While designing the Morgan Point residence, a classic wood-framed house on the Tred Avon River in Oxford, architect Lauren Dianich of Atelier 11 created an open-air pavilion at the southern end of a long lap pool. This structure provides welcome shade while beautifully framing the expansive water view. The goal “was maximum exposure to lovely waterfront views for the owner, who is a devoted lap swimmer,” explains Dianich. “Each lap ends with a view of the Tred Avon River.”
Architecture: Lauren B. Dianich, AIA, Atelier 11, Ltd. Architecture, Easton, Maryland. Builder: Willow Construction, Easton, Maryland. Landscape Design: Jayne Galbraith Bourke, ASLA, Jayne
Galbraith Bourke Landscape & Garden Design, Baltimore, Maryland.
Christine Dayton designed a contemporary farmhouse atop a gentle, grassy slope on picturesque Porter Creek near St. Michaels. “The original home on the site was razed and this new home was sited to provide a more welcoming approach and broaden the view of the creek,” says Dayton. In the great room, a stone fireplace provides a gathering spot, but a wall of windows framed by contemporary-style, stained-oak casings makes the water view, punctuated by stands of trees, the focal point. Matching oak beams and trim give the room a unified look.
Architecture: Christine Dayton, Christine M. Dayton Architect, P.A., Easton, Maryland. Builder: Natelli Homes, Gaithersburg, Maryland.
On the lookout for a site on which to build their home, a couple chose a wooded Bethesda property with the goal of tearing down the small existing house and starting afresh. To find the right architect, they looked at homes with Sandy Spring Builders principal Phil Leibovitz, a close friend who would be building the house. “We kept saying ‘Who’s the architect?’ whenever we saw one we liked, and it was always Geri Yantis,” the wife recalls. They hired Yantis and also tapped interior designer Jodi Macklin, who helped furnish their previous house in Potomac. “I knew we could work well together,” the wife says. “Jodi is very decisive and that is incredibly important when you’re building a house.”
The couple requested a classic, Shingle-style home that would fit comfortably into its neighborhood of traditional residences. Though the lot—measuring a little over a half acre—is narrow and deep, Yantis positioned a three-car garage around the side of the house—a layout that his clients preferred. “They wanted to lessen the presence and impact of the garage on the street,” the architect explains. As a result, the shingle-and-stone house boasts more front-facing rooms than it would otherwise have had and a wide, welcoming front porch. The backyard features a screened porch, a large terrace, a pool and a pool house.
Inside, formal living and dining rooms flank the spacious foyer, which opens to the large family room and kitchen at the back. From the family room, the pool is visible through three sets of French doors. Off the kitchen, a back foyer leads to the garage, mudroom and rear staircase, as well as a home office for the husband, who runs an investment partnership. “It’s a working study,” Yantis says. “He wanted it to be tucked away in the less formal side of the house.”
At the top of the clients’ list of requirements was a music room for the wife, who is a pianist. Yantis designed the space as a cozy alcove and lined it with bookshelves and window seats. The adjoining living room houses a graceful grand piano. “My little music room is one of my favorite places in the house,” says the wife. “I can sit and read in here and when I have rehearsals, the musicians are able to spread out into the living room.”
Yantis imparted character to the interiors with abundant millwork—from wall panels and ceiling coffers to built-in shelving and cabinets. “We brought the Shingle style indoors with unique trim details like wide window and door casings,” he says.
Macklin selected distinctive finishes throughout, including pale cerused oak built-ins in the music room and a quiet, serene palette of Farrow & Ball colors chosen for “their intensity, depth, and richness,” she says. Wide-plank oak floors are formal yet inviting.
The designer struck a note of uncluttered warmth by combining clean-lined, traditional furniture and elegant, understated lighting with rugs and draperies in soft neutrals. She and the wife worked to incorporate existing furnishings with new pieces for the nearly 9,000-square-foot abode, which reflects the same aesthetic as their previous house. “She came into the project with a lot of furniture,” Macklin says, “but you wouldn’t be able to tell what came before and what was after because we had chosen it together to begin with.” In the dining room, a new custom table from Dessin Fournir and host chairs by A. Rudin complement Victoria Hagan side chairs Macklin selected for the last house. “And the light fixture is one I saw at Jodi’s house and copied,” adds the wife, laughing.
