contained a circa-1940s Colonial overlooking a scenic curve of Spa Creek.
“As soon as I stepped in, I said ‘this is what I want,’” recalls Deborah, a kindergarten teacher. “It needed extensive work, but we fell in love with the lot and the neighborhood.”
The couple was ready to renovate immediately after buying the house—but discovered it was in worse shape than they’d thought. “It didn’t make sense to remodel,” relates Deborah. “There just was not much to work with—tiny house, expensive baseboard heat and no air conditioning or ductwork.”
She and John, a doctor, decided to build anew. They tapped architect Marta Hansen and Bayview Builders to spearhead the project, requesting a modern house that would fit the traditional neighborhood. Hansen conceived a 4,300-square-foot, two-story residence with a master suite and two bedrooms upstairs; the original basement was renovated to feature a family room and guest suite. A great room/kitchen dominates the main floor, which also contains a mudroom, office and spare room—plenty of space for when the Kontors’ three grown daughters come to stay.
However, the design was limited by a couple of factors. “The previous structure was positioned sideways on the lot,” Hansen explains. “Since we worked within the original foundation, the new house had to be oriented the same way.” The couple also opted to retain the existing garage, which sits between the house and the street; Hansen added a pitched roof onto the garage so it matches the new architecture and she connected the buildings via a breezeway.
In fact, the steeply pitched roofline is what gives this modern abode a classic sensibility that harmonizes with it neighbors. “It’s the prototypical house form,” Hansen explains. “This pitched roof is purposefully a little exaggerated, almost playing a game with the geometry.”
Inside, a streamlined aesthetic prevails. The open-plan kitchen/great room spills out to a spacious screened porch with a fireplace. While the home largely stays within the previous footprint, an additional living-area volume sits perpendicular to the structure. A vaulted ceiling sets it apart from the rest of the great room; a fireplace at one end is flanked by floor-to-ceiling windows that create transparency from the front yard to the back and bring the outdoors in. “We wanted contemporary style and also to embrace nature,” John says. “These are things Marta intuited right away.”
While attracted to modernism, Deborah also embraced the popular Danish concept of hygge, which translates to a feeling of cozy contentment and well-being. When Kerry Hoffman of Johker Design joined the team to help with the interiors, Deborah asked her to meld modernist straight lines with warmth and coziness. “I call it soft modern as opposed to stark modern,” Hoffman says. “Colors, warm woods, not a lot of cold surfaces.”
The designer selected a soft, greige-and-cream palette. She commissioned architectural-finishes company The Artists Republic to apply lime plaster to both the porch and living-area fireplaces; in the living area, the plaster is all pale grays and creams. “I wanted it to be focal, but not in your face,” Hoffman says. A mix of new and existing furnishings in serenely neutral tones is sleek yet comfortable. Hoffman collaborated with Hansen and Kitchen Concepts Plus on a mid-century-style kitchen combining rift-sawn, white-oak cabinetry and creamy quartz countertops.
Hansen also made choices with hygge in mind. Pine Windsor window frames were sealed in their natural hue, as were birch interior doors and white-oak floors throughout. A lowered ceiling panel in birch delineates the kitchen island, adding warmth and interest.
For the Kontors, the process of building anew was easier than they had expected—largely because of the team they assembled. Says Deborah, “I feel like our house was built with love and friendship, and that is wonderful.”
Architecture: Marta Hansen, AIA, LEED AP, Hansen Architects, Annapolis, Maryland. Interior Design: Kerry Hoffman, Johker Design, Annapolis, Maryland. Kitchen & Bath Design: Kitchen Concepts Plus, Salisbury, Maryland. Builder: David Carlisle and Tim Mowry, Bayview Builders, Annapolis, Maryland. Landscape Architecture: Heike Nolker, ASLA, Landscape Architect, Annapolis, Maryland. Landscape Installation: Environmental Landcare LLC, Millersville, Maryland. Home Automation: Electronic Home Environments, Annapolis, Maryland.
Contractor Darren Kornas, principal of thinkmakebuild, and his wife, Darby Pollock, were already renting a house in Easton, Maryland, with their two young children when they decided to put down roots and build a home of their own in the community. Besides wanting a waterfront property, they had one major requirement: “We didn’t want to see any roads from the house,” Kornas says.
They purchased a five-and-a-half-acre lot outside Easton and hired Thomson & Cooke Architects to design an abode that would be removed from the bustle but still just 15 minutes’ drive from the heart of town. Carefully siting the house to capitalize on dramatic views of the Miles River, architect Neal Thomson designed what Kornas terms a two-story “modern farmhouse. It’s fairly traditional on the outside,” he notes, “but with character and interest.”
The interiors emphasize the water vista via floor-to-ceiling windows. As Thomson explains, the second-floor master bedroom (pictured above) “was designed with a stripped-down, modern aesthetic.” A floor-to-ceiling Windsor casement window “has minimal trim to limit distraction from the view.”
Architecture: Neal Thomson, AIA, Thomson & Cooke Architects, Washington, DC. Contractor: Darren Kornas, thinkmakebuild, Annapolis, Maryland.
Clients turned to architect Randall Kipp to design a modern abode for them in Virginia’s Northern Neck. With the property’s picturesque location on a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, the owners specified a house with “a lot of transparency,” says Kipp. “They wanted it to flow inside and out.”
The architect designed a two-bedroom, single-story structure in which every room takes advantage of the minimalist, Asian-inspired landscape conceived by ZEN Associates—and, of course, the stunning water views that extend out beyond the backyard. One wing of the house contains a master suite where the spare and serene bedroom (pictured) spills out onto the patio through sliding-glass doors framed in warm, honey-hued alder. Concealed in the wall, solar, insect and blackout screens make indoor-outdoor living easy.
