The Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building stands center stage on the National Mall. Also known as the Castle, it’s embellished with Gothic Revival spires and porticoes—an indelible red-brick presence among white marble and limestone companions. Built in 1879, this historic landmark is the second oldest building in the Smithsonian system and was used to house temporary exhibits and events. Time took its toll, however, and SmithGroupJJR was tapped in 1999 to begin a long-term revitalization. In 2003, structural issues necessitated its closure to the public.
“There was structural fatigue and worry that the roof would collapse in the snow,” says architect Hal Davis, who spearheaded the project. By 2015, the brick-and-stone exterior was stabilized, the outer shell restored and the slate roof replaced. The interior structure was next. “It was an important building from the standpoint of innovation,” Davis observes. The original design “tried to show what was happening in construction in 1880. We preserved what we could of its existing fabric.”
In the main hall (pictured), visible high-string steel trusses replicate the original cast-iron ones, compromised over time. A new metal ceiling duplicates the original, as do glazed, insulated windows featuring the same distinctive milky cast as the 19th-century ones.
The next phase will restore plaster, stenciling, tilework and more. In the meantime, the building, which has received architectural awards for craftsmanship and historic preservation, is once again open for events and special exhibits.
RESTORATION ARCHITECTURE: HAL DAVIS, FAIA, NCARB, SmithGroupJJR, Washington, DC. CONTRACTOR: Grunley Construction Company, Rockville, Maryland.
Several years ago, three friends who’d met during their days at DC’s Woodrow Wilson High School returned with the goal of giving back to the city they called home. A rooftop farm in Upstate New York had inspired them: In 2014, Kristof Grina, Kathleen O’Keefe, and Jeff Prost-Greene founded Up Top Acres to grow commercial produce on roofs in the DC metro area.
“Our mission is to establish agriculture as part of city life,” says O’Keefe. “We want to expose people to an understanding of what they eat.”
Since its 1,000-square-foot pilot farm sprouted above Oyamel restaurant in Penn Quarter, Up Top Acres has added rooftop farms in downtown Bethesda (10,000 square feet), DC’s Navy Yard (25,000 square feet) and at 55 M Street, a 15,000-square-foot space overlooking Nationals Stadium. With the help of a farm manager, the company now supplies produce to numerous DC restaurants including Equinox, The Oval Room, Jaleo, Comet Ping Pong and Little Red Fox—and to consumers through a community supported agriculture (CSA) program that allots the members a weekly share of fresh crops.
The 55 M Street farm also boasts space for al fresco events, from yoga classes to panel discussions to pop-up dinners by local chefs. “We want as many people as possible to see the roofs,” O’Keefe explains. “We’re also doing educational programming in DC public schools, bringing students up to the rooftops to work.”
The 20-something founders of Up Top Acres are happy to be part of the city’s push for sustainability. “There’s a big effort towards building a green infrastructure in DC,” O’Keefe says. “We are among the leaders nationally in a lot of areas.” For more information, visit uptopacres.com.
The Sagamore Pendry Baltimore, which opened March 20, occupies an ornate, Beaux Arts-style building in historic Fells Point. Originally constructed in 1914, the structure was dubbed “Recreation Pier” because it housed a rec center and opened onto a commercial pier jutting into Baltimore Harbor.
Over the years, the building served as the second-busiest immigration port in the country (next to Ellis Island), as well as a harbormaster’s office. It even played the role of a police precinct in NBC’s “Homicide: Life on the Street.” In 2014, Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank purchased the property to create a hotel on site, enlisting BHC Architects, Baltimore designer Patrick Sutton and contractor WhitingTurner to make it a reality.
“We said, ‘Let’s make something that engages Baltimore’s industrial heritage but that is also luxurious,” says Sutton. “We nicknamed the aesthetic ‘gritty luxury.’”
The restored interiors now house a ballroom, Andrew Carmellini’s Rec Pier Chop House and the intimate Cannon Room whiskey bar. The pier has been transformed into a light-filled courtyard flanked by 128 guest rooms, many with water views. An infinity-edge pool at its tip appears to spill into the harbor.
Throughout the hotel, Sutton layered opulent materials over exposed brick and steel. Works by local artists grace the interiors and Baltimore lore crops up everywhere, starting with “The Star-Spangled Banner” lyrics—penned by Francis Scott Key about 1,000 feet away in 1814—emblazoned at the entry. With mahogany and brass details, guest rooms resemble ships’ berths while behind the reception desk, says Sutton, the harbor—framed through a window—“gives you a sense of where you are.” pendryhotels.com
Salt & Sundry beckons browsers with a quirky assortment of barware, ceramics, textiles and more. It’s a winning concept: After its debut in DC’s Union Market in 2012, a second location followed just two years later at 1401 S Street, NW.