Macklin designed the tastefully classic kitchen with a two-island layout that provides plenty of space for prep work and dining. Extensive Shaker-style custom Wood-Mode cabinetry encompasses a desk area and a wall of glass-fronted cabinets showcasing pretty cream-and-white dishware. White peripheral cabinets and dark-stained furniture-like islands are topped with marble counters. A backsplash of oversized Waterworks ceramic subway tiles adorns the wall above the range. A breakfast nook at the far end of the room overlooks the backyard.
Upstairs, the master suite is spacious, with a wide hallway leading from the bedroom to the marble-clad bath, his-and-her closets and a comfortable sitting room with furniture repurposed from the previous house. Bedrooms have been preserved for the couple’s grown son and daughter, and a comfortable guest room beckons.
Throughout the house, the owners have showcased a striking collection of artwork that runs the gamut from abstract to representational. “We like to go to local DC art galleries and I’ve found one or two artists I like,” says the wife. When she buys anything, she generally runs it by Macklin first. “Jodi is my guru,” she says. “Her taste is aligned with who I am.”
Photographer Geoffrey Hodgdon is based in Deale, Maryland.
ARCHITECTURE: GERI YANTIS, Sutton Yantis Associates Architects, Vienna, Virginia. INTERIOR DESIGN: JODI MACKLIN and LAUREN SPARBER, Jodi Macklin Interior Design, Chevy Chase, Maryland. BUILDER: PHIL LEIBOVITZ, Sandy Spring Builders, Bethesda, Maryland. LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE: McHale Landscape Design, Upper Marlboro, Maryland.
RESOURCES
THROUGHOUT
Upholstery & Drapery Fabrication: gretcheneverett.com.
LIVING ROOM
Sofa & Sofa Fabric: georgesmith.com. Armchair facing Fireplace: leeindustries.com. Armchair Fabric: twilltextiles.com. Wood-Framed Chair with Vertical Slats: dessinfournir.com. Chair Fabric: hollandandsherry.com. Round Occasional Table: Owners’ collection. Coffee Table: salvationsaf.com. Mirror over Mantel: davidiatesta.com. Sconces over Mantel: clsterling.com. Drapery Fabric: Great Plains by Holly Hunt; hollyhunt.com. Rug: starkcarpet.com. Painting over Sofa: Shahrzad Heyat Jalinous; shahrzadheyatjalinous.com.
MUSIC ROOM
Armchairs: dessinfournir.com. Armchair Fabric: nancycorzine.com. Ottoman: leeindustries.com. Rug: amcollections.com. Shades: twilltextiles.com/the-q-collection. Shade Trim: Larsen through cowtan.com. Light Fixture: remains.com.
DINING ROOM
Table: dessinfournir.com. Side Chairs: victoriahaganhome.com. Side Chair Fabric: rubelli.com. Host Chairs: arudin.com. Host Chair Fabric: nobilis.fr. Rug: starkcarpet.com. Painting: chrischernow.com. Chandelier: davidiatesta.com.
KITCHEN
Cabinetry: wood-mode.com. Pendant Lights over Island: Alison Berger through hollyhunt.com. Backsplash: waterworks.com. Stools: arudin.com.
BREAKFAST AREA
Table: victoriahaganhome.com. Chairs: janusetcie.com. Light Fixture: romanthomas.com. Sofa: edelmanleather.com. Fabric: pollackassociates.com. Abstract Painting over Sofa: Amy Barker-Wilson (amberblue.org) through studiogallery.com.
MASTER BEDROOM
Bedstead: maxinesniderinc.com. Bedstead Fabric: hollyhunt.com. Bedding: sferra.com. Sofa: ef-lm.com. Sofa Fabric: placetextiles.com. Coffee Table: salvationsaf.com. Nightstands: davidiatesta.com. Bedside Lamps: altmanltg.com. Draperies: Ralph Lauren Home through kravet.com. Carpet: coecarpetandrug.com
MASTER BATH
Shower & Floor Tile: waterworks.com.
The year 2013 was a big one for Damon Taaffe. The government attorney switched jobs, met his future wife—and moved from a traditional townhouse in Northern Virginia to a modern, two-story condo in DC’s 14th Street Corridor. The third milestone on that list required some professional guidance, so Taaffe turned to architect and designer Andreas Charalambous to help whip his new abode into shape.
Taaffe had visited numerous lofts before finding this one. “I liked their clean lines and openness, but they were in converted warehouses that suffered from lack of light,” he recalls. “The distinguishing feature here is the windows and the way light comes in.” The condo’s quirky layout, however, made it a challenge in terms of functionality.
