When a recent client approached designer Davida Rodriguez, he requested a kitchen that would match the hip, up-and-coming vibe of his DC neighborhood. His current kitchen was cramped and poorly designed with a deficit of cabinets, countertops and storage. He and Rodriguez opted for a complete overhaul.
A DC couple decided to gut the circa-1970s home they had purchased, and called on Elizabeth Cosby of Poggenpohl to help them create a light, contemporary kitchen. Instead of the traditional peripheral upper and lower cabinetry design, Cosby and her clients chose a more open plan, with a continuous wall of integrated Miele appliances and dark-stained engineered wood cabinets concealing a pullout pantry. A 12-foot island topped with Caesarstone houses the sink and cooktop. It offers capacious drawers, plenty of workspace and an overhang that provides space for stools.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANGIE SECKINGER AND ANICE HOACHLANDER
It’s ironic—but not uncommon—to discover that the full-scale addition and renovation you’ve longed to do on your house for years has finally become financially viable right around the time your kids leave home. This was true for a McLean, Virginia, couple, who lived in their 1950s split-level home on three scenic, wooded acres for 30 years, raising a son and daughter there before deciding they were ready to take the plunge. “We became empty nesters while coming up with the money to do what we wanted to,” says the husband.
After the long wait, the wife had an understandably extensive wish list for her refurbished home. It included a new kitchen; powder and laundry rooms; butler’s pantry; separate dining room; enlarged master suite; and open kitchen/family room. After seeing a renovated split-level by architect Richard Leggin profiled in Home & Design, the couple hired him for the job. “The people [in the article] had a great parcel but not a great house,” recalls the wife. “It was like they were interviewing me.”
Leggin was tasked with creating a design that would enhance and enlarge the home but retain its split-level roots. Area renovations “were turning all the houses into McMansions and we didn’t want that,” the wife explains. The final design eschewed a second-story addition in favor of a bump-out in back that added 1,500 square feet to the home. A curved porch at the entry dramatically improved the front façade, while a service door reoriented the way the owners enter the house, increasing its efficiency.
The renovation process was remarkably smooth, which Leggin and his clients attribute to the seamless collaboration of the design team assembled early on. “They met every two weeks for six months to discuss the vision for the plan,” says the husband. “It was a totally collaborative process.”
The team included contractor Carl Mahany of Macon Construction and Guy Williams and Amy Mills of DCA Landscape Architects. And for the pivotal role of interior designer, the wife selected Celia Welch after spotting her work in a magazine. “It was the most exquisite, understated room I’d ever seen,” she remembers.
Welch gleaned the wife’s vision right away. “She had 30 years worth of ideas and dreams that she hadn’t been able to realize,” Welch says. “I wanted to give her a chance to love her space.” The goal was to create a calm, welcoming vibe—partly for the husband, who has a hectic job in the hospitality industry. Welch and her client honed in on a clean-lined, transitional look that would convey a sense of restfulness, in a neutral palette with accents of blue. They replaced all the old furnishings with a mix of antiques and custom pieces. To bring in color, Welch suggested her clients look for art while on their frequent travels. “The energy shows up in the artwork and not in the wall colors,” she explains.
Meanwhile, Leggin converted the dated interiors into open, inviting spaces embellished with custom built-ins and millwork. He raised the ceilings from eight to nine feet throughout, which allowed the addition of transoms above all the doorways and windows to bring in more light.
The addition encompasses the new kitchen, breakfast area and family room, unified by a reclaimed hickory floor. Coffered ceilings lend elegance to the crisp, white kitchen, which flows into the dining area with its oblong table and banquette seating.
Simple oak beams and a vaulted cedar ceiling make an impact in the adjacent family room. The fireplace and built-in window seats were designed by Leggin. An arched kitchen window mirrors the one in the family room—a connection the team made once construction had begun. “During the process you see things like that,” Leggin observes. “We used the arch construction again as a transition upstairs.”
A small office off the kitchen gives the wife her own workspace. The adjoining mudroom and laundry room lead to the garage and service door; the mudroom’s hexagonal cobblestone floor was salvaged from a Paris street. “More energy and attention went to detail than to square footage,” says contractor Carl Mahany. “This was not about making it big.”
The new dining room houses a custom table and paintings by Pennsylvania artist Marlin Bert. The focal point of the living room is a marble mantel and steel fireplace surround that the clients imported from England. In both spaces, plush upholstered seating beckons.
Upstairs, the enlarged master suite affords views of the wooded backyard from a small balcony. In the bedroom, Leggin added a window seat and Welch opted for a relaxing palette of light blue tones.
The backyard was also in need of an update. “We had to address the grading and drainage problems that arise during a renovation,” landscape architect Guy Williams says. He and partner Amy Mills built a retaining wall and terraced the sloped lawn to deal with these issues. They also pushed the woods back, tagging trees they wanted to keep; 14 trees were reclaimed and used in the home’s renovation.
Williams also worked with Leggin and Mahany on siting the pavilion, which now anchors the pool and houses an outdoor kitchen and stone fireplace. “It’s a three-season space with built-in infrared heating,” Leggin says. Retractable screens on three sides can be completely opened while skylights salvaged from the original house provide light. The existing pool has been updated with a stone deck; tooled flagstone clads the pavilion’s floors.