In December 2016, the shop relocated to a larger space at 1625 14th Street, NW—and the bright, airy S Street location became home to Little Leaf—a showcase for cacti, succulents, and air plants, plus stationery, prints, desk accessories and more. H&D chatted with Amanda McClements, the industrious owner and creative director of both. shopsaltandsundry.com
What inspired Salt & Sundry? About five years ago, I started dreaming up a place where I could share my passions for entertaining and design. Less than a year later, I opened Salt & Sundry in Union Market. I love creating gathering places where people can meet up and find goods to beautify their homes.
How is Little Leaf different? Little Leaf is Salt & Sundry’s free-spirited little sister. Our focus there is plants and paper, two of my favorite things. Like Salt & Sundry, we support makers and designers local and beyond like DC-based Printed Wild wrapping-paper sheets and Convivial Production, a ceramics studio in Kansas City. We also stock jewelry by one of our own team members, hand-poured candles, books, and gifts.
How do you select your inventory? My process for buying is fairly simple: If I’d like to own it or give it to a good friend, it’s in! The local maker scene has really blossomed, so we’re finding new lines to stock every month.
What trends are you seeing? I’m loving the throwback we’re seeing to the ’70s in interiors and accessories, like modern takes on peacock chairs and primary colors in bold stripes. Also, plants are a huge trend, from wallpapers and fabrics to mini jungles that grow indoors.
How do you bring springtime into your décor? I love adding air plants to unexpected places; they have an ethereal, early-spring look. Try creating a table setting with air plants in small dishes down the center, or popping them into bookshelf displays inside sculptural vessels.
About two miles past the Maryland border into West Virginia, the Potomac River bends in a soft L, fringed on one side by a jagged limestone cliff rising up 90 feet. At the top, a dense forest is strewn with massive boulders that conjure an almost prehistoric sensibility.
This remote spot might seem an odd location for a house—until you glimpse the remarkable views of the river disappearing into the horizon in both directions. That’s what captivated sculptor Loraine Strait during her search for a parcel of land to buy. “I wanted to live in the forest and be by the water,” she says. “When I saw this land, it fit the picture I had in my mind.”
Strait had just moved back to the U.S. after 25 years in Paris. She quickly purchased four riverfront acres, which housed an abandoned limestone quarry that had been gouged into the cliff side. Until about 60 years ago, a cable car had transported limestone over the Potomac to the nearby C&O Canal, where it was loaded onto barges and sent downriver to be pulverized for concrete.
By the time Strait arrived, all that remained from that slice of history was limestone—and plenty of it. She and architect Greg Wiedemann, whose firm she hired to design a combination home/studio on the site, fought their way through the woods to the edge of the cliff where haphazard rock formations left behind by the quarry made walking difficult. “I had trepidation bringing Greg because I figured he wouldn’t want to come all the way out here,” Strait recalls. She couldn’t have been more wrong: The architect was stunned by the view and challenged by the prospect of designing a home on such a unique site.
Strait tasked Wiedemann and project architect Barbara Sweeney with creating a modern structure with a small footprint that would optimize the river views while ensuring privacy from a three-story house next door that was also under construction. In addition, “it was very important to all of us that we maintain the character of the site,” Wiedemann says. Working with contractor Carl Petty, “we left the boulders strewn and cut down a few trees as possible to save the forest.” Even the ipe-wood walkway to the front door wends its way around a sea of rock.
Sweeney suggested they build the house parallel to the cliff side and angled to block views of the neighboring house. The rectangular glass-and-steel structure cantilevers over two poured-concrete volumes that seem to rise out of the limestone. The river-facing wall is an expanse of glass, while the solid end walls feature glass panels at the corners that meet the window wall and enhance the panoramic effect.
The biggest challenge was the foundation. “You not only couldn’t have a basement, you couldn’t have a conventional foundation because this is solid bedrock,” explains Wiedemann. To ensure the stability of the limestone, he and his team consulted with a geologist who knows the terrain. The consensus was to pour concrete over the whole rock formation, which was faulted and deeply weathered. One fissure in the rock surface was more than 40 feet deep.
“A series of concrete piers support the foundation wall,” Petty says. Each pier rests on concrete that was poured over the bedrock to level it.
Strait’s sculptures in clay and metal informed the choice of materials for the home. The structure is framed in steel and clad in glass punctuated by panels of ipe. Balconies in front and back are made of steel and ipe, while inside, the radiant-heated floors are polished, black-tinted concrete—reminiscent of Strait’s cast-resin sculptures, many of which have a bronze patina.
Visitors enter the 2,200-square-foot house through one concrete volume on the lower level and climb the steel-and-ipe staircase to the second floor, encompassing an open-plan living room/dining area/kitchen, plus a master suite, guest room with en-suite bath, powder room and studio. Sliding barn doors conceal closets and laundry. The garage, housed in the second concrete volume, is connected via an outdoor path between volumes. It accommodates a car as well as Strait’s metalworks studio.
Though she brought furniture with her from Paris, where she maintains an apartment, Strait ultimately replaced much of it with clean-lined, modern pieces that reflect the style of the house. Her kitchen is streamlined, with IKEA cabinetry, BoConcept bar stools, quartz countertops and a glass-tile backsplash. Blocks of Mondrian-like color throughout the house add warmth.
