JULY/AUGUST 2011
Designer Shazalynn Cavin-Winfrey is not from around here. This fact is clear not only from her slight Southwestern twang but also from the fresh, inventive design sensibility she's brought to her Alexandria, Virginia, home.
Nestled on a street of traditional houses, it stands out as an inviting stucco structure that's at home in its surroundings yet maintains its originality. The house tells the story of the designer's desire to connect with her roots in West Texas and New Mexico, and of her direct inspiration: a trip to Napa Valley that gave her a sense of the architecture she wanted.
But before the trip to Napa, before the vision of home, Cavin-Winfrey and her husband bought the house with the goal of lightly renovating and flipping it. A "rambler gone bad" as she describes it, the house was a mishmash of designs and periods. According to Cavin-Winfrey, they bought it for the light. “We're from out West and light is really important to us. You just don't get the same light in structures here. This house had 11 skylights!”
The skylights remain—but they may be the only vestiges of the home’s previous incarnation. At about the time the couple moved in with their two young children, the real estate market tanked and they realized they "were there for the long haul." They made some minor upgrades and then proceeded to fall in love with the neighborhood and the property. Six years later, they embarked on the renovation that would transform the 3,500-square-foot house into the dream home Cavin-Winfrey had always wanted.
Today, a roomy entryway leads to the living room—the only space as yet unfinished in the house. The foyer originally led straight back to the kitchen, but Cavin-Winfrey closed off that opening to create privacy for the back of the house.
The foyer also opens onto the study. "This was a badly designed kit room with a glass ceiling and a glass wall facing the front yard," Cavin-Winfrey recalls. "We never used it." They replaced the glass with a real ceiling and a wall of framed windows, adding open shelving between the study and the living room to admit light. A custom elm table accommodates spillovers when the couple entertains; it's also the spot where the designer works and her kids study. "It's a multi-functional space," she says. "I preach to my clients about 100 percent utilization. This is not a huge house but every square inch is used." For example, pocket doors have been installed throughout to gain usable space.
A spacious master suite on the ground floor offers the couple a calm, neutral retreat. Cavin-Winfrey designed under-sink cabinetry out of rustic reclaimed wood for the bath, juxtaposed with traditional cabinets and Moonstone marble countertops and floors. The space is "a mix of sleek and organic that's characteristic of who we are," she says. "Our humble roots coupled with our urban setting.”
The family room, with its vaulted ceiling and near floor-to-ceiling windows, overlooks a backyard that will soon house a swimming pool and patio. A soft, neutral palette makes the room inviting while grasscloth on walls and ceiling adds texture.
Formerly a chef with a degree from the Culinary Institute of America, Cavin-Winfrey had strong opinions on the design of her kitchen, down to the use of a separate refrigerator for dairy, which "leaches flavor from other foods," she explains. The kitchen was reconfigured from a smaller galley kitchen and powder room; it balances modern and traditional elements with clean-lined, Wood-Mode cabinetry in a gray striae finish and an umber glaze that keeps the gray from feeling bleak. Countertops and an integrated sink of luminous Mother of Pearl granite complement the look. An adjacent butler's pantry includes a laundry closet, beverage refrigerator and full bath. The entry from the garage is now a mudroom containing a closet and an organized wall of drawers to hold wrapping paper and crafts.
The stairwell separates the kitchen from the dining room (formerly the home's fifth bedroom), where three custom glass tables flank windows lined with banquettes, restaurant-style; Cavin-Winfrey pushes them together for entertaining. Pickled oak floors throughout keep things light yet elegant.
Upstairs, the couple's children, nine and 11, enjoy the run of the place, with playful bedrooms and a gathering space with a TV. Two small baths have been converted into one large one, with organic slate walls and indestructible Corian counters.
The compact guestroom is another highlight, boasting beds built-in foot to foot along one wall with storage drawers underneath. Vibrant, colorful fabric in a whimsical pattern by Cowtan & Tout on both walls and windows lends the room its singular, cozy aspect.
"The house is sort of identical to the structures in Napa," says Cavin-Winfrey. "Even down to the parapet wall I designed to add visual interest on the front [façade]." She adds, "It's been a long road but I'm finally in love with my house.”
Lydia Cutter is a McLean, Virginia-based photographer.
RENOVATION ARCHITECTURE: CHRISTINE LEONARD, AIA, Crafted Architecture LLC, Alexandria, Virginia. INTERIOR DESIGN: SHAZALYNN CAVIN-WINFREY, SCW Interiors, Alexandria, Virginia. RENOVATION CONTRACTOR: GREG BUTENHOFF, Butenhoff Construction, Inc., Springfield, Virginia.
**Out of the array of interior design magazines, Home and Design magazine stands out as a primary idea source for luxury home designs. Wonderful visuals of inspired décor and lush landscapes are combined with expert advice to provide a fundamental reference point for bringing amazing home interior design ideas to life.
JULY/AUGUST 2011
Tucked away at the north end of Virginia Beach, the secluded Crystal Lake neighborhood yields a surprise: The Cooke House, one of only three homes in Virginia built by Frank Lloyd Wright. Named for the family who commissioned the project, the 1959 house boasts a hemicycle, or half-circle, construction; an orientation that is painstakingly integrated with its lakeside site; and building materials that complement the wooded surroundings. Inside, a 70-foot, semi-circular great room offers views of the lake. Much of the furniture, including a 40-foot sofa, was designed by the architect.
The house, currently on the market for $3,750,000, can be viewed at flwrightbeach
house.com.
**Out of the array of interior design magazines, Home and Design magazine stands out as a primary idea source for luxury home design and building/remodeling features. Wonderful visuals of custom homes and eco-friendly resources are combined with expert advice to provide a fundamental reference point for bringing amazing home interior design and remodeling projects to life.