The basement was enlarged and refinished with a recreation area, guest room and wood-paneled home office for the husband that opens out to the pool.
While both kids have left the nest, they return frequently and the owners look forward to the time when grandchildren will be returning with them. Now, they have the perfect place in which to welcome them home.
Angie Seckinger splits her time between Potomac, Maryland, and Spain. Anice Hoachlander is based in Washington, DC.
RENOVATION ARCHITECTURE: RICHARD A. LEGGIN, AIA, project architect, and KELLY NORTH, associate, Richard Leggin Architects, P.C., Glen Echo, Maryland. INTERIOR DESIGN: CELIA WELCH, Celia Welch Interiors, Bethesda, Maryland. CONTRACTOR: CARL MAHANY, Macon Construction, Kensington, Maryland. LANDSCAPE DESIGN: GUY WILLIAMS and AMY MILLS, principals,DCA Landscape Architects, Washington, DC.
On the edge of Fort Davis Park in Southeast DC stands the Francis A. Gregory Neighborhood Library, a gleaming, timber-and-glass pavilion that perfectly complements its natural environment. Designed by internationally known, Tanzanian-born architect David Adjaye, whose firm collaborated with DC-based Wiencek + Associates, the structure is defined by a motif of checkered panels—a diamond pattern capped by a louvered, aluminum canopy. The two-story, 22,000-square-foot building won a 2012 AIA Potomac Valley Award and earned a LEED Silver rating for energy efficiency. Glass walls promote thermal gain and the canopy cuts unwanted solar load. Inside, the ceiling soars 23 feet to a skylight. Sleek, black concrete surfaces provide a backdrop to brightly hued reading chairs and Senegalese-patterned pendant lights by industrial designer Stephen Burks. Adjaye also designed the new Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, currently under construction on the National Mall.
DESIGN ARCHITECT: DAVID ADJAYE, Adjaye Associates, London, England. ARCHITECT OF RECORD: WIENCEK + ASSOCIATES ARCHITECTS + PLANNERS, PC, Washington, DC. CONTRACTOR: HESS CONSTRUCTION + ENGINEERING SERVICES, Gaithersburg, Maryland. PHOTOGRAPHY: ERIC TAYLOR.
Any time he walks through the residential streets of Bethesda, Sandy Spring Builders principal and CEO Phil Leibovitz is likely to pass eight or nine houses his firm built—including the ones surrounding his own home. This is the way he and his partners, Richard Mandell and Mimi Kress, like it. “We build for friends,” Leibovitz says. “Participating in the community is important to us.”
Mandell founded Sandy Spring Builders in 1982. Leibovitz and Kress were already partners in another custom building firm in 1997 when they teamed up with him on a joint venture. It went so well that they decided to keep the team together. Today, the firm painstakingly produces high-end, quality homes using top-of-the-line materials and finishes. “We’re a one-stop shop,” says Leibovitz. “We’re full-service.”
The company is split into four divisions: Custom, Classic, Savvy and Renovation. The Custom division builds unique homes to the client’s specifications, while the Classic division utilizes the wide assortment of house plans Sandy Spring Builders has developed over the years.
The Savvy division is a recent addition to the mix: It’s a series of five energy-efficient homes that are somewhat smaller than the firm’s usual custom home size (3,700 to 5,000 square feet versus 5,000 to 6,000 square feet including the finished basement). These homes take less time to build because floor plans, elevations, finishes and other options have been pre-selected; they also assure more certainty of price.
In addition to building the custom homes that are their bread and butter, Sandy Spring Builders’ Renovation division takes on full-house renovations as well as kitchen remodeling and other smaller jobs. The firm has a renovation architect on staff but regularly works with several architectural firms for custom jobs—Studio Z Design Concepts, GTM Architects and Glenn Chen Fong, AIA, for example—in a design/build style. After years of working together, they have forged strong relationships. “We’ve grown with these architects,” says Leibovitz. “It’s a team effort.”
Sandy Spring Builders also sells lots for development. Leibovitz and his team help clients find, analyze and purchase the right lot, then work with them “from lot selection to move-in day” to achieve the best possible results. According to Leibovitz and Mimi Kress—Sandy Spring Builders’ COO—the company’s winning philosophy is “to be a full-service builder who can provide for your needs, cares about each project and loves what we do.” Leibovitz adds, “We stand behind what we do. We don’t cut corners and we do it with quality.”
FACTS & STATS
The firm, with a staff of 42, works mainly in DC and Maryland with occasional projects in Northern Virginia.
They build six to eight custom homes per year.
Specialties : Sandy Spring Builders is a custom builder with a separate division that handles renovations and additions.