Kipp designed a built-in maple bedstead and attached nightstands for the space; they complement a wall of open shelving fabricated from maple by the Woodworking Shop.
Architecture: Randall J. Kipp, AIA, NCARB, Randall Kipp Architecture, Irvington, Virginia. Interior Design: Rina Okawa, LEED AP; Landscape Architecture: Shinichiro Abe, ZEN Associates, Inc., Woburn, Massachusetts and Silver Spring, Maryland. Builder: Joe Allen, The Allen Group, Inc., Urbanna, Virginia.
Penza Bailey Architects was asked to spearhead an extensive renovation and addition in Severna Park, Maryland. The sprawling, traditional home, nestled along the Severn River, was originally designed by its owner, an aeronautical engineer who wanted it to resemble the wings of an airplane. “While we reimagined the house to respect the home’s original design intent,” says principal Jeffrey Penza, “we reoriented the interiors to take better advantage of the water views.” On the home’s rear elevation, they added a wraparound porch encompassing a two-story turret. Tucked within its second story, a curved porch (pictured) provides a charming, sheltered spot from which to admire the breathtaking river vista.
Located off the home’s central stair hall, the porch’s cheek wall is clad in painted cedar shakes. Columns, set atop low walls so as not to impede the view, are lined with custom wrought-iron rails. The bead-board ceilings are coffered with beams that follow the radial lines of the turret; durable slate-look porcelain tile covers the floor.
Renovation Architecture: Jeffrey Penza, AIA, LEED AP, Penza Bailey Architects, Baltimore, Maryland. Renovation Contractor: Rick Batton, FC Batton & Son, Inc., Monkton, Maryland. Landscape Architecture: Stuart Ortel, RLA, Stone Hill Design Associates, Inc., Baltimore, Maryland. Photography: Anne Gummerson.
Editors note: At press time, it remains uncertain whether or not these events will take place in light of current stay-at-home policies due to the coronavirus crisis. Check back for updates.
From June 6 through 14, Maryland’s bustling capital showcases the creativity of area artists and musicians during Annapolis Arts Week. Now in its fourth year, the annual event features gallery exhibits, live music and performing arts.
Activities get into full gear on June 7 with the First Sunday Arts Festival, which takes place on the first Sunday of the month from May through November. This popular event attracts more than 130 vendors to Annapolis’ quaint downtown streets. The first two blocks of West Street in the Entertainment District are closed to traffic to accommodate shoppers.
A highlight of the Arts Week program, Paint Annapolis is a week-long, juried plein-air painting competition inviting artists to ply their craft on subjects ranging from Colonial architecture to maritime scenes; and Art on the Avenue, a block party boasting a juried exhibit of plein-air paintings that have been created around town that day. Art on the Avenue includes live music, vendors and a beer garden—all with the iconic State House dome in the background. annapolisartsweek.com
CLEAN LINES RH’s textural Vetro Planter marries weather-resistant resin, fiberglass and crushed stone in six sizes and two finishes: Dark Grey (pictured) or the lighter Chenza. rh.com
DESIGN MUSE Handcrafted from aerated cement, Jonathan Adler’s graceful Dora Maar Planter is part of the Muse Collection. It depicts human features in surreal style. jonathanadler.com
HIGH STYLE Measuring 38 inches tall, JANUS et Cie’s Hydria Extra Large vessel is made of a composite material lighter and more durable than cast concrete. Pictured in Aged Bronze. janusetcie.com
COLOR CUE The vibrant hues of ancient ceramic tiles inspired Frontgate’s Amara Painted Urn. Created with fade-resistant paint on lightweight resin and fiberglass in a range of sizes and shapes. frontgate.com
MID-CENTURY VIBE Room & Board’s Case Study Ceramics planter combines a weatherproof teak base with a matte, glazed-ceramic pot in charcoal or white. roomandboard.com
CHIC WEAVE Eco-friendly, hand-woven mesh characterizes Dedon’s Dala Planter. Each comes with a removable inner planter; powder-coated finishes include Stone and Grass. dedon.de
Walnut Hill Landscape CompanyA major overhaul breathes new life into a run-down
Annapolis property. Click here.
Scapes, Inc.A barren Annapolis yard becomes a luxurious
outdoor oasis. Click here.
South Fork StudioReimagining an awkward Tolchester, Maryland,
landscape. Click here.
A charming home in downtown Annapolis cried out for a total overhaul of its overgrown landscape. The front yard was ragged and uninviting, while the backyard was dominated by a ramshackle garage and an outdated swimming pool enclosed in old wrought-iron fencing. The owners called on Walnut Hill Landscape Company to spruce up their diminutive property, breathing new life into existing features and enhancing them with
lush layers of plantings.
“The garage was too small to accommodate a car, so we decided to turn it into a fun, outdoor bar with a kitchen and storage inside,” recalls principal Michael Prokopchak of the structure, now clad on the pool side in an attractive stone veneer. The swimming pool was renovated with bluestone coping. A low stone wall at one end incorporates spillways that create a focal point in the yard while conjuring the pleasant sound of falling water. Ipe decking creates plenty of room for seating around the pool.
In the front yard, bluestone steps and stone columns capped with bluestone create a sense of arrival, with custom containers providing seasonal color and interest. Banks of perennials flank the stairs, and boxwood, Limelight hydrangea and fountain grass connect the new landscape, both front and back.
Landscape Architecture & Installation: Michael Prokopchak, ASLA, Walnut Hill Landscape Company, Annapolis, Maryland. Photography: David Burroughs.