MAY/JUNE 2011
On an early spring day, Diane Rehm is seated in her cheerful living room, speaking in the familiar, distinctive voice that has entertained and educated NPR listeners—first locally and now nationally—for more than 30 years. With her Chihuahua, Maxie, perched on her lap, she is describing the move she made three years ago with her husband, John Rehm, from their longtime home in Bethesda to the two-bedroom apartment they now share in Northwest DC. Rehm, who published her third book, Life with Maxie, last fall, is known for the civil, intelligent tenor of the conversation that takes place on her award-winning talk show. No matter the stature of her guests—who have included Bill Clinton, Colin Powell and then-Senator Barack Obama—she remains cordial, inquisitive and unflappable. Her home, too, reflects a sense of calm and civility—and she managed to orchestrate her move in the same style. “We contracted someone to pack up the house and then move us in,” Rehm recalls. “When I walked in everything was in place: the drawers were lined, the towels were hanging. It was worth every dime!”
This happy ending completed a journey that began with the difficult decision to downsize after 40 years in the home in which the couple had raised their two children. John Rehm had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and they wished to simplify their lives. “When I first thought of apartment life, I thought, ‘What’s it going to be?’” Diane says. “Our house wasn’t huge but it had a basement and an attic. I thought: ‘Am I going to feel cramped?’”
Adding to the stress of the situation, Rehm was under-whelmed when they first toured the apartment; the previous owner hadn’t touched the space in 20 years, and it showed. “The washing machine drained into the kitchen sink!” Rehm recounts, shaking her head.
It was her husband who was able to see past the lackluster interiors to glean the apartment’s true value: a spacious layout and a breathtaking, unobstructed view of Glover Archbold Park. They bought the place and gutted it, removing the wall that separated the dining room from the hallway to allow light to pour into the adjoining rooms. They updated the kitchen, powder room and master bath and replaced parquet floors with dark-stained oak.
Rehm hired DC designer Brian Smith to help her approximate the look she’d loved in her former home. “My goal was to make the space function as a big household in a compact space,” Smith says. “It’s a monumental thing, breaking up a house and downsizing. It was daunting for Diane and John.”
Smith ensured that the antiques, family mementoes and well-loved furniture and artwork from the Bethesda house would be equally at home in the new apartment. As Rehm describes it, she “probably made 60 trips to the paint store” to find just the right shade of coral, which she used through most of the space. “Diane felt strongly about the colors,” Smith says. “I pulled fabrics that would work with the colors she chose.”
Only a few new pieces of furniture were introduced, including an antique piecrust table (“I’d always wanted one of those,” says Rehm) and a sofa that replaced one of two loveseats in the living room. The dining room was papered in a Chinese motif that closely resembles wallpaper Rehm left behind in her Bethesda home. And in the master bedroom, the same fabric that has adorned the canopy of the bed for 30 years now also covers a footstool and serves as a window treatment.
In some ways, the apartment has worked better for the Rehms than their former house did. Rehm found to her surprise that her dining room table fit perfectly; that the new kitchen offered more storage and counter space than the one she’d had before; and that there was room for family heirlooms they hadn’t been able to integrate in the previous house—including two antique girandole mirrors that now hang opposite one another as they’re meant to and a collection of delicate 17th-century Japanese prints.
Rehm’s best discovery, however, has been the joy of living in her new space. With a job that requires her to immerse herself in tough issues every day, she needs a haven from it all. When asked what home means to her, the response is immediate: “Warmth, comfort, relief,” she says. “I feel surrounded by beauty—and I mean both internally and externally. I walk in and see the light and the tops of the trees and I find myself breathing more easily.” She adds, “We feel very fortunate. We moved from a house we just hated to give up—but to an apartment in which we could really be comfortable.”
Photographer Bob Narod is based in Herndon, Virginia.
May/ June 2011
The 2011 design competition organized by the Baltimore- Washington Chapter of the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) welcomed close to 100 entries from area designers. Sponsored by Home & Design, the contest invites experienced area professionals to judge each submission; this year, the jury included Ernesto Santalla, AIA, LEED AP, of Studio Santalla, Inc.; Barbara Hawthorn of Barbara Hawthorn Interiors, Ltd.; Skip Sroka, CID, ASID, of Sroka Design Incorporated; and Sharon Jaffe Dan, editor in chief of Home & Design. Submissions were held to the NKBA’s high standards of design, safety and functionality, and the winners, whose work is featured below, combined those standards with style and flair.
A Warm Welcome read more
Garden Spot read more
Galley Green read more
Contemporary Cool read more
Light & Airy read more
A Seamless Blend read more
A Timeless Design read more
**Out of the array of interior design magazines, Home and Design magazine stands out as a primary idea source for luxury home designs. Wonderful visuals of inspired décor and lush landscapes are combined with expert advice to provide a fundamental reference point for bringing amazing home interior design ideas to life.
May/June 2011
The owner of a 1990s house in Northwest DC wished to retain the home’s traditional architectural detailing while introducing a clean-lined, minimalist design scheme throughout. He called on interior designer Jessica Mowery to do the job, which included an overhaul of the master bath.
Mowery gutted the space to create an expansive spa environment. The owner wanted the room to feel masculine, so the designer chose wide, dark marble floor tiles and textured stone walls. She contrasted these two elements with a bright white, Corian-topped sink and attached Silestone vanity. White marble subway tiles work as the backsplash, and Mowery furnished the space with a Lucite stool by Kartell that can be pulled up to the vanity area.
An adjacent walk-in closet provides plenty of storage. Mowery added recessed lighting by Contrast and bath accessories—including vases by Italian designer Rina Menardi—from Contemporaria to complete the look.
BATH DESIGN: Jessica Mowery, MOW design studio, Silver Spring, MD. CONTRACTOR: RL Contractors, Lorton, VA. PHOTOGRAPHY: Stacy Zarin-Goldberg, Olney, Maryland.
Where To Find It
FIXTURES: Hansgrohe, Kohler through Ferguson, Silver Spring, MD. TILES: Stone Source, Washington, DC. SINK & VANITY: Corian & Silestone, custom by MOW design studio, fabricated by Designer Surfaces Unlimited, Frederick, MD.
**Out of the array of interior design magazines, Home and Design magazine stands out as a primary idea source for luxury home designs. Wonderful visuals of inspired décor and lush landscapes are combined with expert advice to provide a fundamental reference point for bringing amazing home interior design ideas to life.