Inquiries : Sandy Spring Builders, 4705 West Virginia Avenue, Bethesda, Maryland 20814; 301-913-5995; sandyspringbuilders.com; email: [email protected]
Bright Idea
Typically used for boardroom brainstorming, dry erase boards can also come in handy at home, where they make an appealing alternative to chalk or message boards. IdeaPaint can transform smooth surfaces into dry erase boards with the flick of a brush. A layer of this clear paint makes the surface an instantly writeable and erasable platform. ideapaint.com
High Visibility
The latest offering from Loewen Windows is the Retractable Screen. Custom-made of Douglas fir or mahogany, this streamlined design conceals hardware with minimal obstruction to the viewing surface. It complements Loewen’s casement and awning windows and features one-touch retraction, an integrated braking system and high-visibility mesh. loewen.com
Light it up
Designed by Form Us With Love for Design House Stockholm, the Form Pendants are meant to be grouped together. The blown-glass fixtures come in three shapes with industrial white opal globes; together they make an illuminated sculptural mobile. deisgnhousestockholm.com
Tidal Wave
Inspired by textile patterns and contemporary colors, the Tides tile series from Architectural Ceramics is a modern take on a vein-cut stone. Available in a rectangular format and a range of sizes. architecturalceramics.com
Wall Sculpture
Oxo Garden, a new wall tile by Porcelanosa, evokes lush foliage on a tactile, monochromatic surface. The large-format porcelain tiles convey a contemporary look with minimal grout lines. Oxo Garden is part of a larger collection of bold, sculptural tiles. porcelanosa-usa.com
Color Me New
ECO by Cosentino is a sustainable surface made from 75 percent recycled materials such as mirrors, glass, porcelain, earthenware and vitrified ash—ideal for baths and kitchens because it’s durable and non-porous. ECO recently added Red Pine (pictured), Grey Moss, Forest Snow and Creamstone to its color palette. ecobycosentino.com
Cleverly Concealed
The Geberit Monolith WC conceals the toilet tank behind a tempered glass plate, introducing a clean-lined, modern feel to the bath. Available in black, white or mint, the glass plates are compatible with both standing and wall-hung toilets. geberit.com
Window Dressing
New color options are now available in Marvin’s exterior cladding. Made from extruded aluminum, the surface has a durable finish that allows for uniformity in casing, frame, sash and simulated divided lite bars, resulting in a consistent appearance over time. Pictured here, Marvin clad sliding French doors. marvin.com
Under Foot
DuChateau Floors creates hardwood floors that reflect the timeworn look of vintage wood using sustainable methods and renewable resources. Pictured here, a hard-wax oil floor called Trestle from the Heritage Timber Edition collection, made of distressed European white oak. duchateaufloors.com
Modern furniture favorite Ligne Roset has a lot to celebrate. With an expanding stable of stores worldwide and an export business that extends to 62 countries, this 150-year-old, family-owned company maintains its innovative vision. Another cause for celebration: The 40th anniversary of Togo, its classic all-foam chair, originally designed in 1973 and still a go-to product after all these years. On a recent trip through DC, Briord, France-based CEO Pierre Roset sat down with H&D in Ligne Roset’s Upper Georgetown showroom.
How did Ligne Roset originate?
In 1860 my great grandfather made the sticks of parasols. After they went out of style, he used the same equipment to make chairs. When my father joined the company after World War II, he was making contract furniture for famous architects and designers and they were creating very modern designs. That was the start ofmodern design in Ligne Roset.
What is Ligne Roset’s design philosophy?
Design must be suitable for those who are using the product. That means comfort is one of the factors. People are not buying only for design if the functionality is not there.
What piece has had the most staying power?
The Togo is our most iconic piece because it’s all foam. Before we made it, no one thought you could build a sofa or chair without a frame of steel or plastic or something. This year we are marking its anniversary with special edition Togo chairs in two exclusive new fabrics—houndstooth and velvet jacquard.
How do trends differ from place to place?
In Europe versus America it’s a difference in fabric and colors. And in Florida or California you find a lot of flashy colors, while DC is more conservative. We adapt the colors for the market.
For some furniture shoppers, the idea of a custom piece handmade by local artisans is an alluring one. There is something invitingly personal about furniture that’s been designed and produced virtually in your own backyard. Fortunately, the DC area is rife with furniture makers who design and produce their work locally. From companies like Niermann Weeks and David Iatesta, Inc., whose furnishings, lighting and accessories are known—and sold—throughout the country, to others that are sold only in the DC area, prospective buyers can find styles, materials and price points to suit every preference. On the following pages, we’ve compiled a selection of some of the area’s finest furniture makers—each of which has a trade-only or retail presence in the area—with a sampling of what they make and a glimpse of how and where they make it.