Strait is very happy with her home in the forest. “Lorie wanted the structure to be second to the place,” Wiedemann says. “We tried to embrace the natural beauty of the site while having a minimal impact on the land.”
Anice Hoachlander is a principal at Hoachlander Davis Photography.
ARCHITECTURE & INTERIOR DESIGN: GREGORY WIEDEMANN, AIA, principal; BARBARA SWEENEY, AIA, project architect, Wiedemann Architects, LLC, Washington, DC. CONTRACTOR: CARL PETTY, Carl Petty Associates, Ltd., Washington, DC.
RESOURCES
Architecture & Interior Design: Wiedemann Architects LLC; wiedemannarchitects.com. Contractor: Carl Petty Associates Ltd.; Linton Engineering, LLC; lintonengineering.com. Geology Consultant: GeoConcepts Engineering, Inc.; geoconcepts-eng.com.
THROUGHOUT Flooring: Poured concrete. Woodwork: Ipê. Windows: VistaLux by Kolbe.
LIVING ROOM Sofa & Chair: rh.com. Rug: crateandbarrel.com.
KITCHEN Cabinetry: ikea.com. Glass-Tile Backsplash: susanjablon.com. Pendant Lights: leucos.com through illumininc.com. Countertops: Quartz. Counter Stools: boconcept.com.
MASTER BEDROOM Yellow Chair: Owner's collection.
STUDIO Chest of Drawers: Clignancourt Antique Flea Market, Paris. Stool: Owner's collection.
When Fred Bates moved from a tiny row house in Dupont Circle to an airy, open condo in DC’s Mount Vernon Square neighborhood, he traded the innate charm of an older home for builder-grade finishes. A real estate agent at Keller Williams Capital Properties, he turned to interior designer Dane Austin to imbue his new two-bedroom abode with character and beauty.
“Dane got my taste very quickly,” Bates says. “The building is modern, and most residents choose really contemporary furniture. But my taste tends toward things with a history and Dane got that.”
In a way, the project actually began in Bates’s previous house, which had served as an art gallery years earlier. As Austin recounts, his client had discovered “a treasure trove of really cool artwork—watercolors, collected pieces and antique frames” in the attic. Not sure how to use them, the homeowner held onto these discoveries and brought them to his new condo.
“I said ‘We have to use these, to share them with everyone,’” Austin recalls. The artwork provided the designer with a jumping-off point for the new space, which he infused with a playful mix of eras and price points in an inviting, eclectic style.
“I really appreciate working with heirloom pieces,” Austin says. “I think good design is a mix of old and new, whether it’s a picture inherited from family, a high-end piece from the Design Center or a store-bought find.”
Among the attic finds was a series of vintage watercolor landscapes, which the designer had framed and hung above the custom velvet sofa in the living area. Maintaining the eclectic vibe, he grouped Art Deco armchairs in Rogers & Goffigon fabric and a cane armchair in Donghia silk around a Niermann Weeks coffee table. French gold-leaf and ceramic table lamps flank the sofa on lacquered-linen side tables with ebonized wood frames.
In the adjoining lounge area, gilt frames from the attic collection have been repurposed as mirrors in all shapes and styles and grouped together. “A wall of mirrors makes an interesting design feature,” Austin says. “I love that they reflect the watercolors across the room over the sofa.” The mirrors are clustered artfully above Nancy Corzine chaises and an antique red-lacquer Chinese chest. Occasional tables from David Iatesta and Holly Hunt, an antique cabinet with cut ionized-aluminum panels and Robert Abbey gold-leaf floor lamps further enliven the space.
A round mahogany dining table designed by Barbara Barry for Baker occupies a curved niche by the wall of windows in the living area. Paired with a Niermann Weeks chandelier and chairs covered in Schumacher linen, the table nestles beside custom sheers and drapes in silk and vintage velvet by Robert Abbey. The niche is one of Bates’s favorite aspects of the new space. “The windows look out onto the street,” he explains, “and I love the way the drapes soften the view.”
In the master bedroom, Austin selected a vintage rug in blue and red tones that would inspire bolder color choices. The custom bedding includes a quilt that picks up the palette of the rug, while a red-lacquered Chinese chest functions as a night table against a custom leather headboard. Bedside pendants with linen shades provide light without taking up surface space.
Throughout the home, Austin implemented pops of color and texture. “I’m kind of terrified of color,” Bates admits, “but Dane did a really good job using it in a way I felt comfortable with.” Though neutral jute rugs keep the attention on the art and furniture, a custom, baroque-style damask was hand-painted on the wall behind the living room sofa. A grass-cloth wall covering by Phillip Jeffries in vibrant red adds warmth to the lounge area, while in the bedroom a green raffia wall covering, also by Phillip Jeffries, creates a perfect background for the room’s bright palette.
