There’s a strong case to be made for slow decorating—feathering your nest with things that have been acquired gradually or deciding on paint colors only after spending some time in a space. For interior designer Erica Burns, those carefully considered things include draperies in the perfect shade of chartreuse; walls drenched in chocolate brown lacquer; a collection of oil-painted landscapes collected over the course of many years; and family heirlooms, including framed vintage love letters.

Such thoughtful choices are the culmination of a journey that began 14 years ago. In 2012, the designer moved into the circa-1950s Bethesda Colonial that she shares with her husband and two daughters, now 14 and 12. They refinished the floors, painted and updated the existing kitchen, but were otherwise content for the time being with their vintage home. “The room proportions were cozy, and it had a classic footprint and timeless feel,” relays Burns. But as the years passed, the family felt the need for a dedicated mudroom, a larger kitchen and primary bath, and more office space for the designer, who was then working out of her home. So in 2020, they decided to expand with a three-story rear addition that architect R. Michael Cross helmed.

On the main level, the bump-out encompasses a new eat-in kitchen, a large family room and a butler’s pantry/bar area. Directly above that sits a reimagined primary suite, while the walk-out basement below gained additional square footage for a design studio, though Burns’ firm quickly outgrew the space which is now being used as a craft/ping-pong room for her daughters. Rearranging the layout of the rooms in the existing part of the house allowed for the creation of a foyer, mudroom and powder room in the space once occupied by the old kitchen and dining room; the dining room moved to a former TV room adjacent to the formal living room.

Now, the refreshed layout flows effortlessly from one space to the next. “One thing that was really important to me was for it to feel natural,” says Burns. “We didn’t want it to seem like we took this old Colonial and wedged in some huge great room with an open floor plan that felt disjointed from the rest of it.”

Cross concurs, “Erica’s priority was to maintain as much of the existing house as possible while ensuring the addition felt like part of the original layout.”

For continuity, Burns handled all the interior detailing herself, easing transitions from exterior walls to interior ones and “even replicating the thickness of walls so they matched and felt intentional,” she explains. “I didn’t want it to be obvious where the old house ended and the new part started.”

When it came to the furniture and finishes, Burns let the architecture be her guide, leaning into an updated take on traditional style that clicked with her own heritage. “I love color and I grew up in the South, where there’s a way of decorating that’s very inviting, but still understated, casual and fun,” she shares. “I wasn’t interested in making this house a showpiece; it was really about making it comfortable for my family.”

That vision began with shades of green, her favorite color, which thread their way throughout the scheme: A Lacanche range offers a deep emerald pop in the otherwise neutral kitchen; a veritable meadow of birds and flowers adorns the Schuyler Samperton wallpaper in the butler’s pantry, which inspired its forest-hued cabinetry; and the powder room gets its punch from a muted kiwi-colored Lewis & Wood wallcovering. Even the living room’s velvet settee, covered in a Rose Uniacke velvet named Pickle, has verdant undertones.

Throughout, Burns balances antiques, including classic brown furniture, with newer pieces and less traditional lighting choices for contrast. Take the dining room, where a reflective, rose-colored Urban Electric orb floats over an antique table surrounded by vintage Swedish chairs. “I love how that light doesn’t take itself too seriously, and pink always looks great with brown,” she observes. While it may seem counterintuitive, she opted for a high-gloss cocoa wallcovering in the light-challenged room. “Instead of trying to make it feel brighter, I wanted to lean into the fact that it’s a dark space and go for more drama,” she explains. Faced with a big empty wall, she embraced an Old World solution to display art: European-style brass rails eliminate the need to drill into the plaster while allowing art to be interchanged with ease. Her current gallery wall includes her collection of landscape oil paintings and framed love letters from World War II written by her grandfather to her grandmother. The resulting space has a patina that belies its relatively short existence.

“We started work on the house in 2020, and we just finished the dining room last year,” marvels Burns. “There’s that joke that the shoemaker’s children have no shoes—it’s like that sometimes with designers. This definitely wasn’t a typical install where everything is done all at once.” All in all, it’s a fine argument for taking one’s time.

Architecture: R. Michael Cross, R. Michael Cross Design Group, Washington, DC. Interior & Kitchen Design: Erica Burns, Erica Burns Interiors, Washington, DC. Renovation Contractor: Superior Built LLC, Annapolis, Maryland.