With a few deft changes, Charalambous was able to tailor the residence to meet his client’s needs. “It wasn’t a huge ‘gut it and redo it’ job,” the designer says. “It was more about figuring out how to add life to this space.”
To the left of the front door, a staircase leads up to the master suite and guest bedroom; besides the stairs, a platform houses an oddly elevated space. A small kitchen flows into the open dining/living area, which is rimmed by a wall of windows offering prime views of the busy streetscape. The ceiling soars two stories above the living area; the upstairs bedrooms—both open on the window side to admit light—overlook the main level as well as the view over balcony railings.
The platform posed a conundrum. It was bordered on two sides by a metal railing, but its third side was drywall that blocked the view for anyone seated there. Charalambous replaced the drywall with a railing to open up space and turned it into a study by designing a niche with a built-in desk and custom lighting.
In the kitchen, he extended the island countertop to accommodate seating. A new painted-glass backsplash and glass shelf add vibrancy and function.
Upstairs, an awkward set of folding doors in front of the balcony in the master bedroom blocked out the light when closed. Charalambous removed the doors to open up the view, and replaced them with a blackout curtain that can be pulled aside entirely.
When Taaffe bought the property, its unpainted cement ceilings and exposed ductwork conveyed a strong industrial vibe. “But the elements didn’t seem natural to it,” comments Charalambous. “We took away the super-industrial look by painting everything white.” He also introduced color by creating an orange accent wall and playing off it with blue and orange decorative accents throughout the space.
A houseful of traditional furnishings that had belonged to the client made way for modern furniture better suited to a contemporary aesthetic. Charalambous selected iconic mid-century pieces, including a Saarinen Womb Chair in the study, a Hans Wegner Shell Chair in the master bedroom and a Poul Volther Corona Chair in the sitting area. Matching walnut audio-video cabinets from Design Within Reach occupy both the sitting area and the guest room, which doubles as an extra space for watching TV. Charalambous designed a clean-lined coffee table as well as a console for the foyer. Taaffe commissioned the architect, who is also a painter, to create large abstract canvases in orange and blue to hang above the sectional sofa in the living area.
The concrete ceilings made recessed lighting impossible. Instead, luminaires by Hans Buschfeld were installed along a cable near the ceiling. A dramatic fixture from Artemide hangs in the atrium, visible from both floors. Mechanized shades easily control the level of natural light throughout.
Taaffe now happily shares his condo with his wife, Amy Lehr, also an attorney. “It was a matter of making the right moves,” says Charalambous of the project. “I would call it a strategic intervention.”
Photographer Geoffrey Hodgdon is based in Deale, Maryland.
INTERIOR DESIGN: ANDREAS CHARALAMBOUS, AIA, IIDA, FORMA Design, Washington, DC.
The new Tysons Corner home of consulting firm LMI makes an immediate statement. Designed by Gensler, the 165,000-square-foot, LEED Gold-certified building takes its cues from its wooded surroundings; visitors enter via a landscaped courtyard complete with a water feature. Inside, the airy reception area boasts soaring, 25-foot ceilings. “We wanted a two-story wow,” explains John McKinney, who spearheaded the design of the interiors.
LMI, which handles government-management issues, requested an open, light-filled workplace that embraces collaboration and innovation. McKinney and his team designed a wide teak staircase connecting the lower level and the first floor, which together house a business center and reception area. An eye-catching steel stairway (pictured) leads to the next five floors of the building, where day-to-day operations take place.
This unusual staircase is the building’s focal point. With reclaimed-teak treads and glass handrails, it is bordered on one side by Sensitile Systems’ amber acrylic panels containing a pattern of mirrored flecks side-lit by LED lights that make them glow. “The idea was to connect every floor and make people want to take the stairs,” McKinney says. Because LMI is heavily research-oriented, the designers used a study the firm had done on gas and liquid as the inspiration for the mirrored motif, duplicating what McKinney calls “a pattern of swirling eddies” that they found on a printout.
Evidently, the team’s vision and creativity paid off: The project received a 2015 Interior Design merit award from the AIA Northern Virginia Chapter.
INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE: LISA AMSTER, AIA, project principal, and JOHN McKINNEY, IIDA, design director, Gensler, Washington, DC. CONTRACTOR: HITT Contracting, Inc., Falls Church, Virginia. PHOTOGRAPHY: MICHAEL MORAN.
