JULY/AUGUST 2010
A West Coast native, Michael Hampton got his start in San Francisco but arrived in Washington six years ago to work as a senior designer for the renowned Thomas Pheasant. “It took my experience to a whole new level,” Hampton says appreciatively. After five years he felt ready to go out on his own, and so far he hasn’t looked back. “I love it,” he says. “I wish I’d done it sooner.”
For Hampton, one of the fascinations of interior design is what he describes as “the way a room can change the way one feels.” His own home is a perfect example: It’s a 1937 DC Colonial that imparts warmth and elegance at the same time. “I’ve surrounded myself with things I love,” Hampton says, referring to an eclectic collection of furnishings and accessories—from a Ming Dynasty sculpture of a meditative Chinese scholar to a foam-core Corinthian column rescued from the old Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. These pieces blend seamlessly, adding interest and personality to the home.
Hampton moved here with his partner three and a half years ago. They loved the house, but found the interior dark and “choppy.” So Hampton pulled down the wall separating the kitchen and dining room, creating an airy kitchen and breakfast room, and converted a dark-paneled study into a formal dining room. A light, fresh palette of neutrals and soft blues provides the backdrop to a selection of artwork—including graceful architectural watercolors by Hampton, whose first gallery exhibit is upcoming at John Matthew Moore Fine Arts in McLean, Virginia.
INTERIOR DESIGN: Michael Hampton, Michael Hampton Design, Washington, DC.
**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 2010
Take a Seat
Norwegian furniture company Variér specializes in stylish, ultra-contemporary seating. Designed by Olav Eldøy, Date is a dining chair with a tilting mechanism hidden beneath the upholstery that makes it both comfortable and ergonomic. A zipper runs down the back for easy cleaning. www.varierfurniture.com
Open Space
The Open Space collection by Cédric Ragot for Roche Bobois is framed in molded plywood to create a light, airy design. Available in matte or lacquer finish in four colors. Pictured here, the Open Space console. www.rochebobois.com
Mosaic Madness
Ercole is a New York City company that specializes in the creation of made-to-order mosaic furniture. Pictured here, the Milano Bar Cabinet is built from oak with a steel base; finishes include bleached ivory, chocolate, wenge and walnut. Its doors are covered in glass mosaic tile. Available through Michael Cleary. www.ercolehome.com
Minimalist Mode
Designer Patricia Urquiola’s Lowland modular sofa was created for Italian furniture company Moroso. Its arms, seat and back have been molded into minimalist shapes that can be reconfigured to suit the individual. Available in a variety of fabric colors; the shapes can also be configured into a bed. www.moroso.it
A Quilted Effect
The centerpiece of Ligne Roset’s 2010 collection is Ruché, a line of seating designed by Inga Sempé. The bench pictured here has a simply structured base with a quilted seat that lends it a soft, welcoming sensibility. Ruché also includes a sofa; the legs can be made with dark- or light-stained wood. www.ligne-roset-usa.com
The Art of Asymmetry
The gracefully asymmetrical bench from Eurotrend’s Elizabetha collection has double oval backs in different sizes that can be upholstered or left hollow. The collection, which also includes a side chair, armchair, lounge chair and barstool, is available in 24 wood finishes and custom upholstery. www.eurotrendusa.com
A Sinuous Shape
Vague, a curvaceous armchair from Flou, comes in both an indoor and an outdoor version. For indoor use, a soft, glossy, lacquered thermoplastic surface in red or white makes it a comfortable perch for reclining; for outdoors, recycled polyethylene gives the chair durability in a range of bright colors. www.flou.it
**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 2010
The Beauty of Wood
Armstrong Hardwood fashions hand-sculpted wood planks into flooring to create an authentically aged look. The flooring comes in a variety of hardwoods, including walnut. A softly textured surface and subtly pillowed edges characterize this hand-stained flooring. www.armstrong.com
Terrazzo Tile
FritzTile is the go-to flooring product for interior designer Kirsten Kaplan of Haus Interior Design. Thin, flexible marble terrazzo tile “is one of the most unique flooring materials I’ve seen,” Kaplan says. “It’s gorgeous, and my client used it in a master bath for a very contemporary look. Soft underfoot, eco-friendly, and no bothersome grout to clean!” Available through Classic Floor Designs in DC. www.classicfloordesigns.info
Making Marble
The Marmol Carrara Blanco tile series offers rectified porcelain tiles (cut after firing for consistency of size), pictured here in 23-inch squares. These tiles replicate the tones of highly prized marble while maintaining the ease of care of floor tile. Available at Porcelanosa in Rockville in both wall and floor tiles and in multiple sizes. www.porcelanosa.com
Broadloom Bonanza
Karastan’s 2010 Broadloom collection includes 20 designs; some are new while others are updates of previous lines. Pictured here, Agave Reflections is a classic Karastan pattern: a sisal wool carpet that recreates the characteristics of a natural sisal weave. With an understated herringbone pattern, it’s at home in a traditional or contemporary environment. www.karastan.com
Colorful Kilims
Designer Sandra Figuerola’s reversible wool kilims impart vibrant colors and contemporary patterns to an age-old textile form. These kilims are available in three lively patterns—Catania, Palermo and Siracusa—and a range of sizes. Designed for Gan Rugs, part of Spanish home-design company Gandia Blasco, Inc. www.gan-rugs.com
Bella Italia