The owner is happy with the results of Austin’s labors. “I have an elevator entrance, so people walk right into the apartment,” he relates. “They’re always surprised. It’s a really soothing space.”
Photographer Stacy Zarin Goldberg is based in Olney, Maryland.
INTERIOR DESIGN: DANE AUSTIN, ASID, IIDA, Dane Austin Design, Washington, DC, and Boston, Massachusetts.
ITALIAN STYLE Designed by Luca Nichetto for Cassina, the 380 La Mise sofa beckons with comfortable polyurethane foam and feather padding covered in removable fabric with distinctive zigzag stitching. Nichetto’s rectangular (pictured), square, triangular and round Torei tables are topped by Carrara marble or red-stained ash. All available in DC through Poltrona Frau. poltronafrau.com; cassina.com
GONE FISHING Philippe Nigro took inspiration from the rugged cliffs of Manarola, an Italian fishing village, in the design of his eponymously named seating collection for Ligne Roset. A polyurethane foam seat and back, complete with lumbar support and headrest, sit atop solid wood legs (pictured) or a circular steel base. Available at Ligne Roset in DC as an armchair, loveseat, sofa or ottoman. ligne-roset.com
TABLE TRENDS Bassett Mirror Company’s occasional tables come in numerous shapes; materials that include glass, metal and wood; and finishes such as gold-leaf, platinum and rust. Top row: Camilla and Serena accent tables, Kellie Scatter Table. Middle row: Krier and Clover Scatter Tables. Bottom row: Christie Side Table, Calder and Bristol Scatter Tables. bassettmirror.com
MACHINE WASHABLE Lorena Canals’ machine-washable rugs are made by hand in India using natural cotton and non-toxic dyes. Pictured here, the Azteca Natural rug in Vintage Blue comes in a range of sizes; a complementary collection of throws, cushions and baskets is also available. A portion of the proceeds from Lorena Canals finances schooling for more than 100 children in northern India. lorenacanals.us
WOVEN BY HAND The Lattice rug collection was designed by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for Nanimarquina. Handmade in Pakistan in a kilim-style flatweave, the rugs are created using handspun Afghan wool and come in four sizes and two color variations. Pictured here in a beige, turquoise and charcoal-gray colorway. nanimarquina.com
EXTRA DURABLE Armstrong’s Vivero vinyl floor-tile collection with Diamond 10 Technology incorporates diamond particles for extra durability. The waterproof surface is available in traditional wood (pictured in Dark Chocolate finish) or natural stone looks. It withstands dents, scratches, scuffs and stains and is easy to install. armstrong.com/flooring
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY Capel, which got its start making braided rugs, is marking its 100th anniversary with two commemorative braided-rug collections. New Homestead (pictured) is an updated version of the company’s oldest braided design, constructed out of polyester, polypropylene and cotton, while Yorktowne refreshes one of its best-selling wool blends. capelrugs.com
CHIC COLLECTION A complex jacquard construction paired with bi-color vinyl yarns distinguishes the new Mosaic and Wave collections by Chilewich; the Wave floor covering is pictured here. Both patterns are also available as placemats and table runners. chilewich.com
CALIFORNIA DREAMING Inspired by colors found in California shorelines and sunsets, Architectural Systems’ Malibu Hardwoods flooring collection comes in four hues ranging from grayish driftwood to dark brown. The engineered-oak planks are made from sustainable hardwoods that have been wire-brushed and prefinished with hard-wax oil. archsystems.com
VINTAGE LOOK Hudson Valley Lighting pays homage to early electric fixtures with Colebrook, a pendant that houses a long, exposed-filament bulb within an open cage. An adjustable cord is covered in black, braided cloth. Available in Aged Brass, Old Bronze or Polished Nickel through Dulles Electric in Sterling, Virginia. dulleselectric.com; hudsonvalleylighting.com
INDUSTRIAL CHIC Troy RLM Lighting’s dual-shade Aero pendant is part of its Modern Visions collection. The industrial-style LED fixture combines glossy white with one of 20 bold or neutral finishes (tangerine is pictured here) and a white cord. Also available as a wall sconce through Annapolis Lighting. annapolislighting.com; troyrlm.com
BATTERY OPERATED Designed by Philippe Starck for FLOS, BonJour Unplugged is the diminutive, 10.6-inch-tall, battery-powered sibling of the Bon Jour Table Lamp. A transparent or aluminum-painted base comes with a smooth or wavy acrylic shade in transparent, yellow, amber or gray. A micro-USB connector recharges the light in 30 minutes for a lighting life of six hours. Available through Apartment Zero. apartmentzero.com; usa.flos.com
SPARE SILHOUETTE The Suspenders LED system from Sonneman combines interconnected metal bars and suspended LED components in a range of formations. The modular chandeliers, first designed by Robert Sonneman in the 1980s in spare, modern style, are now even lighter in scale. Pictured here, the 48-Inch 2-Tier Linear 5 Light Chandelier with a teardrop luminaire. sonnemanawayoflight.com
UNCOMMON SCONCE Arteriors’ Duane Sconce is anchored by a steel backplate with a vertical spear finished in antique brass. Metal discs with an oil-rubbed bronze finish encircle frosted-glass diffusers. Available through Dominion Electric Supply Co. area locations. dominionelectric.com; arteriorshome.com
SOFT GLOW The Grace Pendant by Studio Italia Design generates a soft glow through the laser-cut pattern in its metal shade, which is covered in a fabric-like resin material that acts as a diffuser. Designed by Andrea Tosetto, the suspension light requires incandescent bulbs; it’s also available as a flush-mount fixture or sconce. studioitaliadesign.com
The Washington Navy Yard’s diminutive Watch Box has had a checkered past. First erected around 1840 as a sentry post for marines guarding the Latrobe Gate (above, right), it was replaced by a firehouse in 1909 and sent—minus its porch—down the Potomac via barge to Indian Head Naval Yard. It was thoroughly dilapidated by the time Naval Facilities Command contacted architecture firm EYP in 2014 with the idea of restoring and relocating it in the Navy Yard as a historic relic.