HARDWOOD ARTISANS
Hardwood Artisans has four retail showrooms in the DC area, and the company’s 40 craftsmen design and manufacture a collection of more than 800 furniture pieces. All are produced locally in the company’s 42,000-square-foot Culpeper, Virginia, facility. The custom coffee table on the left combines a surface of naturally lacquered, quarter-sawn sycamore with curved legs of solid, black-lacquered ash through which the grain of the wood is visible. hardwoodartisans.com
DAVID EDWARD
Family-owned David Edward works with a range of designers to create its transitional and modern seating and occasional pieces. Facilities in Baltimore (left) and York, Pennsylvania, produce the company’s handcrafted, sustainable furniture designs, which are available locally through Vastu in DC. The sleekly modern Luna Lounge Seating collection (left) was designed by architect Roger Crowley with sculptural, cantilevered arms and solid metal legs in polished nickel. The series also includes a settee. davidedward.com; vastudc.com
GUTIERREZ STUDIOS
Gutierrez Studios custom designs and manufactures its wood-and-metal furniture and architectural elements in its 20,000-square-foot facility in the Clipper Mill complex of Baltimore, where a worker uses a soldering tool to weld gracefully arcing metal pieces. Metalwork artisans evoke an industrial aesthetic with a selection of custom steel bar stools that include the Bizzochi Stool, matte-finished, hot-rolled steel with leather seat and back; and the Good Love Stool, clear-finished, cold-rolled steel with leather sling seat. Each is available in three sizes. gutierrezstudios.com
SALVATIONS ARCHITECTURAL FURNISHINGS
Salvations Architectural Furnishings creates iron furniture and architectural elements at forges in Virginia, then brings the pieces to its 3,000-square-foot Silver Spring, Maryland, studio to be hand finished in a dust-free environment. For its most recent collection, the company teamed up with DC designer David Mitchell to produce a line of occasional, coffee and dining tables. The Cross Table in a Vintage Steel finish with gray-stained white oak. salvationsaf.com
ARCHER Modern
Though its showroom is in Georgetown’s Cady’s Alley, Archer Modern designs its own contemporary furniture and has it manufactured in several locations: Upholstery is done in a Rockville workroom, woodwork in Culpeper, Virginia, and metalwork by Gutierrez Studios in Baltimore; stone and glass are sourced in Virginia. Among Archer’s latest offerings: the Jacobsen collection, by renowned local architects Hugh Newell Jacobsen and Simon Jacobsen. The VERO Collection of seating with lucite details. archermodern.com
SHOWROOM 1412
Showroom 1412, designer Lori Graham’s chic store in DC’s 14th Street Corridor, showcases LG Place, her collection of furniture and accessories. Designed exclusively by Graham, the collection is produced by furniture makers in Alexandria and Fries, Virginia, as well as by furniture building company Mitchell Yanosky, LLC, in its facility in Baltimore. Graham’s Leo Dining Table has a black-lacquer base and stained oak top, but can be custom made in walnut or cherry to suit the buyer. showroom1412.com
NIERMANN WEEKS
The Toulon Settee by nationally known furniture maker Niermann Weeks is emblematic of the company’s elegant portfolio of furniture, lighting and accessories. Made of wrought iron with lacquered enamel insets, it can be customized for indoor or outdoor use. It’s pictured here in an indoor finish of Orleans steel with distressed gold leaf accents. The seat cushion is button-tufted, as are the two bolster pillows. Niermann Weeks’s handcrafted collection is produced in its Millersville, Maryland facility (below left), and available locally at its DC Design Center showroom. niermannweeks.com
DAVID IASTESTA, INC.
Now available nationally, David Iatesta, Inc., got its start in the DC area and is headquartered in Stevensville, Maryland, near Annapolis. Furniture, lighting and accessories by David Iatesta, Inc., borrow elements from 18th- and 19th-century styles that are modernized for today’s use, and utilize Old World furniture-building traditions. Furniture is sold locally through Holly Hunt DC. Seen here in Textured Gray Sage, the three-sided Luscian Table is solid wood, embellished with a handcarved metal X on each side and handpainted in multiple layers. Thirty of David Iatesta’s custom furniture pieces are now available for shipping within 10 days instead of the usual four to six weeks. davidiatesta.com
House hunting is a little like looking for love. Prospective homebuyers may suffer disappointment, frustration and more while searching for that elusive connection. But then there’s that moment when they cross the threshold, look around and know they are home.
This was the feeling a couple experienced when they first walked into a charming but outdated Colonial Revival home on a tree-lined street in Chevy Chase. “We wanted an older house that we could renovate ourselves,” recalls the wife. “As soon as we walked in, we said, ‘We love this house.’”
The first step was to call Anthony Wilder, who had advised them during their search and who would be taking on the renovation when the time came. He agreed with their assessment. “It’s a typical Bethesda Colonial,” he told them. “It has great natural light, which is the most important thing in a house, a nice yard and a wonderful street.”
After buying the property, the couple and their two young boys moved into an apartment nearby for the duration of the renovation. Wilder was given a primary directive: Update the house while safeguarding its historic character and retaining its original footprint. “We wanted to respect the house as it was built,” explains the wife. “We didn’t want it to look new, and we didn’t want a big house. We wanted it to be cozy.” She adds, “Anthony understood. He got to know us quite well!”
Wilder concurs. “I have to imbibe the spirit of my clients’ needs,” he observes. “I become the client, think the way they think.” In this case, his methods were particularly successful. The house received a 2012 Coty Award for Historic Renovation/Restoration—as well as Home & Design’s Award of Excellence.
According to Wilder, the goal was to create a timeless aesthetic that would reflect the home’s origins in the 1930s. He and his team gained additional space by extending its A-frame structure on the second floor. They painstakingly focused on details, tweaking existing design elements and adding new ones throughout the home to improve its functionality and aesthetic impact. “It’s the little things that make a house resonate,” says Wilder.
For example, the original newel post on the stairs has been replaced with a more imposing custom post that provides a graceful focal point as visitors enter the foyer. Formerly squared-off doorways from the entry to the dining and living rooms have been widened and replaced with custom-trimmed arches to make the foyer seem larger and to integrate the public spaces. Oak floors throughout are now stained a uniform dark brown, and a palette of grays dominates the main floor.
The first stage of the plan was to overhaul the dated kitchen and makeshift den at the back of the house. The kitchen had a cramped breakfast nook and the adjoining den was poorly insulated and drafty. Wilder enclosed and insulated the den, adding built-in bookshelves and a fireplace to the comfortable new space. He removed a wall between the kitchen and breakfast area, then widened the breakfast nook by six and a half feet; it now holds a table, chairs and a built-in desk. Off the back of the kitchen, a new mudroom boasts built-in storage cupboards and a durable, herringbone-patterned brick floor that fits the home’s historic style.