May/June 2011
Savena Doychinov was charged with updating a non-descript, 35-square-foot master bath in a Falls Church, Virginia, townhouse, while also adding as much storage and countertop space to the tiny room as possible. Other goals for the project included uniting the bath and adjacent bedroom visually to make the space feel more like a master suite; modernizing the bath to create a timeless look; and enlivening the décor by giving it architectural definition.
Doychinov began by installing two floor-to-ceiling recesses to hold glass shelving, both for storage and for decoration. She also replaced the tub with a shower, adding a two-level niche and cladding the back wall in aqua glass tiles inspired by the headboard in the bedroom. Dimmable lighting contributes to the mood as does a range of materials, including custom-cut limestone wall tiles, a wall-hung vanity with a stainless-steel vessel sink and hardware and cherry veneer panels behind the recessed area.
KITCHEN DESIGN: Savena Doychinov; PROJECT MANAGER: Dimiter Doychinov, Design Studio International Kitchen & Bath, LLC, Falls Church, VA. PHOTOGRAPHY: Bob Narod, Herndon, Virginia.
Where To Find It
FIXTURES: Toto, Grohe through JCR Distributors, Dallas, TX. CUSTOM VANITY: Adelphi Kitchens, Robesonia, PA. LIGHTING: WAC Lighting through Y Lighting. LIMESTONE FLOORING & WALLS: Marble Systems, Fairfax, VA.
**Out of the array of interior design magazines, Home and Design magazine stands out as a primary idea source for luxury home designs. Wonderful visuals of inspired décor and lush landscapes are combined with expert advice to provide a fundamental reference point for bringing amazing home interior design ideas to life.
May/June 2011
Space Saver
1. Caroma’s Invisi Series II wall-hung toilet features Smartflush technology, which conserves water through a high-efficiency, low-flush system, saving as much as 330 gallons of water a year per person. With plumbing hidden inside the wall, it is ideal for smaller bathrooms. caromausa.com
A Refined Process
2. Sina Pearson Textiles’ new Global Village Collection of indoor/outdoor fabric uses a polypropylene fiber by-product of the petroleum refining process that would otherwise be incinerated. A GreenShield finish is designed to repel moisture in the most environmentally sound way; the fiber and yarn can be recycled without harmful effects to the environmt.ensinapearson.com
New and Different
3. Kirei Board is a strong, lightweight, durable substitute for wood—usable for furniture, cabinetry (such as the bathroom vanity pictured here), casegoods and other interior design elements. Made from reclaimed sorghum straw and no-added-formaldehyde adhesive, it creates an unusual, modern look. kireiusa.com
Low Impact
4. Earthcrete tubs from Sonoma Cast Stone are made with a recycled, concrete-like material that is lighter than regular concrete. It utilizes no river rock and 87 percent less river and delta sand, which results in a lower impact on local waterways. Tubs are available in a range of colors; embedded heating coils are optional. sonomastone.com
Sculpted Surfaces
5. Architectural Systems, Inc.’s Sculptured Collection offers ultra-textured MDF wall panels made with no-added-urea formaldehyde. Packaged in 100 percent recycled cardboard, these panels come primed in white or unprimed for a natural wood appearance; custom finishes are also available. Pictured here in a room by J. Britto Designs. archsystems.com
The Real Thing
6. NewStyle Hybrid Shutters from Hunter Douglas offer the color and grain pattern of real stained wood with the strength, stability and uniformity of manmade materials. Available in stained and painted finishes and 11 frame styles, they are highly energy efficient and GreenGuard Indoor Air certified.
hunterdouglas.com
Well-Oiled
7. With the petroleum industry under increasing pressure to go green, eco-minded designers are making a statement by turning formerly utilitarian oil drums into recycled furniture. Pictured here, a vibrantly hued stool that is part of a series of Mobil and Texaco oil drum pieces. peoriaemporium.com
Sustainable Seating
8. Discovered on an old military base in Hungary, these vintage stools from the 1940s had plastic backs that were split and faded with time. Retrofitted with reclaimed pine and oak taken from demolished buildings, they now provide durable, recycled seating made from completely sustainable materials. europe2you.com
Great Outdoors
9. Designed by John Reeves for Henry Hall Designs, the Cast Outdoor collection is made of 100 percent recycled aluminum with a durable zinc plate patina finish and FSC-certified teak wood. The collection includes a rectangular dining table and side chairs (pictured), square and round tables in a range of sizes and a bench. henryhalldesigns.com
Friendly Fire
10. Morso’s wood-burning stoves are eco-friendly and energy efficient. The emission of particles during burning is reduced to a minimum through refined combustion technology and advanced purification systems; the stoves are made using 98 percent recycled materials. Pictured here, a wall-mounted stove in cast iron. morsona.com
Color Scheme
11. Mythic paint—the only latex paint that is non-toxic with zero VOCs—has launched a high-end line called Mythic Black Label. Serving as both paint and primer, it’s available in 1,232 colors and in semi-gloss, satin and matte finishes. It features the company’s New Color Capture Technology, which provides richer, more lasting pigments. mythicpaint.com
**Out of the array of interior design magazines, Home and Design magazine stands out as a primary idea source for luxury home designs. Wonderful visuals of inspired décor and lush landscapes are combined with expert advice to provide a fundamental reference point for bringing amazing home interior design ideas to life.
MAY/JUNE 2011
One February day, the clients whose home she’d been hired to remodel approached Annapolis architect Scarlett Breeding with a tall order: completely overhaul their waterfront property from the bottom up in time for a large family gathering over July Fourth, when they all expected to be floating in their new pool. “They had a fabulous waterfront,” says Breeding. “They wanted to create a big outdoor living space that they could use as a family compound.” The owners’ wish list included a new pool and pavilion, dock, outdoor kitchen, spas, water features, patios, retaining walls and more. In essence, they wanted a nine-month project completed in about half that time.