A small addition to the original structure was removed and lead paint scraped off the exterior before it made the return trip upriver (above, left) to the Southeast DC campus. The firehouse is still operational, so the 450-square-foot Watch Box was sited nearby.
Architect Matthew Chalifoux spearheaded a restoration effort that unfolded like a detective story. “The mandate was to make it look the way it was in 1840,” he says. “We were trying to recreate something that was gone, to understand changes to a building over time.” Aided by old photographs and clues in the existing structure, the EYP team reconstructed the porch and patched the distinctive clapboard exterior with salvaged pieces of the discarded addition. Research determined that a brick floor—on the porch and inside—would have been accurate to the period, and decorative details and colors were drawn from similar period buildings.
A winner of two historic-preservation awards, the Watch Box can be seen on visits to the Navy Yard’s museum. usnavymuseum.org —Julie Sanders
RESTORATION ARCHITECTURE: MATTHEW CHALIFOUX, FAIA, Anthony Bochicchio, AIA, EYP, Washington, DC. GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Summit Construction Inc., Frederick, Maryland.
Under the blue sky of a perfect autumn day, a country road in Harford County, Maryland, bursts with vibrant color as it winds towards something even more idyllic: a charming 19th-century stone-and-clapboard farmhouse nestled into 25 expansive acres of pasture rimmed by woods. Complete with a 100-year-old barn, a carriage house, a pool and tennis courts, this slice of heaven was a recent purchase for a couple who fell in love with the home’s quaint antiquity and bucolic setting.
The previous owners had updated the main house; however, its dark, formal interiors were not to the new owners’ taste. “It was the style we wanted to change,” says the wife. “I could see the path but it was overwhelming to think how much there was to redo.”
The couple, who have four kids ranging in age from eight to 21, contacted Kirsten Kaplan after seeing her work online. The designer paid a visit armed with project pictures and ideas. She and the wife quickly discovered a meeting of the minds. “We both envisioned brightening the house up and making it very family-oriented and comfortable, sort of an elegant American farmhouse,” Kaplan explains. Coincidentally, they also had the same idea for a color palette: a mix of charcoal-blue, red and white that would impart crisp contrast and vibrancy while remaining true to the home’s rustic feel.
The original stone structure, a center-hall colonial, is flanked by 1970s-era clapboard additions—one housing the great room and the other the kitchen and adjacent family room. Architectural elements such as deep-set windows and extensive wainscoting distinguish the rooms, while wide-plank oak floors on the main level and the original 1880s heart pine floors on the second level are a nod to the home’s heritage.
“We wanted to find a balance between what was here and what we were adding to the house,” Kaplan notes. “They loved its character and didn’t want to lose it, just to lighten things up.”
One of the designer’s first moves was to paint all the millwork—most of which was either dark yellow-green or black—in a crisp white. This included the mahogany fireplace wall in the great room, which might have been beautiful in another setting but “was too heavy,” Kaplan says. She also replaced the wood floor in the great room with the same stone that’s in the kitchen, which started life as a sunroom. In the great room, she covered the drywall with tongue-and-groove paneling to add visual interest.
Charcoal-gray walls are striking in the living and family rooms, while the dining room is papered in gold Phillip Jeffries grasscloth. In every room, the white woodwork offsets the bold primary colors Kaplan has introduced.
When it came to furniture, the husband, a technology consultant, and his wife “decided to take the plunge and do it right.” They agreed that the furniture they had in their previous house, with its open-plan interiors and two-story foyer and family room, would not have looked right in the farmhouse. As the wife observes, “It would have been almost like a clown house, with the big couch and chairs in the smaller rooms.” So they started from scratch, with Kaplan selecting smaller-scaled pieces made of wrought iron or wood that are clean-lined and comfortable with a rustic flair. A custom bar cabinet in the living room was crafted by a local artisan, and a banquette occupies a cozy corner of the great room.