In the kitchen, designer Kary Ewalt helped the owners define a classic look that suits the style and era of the house, with white custom cabinetry, marble-like granite countertops and a white subway-tile backsplash.
On the second floor, Wilder reconfigured the former master bedroom into a guest room and sitting area. A second-story porch became the new master bedroom, with a spacious, Carrara marble-clad master bath occupying the space above the mudroom. The once-unfinished third floor now includes a home office featuring dark-stained maple millwork and built-ins, another guest room and a roomy bathroom. To bring in light, Wilder installed dormer windows with exterior trim that’s unobtrusively painted the color of the surrounding roof.
The final stage was completing the unfinished basement, which now houses an inviting, carpeted playroom for the kids, a finished storage area and a full bath. Low-slung pipes are concealed under drywall, creating an array of different ceiling heights that adds interest to the space.
The stairwell from the ground floor is now completely open at the top, where a wall and the door to the attic once created a circuitous, angled passageway. Both wall and door are gone, and the stairs to the third floor have been replaced with an open staircase that matches the one below. The result is a direct view from the ground floor all the way up—ending at the unexpected skylight Wilder installed on the third floor ceiling. As he explains, “It’s an old house, and old houses are full of surprises.”
Photographer Morgan Howarth is based in Gainesville, Virginia.
RENOVATION ARCHITECTURE, DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION: ANTHONY WILDER, project design; KARY EWALT, ASID, interior design, Anthony Wilder Design/Build, Inc., Cabin John, Maryland.
When Tony and Annette Nader moved into their Colonial-style Clifton home in 2001, they knew they had work to do. The house was built in 1999 and the nearly three-acre lot was still bereft of landscaping. And while the interiors were functional, they were not exactly what the couple wanted. With their three small kids in tow, they settled in to catch their breath.
In 2004, the couple began what became a more or less ongoing renovation process, beginning with landscaping and a pool installation. They also enlarged, covered and screened the existing deck.
Next, they decided to add a main-floor guest suite to the house. However, as often happens, the project grew exponentially. Their neighbor and architect Todd Timm drew up plans that ultimately would expand the home by more than 3,000 square feet. The three-story addition encompassed a new living room and bedroom suite on the main floor; two new en suite bedrooms and a laundry room on the second floor; and on the basement level, a wine cellar and exercise room that opens out to a poolside, portico-covered patio.
Realizing early that she was going to need help with the interior design—including the original rooms, which would be getting a substantial facelift—Annette Nader soon began looking for the right designer. “I had seen Annette Hannon’s work in an article on up-and-coming designers,” she remembers. “I got on her Web site and liked what I saw. It clicked—I felt she was definitely the one.”
Nader hired Hannon before construction had begun, which allowed the designer to collaborate with contractor Scott Hubbard of Eagle Engineering & Construction on wainscoting, crown and tracery ceilings, flooring and tile, plumbing and cabinetry. “It was an ideal situation,” Hannon says. “We worked with Scott to make sure what we were dreaming up was within the parameters for construction, budget and timeline. It was critical to create a home, not a home with an addition.”
Hannon also established a comfort level with her client. “I couldn’t tell her what I liked,” observes Nader, “but I could tell her what I didn’t like. And if I didn’t like what she showed me, I had to be able to say so.”
Hannon agrees. “At the end of the day,” she says, “we walk out those doors and our clients remain. So it has to be about them, about how they live and how they want to live.”
The designer honed in on a sophisticated, elegant style and a look that is classic, yet fresh. She identified a color scheme using hints of cream and sage as a common thread to unify the rooms. In the front entry, a custom carpet and decorative mirror by Salvations set an inviting tone. The adjacent home office boasts built-in custom cabinetry by McLean Artisans in mahogany and Bubinga.
A major concern for Nader was how to make the now-7,500-square-foot house feel cozy. This was particularly challenging in the spacious new living room. Hannon made it intimate by decorating in layers: millwork and a custom ceiling by Ornamental Plaster Works; then draperies and a plush carpet with accents of red and green; then an inviting sofa and plenty of chairs. Charma Le Edmonds of Shelter Studios, Inc., glazed the walls a warm apricot shade and created a striking set of wall panels depicting a lush landscape for the space. “The panels changed the room’s color and depth,” Hannon says.
The previous living room is now a sitting area adjoining the dining room. Wide, arched doorways—formerly windows—connect the old and new spaces. The dining room houses a custom French walnut table, sideboard and armoire; another ornamental plaster ceiling offers visual continuity between the living and dining rooms. Hannon selected a delicate piece of hand-painted, hand-embroidered silk wallpaper by Fromental that she framed and hung above the sideboard.
Adjacent to the new living room, the elegant guest suite beckons. Here, Hannon relied on soothing neutrals and lush textiles to create a sense of tranquility and restfulness. The walls are papered in a Farrow & Ball vine pattern, with crisp white millwork and decorative draperies. The adjoining bath boasts onyx counters and limestone tile floors.
The dark-wood kitchen was lightened with glazed, off-white cabinets by Rojahn Custom Cabinetry. The island was enlarged and topped with Costa Esmeralda granite. The peripheral countertops are leatherized Antico Namibia White granite, and a sculptural ceramic backsplash finishes the look.