Antolini Luigi’s new Signature Stone Collection includes 12 unique varieties of granite and quartzite from quarries around the world. The stones in the collection are versatile, dramatic and provocative—and perfect for any flooring application. Pictured here, a bedroom in Capolavoro granite. Available through Marva Marble & Granite, Inc., in Beltsville, Maryland, and NSI LLC, in Glen Burnie, Maryland. www.antoliniusa.com
Designer's Pick
On a recent condo project, designer Barbara Hawthorn used a pre-finished, engineered hardwood floor, M Series by Model, from Model Hardwood Inc. “I found that it suited many different applications and design styles,” she says. The floor pictured here is Akoya in a maple finish. Available through Carpet Impressions, McLean, Virginia. www.pgmodel.com
The Durability Factor
Parqcolor Gold is a laminate from Abet Laminati that combines the warmth of wood with extreme wearability. Available in more than 50 various wood species, it makes a no-maintenance, high-resistance flooring option; planks are seven and a half inches wide. www.abetlaminati.com
Beautifully Braided
The Hampton area rug from Capel Rugs offers a crisp, basket-weave look. Part of the Hampton Collection, it’s woven by hand with sturdy wool-blend yarns and crafted with a low pile for maximum comfort and durability. The color palette ranges from tonal neutrals to primary brights, making it easy to coordinate these collections with any décor. www.capelrugs.com/hampton
**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 2010
On March 11, architects, builders and designers gathered for the most recent installment of For the Greener Good, a lecture series at DC’s National Building Museum. Titled “Greening the Supply Chain,” the event shed light on the movement towards sustainable building and design. The moderator was Ken Langer, president of the Architectural Energy Corporation. Panelists included Gwen Davidow, director of corporate programs for the World Environment Center; Kirsten Richie, director of sustainability for Gensler's Asia-Pacific region; and Nadav Malin, vice president of publishing company BuildingGreen, LLC.
While there are still more questions than answers revolving around the topic of sustainability today, the following insights should help homeowners make wiser choices as they embark on their own building or remodeling projects.
How do we define green building?
Richie: There are five key concepts in green building:
1. Less space, less stuff used more intensively.
2. Continually innovate for carbon-neutrality; get the CO2 out of our building stock.
3. Build at plant, assemble at job site. Forty percent of construction waste comes from the building environment.
4. Sustainability doesn’t equal austerity. It can be beautiful.
5. If I don’t ask, they won’t tell me. Be sure to ask for information on materials.
How can you tell what products are really green?
Malin: It’s not just about choosing the right product; it’s about how you use it. For example, recycled rubber flooring is great outdoors or in a well-ventilated space. But even though it’s great from a waste-management standpoint, some of that recycled rubber off-gasses toxic stuff. So it’s best to have a level of information to allow you to make value judgments based on your own priorities. Our publication, GreenSpec, is a vetted directory of products for sustainability. You can assess products in it by category.
If the product includes information, can’t the consumer make a choice based on that information, like labels on food?
Malin: No, there has to be some sort of third-party verification to be sure the information is correct. When I make a food choice it affects me. When I made a green choice it affects everybody.
What avenues can we as consumers pursue to help the process?
Malin: Stay local when you can. If I’m buying wood locally I can see how those trees are harvested, I can see the impact on the ecosystem. If not, I don’t have a connection to it.
Some people don’t want to be experts. They just want to do the right thing. How can we do this without going crazy?
Davidow: We need certification of a baseline so that there’s regulation in the industry. The goal should be that the consumer assumes a basic level of green in a product. But the devil is in the details—how do we get there?
Is there a push for manufacturers to build on-site, in clustered assembly sites that minimize waste and carbon footprints?
Davidow: Yes, and it’s a great way to do it, but it will take government incentives to create an environment with the level of encouragement where it really happens.
Is the third-party LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification program driving this movement into greener products more than any other institutional factor?
Richie: Clearly, LEED has done a phenomenal job building awareness and getting manufacturers to ask the right questions. It’s also helped because it’s a global platform for how we’re quantifying green from a building perspective.
What about Cradle-To-Cradle certification?
Richie: LEED is building certification; Cradle-To-Cradle is certification on the product side. It’s one of a growing number of holistic programs to help certify for the consumer whether a product is truly green or not.
Can you be cheapest and best environmentally at the same time when it comes to sustainability?
Richie: I don’t believe green and low-cost are mutually exclusive; I think in many cases they are closely aligned, especially when it comes to building products. On the one hand we have very mature industries with huge volume so they can spread out costs, which makes them low-cost providers. But there’s nothing innovative or new going on there. On the other hand, green-product companies are small operations, very innovative, investing and using money wisely. The costs for established
businesses are artificially low because they don’t innovate or invest. The challenge is to reinvigorate them so their true cost is reflected.