Rugs and drapes in bold hues complement the furnishings, while Americana-influenced wall art mixes with dynamic black-and-white photography. Personal touches abound, from chair cushions covered in Scottish plaids that are part of the husband’s family history to nature photography for the wife—an animal lover—and framed art by the kids. “Anyone can come in and make a house look pretty,” the wife enthuses of the results. “But to come in and also make it look like us—that’s hard to do.”
The family is enjoying their home, hosting parties on hay bales in the cavernous barn and visitors in the carriage house, also redecorated by Kaplan. The designer was thrilled with the opportunity to revive this unique residence. “I think we all felt honored to play a role in the renovation of such a special place,” she says. “I don’t know when I’ll have another opportunity like this.”
Stacy Zarin Goldberg is a photographer in Olney, Maryland.
INTERIOR DESIGN: KIRSTEN ANTHONY KAPLAN, Haus Interior Design, Rockville, Maryland. BUILDER: Griffith-Brilhart Builders, Fallston, Maryland.
RESOURCES
GENERAL Window Treatment Fabricator: gretcheneverett.com. Painter: Shawn DeVoe; 410-420-3668. Custom Framing: mcguirefinearts.com. Stone Floor: Summerfield Masonry; 443-677-7772. Hardware Throughout: baldwinhardware.com. Art Installation: kramerinstallation.com.
LIVING ROOM Tufted Sofa: wesleyhall.com. Coffee Table: charlestonforge.com. Upholstered Ottoman by Entrance to Great Room: leeindustries.com. Rug: coecarpetandrug.com. Elephant Photograph: federicoveronesi.com. Custom Bar Cabinet: Shawn Ohl; [email protected]. Vintage-style Art: Jennifer Ament through rivermarketantiquesmall.com. Occasional Chairs: mcguirefurniture.com. Fabric: Scottish heritage plaid. Walls: Benjamin Moore Gray.
GREAT ROOM Tongue-and-Groove Wall Panels: griffith-brilhart.com. Twin Sofas & Chairs by Round Table: leeindustries.com. Stone Floor: Summerfield Masonry; 443-677-7772. Coffee Table: centuryfurniture.com. Chests Flanking Fireplace: stanleyfurniture.com. Art above Chests: Through hausinteriordesign.com. Table Lamps on Chests: potterybarn.com. Chandelier: troy-lighting.com. Rug: annieselke.com. Wreath above Fireplace: nettletonhollow.com. Banquette: vanguardfurniture.com. Round Table: tritterfeefer.com. Round Mirrors above Banquette: worlds-away.com.
FAMILY ROOM Sectional & X-Frame Stools: leeindustries.com. Throw Pillows: leeindustries.com, crlaine.com. Coffee Table: lorts.com. Shelves Flanking Windows: gjstyles.com. Curtains & Fabric: gretcheneverett.com. Rug: annieselke.com. Striped Armchair: wesleyhall.com. Armchair Fabric: ralphlaurenhome.com.
HOME OFFICE Matching Plaid Chairs: leeindustries.com. Coffee Table: Owners’ collection. Floor Lamp: visualcomfort.com. Rug: annieselke.com. Deer Head: etsy.com/shop/paperunleashed. Round Wood Sculpture on Coffee Table: Through hausinteriordesign.com.
DINING ROOM Wall Covering: phillipjeffries.com. Table: oldbiscaynedesigns.com. Chairs & Upholstery: leeindustries.com. Console between Windows: rh.com. Drapery Fabric: Horse Art: artaddictioninc.com. Rug: Custom. Chandelier: visualcomfort.com.
KITCHEN Stools: woodbridgefurniture.com. Stool Fabric: carletonvltd.com. Dining Table: lorts.com. Chairs: stanleyfurniture.com. Pendants over Island: feiss.com. Fixture over Table: visualcomfort.com.
UPSTAIRS HALL BY BACK STAIRS Art above Stairwell: paragonpg.com. Bench & Throw Pillow: nellhills.com. Pendant over Stairs: Vintage.
The last two years have been very good to chef Jamie Leeds of Hank’s Oyster Bar. Following a whirlwind romance, she and then-girlfriend Tina McDaniel purchased a house together in Chevy Chase. They married last spring and on November 30 welcomed their newborn daughter, Hazel, who joins half-brother Hayden, Leeds’s 16-year-old son.
At home, Leeds and McDaniel, a marketing consultant, share cooking duties. “Tina is not intimidated by cooking for a chef,” Leeds remarks. “She’s a pescetarian, so we eat a lot of fish and vegetables.” On the stove during our photo shoot: a colorful fall vegetable medley.
For Leeds, the kitchen was one of the home’s draws. “I like the openness,” she says. “It’s the perfect size kitchen. You don’t want to have to make a lot of movements when you cook. Everything is within arm’s reach.”