Each year, a panel of building-industry professionals is selected to judge new homes and communities in the Mid-Atlantic region and to choose their nominees for the Great American Living Awards. Sponsored by the Northern Virginia Building Industry Association, the Washington Metropolitan Sales & Marketing Council and the Maryland National Capital Building Industry Association, the venerable GALA Awards, held last fall at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner, have honored excellence in new home architecture, interior design, sales and marketing in our region for more than 50 years. The 2015 entries filled 43 categories; those pertaining to architecture and design included single- and multi-family homes, townhomes and condominiums and custom home and remodeling projects.
Home & Design covered the winners in the custom-builder categories in the November/December issue; on the following pages, we spotlight the remaining Grand award-winners in the architecture and design categories.
Home of the Year:
Georgetown at Crown, Wormald Homes. This project also won for Design and Architecture, Detached Home (under 7,000 square feet), over $850,000.
Design and Architecture, Detached Home (under 7,000 square feet), $300,001-$400,000:
Sierra at Fawn Lake, M/I Homes/Lessard Design. Photography: Maxine Schnitzer.
The community of the Year:
One Loudoun, Miller & Smith.
Design and Architecture, Detached Home (under 7,000 square feet), $700,001-$850,000:
Newbury at Vinehaven, Evergreene Homes/W.C. Ralston Architects. Photography: Jen Venier.
Design and Architecture, Detached Home (7,000 square feet and over), over $5,000,000:
Peacock Estate, Luxury Living. Photography: Bob Narod.
Design and Architecture, Detached Home (under 7,000 square feet), $400,001-$500,000:
Millbrook at Brick Yard Station, Ryland Homes/Lessard Design. Photography: Brian Swartzwelder.
Design and Architecture, Detached Home (7,000 square feet and over), $1,000,001-$1,400,000:
Oakton at Reservoir Estates, Craftmark Homes/Pinnacle Design & Consulting. Photography: Alan Goldstein.
Design and Architecture, Attached Home, Including Townhouses, Two-over-Twos, Back-to-Back Townhouses and Duplexes, Fee Simple and Condo Ownership, $500,001-$600,000:
Brisbane at The Villas at Two Rivers, Comstock Homes/W.C. Ralston Architects. Photography: David Madison Photography.
Design and Architecture, Attached Home, Including Townhouses, Two-over-Twos, Back-to-Back Townhouses and Duplexes, Fee Simple and Condo Ownership, $350,001-$400,000:
Verde at Victory Lakes, Miller & Smith/KTGY Architecture + Planning. Photography: Jim Kirby.
Design and Architecture, Multi-Family, Boutique Construction:
The Hyde, Clark Builders Group/Cunningham | Quill Architects. Photography: Ron Blunt.
Design and Architecture Multi-Family, New Construction:
The Harrison at Reston Town Center, Renaissance Centro/Lessard Design. Photography: Tom Holdsworth.
Design and Architecture, Multi-Family Renovation or Conversion:
Delray Tower, UDR, Inc./Lessard Design. Photography: Edward LaCasse.
Design and Architecture, Attached Home, Including Townhouses, Two-over-Twos, Back-to-Back Townhouses and Duplexes, Fee Simple and Condo Ownership, $400,001-$500,000:
Chelsea at The Townes at Hallcrest, Comstock Homes/W.C. Ralston Architects. Photography: David Madison Photography.
Design and Architecture, Attached Home, Including Townhouses, Two-over-Twos, Back-to-Back Townhouses and Duplexes, Fee Simple and Condo Ownership, over $850,001:
Little Falls Place, EYA/Lessard Design. Photography: Thomas Arledge.
Members of the Maryland Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) gathered on October 10, 2015, for their annual awards celebration at Baltimore’s historic Westminster Hall. The elegant gala marked ASID’s 40th anniversary and also honored Baltimore designer Rita St. Clair, ASID Fellow, with a lifetime achievement award. Photos of the first- and second-place professional award winners are shown.
PROFESSIONAL AWARDS
Hospitality Design
First Place: Dianne Rohrer, ASID; Jacqueline Scranton and Julianna von Zumbusch, Rohrer Studio. 1157 Bar & Kitchen. Photography: Jennifer Hughes Photography.
Commercial Design
First Place: Olivia Millar, Wennie Scherrer and Ellyn Korn, Millar & Associates. B’nai B’rith Youth Organization. Photography: Eric Kieley.
Second Place: James Suttner, Mary Judy and Jacqueline Scranton, Rohrer Studio. 1001 Cathedral. Photography: Alain Jaramillo.