Do we have to make sacrifices to pay deference to the environment?
Richie: It depends on what you mean by sacrifice. We want people to live a lifestyle that’s of benefit to the entire community. Maybe there are changes in behavior and choices. Is that austere? I don’t think so.
For information on building green, visit the U. S. Green Building Council Web site at www.usgbc.org. To view a video of this lecture and others in the For the Greener Good series, visit the National Building Museum Web site at www.nbm.org.
**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 2010
A non-descript 1970s-era office building in downtown DC just became cutting edge. Newly renovated, its fifth and sixth floors are now home to the U.S. Green Building Council Headquarters, which recently won Platinum-level LEED certification. “It’s arguably the greenest office space on the planet,” say lead architect Kendall Wilson of Envision Design.
According to Wilson, the USGBC wanted to set an example by drastically reducing energy use. It worked: A combination of natural light and a lighting plan that works at different levels throughout the space has reduced energy output by more than half. In addition, the use of salvaged gumwood paneling and recycled furnishings, fabrics and carpets reflects an eco-friendly mantra. Indoor plants, water features and long-distance views of the outdoors all emphasize a connection to nature.
"The big take-away,” Wilson says, “is that if you can do a smart interior it will have a huge impact.”
RENOVATION ARCHITECTURE: Kendall P. Wilson, FAIA, FIIDA, LEED AP, principal in charge; Rod Letonia, AIA, LEED AP, project director,
Envision Design, PLLC, Washington, DC. CONTRACTOR: James G. Davis Construction, McLean, Virginia.
**Out of the array of interior design magazines, Home and Design magazine stands out as a primary idea source for luxury home designs and coverage of luxury living. Wonderful visuals of luxury getaways and dining options are combined with inspired decor to provide a fundamental reference point for bringing luxury to life in home interiors and beyond.
MAY/JUNE 2010
In 1976, the picturesque, waterfront city of Annapolis beckoned Bob Hammond, AIA, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s school of architecture and then a member of a Philadelphia architecture firm. “I wanted to be near water and it was a perfect town to combine architecture and waterside life,” he recalls.
Hammond moved his family and hung out his shingle in Annapolis, creating his own architecture firm. In 1992, Leo Wilson, AIA, LEED AP, another Chesapeake-area fan and fellow alumnus of University of Pennsylvania’s school of architecture, joined the practice. Wilson and Hammond turned out to have other things in common as well—in particular, “a similar design sensibility,” says Wilson, who became a partner in 2000.
Today, Hammond Wilson Architects does a thriving business, about 70 percent of which is residential. “We don’t respond to fads of the moment,” Hammond says. “We want our designs to stand the test of time.”
According to Wilson, the firm’s architecture reflects the region in which they are building: They work in what Wilson refers to as a “Chesapeake vernacular. We build a lot of houses on the water so our architecture reflects that lifestyle.”
Since the shift in the economy, Hammond Wilson has seen an increase in renovations over new construction, and a wider range in the size of projects. There’s also a greater emphasis on green design, as a response to both environmental and economic issues. With the firm’s focus on timeless design, these changes work well for Hammond Wilson. “We have a commitment to sustainable design,” Wilson says. “One of the keys is building with a sense of permanence.”
Facts & Stats
COMMERCIAL PROJECTS
In addition to a number of other commercial projects, LEED-accredited Hammond Wilson has created master plans for school renovations utilizing green design principles.
SPECIALTIES
Hammond Wilson oversees each project start to finish without reducing involvement once the design phase is past.
INQUIRIES
Hammond Wilson Architects, P.C., 209
West Street, Annapolis, Maryland, 21401;
410-267-6041;
www.hammondwilson.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 2010
The affluent DC neighborhood of Kalorama is known for the Washington dignitaries who have called it home—William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson and FDR, to name a few. It’s also known for its elegant houses and quiet, tree-lined streets that offer an oasis within the urban chaos of downtown Washington. Nestled within an imposing block of row houses just off Connecticut Avenue sits one of Kalorama’s more emblematic residences: a 100-year-old brick home that combines its history with a modern redesign that brings it beautifully into the present.
When Joe Lockhart, a founding partner at the communications firm Glover Park Group and a former White House press secretary under President Bill Clinton, bought the four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath row house in 2006, he found it perfectly comfortable—until a friend commented that it felt like a nice hotel. “That got me going,” Lockhart says. “I’ve been in a lot of nice houses that look like no one lives there. I knew I didn’t want that.” Lockhart tapped Bethesda-based designer Celia Welch to make the house “look like a home that’s lived-in, with nice but not fancy things.”
From a design standpoint, the challenge was to update the home while staying true to its original style. “The house has such great bones,” Welch says. “I didn’t think so much about changing it as about how to improve on it.” She tore out the worn carpet that covered the floors, exposing the original inlaid parquet. Other fine original touches abounded, and Welch tried to create an environment that would better showcase them, using soft creams and putty colors on the walls, “a warm but soothing palette, tone on tone, to allow visitors to enjoy the architecture.”