Originally, a railing separated the kitchen from the family room, a couple of steps down. Hannon replaced it with columns and widened the stairway. A grasscloth wall covering adds texture. Matching sofas are covered in durable Ultrasuede, while the TV above the fireplace is concealed behind a custom, antiqued mirror by Avery Studios.
Nader initially found the room too monochromatic, so she suggested a piece of art that would “wake the space up.” She and Hannon found a large-scale abstract painting online and Hannon visited Cheryl Hazan Contemporary Art in New York to take a look. She advised the Naders to go for it. “It was a gamble,” Nader admits now, standing before the canvas by Russell Sharon in luminous greens and purples that gives the room the jolt it needed. “I couldn’t have done it if we didn’t have such a good working relationship with Annette.”
In the upstairs addition, the couple’s daughter landed one of the new bedrooms, complete with its own sitting room, while their older son got views of the backyard fringed by woods. The new laundry room is embellished with attractive white cabinetry and a backsplash tile by Ann Sacks.
Next up: a redo of the master bath and an overhaul of the youngest child’s bedroom and bath. “We’re ready to start,” says Annette Nader. So is Annette Hannon—who, of course, will be doing the work.
Photographer Angie Seckinger splits her time between Potomac, Maryland, and Spain.
INTERIOR DESIGN: ANNETTE HANNON, principal; SUZANNE SANZONE, project manager, Annette Hannon Interior Design, Ltd., Burke, Virginia. RENOVATION ARCHITECTURE: TODD TIMM, P.E., Timm Engineering, Clifton, Virginia. CONTRACTOR: SCOTT A. HUBBARD, Eagle Engineering & Construction, LLC, Berryville, Virginia.
In a newly built development in Herndon, the rows of attractive, neo-Colonial-style homes tend to resemble one another, with brick and clapboard siding and porches out front. However, despite the similarities in look and layout, the interiors of one house definitely stand out. It belongs to Srikanth and Bindi Mandava, who are justly proud of their home. “Even neighbors who’ve been in the house three or four times still comment on it,” observes Bindi.
Of course, some credit for the creation of the signature look belongs to the couple, who had a distinct vision from the start of what they wanted. But as both will attest, they couldn’t have done it without designer Paola McDonald, who immediately understood their needs and wishes.
The Mandavas and their two daughters had been living in a townhouse in Herndon when they decided they were ready for a larger, more spacious residence, and opted for new construction. They liked the idea of a new home with untouched interiors, so they left everything from the townhouse behind to begin afresh. “It was a blank canvas and they were ready to start from scratch, so it was enjoyable for me,” says McDonald, who was hired to design the main floor while the owners were still in the contract stage of the buying process. “They knew what kind of aesthetic they wanted and I was able to take it from there.”
While the home’s exterior and architectural details are traditional, its layout is not. To the left of the two-story entry, a small living room welcomes visitors. A curved staircase hugs the wall to the right of the front door and a hallway angles past the living room, leading to a large open-plan family room, kitchen and sunroom.
The couple leaned towards a contemporary, uncluttered look, which suited the home’s non-traditional floor plan. “We wanted to walk into our home and feel peaceful,” says Srikanth, who is a management consultant. With McDonald’s help, he and his wife, a software engineer who works from home, chose a palette of cool greens and blues “for a relaxed sensibility.” The designer then selected modern furniture, art and accessories, juxtaposing them against the soothing backdrop. “I chose modern elements that speak to the traditional so that they could work with the style of the house,“ she says.
In the entry, a modern crystal chandelier from ET2 cascades from the two-story ceiling. McDonald employed a mix of price points to achieve the look she and her clients were after while staying within their prescribed budget. “One of the things I do is try to give clients certain pieces to focus on, that are an investment,” she explains. “The most important pieces should have value.”
In the living room, a sofa from Vanguard is flanked by Barcelona chairs. Because the Mandavas wanted to use the room for entertaining, furniture is arranged in several groupings. “The living room is quite functional. It provides conversation space though it’s not a big room,” says Srikanth. The walls are painted in Benjamin Moore’s Beach Glass.
A luminous shade of green (Benjamin Moore’s Misted Green) in the dining room conveys a sense of harmony. The space is anchored by a colorful, abstract rug by Jaipur and an Italian-made custom table from Modloft with a zebrawood frame and black-glass surface. Dining chairs from Bassett Furniture are covered in fabric from Tapestria. To keep the small room uncluttered, McDonald furnished it sparingly with only the dining table and chairs and a small console. Surfaces are adorned only with a handful of textured ceramic pieces. “Since the dining room is not huge, keeping it simple made it feel bigger,” she explains.
In the spacious family room, walls painted in Benjamin Moore’s Beacon Gray balance the dark-stained cabinetry in the adjoining kitchen. McDonald designed the mantel over the fireplace at the far end of the room, and commissioned Michele Mayberry of Special FX Studio to create a faux concrete wall surface in light blue to add interest to the room.
Just off the kitchen, the sunroom—the family’s favorite space in the home—introduces saturated blue tones to the soft palette with upholstered furniture from Bassett and a ceiling wallpapered in a medallion pattern from York Wallcoverings. McDonald suspended rattan egg chairs from the ceiling “to bring a little of the outside in,” she explains. A hand-woven jute rug by Jaipur covers the floor.