Show House/Model Home
First Place: Karen Osborne, ASID, Karen Renee Interior Design. Merchandised to Sell. Photography: Pete Albert Photography.
Residential Kitchen/Bath Design
First Place: Liz Dickson, Allied ASID, Millbrook Circle Interior Design. House Hunters Renovation. Photography: Robin Taylor.
Design Element
First Place: Lauryn Murphy, Allied ASID, Lauryn Murphy Interior Design and Damien Griffith, ASID Industry Partner, 2 Griffins. Custom Furniture. Photography: Ron Solomon.
Residential Design
First Place: Gina Fitzsimmons, ASID, Fitzsimmons Design Associates. Transitional Transformation.
Photography: Geoffrey Hodgdon.
Historic Design
First Place: George Myers, AIA, Luke Olson and Jessica Parker, GTM Architects. Eckert Residence. Photography: Allen Russ/Hoachlander Davis Photography.
Second Place: Vanessa Grant, Allied ASID, and Aubrey Grant, ASID, Emotive Architecture and LotusFlower Design Studio. The Envoy Lobby Restoration. Photography: Chris Speilmann.
STUDENT AWARDS
Commercial Design
First Place: Laura Tilman, Student ASID. Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC). Destination: Touchdown.
Hospitality Design
Honorable Mention: Camille Scott, Student ASID, Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC). Rendering of a Bar/Lounge.
HealthCare/Life Care
Honorable Mention: Patil Bozabalian, Student ASID, Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC). The Balloon Room.
Residential Design
First Place: Patil Bozabalian, Student ASID, Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC). The Church House.
Second Place: Camille Scott, Student ASID, Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC). Church Remodel to Residential Design.
Honorable Mention: Haleh Farahmehr, Student ASID, Harford Community College (HCC). A Couple’s Residence.
Design Element
Honorable Mention: Laura Tilman, Student ASID, Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC). Window Fashion.
Honorable Mention: Haleh Farahmehr, Student ASID, Harford Community College (HCC). Feather Moon.
Collaborative Group Project
First Place: Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) Interior Design Program. Laura Kimball, ASID, CID, Program Coordinator. Twin Toddler World Traveler Suite. Participants: Camille Scott, Laura Tilman, Cecily Roberts, Lucy Schmid, Crystal Evans, Nodju Maouyo, Dee Rollins, Patil Bozabalian, Jason Fischer, Sherrie Rashid, Kate Gomeprecht, Taja Barnes and Laura Fitzpatrick.
More than 650 artisans who create contemporary jewelry, clothing, furniture and home-décor pieces will converge from February 19 to 21 for the 40th annual American Craft Council Show at the Baltimore Convention Center. In line with the show’s 2016 theme, “Four Directions,” designers and architects will create room vignettes inspired by crafts representing each region of the United States. Other highlights will include Hip Hop, an emerging-artists program for which participants will be chosen through a juried process; Let’s Make, featuring interactive craft-making demonstrations; and Style Slam, a new fashion-focused program that will pair professional stylists with members of the Craft Council’s network of wearable, accessory and jewelry artists for demonstrations.
Visit craftcouncil.org/baltimore for information and tickets.
A culinary addition to DC’s burgeoning Shaw neighborhood will offer Oaxacan food in a remarkable setting. At Espita Mezcaleria, scheduled to open in January, diners will sample mezcal and authentic Mexican cuisine against a backdrop of unforgettable murals by a renowned Oaxacan street artist.
For owner Josh Phillips, the experience of Oaxaca “always begins with mezcal, continues into food and ends with art.” So when considering Espita’s design, he says, “I knew we had to incorporate the unique street art that covers the city.”
Enter Yescka. Phillips knew the artist’s edgy work and contacted him to buy a print so that a DC muralist could replicate it. Instead, Yescka offered to come to Washington and create the art himself.
The artist used homemade stencils and acrylic spray paint to produce designs that are both accessible and rich with meaning. “I mix traditional motifs with contemporary themes,” he explains. In one mural, flowing textiles represent “our culture and identity,” as does a portrait of Mexican icon Frida Kahlo. In another, a young girl and a skeleton face each other. Butterflies fluttering between them represent immigrants, caught between happy and sad endings.
Yescka is pleased to see an authentic Oaxacan outpost opening in DC. “It’s good to have traditional roots with something more modern,” he says. “For me, it’s the same with paint.”