Like many townhouses, the home flows vertically, with the living and dining rooms on the main floor and the family room upstairs. The entry is wide and airy, opening into a welcoming living room.
Prior to the redesign, the living room was gray and dark, which “made it a walk-in point,” Welch says, rather than a place to linger. She delineated the spaces by emphasizing the ornately carved marble fireplace along the living room wall and creating an intimate seating area with elegant yet inviting furniture. New built-in bookshelves provide substance. Beyond the entry, the dining room was updated with fresh paint, a new chandelier and an Asian-inspired sideboard.
Though Lockhart had done some work on the home’s exterior spaces when he moved in, it was Welch who transformed the patio into an outdoor living room with enticing dining and seating arrangements. “It was cluttered,” she says. “It didn’t feel connected to the house.” She brought out colors from inside, replaced latticework and added slate paving. At the far end, a pergola was constructed over a full kitchen complete with Viking appliances and a granite countertop. A wicker sectional with deep, luxurious cushions offers guests room to lounge, and large planters bring in greenery. Lighting is strategically placed to enhance the patio’s nighttime mood.
Upstairs, the master bedroom suite has been reconfigured to include “a conversation zone,” as Welch describes it, beside windows with chocolate-and-blue draperies and sheers that let in the light. The second floor also houses a cozy family room with a built-in movie screen and projector, while the third floor houses Lockhart’s daughter’s bedroom, a guest room and a home office with furniture that’s been repurposed from other rooms. Above the third floor, a roof deck offers a panoramic view of the city.
Welch juxtaposed colorful abstract artwork with traditional furnishings, creating a fresh, warm look that enhances the venerable home’s architecture. She and Lockhart worked with Kaller Fine Arts in Bethesda to select the right pieces, and both are happy with the results. “The bottom line,” Lockhart says, “is that I want people to feel welcome and comfortable when they come into my home. I think we achieved that.”
Photographer Angie Seckinger splits her time between Potomac, Maryland, and Spain.
INTERIOR DESIGN: Celia Welch, Celia Welch Interiors, Bethesda, Maryland. CONTRACTOR: Stout Restorations, Inc., Hyattsville, MD. LANDSCAPE CONTRACTOR: Cordt Gardens, LLC, Washington, DC.
MAY/JUNE 2010
On March 11, architects, builders and designers gathered for the most recent installment of For the Greener Good, a lecture series at DC’s National Building Museum. Titled “Greening the Supply Chain,” the event shed light on the movement towards sustainable building and design. The moderator was Ken Langer, president of the Architectural Energy Corporation. Panelists included Gwen Davidow, director of corporate programs for the World Environment Center; Kirsten Richie, director of sustainability for Gensler's Asia-Pacific region; and Nadav Malin, vice president of publishing company BuildingGreen, LLC.
While there are still more questions than answers revolving around the topic of sustainability today, the following insights should help homeowners make wiser choices as they embark on their own building or remodeling projects.
How do we define green building?
Richie: There are five key concepts in green building:
1. Less space, less stuff used more intensively.
2. Continually innovate for carbon-neutrality; get the CO2 out of our building stock.
3. Build at plant, assemble at job site. Forty percent of construction waste comes from the building environment.
4. Sustainability doesn’t equal austerity. It can be beautiful.
5. If I don’t ask, they won’t tell me. Be sure to ask for information on materials.
How can you tell what products are really green?
Malin: It’s not just about choosing the right product; it’s about how you use it. For example, recycled rubber flooring is great outdoors or in a well-ventilated space. But even though it’s great from a waste-management standpoint, some of that recycled rubber off-gasses toxic stuff. So it’s best to have a level of information to allow you to make value judgments based on your own priorities. Our publication, GreenSpec, is a vetted directory of products for sustainability. You can assess products in it by category.
If the product includes information, can’t the consumer make a choice based on that information, like labels on food?
Malin: No, there has to be some sort of third-party verification to be sure the information is correct. When I make a food choice it affects me. When I made a green choice it affects everybody.
What avenues can we as consumers pursue to help the process?
Malin: Stay local when you can. If I’m buying wood locally I can see how those trees are harvested, I can see the impact on the ecosystem. If not, I don’t have a connection to it.
Some people don’t want to be experts. They just want to do the right thing. How can we do this without going crazy?
Davidow: We need certification of a baseline so that there’s regulation in the industry. The goal should be that the consumer assumes a basic level of green in a product. But the devil is in the details—how do we get there?
Is there a push for manufacturers to build on-site, in clustered assembly sites that minimize waste and carbon footprints?
Davidow: Yes, and it’s a great way to do it, but it will take government incentives to create an environment with the level of encouragement where it really happens.
Is the third-party LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification program driving this movement into greener products more than any other institutional factor?
Richie: Clearly, LEED has done a phenomenal job building awareness and getting manufacturers to ask the right questions. It’s also helped because it’s a global platform for how we’re quantifying green from a building perspective.