“I chose the artwork as a means to add dimension,” McDonald says. “It gives the spaces a focal point, adding texture and depth.”
Photographer Greg Tinius is based in Waterford, Virginia.
INTERIOR DESIGN: PAOLA McDONALD, Creative Elegance Interiors, Haymarket, Virginia.
Jim Brown and his wife Norma founded Creighton Enterprises 29 years ago. Initially a sideline venture, it grew quickly—as did the scale of the houses the company was building. Today, Creighton is one of the largest custom home building companies in Northern Virginia, building the largest custom homes. The homes are also among the most upscale; they are what Brown refers to as “ultra luxury homes.”
Creighton Enterprises is still run by its founders, who have since been joined by their sons: Mike, who handles marketing and finance; and Tim, who, like his father, designs the houses and supervises construction. “We are a family business,” Jim Brown says firmly. “That is very important to us.” He adds that they have plenty of sub-contractors who work solely for them—many of whom have been with the company since its inception.
About 15 years ago, Creighton Enterprises purchased 2,500 acres in scenic Loudoun County and split the land into enclaves for development. The communities now include Grenata, Creighton Farms, Barclay Woods and Courtland Farms—as well as a 400-acre equestrian center and a golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus.
Grenata is home to an award-winning model home that, says Brown, has attracted a huge number of customers over the years. At 12,000 square feet, it is truly lavish. “We wanted to show buyers what we were capable of,” Brown explains. “Here they can see our commitment to quality up close.”
Custom homes built by Creighton start at around $1.5 million and go up from there, says Brown. There was a short dip in scale right after the recession began but customers’ desire for size has since returned. “They just want bigger and bigger homes,” Brown comments.
From the start, the goal of Creighton Enterprises was to build homes using only the highest quality materials and finishes. The company has never waivered from this vision. Today, they have a workshop of their own where all the millwork is produced; they design and distribute their own custom cabinetry and travertine; and they are also a furniture dealer—the largest distributor of Habersham Furniture in Northern Virginia—with an interior designer on staff. All of which allows Creighton complete control over the building process. “Nobody does what we do,” Brown says. “Nothing is prefabricated. Our customers get a custom home designed exactly as they want it.”
Creighton Enterprises just finished construction on another model home, this one in Creighton Farms, that clocks in at 18,000 square feet. Built for display, it will remain a model home in spite of the fact that Jim and Norma Brown are actually going to live in it. They look forward to entertaining family there—particularly grandchildren, for whom they have planned recreational spaces galore. This new model home “will help show what we can do,” Brown says. “And people will see how a family lives there. That will be a good thing.
Facts & Stats
Creighton Enterprises is a family-owned and -operated
business employing hundreds of subcontractors.
Specialties
The company has 13 or 14 homes under construction at all times. They have never built spec homes and design the vast majority of their homes themselves.
Inquiries
Michael Brown, Creighton Enterprises, 41194 Grenata
Preserve Place, Leesburg, Virginia 20175; 703-443-9305; creightonenterprises.com; email: info@creighton
enterprises.com
The owners of a Tudor-style, 1920s home in DC’s Kalorama neighborhood were looking to renovate their house—including its outdated kitchen. They tapped architect Caroline Boutté for the job, which would entail protecting the home’s existing architecture while introducing modern, unfussy interiors.
Boutté envisioned a timeless look throughout the house that would bridge past and present. To evoke that classic aesthetic in the kitchen, she relied on symmetry of design, with a perfectly centered island and a bank of mirrors on one side of the room that mimics the windows directly across. With the classical lines in place, she then selected contemporary, streamlined Poggenpohl cabinetry. She worked with Poggenpohl designer Elizabeth Cosby to create an uncluttered space with clean lines and functional work areas that would feel both modern and timeless in their traditional home.
Because her clients appreciated beautiful materials and textures, Boutté proposed Honey onyx for the walls and backsplash, backlighting the stone surfaces to create a kind of halo effect near the ceiling. The designer even flew to Florida to select the particular onyx slabs that would afford the level of translucence she wanted.
Poggenpohl’s sustainable Teak collection of cabinetry blends harmoniously with the onyx surfaces, and Juparano Gold granite countertops meld almost seamlessly where they meet the onyx backsplash. Miele appliances are carefully concealed behind cabinetry to maintain a spare, uncluttered look.
RENOVATION ARCHITECTURE & INTERIOR DESIGN: CAROLINE BOUTTE, Graybanks Design Group, LLC, Easton, Maryland. KITCHEN DESIGN: ELIZABETH COSBY, Poggenpohl, Washington DC. PHOTOGRAPHY: JENNY YANG.
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Biedermeier-style cabinetry lends distinction to a lavishly appointed kitchen by Jennifer Gilmer
A Pikesville, Maryland, couple looking to update their kitchen went shopping for appliances—and fell in love. The object of their attraction was a display of Biedermeier cabinetry by Premier Custom Cabinetry, and they knew right away that it was what they wanted. They decided that Jennifer Gilmer, who had worked with Biedermeier cabinetry before, was the designer for the job.
“Designing with Biedermeier is complicated,” Gilmer explains. “It has to be really balanced visually because of the black framing. Everywhere you have a door you also have a rectangle.” If you’re not careful, says Gilmer, the result can look disjointed, with a jumble of black frames in disparate sizes dotting your kitchen’s landscape.