Espita Mezcaleria is located at 1250 9th Street, NW. espitadc.com
What is your design philosophy when it comes to decorating the interiors of waterfront homes?
It’s so important to meld the interior of your home with its surroundings—particularly when those surroundings include beautiful waterfront views. When designing the interiors of a waterfront home, I pay close attention to window treatments, which should be simple and elegant and provide softness to space while framing the view. I also emphasize the careful arrangement of furniture to allow for favorable views from every angle. Where color palette is concerned, I often prefer lighter hues with deeper, brighter colors added sparingly. I gravitate toward natural fabrics such as cotton and linen, which provide a relaxed, gracious feel.—Melissa McLay, Melissa McLay Interiors, Severna Park, Maryland.
What advice can you offer homeowners who are embarking on a landscaping project on the water?
When beginning a landscape project on the water, homeowners should take into account the plant material in the surrounding area, changes in elevation and, of course, sight lines to the water. The natural beauty of a water view is the main reason most people buy a waterfront home, so it’s crucial that the landscape plan should embrace those views.
Selecting plants that have a history of doing well on the property and surrounding properties is always a wise choice, as these plants will be most likely to thrive without difficulty. While choosing your plantings, it’s important to keep in mind elevation changes and sight lines to ensure that none of your plants will end up blocking your water views once they mature. —Jeff Crandell, Scapes, Inc., Lothian, Maryland
Photographer David Harp was shooting on the Patuxent River when he spotted the Miss Patuxent across the creek early one morning. He put a long telephoto lens on his tripod and took the picture. “I spend an inordinate amount of my time photographing along the crenelated edge of the Chesapeake Bay,” he says, “and it’s capturing scenes like this that keep me looking for the next opportunity.”
Presented by the Northern Virginia Building Industry Association and the Maryland Building Industry Association, the 2015 GALA (Great American Living) Awards celebrate achievements in categories ranging from architecture and interior design to sales and marketing. Candidates submitted portfolios which were evaluated by a panel of judges that included a residential architect, two builders, two designers and two marketing professionals.
The 2015 GALA Awards ceremony was held on October 8 at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner. Winners of the custom categories are spotlighted here, while the remaining award-winners will be featured in the January/February 2016 issue of Home & Design.
CUSTOM HOME OF THE YEAR (selected from the winners of all categories)
Alloway Drive, Potomac, Maryland. Horizon Builders, Sutton Yantis Associates Architects. Photography: John Magor
Winner Of Custom Home, Single Lot, Over 7,000 Square Feet
DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE, CUSTOM HOME, SINGLE LOT
3,000 to 5,000 Square Feet: Upland Avenue, Arlington, Virginia. Joy Custom Design Build, James McDonald Associate Architects. Photography: Pavot Photography
5,001 to 7,000 Square Feet: Kingsley Road, Vienna, Virginia. Somerville Homes, Shutler Architects. Photography: Ritch Photography
DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE, CUSTOM OR CUSTOMIZED INFILL HOME
Under 3,000 Square Feet: The Ardmore, Falls Church, Virginia. Merion Homes, James McDonald Associate Architects. Photography: BTW Images
3,000 To 5,000 Square Feet: The Sophia, Vienna, Virginia. TriCrest Custom Homes, W.C. Ralston Architects. Photography: HomeVisit
5,001 To 7,001 Square Feet: Fessenden Street, NW, Washington, DC. OPaL, GPS Designs. Photography: Bob Narod
Over 7,000 Square Feet: The Madison, Arlington, Virginia. Evergreene Homes, W.C. Ralston Architects. Photography: TruPlace
DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE, CUSTOM RENOVATIONS OR ADDITIONS
Under $500,000: Stanmore Court Renovation, Potomac, Maryland. BOWA. Photography: Bob Narod
$500,000 To $1,000,000: Earnestine Street Remodel, McLean, Virginia. Joy Custom Design Build, James McDonald Associate Architects. Photography: Greg Hadley
Over $1,000,000: Warren’s Addition Restoration, Chevy Chase, Maryland. BOWA, G.L. Smith Associates. Photography: Bob Narod
As anyone who’s been there knows, home renovations can be overwhelming. Myriad choices, from footprint to finishes, put many homeowners in a state of stress, assailing ordinarily decisive people with doubt and confusion.
This was not the case for government attorney John Coleman and his wife Katherine, who purchased a dated 1950s house in Chevy Chase with the idea of completely overhauling it. In part, they happen to be people who know what they want. But their goals were unwavering for another reason: They needed a house that would work for their disabled child, then three years old.