What about Cradle-To-Cradle certification?
Richie: LEED is building certification; Cradle-To-Cradle is certification on the product side. It’s one of a growing number of holistic programs to help certify for the consumer whether a product is truly green or not.
Can you be cheapest and best environmentally at the same time when it comes to sustainability?
Richie: I don’t believe green and low-cost are mutually exclusive; I think in many cases they are closely aligned, especially when it comes to building products. On the one hand we have very mature industries with huge volume so they can spread out costs, which makes them low-cost providers. But there’s nothing innovative or new going on there. On the other hand, green-product companies are small operations, very innovative, investing and using money wisely. The costs for established
businesses are artificially low because they don’t innovate or invest. The challenge is to reinvigorate them so their true cost is reflected.
Do we have to make sacrifices to pay deference to the environment?
Richie: It depends on what you mean by sacrifice. We want people to live a lifestyle that’s of benefit to the entire community. Maybe there are changes in behavior and choices. Is that austere? I don’t think so.
For information on building green, visit the U. S. Green Building Council Web site at www.usgbc.org. To view a video of this lecture and others in the For the Greener Good series, visit the National Building Museum Web site at www.nbm.org.
**Out of the array of interior design magazines, Home and Design magazine stands out as a primary idea source for luxury home design and custom 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 2010
A non-descript 1970s-era office building in downtown DC just became cutting edge. Newly renovated, its fifth and sixth floors are now home to the U.S. Green Building Council Headquarters, which recently won Platinum-level LEED certification. “It’s arguably the greenest office space on the planet,” say lead architect Kendall Wilson of Envision Design.
According to Wilson, the USGBC wanted to set an example by drastically reducing energy use. It worked: A combination of natural light and a lighting plan that works at different levels throughout the space has reduced energy output by more than half. In addition, the use of salvaged gumwood paneling and recycled furnishings, fabrics and carpets reflects an eco-friendly mantra. Indoor plants, water features and long-distance views of the outdoors all emphasize a connection to nature.
"The big take-away,” Wilson says, “is that if you can do a smart interior it will have a huge impact.”
RENOVATION ARCHITECTURE: Kendall P. Wilson, FAIA, FIIDA, LEED AP, principal in charge; Rod Letonia, AIA, LEED AP, project director,
Envision Design, PLLC, Washington, DC. CONTRACTOR: James G. Davis Construction, McLean, Virginia.
**Out of the array of interior design magazines, Home and Design magazine stands out as a primary idea source for luxury home designs and coverage of luxury living. Wonderful visuals of luxury getaways and dining options are combined with inspired decor to provide a fundamental reference point for bringing luxury to life in home interiors and beyond.
MAY/JUNE 2010
In 1976, the picturesque, waterfront city of Annapolis beckoned Bob Hammond, AIA, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s school of architecture and then a member of a Philadelphia architecture firm. “I wanted to be near water and it was a perfect town to combine architecture and waterside life,” he recalls.
Hammond moved his family and hung out his shingle in Annapolis, creating his own architecture firm. In 1992, Leo Wilson, AIA, LEED AP, another Chesapeake-area fan and fellow alumnus of University of Pennsylvania’s school of architecture, joined the practice. Wilson and Hammond turned out to have other things in common as well—in particular, “a similar design sensibility,” says Wilson, who became a partner in 2000.
Today, Hammond Wilson Architects does a thriving business, about 70 percent of which is residential. “We don’t respond to fads of the moment,” Hammond says. “We want our designs to stand the test of time.”
According to Wilson, the firm’s architecture reflects the region in which they are building: They work in what Wilson refers to as a “Chesapeake vernacular. We build a lot of houses on the water so our architecture reflects that lifestyle.”
Since the shift in the economy, Hammond Wilson has seen an increase in renovations over new construction, and a wider range in the size of projects. There’s also a greater emphasis on green design, as a response to both environmental and economic issues. With the firm’s focus on timeless design, these changes work well for Hammond Wilson. “We have a commitment to sustainable design,” Wilson says. “One of the keys is building with a sense of permanence.”
Facts & Stats
COMMERCIAL PROJECTS
In addition to a number of other commercial projects, LEED-accredited Hammond Wilson has created master plans for school renovations utilizing green design principles.
SPECIALTIES
Hammond Wilson oversees each project start to finish without reducing involvement once the design phase is past.
INQUIRIES
Hammond Wilson Architects, P.C., 209
West Street, Annapolis, Maryland, 21401;
410-267-6041;
www.hammondwilson.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 2010
The affluent DC neighborhood of Kalorama is known for the Washington dignitaries who have called it home—William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson and FDR, to name a few. It’s also known for its elegant houses and quiet, tree-lined streets that offer an oasis within the urban chaos of downtown Washington. Nestled within an imposing block of row houses just off Connecticut Avenue sits one of Kalorama’s more emblematic residences: a 100-year-old brick home that combines its history with a modern redesign that brings it beautifully into the present.
