Timeless Retreat
One of the qualities that sets a mature landscape apart from a recently planted garden is the abundant tangle of plant material. It takes…
Savvy Solution
When landscape architect Blake Dunlevy of D.A. Dunlevy first encountered a client’s backyard in Kensington’s historic district, he had to look beyond a water-logged…
Play Scape
For a backyard reinvention in McLean, landscape architect Howard Cohen of Surrounds, Inc., had to engage in subtraction before he could add amenities. Dozens…
Work of Art
A setting at the edge of a forest can be a starting point for a successful garden. With an acre and mature trees already…
Set in Stone
In a verdant patch of Fauquier County, life gallops along at the speed of a polo pony. So it seems incongruous that the clock…
Water’s Edge
Inspired by the natural beauty of the Potomac River, George Washington once wrote that no estate in America was “more pleasantly situated” than his…
Rural Spirit
The nostalgic appeal of an old red barn weathering away in a field of tall grass is undeniable. The iconic timber structures colored a…
City Chic
At least since Thomas Jefferson built Monticello, American architects have used their own homes as testing grounds for various design philosophies. So it comes…
Industrial Revival
Karl and Diane Kelley’s wish list for their dream house did not include a romantic ruin, though that became the inspiration for the glamorous…
Sky High
Set on the highest point of a Shenandoah estate, the expansive residence presides over its 100-plus acres like a comfortable castle. But construction had…
Play Station
What could make a suburban backyard so appealing and “cool” that teenagers would want to hang out there with all their friends? That was…
Subtle Renewal
Over time, even a wonderful garden can outlive its own best interests. In Great Falls, Virginia, a thoughtful owner recognized that mature trees shading…
Modern Classic
Positive first impressions are not a given— even when a house benefits from impressive architecture, as the owners of a stately McLean residence discerned….
English Garden
The garden on Whitehaven Street is not the only example of an English-inspired landscape in Richard Arentz’s prolific portfolio. In fact, the landscape architect’s…
Chevy Chase Classic
Chevy Chase Classic A sensitive renovation has revived the architecture of a classic late 19th-century American Four Square in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Surrounded by…
A Fresh Attitude
A Fresh Attitude MARCH/APRIL 2012 In the dignified Northwest Washington enclave of Wesley Heights, the weight of tradition is no trifling matter. Azaleas and…
Achieving Harmony
Achieving Harmony NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 "There are no rules anymore,” says Washington interior designer David Mitchell. From his Connecticut Avenue office, Mitchell overlooks the bustle…
RESTORING ORDER
RESTORING ORDER SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011 In the struggle to define domestic space, battle lines often wobble between modernists who love lofts and traditionalists who occasionally…
Restoring Order
Restoring Order SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011 In the struggle to define domestic space, battle lines often wobble between modernists who love lofts and traditionalists who occasionally…
A Timeless Retreat
A Timeless Retreat JULY/AUGUST 2011 When Suzie and Bob Hawkins find time to sit back and enjoy their new front porch, the designing couple…