Breeding was up to the task. She quickly flipped the order of events, giving the property priority over the house. She then drew up plans to transform the rundown backyard, with its aged wooden bulkheads and in-ground liner pool, into a terraced, multi-level waterfront playground. She tapped Pyramid Builders as the contractor, while landscape architect Kevin Campion selected plantings and their placement and Walnut Hill Landscape Company took on the task of installing all the stonework and implementing the landscape plan. “The question was how fast we could put it together,” recalls Pyramid vice president Mark Sanders. “It was a full team effort with upwards of 60 people working day to day.”
To make matters more complicated, waterfront restrictions dictated that the job be done in phases because not more than 5,000 square feet could be under construction at one time. “We worked from the water up to the house,” Sanders says. “We built retaining walls, then the pool, the patios and so on.”
The finished space is an idyllic, multi-use retreat that capitalizes on sweeping water views. Slate patios and fieldstone retaining walls delineate zones for gathering, while a grassy play area has been set aside for kids and a sleek pool offers close-up views of the Chesapeake. An outdoor kitchen serves al fresco meals between the house and the pool.
Along with the stonework, Walnut Hill installed two spas with water features that feed into them. Plantings were used to differentiate gathering spaces. “We worked hand-in-hand with Kevin Campion on selecting plantings,” says Mike Prokopchak of Walnut Hill. They chose a lot of native grasses and perennials, including sweetbay magnolia, hydrangea, inkberry holly, hibiscus, Dallas Blues switchgrass along the water and a variety of cone flowers.
To everyone’s amazement, the family was indeed swimming by the Fourth of July. The project’s principal players all attest to the importance of teamwork in getting this monumental job done. “It took a really integrated team,” Breeding says. “The owners are so excited that they bought the property next door and have hired us to work together again!”
Jay Stearns is principal of Landmarks Photography in Maryland.
ARCHITECTURE: SCARLETT BREEDING, AIA, Alt Breeding Schwarz Architects, Annapolis, Maryland. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE: KEVIN CAMPION, Campion Landscape Architecture, Annapolis, Maryland. CONTRACTOR: STEVE MICEK, Pyramid Builders, Annapolis, MD. LANDSCAPING & STONE WORK: MIKE PROKOPCHAK, ASLA, Walnut Hill Landscape Company, Annapolis, Maryland. LIGHTING & IRRIGATION: Terra Nova Design, Crofton, Maryland. POOL: Sunset Pool Contractors, LLC, Tracys Landing, Maryland.
**Out of the array of interior design magazines, Home and Design magazine stands out as a primary idea source for luxury home designs and landscape design ideas. Wonderful visuals of inspired décor and lush landscapes are combined with expert advice to provide a fundamental reference point for bringing amazing home interior design ideas, and outdoor spaces to life.
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MAY/JUNE 2011
Even a penthouse in the Ritz Carlton can offer its share of shortcomings. For Matthew and Julie Hagen, it was standard-grade finishes that diminished the quality of their new home—a fact they luckily realized while the space was still under construction. They called a halt to the proceedings and hired interior designer Lisa Bartolomei to complete the job with a more sophisticated aesthetic in mind. “We wanted our home to be both elegant and comfortable,” says Matt Hagen, whose company manufactures and distributes building products. “We had a specific vision and opinions. Lisa gave us exactly what we had envisioned and more.”
To achieve the couple’s goals, Bartolomei tapped a long-time colleague, architect Ernesto Santalla, for help with the interior architecture. “It was a shell,” Santalla recalls of the original space. “We worked with the client to design the floor plan, built-ins, ceilings and bathrooms. This project offered the utmost in customization."
After consulting with the Hagens, Bartolomei devised a plan that would combine Art Deco and Asian influences to create a clean-lined, modern look throughout the home. Art Deco and Asian furnishings are interspersed with custom pieces—most designed by Bartolomei herself. The couple “appreciated fine detailing and finishes,” the designer says. “They wanted it to be luxurious.”
Visitors now enter the apartment through an elegant foyer lined with mirrored and bronze panels on one side and hand-screened, upholstered silk on the other. A macassar ebony cabinet with goatskin doors designed by Bartolomei makes a bold statement.
Adjoining the entry is the “grand foyer,” a lavishly appointed room paneled in lush, English sycamore with a dropped ceiling painted in 24-karat gold leaf. A custom macassar table and an oversized chandelier of bronze and mica anchor the room. “They wanted a public space,” explains Bartolomei, who built a model of the chandelier out of foam core to determine its size and shape.
Visible beyond the foyer, the living room’s panoramic, fourth-floor vistas bring the Potomac into dramatically close proximity. Though it would be tough to compete with that view, the designers created another focal point with a fireplace flanked by English sycamore built-ins; a Chinese red onyx mantel and surround perfectly blend with the woodwork. “It had to be rich and strong enough to work with the sycamore,” Bartolomei says. Above the mantel, a wide wood panel displays a large encaustic painting; the panel slides over to reveal a flat screen TV that is otherwise completely hidden.
As Matt Hagen recalls, the selection of living room and dining room floors jump-started the entire project. “I wanted a very unique floor that had movement, color and texture to it,” he says. They chose wide-plank rosewood—which took nine months to arrive because the shipment got caught in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. “Matt said they were worth waiting for,” Bartolomei says. “Nothing else looks like rosewood.”
A wide doorway between the dining and living rooms was replaced with a center wall and openings to either side that “create a new flow and a sense of intimacy in the dining room,” says Bartolomei. In addition to a macassar ebony pedestal dining table and faux shagreen leather chairs, the dining room is home to two favorite pieces: a tall, red Chinese wedding chest and an African fertility gate that Bartolomei acquired at auction. A wall of lacquered panels at one end of room conceals the door to the modern kitchen, which houses Poggenpohl cabinetry made of wenge and sand-blasted glass.
Throughout the apartment, Ernesto Santalla designed the ceilings to feature different types of lighting and to generate visual interest. “We tend to locate everything within reach,” he explains. “We often neglect the ceiling plane.” Santalla worked with lighting designer Wayne Hinson to integrate the ceiling details with the lighting plan.
One-of-a-kind finishes and furnishings abound in every room of the home. The office, converted from one of the penthouse’s three bedrooms, contains a custom zebra wood desk, while paneling and built-ins in African movingui wood create a serene and polished vibe. The powder room boasts a sink console and back wall made entirely of onyx; a stucco faux finish covers the rest of the walls. The guest room walls are upholstered in silk and an eight-and-a-half-foot tall upholstered headboard is recessed into the wall. The guest bath is surfaced in slabs of Botticino marble.