When Joe Lockhart, a founding partner at the communications firm Glover Park Group and a former White House press secretary under President Bill Clinton, bought the four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath row house in 2006, he found it perfectly comfortable—until a friend commented that it felt like a nice hotel. “That got me going,” Lockhart says. “I’ve been in a lot of nice houses that look like no one lives there. I knew I didn’t want that.” Lockhart tapped Bethesda-based designer Celia Welch to make the house “look like a home that’s lived-in, with nice but not fancy things.”
From a design standpoint, the challenge was to update the home while staying true to its original style. “The house has such great bones,” Welch says. “I didn’t think so much about changing it as about how to improve on it.” She tore out the worn carpet that covered the floors, exposing the original inlaid parquet. Other fine original touches abounded, and Welch tried to create an environment that would better showcase them, using soft creams and putty colors on the walls, “a warm but soothing palette, tone on tone, to allow visitors to enjoy the architecture.”
Like many townhouses, the home flows vertically, with the living and dining rooms on the main floor and the family room upstairs. The entry is wide and airy, opening into a welcoming living room.
Prior to the redesign, the living room was gray and dark, which “made it a walk-in point,” Welch says, rather than a place to linger. She delineated the spaces by emphasizing the ornately carved marble fireplace along the living room wall and creating an intimate seating area with elegant yet inviting furniture. New built-in bookshelves provide substance. Beyond the entry, the dining room was updated with fresh paint, a new chandelier and an Asian-inspired sideboard.
Though Lockhart had done some work on the home’s exterior spaces when he moved in, it was Welch who transformed the patio into an outdoor living room with enticing dining and seating arrangements. “It was cluttered,” she says. “It didn’t feel connected to the house.” She brought out colors from inside, replaced latticework and added slate paving. At the far end, a pergola was constructed over a full kitchen complete with Viking appliances and a granite countertop. A wicker sectional with deep, luxurious cushions offers guests room to lounge, and large planters bring in greenery. Lighting is strategically placed to enhance the patio’s nighttime mood.
Upstairs, the master bedroom suite has been reconfigured to include “a conversation zone,” as Welch describes it, beside windows with chocolate-and-blue draperies and sheers that let in the light. The second floor also houses a cozy family room with a built-in movie screen and projector, while the third floor houses Lockhart’s daughter’s bedroom, a guest room and a home office with furniture that’s been repurposed from other rooms. Above the third floor, a roof deck offers a panoramic view of the city.
Welch juxtaposed colorful abstract artwork with traditional furnishings, creating a fresh, warm look that enhances the venerable home’s architecture. She and Lockhart worked with Kaller Fine Arts in Bethesda to select the right pieces, and both are happy with the results. “The bottom line,” Lockhart says, “is that I want people to feel welcome and comfortable when they come into my home. I think we achieved that.”
Photographer Angie Seckinger splits her time between Potomac, Maryland, and Spain.
INTERIOR DESIGN: Celia Welch, Celia Welch Interiors, Bethesda, Maryland. CONTRACTOR: Stout Restorations, Inc., Hyattsville, MD. LANDSCAPE CONTRACTOR: Cordt Gardens, LLC, Washington, DC.
MAY/JUNE 2010
On March 11, architects, builders and designers gathered for the most recent installment of For the Greener Good, a lecture series at DC’s National Building Museum. Titled “Greening the Supply Chain,” the event shed light on the movement towards sustainable building and design. The moderator was Ken Langer, president of the Architectural Energy Corporation. Panelists included Gwen Davidow, director of corporate programs for the World Environment Center; Kirsten Richie, director of sustainability for Gensler's Asia-Pacific region; and Nadav Malin, vice president of publishing company BuildingGreen, LLC.
While there are still more questions than answers revolving around the topic of sustainability today, the following insights should help homeowners make wiser choices as they embark on their own building or remodeling projects.
How do we define green building?
Richie: There are five key concepts in green building:
1. Less space, less stuff used more intensively.
2. Continually innovate for carbon-neutrality; get the CO2 out of our building stock.
3. Build at plant, assemble at job site. Forty percent of construction waste comes from the building environment.
4. Sustainability doesn’t equal austerity. It can be beautiful.
5. If I don’t ask, they won’t tell me. Be sure to ask for information on materials.
How can you tell what products are really green?
Malin: It’s not just about choosing the right product; it’s about how you use it. For example, recycled rubber flooring is great outdoors or in a well-ventilated space. But even though it’s great from a waste-management standpoint, some of that recycled rubber off-gasses toxic stuff. So it’s best to have a level of information to allow you to make value judgments based on your own priorities. Our publication, GreenSpec, is a vetted directory of products for sustainability. You can assess products in it by category.
If the product includes information, can’t the consumer make a choice based on that information, like labels on food?
Malin: No, there has to be some sort of third-party verification to be sure the information is correct. When I make a food choice it affects me. When I made a green choice it affects everybody.
What avenues can we as consumers pursue to help the process?
Malin: Stay local when you can. If I’m buying wood locally I can see how those trees are harvested, I can see the impact on the ecosystem. If not, I don’t have a connection to it.