Indeed, the kitchen gets a workout, as the couple enjoys entertaining around an adjacent farmhouse table that seats 12. Recent dinner-party menus featured squid ink paella with shrimp, calamari, scallops, clams and mussels; and a bouillabaisse of lobster and shrimp in saffron-tomato broth. “I tend to make too much food when I’m cooking at home because I’m used to making such large batches,” Leeds laughs. “There’s always leftovers.”
Named for her late father, Hank’s brand includes Hank’s Oyster Bar—with locations in Dupont Circle, Capitol Hill, and Old Town Alexandria. During the past year, Leeds launched Hank’s Pasta Bar, also in Old Town, and Hank’s Cocktail Bar, a casual outpost in DC’s Petworth neighborhood serving burgers and small bites. Another Hank’s Oyster Bar will open in The Wharf on Maine Avenue in 2017.
ALWAYS ON HAND: "Potatoes, onions, garlic, olive oil, pasta, tomatoes, prosciutto, lots of cheeses."
MUST HAVES: "Good knives are key. Wooden spoons, a zester, and a garlic press. And I have to have a couple of copper pots."
DINNER AFTER HOURS: "A baked potato with all the toppings—broccoli, cheese, tofu, sausage. We have Baked Potato Night once a week."
Timeless White
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The large kitchen of a custom-built Alexandria home was cavernous and uninviting. Ready for a change, the owner tapped Ronda Royalty of Stuart Kitchens to create a new design “that would feel cozy and intimate despite its size,” Royalty says while providing functionality, flow and plenty of bells and whistles.
In this kitchen, the cabinetry takes center stage. The owner specified a traditional look, so Royalty worked with interior designer Stuart Nordin to select furniture-like cherry cabinets with doors that are inset and trimmed with elaborate moldings. The peripheral cabinets are painted cream and distressed so that the wood grain shows through; the island and adjacent butler’s pantry cabinets are a distressed gray.
The extensive millwork encompasses an L-shaped banquette in the breakfast area, which contains storage under the seat; a valance above the sink with its sheer window shades; an ornate hood cover above a Wolf range with double ovens; and a desk area big enough to accommodate two workstations, complete with shelving and linen-covered bulletin boards. Seeded-glass cabinet fronts with curved mullions are interspersed throughout.
Nordin chose Thassos marble countertops with an ogee edge for the periphery and Peruvian walnut for the island and butler’s pantry. She injected a transitional element with a Thassos and Botticino Fiorito backsplash by New Ravenna, adding custom stools in durable Perennials fabric and a walnut-and-iron chandelier above the island.
Kitchen Design: Ronda Royalty, CKD, Stuart Kitchens of McLean, McLean, Virginia. Interior Design: Stuart Nordin, Stuart Nordin Home & Design, Alexandria, Virginia. Builder: Wakefield Homes, LLC, Alexandria, Virginia. Cabinetry: Rutt HandCrafted Cabinetry in Loire Valley Inset. Marble & Wood Countertops: R. Bratti Associates, Grothouse. Faucets: Rohl. Appliances: Wolf, Bosch, Sub-Zero. Backsplash: Architectural Ceramics. Chandelier: Urban Electric.
A family in Howard County, Maryland, called on Davida Rodriguez of Davida’s Kitchen & Tiles to update the kitchen in their 1990s-era abode. They wanted a more functional layout and a contemporary sensibility to complement the modern aesthetic in the rest of the home.
The original kitchen was dated, with traditional bleached-maple cabinetry. An awkwardly shaped island left a surfeit of unused floor space and twin pantry closets created a wall that blocked traffic to the staircase.
“We gutted everything and started over,” says Rodriguez. The couple, who often entertain their large extended family living nearby, wanted multiple areas where everyone could congregate. “It was challenging,” Rodriguez recounts. “We added a dry bar, coffee station, speed-cook ovens and a range.”
To accommodate two islands, Rodriguez removed the pantry wall and borrowed space from the adjacent laundry/mudroom, which is now smaller but more efficient. Appliances were relocated, the expanse of the floor was narrowed and overall traffic flow was improved. An angled wall now holds the range, while a pantry cupboard in the opposite corner is similarly positioned for symmetry.
Dark-stained lower cabinetry in a wood-grain laminate is paired with white upper cabinets to keep the space light and bright. Gray-veined quartz countertops connect visually with the large-format ceramic-tile floors and taupe walls; waterfall edges on the island countertops contribute to the contemporary vibe. A glossy white ceramic-tile backsplash completes the look.
Kitchen Design & Contracting: Davida Rodriguez, CKD, Davida’s Kitchen & Tiles, Gaithersburg, Maryland. Cabinetry: Wood-Mode, Brookhaven I. Quartz Countertops & Backsplash: Davida’s Kitchen & Tiles. Appliances: BlueStar, GE Advantium, GE Monogram, Elkay. Pendants: ET2 Lighting.
Longtime clients in Kalorama hired Vincent Sagart of Poliform | sagartstudio to transform their dated kitchen into an uncluttered space with a sleek, modern aesthetic. Their wish list created a challenge for the designer. “The kitchen was not large, but they wanted a lot of things in it,” he recalls. “The question was how to make it look spacious with all those elements.”