The Colemans’ son was born with spina bifida, which left him paralyzed from the hips down. Now four, Johnny handles his small wheelchair with dexterity and enthusiasm, keeping up with his sisters, eight and six, while navigating his home like a pro. This scenario would not have been possible in the family’s previous abode, a Colonial in Northwest DC that could not be made entirely wheelchair-friendly.
When they saw the nondescript brick residence in Chevy Chase’s Somerset neighborhood, “we thought it was perfect,” says Katherine. “It had a very horizontal floor plan, main-floor bedrooms and a fairly flat lot. And there was not a steep incline into the house.” Another plus: It had a carport. “I had asked a mother I knew with a son in a wheelchair how important a garage or carport was,” Katherine explains, “and she said, ‘Think of wet bicycle tires on your floor when it rains.’”
However, they knew the house would need a lot of work to bring it up to speed. The Colemans were only its second owners and it hadn’t been altered since it was built. They enlisted architect Chris Snowber for the job, giving him one main directive. “The Colemans wanted their son to be able to participate in every activity of family life,” he says. “Sleepovers upstairs with his sisters, cooking and, eventually, teen parties in the basement rec room.”
A secondary wish list also took shape: an open plan; an updated, functional kitchen and baths; and a mudroom. In addition, the couple wanted to embrace the mid-century style of the house with modern interiors—a change that would require almost all new furnishings.
Snowber retained much of the original floor plan, adding universal design elements. “It’s hard to change fundamentals like stairways and fireplaces,” he observes, “so if you can work around those things you feel like you’re improving the house rather than fighting it.”
Door sills have been eliminated. From the central foyer, an elevator goes to the basement rec room and second-floor bedrooms—one a guest room/office, the other the girls’ bedroom—which can also be reached via the staircase. The foyer leads to the living/dining room; Snowber removed the wall separating it from the kitchen so the spaces could flow together. Johnny’s room is on the main level just beyond the stairs, and two bedrooms off the living area have been reconfigured to create a master suite.
Adjacent to the dining room, the existing sunroom was rebuilt with an airy, vaulted ceiling. A couple of steps down, an adjoining mudroom—the only addition to the home’s footprint—houses cubbies for the kids’ stuff. The mudroom is level with the carport, so a lift was installed for easy access to the rest of the house. “Johnny can come in, dump his backpack like the girls are doing, then press a button to lower the lift and get into the house,” Snowber explains. A button in the sunroom calls the lift, which is behind a sliding door. As a safety measure, it opens only once the lift is in place.
Other universal design elements in the house include showers with roll-in entries and linear drains—even the girls’ shower. “Johnny doesn’t use that one now,” John explains. “But we want him to be able to if he ever wants to move upstairs.” In the kitchen, a microwave drawer opens from the top, and a table-height counter contains a sink so “when I say, ‘Wash your hands for dinner,’ everyone can do it,” says Katherine.
To convey a modern aesthetic, Snowber replaced the dated staircase with a new one of wood and stainless steel. Walnut paneling surrounds the limestone fireplace, extending into the hall and upstairs, where a wide dormer brings in the light. A dropped ceiling delineates the dining area and mahogany-framed windows and doors in the living/dining area overlooking the deck.
Snowber brought in designer Christie Leu to assist with the interiors. “I needed someone to help me narrow things down,” Katherine says. “But Christie’s scope expanded. She was so helpful and efficient.”
Leu refined the kitchen plan and selected fixtures, finishes and midcentury-style furniture throughout. “The Colemans’ style changed to accommodate the style of the house,” she comments. “And they were open to everything.”
The finished house does everything the Coleman family needed it to do. “We use every part of it,” says Katherine. “We live in every room. It really works.”
Stacy Zarin Goldberg is a photographer in Olney, Maryland.
RENOVATION ARCHITECTURE: CHRISTOPHER R. SNOWBER, AIA, principal, MICHAEL P. ROUSE, AIA, project architect, Hamilton Snowber Architects, Washington, DC. INTERIOR DESIGN: CHRISTIE LEU, Christie Leu Interiors, Chevy Chase, Maryland. CONTRACTOR: MICHAEL CARR, CarrMichael Construction, Washington, DC. LANDSCAPE DESIGN: THORNE RANKIN, Thorne Rankin & Associates, Washington, DC.