Some people don’t want to be experts. They just want to do the right thing. How can we do this without going crazy?
Davidow: We need certification of a baseline so that there’s regulation in the industry. The goal should be that the consumer assumes a basic level of green in a product. But the devil is in the details—how do we get there?
Is there a push for manufacturers to build on-site, in clustered assembly sites that minimize waste and carbon footprints?
Davidow: Yes, and it’s a great way to do it, but it will take government incentives to create an environment with the level of encouragement where it really happens.
Is the third-party LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification program driving this movement into greener products more than any other institutional factor?
Richie: Clearly, LEED has done a phenomenal job building awareness and getting manufacturers to ask the right questions. It’s also helped because it’s a global platform for how we’re quantifying green from a building perspective.
What about Cradle-To-Cradle certification?
Richie: LEED is building certification; Cradle-To-Cradle is certification on the product side. It’s one of a growing number of holistic programs to help certify for the consumer whether a product is truly green or not.
Can you be cheapest and best environmentally at the same time when it comes to sustainability?
Richie: I don’t believe green and low-cost are mutually exclusive; I think in many cases they are closely aligned, especially when it comes to building products. On the one hand we have very mature industries with huge volume so they can spread out costs, which makes them low-cost providers. But there’s nothing innovative or new going on there. On the other hand, green-product companies are small operations, very innovative, investing and using money wisely. The costs for established
businesses are artificially low because they don’t innovate or invest. The challenge is to reinvigorate them so their true cost is reflected.
Do we have to make sacrifices to pay deference to the environment?
Richie: It depends on what you mean by sacrifice. We want people to live a lifestyle that’s of benefit to the entire community. Maybe there are changes in behavior and choices. Is that austere? I don’t think so.
For information on building green, visit the U. S. Green Building Council Web site at www.usgbc.org. To view a video of this lecture and others in the For the Greener Good series, visit the National Building Museum Web site at www.nbm.org.
**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 2010
A non-descript 1970s-era office building in downtown DC just became cutting edge. Newly renovated, its fifth and sixth floors are now home to the U.S. Green Building Council Headquarters, which recently won Platinum-level LEED certification. “It’s arguably the greenest office space on the planet,” say lead architect Kendall Wilson of Envision Design.
According to Wilson, the USGBC wanted to set an example by drastically reducing energy use. It worked: A combination of natural light and a lighting plan that works at different levels throughout the space has reduced energy output by more than half. In addition, the use of salvaged gumwood paneling and recycled furnishings, fabrics and carpets reflects an eco-friendly mantra. Indoor plants, water features and long-distance views of the outdoors all emphasize a connection to nature.
"The big take-away,” Wilson says, “is that if you can do a smart interior it will have a huge impact.”
RENOVATION ARCHITECTURE: Kendall P. Wilson, FAIA, FIIDA, LEED AP, principal in charge; Rod Letonia, AIA, LEED AP, project director,
Envision Design, PLLC, Washington, DC. CONTRACTOR: James G. Davis Construction, McLean, Virginia.
**Out of the array of interior design magazines, Home and Design magazine stands out as a primary idea source for luxury home designs and coverage of luxury living. Wonderful visuals of luxury getaways and dining options are combined with inspired decor to provide a fundamental reference point for bringing luxury to life in home interiors and beyond.
MAY/JUNE 2010
In 1976, the picturesque, waterfront city of Annapolis beckoned Bob Hammond, AIA, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s school of architecture and then a member of a Philadelphia architecture firm. “I wanted to be near water and it was a perfect town to combine architecture and waterside life,” he recalls.
Hammond moved his family and hung out his shingle in Annapolis, creating his own architecture firm. In 1992, Leo Wilson, AIA, LEED AP, another Chesapeake-area fan and fellow alumnus of University of Pennsylvania’s school of architecture, joined the practice. Wilson and Hammond turned out to have other things in common as well—in particular, “a similar design sensibility,” says Wilson, who became a partner in 2000.
Today, Hammond Wilson Architects does a thriving business, about 70 percent of which is residential. “We don’t respond to fads of the moment,” Hammond says. “We want our designs to stand the test of time.”
According to Wilson, the firm’s architecture reflects the region in which they are building: They work in what Wilson refers to as a “Chesapeake vernacular. We build a lot of houses on the water so our architecture reflects that lifestyle.”
Since the shift in the economy, Hammond Wilson has seen an increase in renovations over new construction, and a wider range in the size of projects. There’s also a greater emphasis on green design, as a response to both environmental and economic issues. With the firm’s focus on timeless design, these changes work well for Hammond Wilson. “We have a commitment to sustainable design,” Wilson says. “One of the keys is building with a sense of permanence.”
Facts & Stats
COMMERCIAL PROJECTS
In addition to a number of other commercial projects, LEED-accredited Hammond Wilson has created master plans for school renovations utilizing green design principles.
SPECIALTIES
Hammond Wilson oversees each project start to finish without reducing involvement once the design phase is past.