The owners specified “a chef’s kitchen,” so Sagart installed a five-foot-long cooktop on the peninsula that encompasses a grill, a wok, gas and induction burners and a large canopy hood with custom exterior exhaust. He made use of a cramped alcove by tucking the paneled refrigerator and washer/dryer into it. “The goal was not to take away anything, but to clean the room up through architecture and function,” Sagart explains.
A cabinet wall holds double ovens and two appliance garages—one concealing a coffee maker and accouterments; the other, glassware convenient to a wine refrigerator installed below it. Extensive storage keeps surfaces clear and clutters at bay.
The Varenna cabinetry is spessart oak, with a matte-lacquer unit by the breakfast table for cookbooks and storage. Sagart selected Silestone for the countertops and backsplash as well as for the under-mount sink basin, creating a seamless look. Stone-like ceramic tile floors and carefully planned lighting enhance the spare, minimalist space.
Kitchen & Interior Design: Vincent Sagart, Poliform | sagartstudio, Washington, DC. Contractor: Richard Kroos, Kroos Construction, Inc., Selbyville, Delaware. Photography: Poliform | sagartstudio. Cabinetry, Hood & Bar Stools: Poliform | Varenna. Countertops, Backsplash & Basin: Counter Culture. Appliances: Wolf, Miele, Sub-Zero. Faucet: Dornbracht. Lighting: Kreon through Poliform | sagartstudio. Flooring: Impronta through Poliform | sagartstudio.
Tired of their kitchen, which was closed off from both the dining room and the adjacent family room of their 1980s home in DC’s Palisades neighborhood, a couple turned to Carnemark design + build for help. “They wanted to open up space and make it sleek, with a nice flow to the other rooms,” says principal Jonas Carnemark.
He and his team removed the wall between the family room and kitchen, replacing it with a flush beam in the ceiling to allow a seamless transition between the two spaces. The doorway from the kitchen to the dining room was centered on the wall and enlarged.
A distinctive slab of granite with swirls of green, gray and black first inspired the owners, who chose it for their countertops. They preferred a warm yet minimalist look, so Carnemark paired the granite with SieMatic cabinetry in a quartered-teak veneer, foregoing upper cabinetry for lower-level storage and an appliance wall that houses two ovens, a fridge, and a pantry cupboard. A large window behind the sink was replaced by two smaller ones, positioned high to admit light without sacrificing privacy from the neighbors on that side of the house.
Instead of a traditional breakfast nook, Carnemark installed a smoked-oak bridge table, attached to the counter, as a casual dining area. Above it, a sleek pendant illuminates the room. A pop of purple frames the appliance wall and the niche into which the windows, cooktop, and hood are positioned, adding interest and a touch of fun to the room.
Kitchen Design & Contracting: Jonas Carnemark, CKD, Carnemark design + build, Bethesda, Maryland. Cabinetry: Konst SieMatic. Countertops: Wild Chianti granite. Backsplash: Back-painted glass. Appliances: Wolf, Miele. Sink: Franke. Faucet: Axor Starck through Hansgrohe. Pendant: Studio Italia Design.
Homeowners in Potomac’s Avenel community asked Hedy Shashaani of Jack Rosen Custom Kitchens to redesign their cramped kitchen while also working with interior designer Kristin Peake to give the space a clean-lined, timeless aesthetic.
The original kitchen “was very congested,” recalls Shashaani. “It was average-sized, but it had an island with a cooktop and a kitchen table both crowded into it.” First, she shifted the door to the dining room from the center of one wall to the corner, freeing the wall up for a Wolf cooktop and custom hood by AK Metal, as well as a built-in hutch displaying dishes and glassware. In place of the existing island and table, a longer island—perpendicular to the original one—offers an eating area at one end.
A concealed refrigerator column, freezer and pantry cupboard are tucked away on the wall by the door to the dining room to ensure that “people can get to the fridge without being in the cook’s way,” Shashaani explains. Another wall features double ovens, more pantry cupboards and a convenient beverage counter with a wine fridge beneath it.
Peake and Shashaani selected transitional cabinetry in crisp white, with the hutch and island painted gray for “a pop of color,” says Shashaani. Peake chose Calacatta Gold marble for the countertops and backsplash, and finished the room with a trio of Visual Comfort pendants and low-profile wood-and-wicker counter stools.
Kitchen Design: Hedy Shashaani, CKD, Jack Rosen Custom Kitchens, Rockville, Maryland. Interior Design: Kristin Peake, Kristin Peake Interiors, Rockville, Maryland. Builder: Terry Hipkins, Terry’s Kitchen Concepts, Rockville, Maryland. Cabinetry: Elmwood Fine Custom Cabinetry. Countertops: Washington Marble. Appliances: Wolf, Miele, Sub-Zero, Sharp. Farmhouse Sink: Franke. Backsplash: Mosaic Tile. Flooring: Sullivan Floor Design. Lighting: Visual Comfort.