Kitty Kelley, who is known for writing unauthorized, tell-all biographies that enrage her famous subjects, greets visitors with smiles and warmth. Partially concealed by foliage, her peach-hued house is perched high above a tree-lined Georgetown street, and a trip to the front door means climbing a quaint brick stairway into another world.
Kelley has lived in this remarkable spot since she purchased it in 1977 with her first husband. While the three-story, pre-Victorian home was always grand, with high ceilings, elaborate moldings, and three fireplaces, it required a serious update; Kelley recalls “no air conditioning and a toilet attached to the outside brick wall.” For 22 years, the home had belonged to Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan, who wrote many landmark opinions there. “I’ve always felt the house has good karma because of Justice Brennan,” Kelley says.
When she remarried in 1992, her second husband, allergist John Zucker, moved in and they redecorated again, going for lush opulence with “swag and chinoiserie everywhere,” Kelley says. The couple collected drawings by Matisse (one is a study for a painting, Reclining Odalisque, that hangs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art), two Chagalls and a fanciful work by Raoul Dufy. These were interspersed with 1920s-era European posters in imposing gilt frames.
Sadly, Zucker passed away in 2011. A couple of years later, Kelley reached out to interior designer Sharyn Corry to help her redecorate. “I think I did it because I had a book to write and I was trying to put something in my way,” she laughs.
The two quickly developed an understanding. “Kitty knows exactly what she wants,” Corry comments. “So I would go out and get it for her, then figure out how to make it work—tastefully!”
Corry persuaded her client to go neutral, with a cream-and-beige palette to offset her vibrant artwork. Existing furniture was repurposed with textured fabrics, and a new custom sofa was made for the living room. “I had seen a picture of a Mark Hampton sofa and I drove poor Sharyn crazy till I got it customized with a camelback,” Kelley recounts. She had the back of another sofa built up to create a camelback for the wood-paneled library, too. “I love curves,” the writer explains. “Sharyn said, ‘Kitty, they are so out of style!’ I said ‘Well, so am I.’”
Kelley brings a sense of fun to her home’s interiors, which are formal yet welcoming. In the hall by the staircase, a six-foot brass giraffe stands sentry, and the powder room is adorned with framed satirical newspaper clippings and cartoons Kelley’s books have elicited over the years. “Guests look for excuses to go to the bathroom,” Kelley says, recalling a time when her sister emerged marveling at how Kitty had selected only the “bad stuff” to showcase. “My husband told her, ‘It’s because there isn’t anything good!’”
This irreverence was borne of necessity. Since her first unauthorized biography of Jackie Onassis in 1978, Kelley’s books have been roundly criticized for their salacious details—even as they’ve climbed the bestseller lists. Her subjects have included Nancy Reagan, Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, the Bush family and Oprah Winfrey. “I choose living people who’ve had a lasting influence in our culture,” she says. “I’ve always been fascinated by people’s backstories.” Since each book requires years of exhaustive research, she selects her subjects carefully. “I was asked to write an unauthorized biography of Donald Trump,” she recalls. “I said no because I just don’t want to spend three or four years with Donald Trump.”
In recent years, Kelley has assumed a new authorial role. After inheriting the archives of photographer and close friend Stanley Tretick, she penned two well-received books: Capturing Camelot, which showcases Tretick’s collection of Kennedy photographs; and Let Freedom Ring, which depicts the 1963 March on Washington. She also supports charities such as Reading is Fundamental and the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, and hosts frequent fundraisers in her home.
Kelley is now under contract to write a biography of Georgetown itself—both the people and the place. It’s a perfect fit for the longtime resident, who keeps an office near her home. “I have always been attracted to Georgetown,” Kelley says. “The cobblestones, the history. It’s full of charm.”
And she revisited one of her most celebrated subjects—Frank Sinatra—to commemorate his 100th birthday this year. Her 1987 biography His Way will be re-released in November with a new final chapter by Kelley that delves into the ways in which Sinatra’s children “are merchandising their father.”
As far as new celebrity subjects go, there are none in Kelley’s sights. “I think the time for unauthorized biographies is passed,” she says. “It’s all out there already.”
Photographer Bob Narod is based in Herndon, Virginia.
INTERIOR DESIGN: SHARYN CORRY, Washington, DC.
A room festooned with lush greenery perfectly signals the holiday season. For example, the Donatella Amberly Manor Greenery Collection for Frontgate (part of a holiday line by restaurateur and TV personality Donatella Arpaia) adorns a home in style. More holiday-decoration ideas are on view above.