While a palette of browns and oranges prevails throughout much of the apartment, the master bedroom is a study in white: plush carpeting (requiring a no-shoes policy) complements an ultrasuede upholstered wall and headboard, bedding, club chairs and a leather-wrapped dresser. In the center of the rectangular room, a custom white-lacquered chest designed by Bartolomei offers drawers for storage on one side while on the other it conceals a flat-screen TV that can be raised for viewing from the bed. Art Deco occasional pieces in dark wood punctuate the expanse, and rosewood paneled closets with goatskin parchment fronts flank one wall. The spacious master bath is clad entirely in heavily veined Porto st. Laurent marble.
The Hagens are “ecstatic” with their elegant and luxurious home, and both Bartolomei and Santalla attribute the project’s success to their creative collaboration. As Bartolomei says, “You get a better result when you put your strengths together.”
Photographer Geoffrey Hodgdon is based in Deale, Maryland.
INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE: ERNESTO M. SANTALLA, AIA, LEED AP, Studio Santalla, Inc., Washington, DC. INTERIOR DESIGN: LISA BARTOLOMEI, Bartolomei & Co., Washington, DC. CONTRACTOR: Horizon Builders, Crofton, Maryland.
**Out of the array of interior design magazines, Home and Design magazine stands out as a primary idea source for luxury home designs. Wonderful visuals of inspired décor and lush landscapes are combined with expert advice to provide a fundamental reference point for bringing amazing home interior design ideas to life.
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MARCH/APRIL 2011
Multiple Choices
A collaborative creation of Swiss furniture manufacturer Vitra and Italian designer Antonio Citterio, the Suita Sofa system comes with a component to extend the back rest for greater head support, shelves that can be mounted onto the back and a platform that can double as a table or ottoman. Available with firm or soft cushions at Contemporaria in DC. contemporaria.com
Cocktail Hour
The Collins Bar from DC’s Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams features doors with a distinctive walnut veneer in a sunburst pattern, a polished stainless-steel base and back panel, and trim that runs the length of the doors. Inside, two adjustable glass shelves, a removable wood riser and a pull-out shelf provide space for storage. mgbwhome.com
Marvelously Minimal
The clean-lined, minimalist Delaney chair from Ethan Allen offers a modern take on the slipper chair, with updates that include crisp, curved lines and a generous seat. Available in leather, fabric or a combination of the two, with optional nailhead trim, at Ethan Allen showrooms in Maryland and Virginia. ethanallen.com
A Simple Secretary
Designed and built by Hardwood Artisans, this secretary has a pull-down cover that conceals a sturdy desktop. Small drawers for pens or notepads and paper holders help keep things organized; the cover can be closed to hide clutter. Available in seven hardwoods and multiple stain options at Hardwood Artisans in Rockville and Alexandria. hardwoodartisans.com
The Brothers Keno
Twin brothers Leigh and Leslie Keno, who have been appraising furniture for PBS’s “Antiques Roadshow” since 1997, now have their own furniture line. Pictured here, The Flying Buttress, a console topped with waterfall bubinga (a blond wood with a swirling grain) above a hammered aluminum base. At Sheffield Furniture & Interiors in Rockville and Dulles. sheffieldfurniture.com
Cushioned Comfort
The Hess sofa from DC’s Room & Board combines contemporary lines with deep cushions for comfort. Pictured here as a two-piece round sectional, the sofa is available in three styles and in eight hues of top-grain Fifth Avenue leather. roomandboard.com
One of a Kind
An original design by custom furniture maker Art Woodstone Studio, this one-of-a-kind quarter-sawn oak and Bolivian rosewood game table includes two velvet-lined, solid heart-pine wood drawer boxes and solid oak pullouts for drinks. Available at Art Woodstone Studio, LLC, in Herndon. artwoodstonestudio.com
In the Neighborhood
Local interior designer Paula Grace Halewski of Paula Grace Designs, Inc.,
has designed her BeautifulX2 Curio Tables in three sizes, pictured here. Made out of maple from sustainable forests, the tables are finished in low-VOC paint or stain. Finishes include black, white, off-white, gray and red; custom colors and stains are also available. paulagracedesigns.com
Trés Elegant
Modularity and elegance are the key concepts of the Hydra Enif armchair. Designed by Luca Scacchetti and made in Italy by Poltrona Frau, it’s available with a choice of two backrest and arm configurations and in 97 vibrant colors. At Poltrona Frau in DC. frauwashington.com
Historically Accurate
Craftsmen at Statton Furniture reproduced this bonnet-top highboy in the Queen Anne style from a 1765 original attributed to prominent Massachusetts cabinetmaker Major Benjamin Frothingham. At Statton Furniture in Hagerstown, MD. statton.com
**Out of the array of interior design magazines, Home and Design magazine stands out as a primary idea source for luxury home designs. Wonderful visuals of inspired décor and lush landscapes are combined with expert advice to provide a fundamental reference point for bringing amazing home interior design ideas to life.