The homeowners’ initial thought was to place a large island in the center of their spacious kitchen. However, this would block easy access to the periphery of the room, where all the appliances—including two traditional ovens and a microwave/speed oven by Miele and a Gaggenau steam oven—would be located. Gilmer suggested two islands instead of one, enabling the cook to pass easily between stations and to stand between islands for food prep. One island also has seating so the family can dine buffet-style, which is their preference.
The cabinetry is made of quartered, figured cherry and the black-and-white marble backsplash is cut into tile shapes. Absolute Black granite counters line the perimeter, while Caesarstone tops the islands. A built-in desk occupies one area.
KITCHEN DESIGN: JENNIFER GILMER, CKD, Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen & Bath, Chevy Chase, Maryland. INTERIOR DESIGN: EDWARD R. STOUGH, Edward R. Stough, Inc., Pikesville, Maryland. CONTRACTOR: ANDY SHAW, Shaw Contracting, Inc., Royal Oak, Maryland. PHOTOGRAPHY: BOB NAROD.
See other Amazing Kitchens:
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Sharon Kleinman marries rustic accents and sophisticated style in a spacious Bethesda kitchen
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An airy, integrated design imbues a modern kitchen with a crisp, European look
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Designer Sheryl Steinberg creates a "California coastal" aesthetic in her own kitchen renovation
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Sleek cabinetry and onyx walls lend a glamorous touch to a Kalorama kitchen
The original kitchen was cramped and dark. “We knew immediately that we were going to want to open up the kitchen,” she says. “We took down the wall between the kitchen and dining room to create an open, eco-friendly space with better flow.”
Now that the dining room is only separated from the kitchen by a peninsula, light bathes both areas. Steinberg installed two small windows high up along a wall that faces the busy street to admit light while still retaining privacy.
At the other end of the kitchen, a former walk-in pantry has been replaced with a wall of decorative cabinetry. Steinberg bumped one wall out three feet and borrowed space from the former dining room in order to accommodate a spacious island.
Sustainable materials abound. The cabinets, made from rift-cut oak by Holiday Kitchens, use pre-consumer recycled fibers and are finished without VOCs, PVCs or formaldehyde. They’re paired with Green Guard-certified Silestone countertops, no-VOC ceramic-tile floors and energy-efficient appliances. A backsplash of sculptural clay tile from Heath Ceramics in Sausalito completes the space.
KITCHEN & INTERIOR DESIGN: SHERYL STEINBERG, Allied ASID, Sheryl Steinberg Interior Design, Bethesda, Maryland. CONTRACTOR: BETHESDA CONTRACTING COMPANY, INC., Chevy Chase, Maryland. PHOTOGRAPHY: SANDY KAVALIER PHOTOGRAPHY.
See other Amazing Kitchens:
Inspired by Nature
Sharon Kleinman marries rustic accents and sophisticated style in a spacious Bethesda kitchen
Open Plan
An airy, integrated design imbues a modern kitchen with a crisp, European look
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Biedermeier-style cabinetry lends distinction to a lavishly appointed kitchen by Jennifer Gilmer
Contemporary Classic
Sleek cabinetry and onyx walls lend a glamorous touch to a Kalorama kitchen
The owners of a ranch-style family house on a wooded Bethesda lot had just become empty nesters. With the idea of staying in the house long-term, they decided to integrate the kitchen with the living and dining rooms in one big open plan. They turned to Vincent Sagart of Poliform | Sagart Studio for help with the renovation. Their first move was to eliminate the interior wall that separated the kitchen from the other rooms. The resulting space offers both southeast and northwest exposures, providing, as Sagart describes it, “wonderful light all the time.”
The couple wanted a clean, contemporary look that would complement their Mid-Century Modern house. They also wanted the kitchen to be functional and easy to maintain. Sagart juxtaposed cabinetry by Poliform Varenna in a deep-grained spessart oak veneer with crisp, white Silestone countertops. “I wanted to work with a simplified selection of materials—wood, stone and steel,” he says.
He created several work areas, including a double island with a bar of spessart oak that floats above its Silestone-clad counterpart. The other island holds the Wolf cooktop, while peripheral cabinetry houses Miele dishwashers, Wolf convection ovens and a Sub-Zero refrigerator and freezer drawers.
In the corner by the bank of windows, a banquette and a steel table create a comfortable breakfast nook that takes advantage of the wooded views.
The Silestone backsplash is bisected by an open shelf made of oak. “The shelf allows things to be reachable without cluttering the countertop,” explains Sagart. Brown-hued roller shades further unify the space.
RENOVATION & KITCHEN DESIGN: VINCENT SAGART, Poliform | Sagart Studio, Washington, DC. PHOTOGRAPHY: POLIFORMDC.COM
See other Amazing Kitchens:
Inspired by Nature
Sharon Kleinman marries rustic accents and sophisticated style in a spacious Bethesda kitchen
Sustainable Style
Designer Sheryl Steinberg creates a "California coastal" aesthetic in her own kitchen renovation
Visual Balance
Biedermeier-style cabinetry lends distinction to a lavishly appointed kitchen by Jennifer Gilmer
Contemporary Classic
Sleek cabinetry and onyx walls lend a glamorous touch to a Kalorama kitchen