INQUIRIES
Hammond Wilson Architects, P.C., 209
West Street, Annapolis, Maryland, 21401;
410-267-6041;
www.hammondwilson.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 2010
The affluent DC neighborhood of Kalorama is known for the Washington dignitaries who have called it home—William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson and FDR, to name a few. It’s also known for its elegant houses and quiet, tree-lined streets that offer an oasis within the urban chaos of downtown Washington. Nestled within an imposing block of row houses just off Connecticut Avenue sits one of Kalorama’s more emblematic residences: a 100-year-old brick home that combines its history with a modern redesign that brings it beautifully into the present.
When Joe Lockhart, a founding partner at the communications firm Glover Park Group and a former White House press secretary under President Bill Clinton, bought the four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath row house in 2006, he found it perfectly comfortable—until a friend commented that it felt like a nice hotel. “That got me going,” Lockhart says. “I’ve been in a lot of nice houses that look like no one lives there. I knew I didn’t want that.” Lockhart tapped Bethesda-based designer Celia Welch to make the house “look like a home that’s lived-in, with nice but not fancy things.”
From a design standpoint, the challenge was to update the home while staying true to its original style. “The house has such great bones,” Welch says. “I didn’t think so much about changing it as about how to improve on it.” She tore out the worn carpet that covered the floors, exposing the original inlaid parquet. Other fine original touches abounded, and Welch tried to create an environment that would better showcase them, using soft creams and putty colors on the walls, “a warm but soothing palette, tone on tone, to allow visitors to enjoy the architecture.”
Like many townhouses, the home flows vertically, with the living and dining rooms on the main floor and the family room upstairs. The entry is wide and airy, opening into a welcoming living room.
Prior to the redesign, the living room was gray and dark, which “made it a walk-in point,” Welch says, rather than a place to linger. She delineated the spaces by emphasizing the ornately carved marble fireplace along the living room wall and creating an intimate seating area with elegant yet inviting furniture. New built-in bookshelves provide substance. Beyond the entry, the dining room was updated with fresh paint, a new chandelier and an Asian-inspired sideboard.
Though Lockhart had done some work on the home’s exterior spaces when he moved in, it was Welch who transformed the patio into an outdoor living room with enticing dining and seating arrangements. “It was cluttered,” she says. “It didn’t feel connected to the house.” She brought out colors from inside, replaced latticework and added slate paving. At the far end, a pergola was constructed over a full kitchen complete with Viking appliances and a granite countertop. A wicker sectional with deep, luxurious cushions offers guests room to lounge, and large planters bring in greenery. Lighting is strategically placed to enhance the patio’s nighttime mood.
Upstairs, the master bedroom suite has been reconfigured to include “a conversation zone,” as Welch describes it, beside windows with chocolate-and-blue draperies and sheers that let in the light. The second floor also houses a cozy family room with a built-in movie screen and projector, while the third floor houses Lockhart’s daughter’s bedroom, a guest room and a home office with furniture that’s been repurposed from other rooms. Above the third floor, a roof deck offers a panoramic view of the city.
Welch juxtaposed colorful abstract artwork with traditional furnishings, creating a fresh, warm look that enhances the venerable home’s architecture. She and Lockhart worked with Kaller Fine Arts in Bethesda to select the right pieces, and both are happy with the results. “The bottom line,” Lockhart says, “is that I want people to feel welcome and comfortable when they come into my home. I think we achieved that.”
Photographer Angie Seckinger splits her time between Potomac, Maryland, and Spain.
INTERIOR DESIGN: Celia Welch, Celia Welch Interiors, Bethesda, Maryland. CONTRACTOR: Stout Restorations, Inc., Hyattsville, MD. LANDSCAPE CONTRACTOR: Cordt Gardens, LLC, Washington, DC.
MAY/JUNE 2010
Savena Doychinov, Design Studio International Kitchen & Bath
A vibrant Haitian painting inspired the update of a bland boys’ bathroom in a traditional Arlington, Virginia, home. Savena Doychinov of Design Studio International Kitchen & Bath decided to create a beach-like environment similar to the tropical scene depicted in the painting. She covered a column with aqua glass tile to evoke the Caribbean Sea, and added an eco-resin panel embedded with reeds to separate the toilet from the tub. Meanwhile, randomly cut Turkish limestone tiles along the wall of the tub suggest sand dunes. A glass mosaic backsplash and tangerine-colored pendants that hang like miniature suns above the double vanity lend energy to the room.
BATHROOM DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION: Savena Doychinov, CKD, Dimiter Doychinov, project manager, Design Studio International Kitchen & Bath, LLC, Falls Church, VA.
Where To Find It
Vanities: Custom by Adelphi Kitchens Inc., Robesonia, PA. Wall Tile & Countertops: Marble Systems, Fairfax, VA. Fixtures: Grohe. Backsplash & Column: OceansideGlass tiles through Architectural Ceramics, Falls Church, VA. Sinks & Tub: Neptune, through JCR Distributors, Dallas, TX.
**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.