MARCH/APRIL 2011
The Ultimate Glider
Marvin Windows and Doors has re-invented the glider window with modern features and performance. The Clad Ultimate Glider features recessed hardware, one-hand operation, auto-locking, extruded aluminum cladding and a system for drainage. The windows are available in seven wood species and 19 exterior clad colors. marvin.com
Quartz Time
Known for its natural stone, porcelain, ceramic and metal tiles and slabs, Daltile now has a new collection: Daltile One Quartz. This man-made material, pictured here as a countertop, comes in 24 colors and two lines, Geo Flecks and Micro Flecks. Each offers a slightly different surface grain. daltile.com
Interactive Design
Newly founded Studio Herisson offers on-demand, customizable wallpaper featuring the designs of contemporary artists. Homeowners can visit the company’s interactive Web site to input room dimensions, then choose design, color palette, size and scale of graphics and more. studioherisson.com
Good Luck Symbol
Moravian Star Pendants from Meyda Custom Lighting are handcrafted from clear, seedy art glass in a design that dates back hundreds of years to a period in Moravia when the star symbolized protection and good luck in the home. These fixtures come in a variety of colors, sizes and styles and in a mahogany bronze, hand-applied finish. Energy-efficient options are available. meyda.com
A Prism of Color
Modono Glass has a new line of tiles that are manufactured utilizing dichroic (color changing) thin-film technology—a process that produces a prism of shifting hues. Available in multiple sizes, the Modono Glass Tile Collection was developed by interior designer Carrie Fazio. modonoglass.com
Wonderful Weave
Architectural Systems, Inc., uses dimensional milling techniques and hand-applied finishes to create textural woven panel surfaces for its new Woven Collection. Ideal for interior applications such as walls and ceilings, screens, fixtures and furniture, these surfaces feature wood veneers in Unfinished Natural and Specialty Woven lines. archsystems.com
Sculptural Sink
The Cenedese glass sink from Hastings Tile & Bath doubles as sculpture for the bath. Handmade in Murano, Italy, by master glass blowers, each is unique. Available in virtually any color combination, the sink measures approximately 16 inches in diameter; lead time is eight to 10 weeks. hastingstilebath.com
**Out of the array of interior design magazines, Home and Design magazine stands out as a primary idea source for luxury home design and building/remodeling features. Wonderful visuals of custom homes and eco-friendly resources are combined with expert advice to provide a fundamental reference point for bringing amazing home interior design and remodeling projects to life.
MARCH/APRIL 2011
Susan and Michael Keenan had always wanted to live by the water. So when they decided to leave the bustling McLean, Virginia, area for a quieter, slower-paced lifestyle, they were thrilled to find five acres along the Severn River in Annapolis. And this was not just any five acres; it included an existing, one-story fisherman’s cottage, literally 35 feet from the water—a proximity that would have been impossible to duplicate with today’s waterfront zoning requirements.
There was only one problem: The cottage was more like a shack—and a shack in disrepair. Since the Keenans’ plan was to live in the fisherman’s cottage while they built a larger home close by, they realized they’d better tackle the cottage first. They hired architect Scarlett Breeding of Alt Breeding Schwartz to spearhead a complete overhaul of the structure that would adhere to the original footprint while at the same time increasing living space and taking advantage of the location’s remarkable vistas.
The cottage nestles at the bottom of a steep drive, with wooded hillsides rising up to either side of it while the river flows behind. Breeding designed a vertically oriented house with tall ceilings “to maximize its presence between the two hills,” she explains. The house—three stories high and 28 feet wide by 36 feet deep—sits 14 feet above the flood plane with a dock that stretches out almost from the house, providing a home for the family’s boat. “We can fish from our deck,” Michael Keenan, a retired telecommunications executive, says with delight.
In this unusual home the river is a powerful presence, and Breeding took this into account when making her design decisions. Walls of floor-to-ceiling windows offer panoramic views from every level, and from the top floors (where the small strip of land separating the house from the water isn’t visible), there’s an uncanny sense that the house itself is floating on the water.
The first floor houses a spacious foyer and what Breeding calls a “multi-purpose room” with its own bath and deck, currently in use as a bedroom suite for one of the couple’s teenage sons. The second floor contains the main living area, for which Breeding designed an open-plan layout that encompasses kitchen, dining and living rooms to make the rather narrow space feel larger. Beyond the kitchen, a narrow laundry room/home office and pantry includes a wall of windows overlooking the slope of the driveway. “Because of the size of the house, every inch of space had to be used,” Breeding explains. “It’s functional and the windows make it work and keep it feeling open.”
Breeding included an elevator shaft (currently doubling as closet space on each floor) in the event that the up-and-down lifestyle of the house ever becomes problematic; a wide staircase wraps around it. The third floor houses a spacious master suite with a spectacular river view that’s visible even from the shower, where Breeding installed a window. “When we lie in bed we don’t see a thing but water,” says Susan Keenan. A giant mirror in the master bath faces the bedroom to reflect the light. Another bedroom with its own bath is located down a short hall; it belongs to the couple’s other teenage son.
The Keenans liked the idea of their rustic fisherman’s cottage, so Breeding followed that vision in her choices for design and materials. Natural timber columns support each of the three decks, with thin cable rails to minimize intrusions on the view. The exterior siding is board and batten, and bead-board wainscoting appears consistently throughout the interior. “The windows are Cottage-style, two-over-two windows with extra large panes,” Breeding says.
Susan Keenan played a major role in the interior design, working with interior designer Maria Galiani to choose a palette of soft colors for the walls and a range of natural materials that connect the house to its environment, including clefted slate floors on the bottom level, limestone in the baths and kitchen backsplash and granite for the kitchen counters; flat-plank, sawn-oak floors impart warmth on the second and third levels. In the main living space, the clean-lined fireplace provides a focal point, with a floor-to-ceiling, clefted-slate surround and a massive, eye-catching, antique twisted-pine mantelpiece.
The Keenans have been living in the house just over a year now, as— in the hands of Alt Breeding Schwartz—their sprawling, Old World European-style house slowly takes shape on one of the hills above. According to Michael Keenan, it will be another year or so before they can move into it—but the family is in no hurry to leave their quaint fisherman’s cottage. “We love it,” Keenan says. “It’s just what we wanted.”
Photographer Anne Gummerson is based in Baltimore, Maryland.
ARCHITECTURE: SCARLETT BREEDING, AIA, project manager; SARAH FAVARO, lead designer, Alt Breeding Schwartz Architects, Annapolis, Maryland. INTERIOR DESIGN: MARIA GALIANI, Galiani Design Group, McLean, Virginia. CONSTRUCTION: TIM MCGRATH, McGrath Builders Inc., Stevensville, Maryland.
**Out of the array of interior design magazines, Home and Design magazine stands out as a primary idea source for luxury home design and building/remodeling features. Wonderful visuals of custom homes and eco-friendly resources are combined with expert advice to provide a fundamental reference point for bringing amazing home interior design and remodeling projects to life.
MARCH/APRIL 2011
For Sebastian Kim, construction runs in the family. The founder and principal of Potomac Design Build grew up in the construction industry—his father owned a construction firm—and Kim’s first dream was to be an architect. He left the University of Maryland with an undergraduate degree in architecture but decided not to proceed: He was ready to get out in the world and start building. “I worked for other firms for a while, then about 15 years ago I started my own remodeling business,” he recalls.
Eventually, remodeling turned to custom building and Kim found a niche building homes in the $2 to $3 million range. “We were building two homes a year,” he says. Many of them were spec homes, which, with the economy’s downturn, became difficult to sell. These days, Potomac Design Build has come full-circle back to remodeling projects—again, a symptom of the economy. Either way, however, the company’s values are the same. “Because we’re a small company, we’re detail-oriented and provide close customer service,” Kim says. “I like to see what’s happening first-hand on my projects.”
With his architecture background, Kim takes a hands-on role in the design process. “I develop a concept of the project after talking to the client, then I approach one of the architecture firms that we work with for layouts and ideas,” he explains (he works frequently with DC architecture firm Studio Z, for example). “I then take the layouts and modify them according to the needs of the clients.”
During construction, Kim and his four-person team handle much of the work in-house, including finishes, millwork, baths and kitchens. The firm sub-contracts framing, roofing, siding and windows. Kim prefers larger projects because “I like the big vision of the home,” he says, adding, “We build homes that have architectural vision. I think that’s the advantage of working with us.”
Pictured are two custom spec homes completed and sold by Potomac Design Build in the last couple of years. Each was constructed using top-of-the-line building materials like copper piping and cast-iron drain pipe systems, instant hot water heaters and numerous high-efficiency HVAC units per home for zoned heat and air. Custom millwork and high-end finishes abound. “My philosophy is that homebuyers should get value for their money,” Kim says. “A $3 million home should be worth $3 million. I don’t cut corners.”
Despite the economy’s vicissitudes, Kim feels positive about Potomac Design Build and what the firm has been able to accomplish. “I’m very happy running this business,” he says. “It can be tough but it’s given me the freedom to achieve what I want to.”
Facts & Stats
Potomac Design Build handles custom home construction as well as remodeling projects.
Specialties
Sebastian Kim emphasizes green design in his building practices.
Inquiries
Potomac Design Build, Inc.,
2832 A Dorr Avenue,Fairfax, Virginia 22031
240-535-0088
potomacdesignbuild.com
email: [email protected]
**Out of the array of interior design magazines, Home and Design magazine stands out as a primary idea source for luxury home design and building/remodeling features. Wonderful visuals of custom homes and eco-friendly resources are combined with expert advice to provide a fundamental reference point for bringing amazing home interior design and remodeling projects to life.
MARCH/APRIL 2011
The airy, glass-fronted Silver Spring Civic Building and adjoining Veterans’ Plaza, which opened in July 2010, provides a hub for community activities and events. Designed by Paul Schlapobersky of Boston-based Machado and Silvetti Associates, the civic center and plaza are open on all sides to the downtown Silver Spring neighborhood, conveying energy and a sense of inclusiveness. On Memorial Day Weekend 2011, the plaza, which houses a pavilion and ice skating rink, will unveil a memorial commemorating the service of veterans in Montgomery County, featuring artwork by Frederick County sculptor Toby Mendez.
ARCHITECTURE: PAUL SCHLAPOBERSKY, AIA, Machado and Silvetti Associates, Boston, Massachusetts. COORDINATING ARCHITECTURE: NICHOLAS GERMANO, AIA, The Lukmire Partnership, Arlington, Virginia. CONSTRUCTION: Costello Construction, Columbia, Maryland. PHOTOGRAPHY: ANTON GRASSL/ESTO.
**Out of the array of interior design magazines, Home and Design magazine stands out as a primary idea source for luxury home design and building/remodeling features. Wonderful visuals of custom homes and eco-friendly resources are combined with expert advice to provide a fundamental reference point for bringing amazing home interior design and remodeling projects to life.
MARCH/APRIL 2011
For many years, the home of Sherry Keys and David Parker stood out as the one with the pink stucco and teal trim, perched on a tree-lined street of brick ramblers and Cape Cods. The couple purchased the house in 1992 with plans to replace bathrooms and do something (anything!) with that pink façade—but years passed before the first changes took place. The house, originally a rambler, had undergone a major renovation in the mid-’80s, and it wasn’t until 2000 that Keys, an ophthalmologist, and Parker, a scientist, were ready to renovate.
The couple tapped Jones Carnemark of Carnemark systems + design for the job, but oddly enough, that first renovation didn’t include either the bathrooms or the home’s exterior—a fact that today has Sherry Keys laughing and shaking her head. Instead, they opted to overhaul the kitchen and family room; living in the house for a while had turned those areas into a priority. “There was a pagoda-like structure on the back of the house for storage,” Carnemark recalls. “We enclosed it to increase the size of the family room, making it one big space.”
The wall between the dining room and kitchen became an entryway, establishing circulation between the two rooms; Carnemark installed pocket doors in the dining room entry, with an etched glass design that echoes the window design in the home’s front door. Today, the back of the house consists of one spacious room, with the kitchen flowing into the family room as well as the dining room. Behind the house, Carnemark replaced a small brick patio with a larger deck.
After this initial phase, Keys and Parker took a break to “recover,” as Keys puts it. In 2009, she and her husband finally got back in touch with Carnemark to update those bathrooms and tackle the home’s exterior. “I wanted the space cleaned up visually,” Keys explains. The second renovation, spearheaded by Carnemark lead designer Michael Stehlik, included the bathrooms and the front and side façades.
The result is a streamlined space that is clutter-free and exudes a feeling of tranquility and comfort—with renovated bathrooms that perfectly reflect this sensibility. The powder room has smooth, Brazilian gray slate floors (also installed on the floor of the foyer and around the living room fireplace for continuity), and clefted, gray slate walls. “The ceiling line was a problem,” says Stehlik. “We moved it over to create a recess along the wall for the lighting.” Positioned to reflect off the walls, the lights make the space seem bigger than it is. A square sink made of layered green glass creates a focal point in the room.
Upstairs, the bathroom shared by the couple’s two boys was re-tiled in a bright, blue-green ceramic glaze. In the master suite, the designers reconfigured the closet and bathroom areas, opening the space by removing the wall that had separated the closet from the bath. They also borrowed about two feet from a neighboring bedroom to accommodate a new, spacious shower enclosure at the far end of the bath. A separate room houses the toilet and a tiny, glass-topped sink with a painted underside and a polished steel frame.
In the master bath, sleek his-and-hers sinks face each other across an expanse of limestone flooring. “The walls are all a combination of limestone and Lagos Azul,” says Stehlik. “The cabinets are wenge. And we strategically relocated windows for light.” The shower, enclosed by etched glass for privacy, is a rectangle with a long, narrow drain at one end; the floor slants about two inches towards the drain so that there is plenty of room to stand at the other end and dry off without getting wet. And—Sherry Keys’s favorite part of the renovation—the bathroom floor is heated.
The outside of Keys’s and Parker’s home changed even more dramatically than the inside. Pink and teal were replaced with charcoal gray and black trim, and the front door was painted a dark red. The walkway was straightened to provide cleaner angles. Carnemark used an impervious stucco product in place of the old, leaky stucco, and replaced the living room windows with ones with larger panes and a more contemporary look. “We also added new energy systems,” he says. “Spray foam insulation in the attic and a tank-less hot water heater that heats only as it’s being used.”
Lighting the exterior correctly was important to Carnemark—and the results were worth the effort. Keys and her husband love their home’s new façade, as well as the changes inside. As Stehlik describes it, “The house really glows.”
Maxwell MacKenzie is a photographer based in Washington, DC.
DESIGN & RENOVATION: Jonas CARNEMARK, principal; MICHAEL STEHLIK, lead designer, Carnemark systems + design inc., Bethesda, Maryland.
**Out of the array of interior design magazines, Home and Design magazine stands out as a primary idea source for luxury home design and building/remodeling features. Wonderful visuals of custom homes and eco-friendly resources are combined with expert advice to provide a fundamental reference point for bringing amazing home interior design and remodeling projects to life.
MARCH/APRIL 2011
Born and bred in Alabama, Gina Jones is drawn to the stately demeanor of many traditional Southern homes. When she and her husband, Dennis Porter, purchased their Oakton, Virginia, house, however, it was sorely lacking in stateliness. “The house had great bones but not much personality,” Jones recalls. One of a row of model homes belonging to an adjacent development, it was positioned sideways on its one-acre lot, without a formal front entrance. After living in the house for some years, Jones, an Internet publisher, and Porter, an Air Force officer, were ready to renovate.
They tapped Sonny Nazemian of Michael Nash Custom Kitchens & Homes, Inc., for the job, which originally entailed pushing out the back of the house to get extra space. “I drew up plans,” Nazemian says, “but none of it satisfied what Gina really wanted. When we suggested adding onto the front instead, it all fell into place.”
Jones had long been frustrated by her home’s uninspired front façade. “I wanted a Southern, antebellum look like what I grew up with,” she says. She requested a two-level porch, and once Nazemian and his team re-oriented the entry to the front and painted the HardiePlank siding a vivid, inviting blue, the gracious, Southern-style home Jones had always wanted began to emerge.
Inside, the two-story addition includes a spacious foyer that has been embellished with wide crown molding and pillars to communicate traditional elegance. The foyer opens seamlessly into an open-plan living room/dining room that is more contemporary in style, and injects a welcome formality to the rest of the house.
Adjacent to the foyer, Nazemian added a guest suite with a private entrance and a Brazilian slate-tiled bath that boasts granite countertops and cherry cabinetry. This convenient guest suite is intended to accommodate long-term visits from Jones’s aging parents.
Upstairs, a new master bedroom suite more than doubled the size of the old one, and includes a roomy walk-in closet that borrowed space from the bedroom next door (which belongs to Jones’s college-age daughter). The master suite opens out onto the upstairs porch, where an expansive view of the wooded property stretches ahead. In a corner of the room, Nazemian installed a gas fireplace, elevating it so that the couple would be able to see it from their bed. Elaborate cornices and swags, fabricated by Nazemian’s staff of interior designers, adorn the windows.
The master bath includes a double vanity and soaking tub, a walk-in shower with one hand-held and two attached showerheads, and heated floors and towel racks. Nazemian chose structured porcelain, which has a textured, rugged look, for the floors and shower and tub surrounds, along with cherry cabinets and granite countertops. Warm, cream-colored walls give the space a restful, inviting air.
Nazemian updated the home’s interiors throughout by replacing standard oak floors on the ground floor and wall-to-wall carpeting on the stairway and second floor with richly stained Brazilian cherry wood. He removed a half-wall that had separated the living room area from what was formerly the entryway to impart a sense of openness, and clad wood pillars in wainscoting to formalize the living room space.
According to Nazemian, the main goal of the project was to create an addition that would seamlessly blend the new and existing sections of the house. “Nobody should feel that this was added,” he says, pointing to the exterior expanse that now constitutes the front of the house
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In fact, this was easier said than done. “Changing the elevation and adding the porch were the most challenging aspects,” Nazemian recalls. “Grading was extremely difficult because of the sloped front yard and trees. The foundation had to be deeper than we originally thought.”
The results of his firm’s labors have been well worth it: The project just received a 2010 Contractor of the Year Award. Meanwhile, Jones and her husband are thrilled with their transformed space. “It gave me exactly what I wanted,” Jones says. “It has been enjoyed and lived in.”
Photographer June Stanich is based in Fairfax, Virginia.
RENOVATION DESIGN/Build: SONNY NAZEMIAN, CID, CR, CKBR, Michael Nash Design Build & Homes, Inc., Fairfax, Virginia.
**Out of the array of interior design magazines, Home and Design magazine stands out as a primary idea source for luxury home design and building/remodeling features. Wonderful visuals of custom homes and eco-friendly resources are combined with expert advice to provide a fundamental reference point for bringing amazing home interior design and remodeling projects to life.