RESOURCES

LIVING ROOM

Game Table: woodbridgefurniture.com. Game Chairs: coleyhome.com. Rug: mattcamron.com. Lounge Chairs: highlandhousefurniture.com. Coffee Table: antique. Settee: vintage. Settee Fabric: roseuniacke.com. Sconces: visualcomfort.com. Sconce Lighting Shades: us.pooky.com. Art: maryelizabethmarvin.com through lizapruitt.com. Drapery: imogenheath.com.

DINING ROOM

Light Fixture: urbanelectric.com. Wall Covering: schumacher.com. Drapery Fabric: zakandfox.com. Rug: mattcamron.com. Table, Chairs, Wall Sconces, & Host Chairs: Antique. Host Chair Fabric: pierrefrey.com; samuelandsons.com.

KITCHEN

Pendants: lostine.com. Counter Stools: centuryfurniture.com. Cabinetry: Custom through MKM Custom Millwork; 301-490-1541. Cabinetry Paint: Drop Cloth by farrow-ball.com.

BREAKFAST ROOM

Lantern: urbanelectric.com. Banquette Fabric: kravet.com. Table: custom. Chairs: Lexington.com.

BUTLER’S PANTRY

Wallpaper: schuylersampertontextiles.com. Sconces: arteriorshome.com.

FAMILY ROOM

Rug: mattcamron.com. Sofas: custom. Sofa Fabric: arabelfabrics.com. Lamp: visualcomfort.com. Chandelier: jamieyoung.com. Art: karensmidth.com. Coffee Table: custom.

POWDER ROOM

Wallpaper: lewisandwood.co.uk. Sconces: urbanelectric.com. Sconce Shades: fermoie.com. Faucet: waterworks.com. Mirror: arteriorshome.com.

Caroline Kofol’s road to interior design didn’t follow a straight line, but it makes perfect sense in retrospect. A native of Westchester County, New York, the designer “grew up in a 1906 Victorian house in a town that doesn’t allow any new builds, so that’s what spurred my love of old homes,” she shares. After earning a degree in psychology, she went on to work for a public relations firm that specialized in luxury travel. Only when tasked with finding an interior designer for a hotel rebranding did she realize that the field might be a better fit. Reaching out to designer Katie Rosenfeld led to a job in Boston. Eight years later, she moved to Washington, DC, and launched her own firm.

Inspired by the work of her mentor Rosenfeld along with that of Ashley Whittaker and Lucy Doswell, Kofol’s aesthetic is color-rich and pattern-happy. Working from a studio in Bethesda with one assistant, she begins her design process by finding the lead fabric for which she draws on her psych major background. “When I go to the design center, I like to get into the headspace of a client,” she says. “There is a psychological aspect to it. Knowing who your client is and trying to understand them and their personality goes a long way in this business.”

Interior Design: Caroline Kofol, Caroline Kofol Interiors, Bethesda, Maryland. Styling: Anthony Santelli Creative (sitting room, nursery); Frances Bailey (living room).

Originally built in 1851, this two-story structure south of Deale, Maryland, was a ticket office for the Fairhaven stop on the Weems Steamboat Line, which once plied the Chesapeake Bay. A tea room was added to its south side in the 1930s; later, a two-story extension was tacked onto the north side and a screened porch along its west façade. By the time the current owners bought it in 2022, the house was in need of a comprehensive renovation. They called Charles Almonte to modernize it and capitalize on the bay-facing vistas.

“We wanted each space to have a view of the water from every angle,” notes the architect/interior designer.

To start, he preserved the original structure’s pine flooring and the main level’s ceiling beams. Redesigning the kitchen maximized storage; increasing the opening between the kitchen and living area created better flow. The once-screened porch is now enclosed with energy-efficient windows for year-round enjoyment. The former tea room has become an office and gallery space for the homeowners’ art collection. The second floor was reconfigured for a primary suite and two guest bedrooms. New and vintage furnishings lend a contemporary vibe while an interior palette of white and warm wood with pops of blue reflects the waterfront setting. A wallpaper featuring exotic monkeys in Victorian finery enlivens the powder room off the foyer, offering a whimsical welcome to all who enter.

Architecture, Interior & Kitchen Design: Charles C. Almonte, AIA, ASID, Charles C. Almonte Architecture/Interior Design, Silver Spring, Maryland. Builder: Accent General Contracting, Gaithersburg, Maryland.

During childhood visits with his grandparents in Upstate New York, Baltimore-born Matthew Quill learned the power of a well-designed abode. His grandfather was a woodworker with a cabinetry business and his grandmother had an eye for antiques, so the couple opened a shop together. “Every time I went there, I was inspired by how beautiful they made their life and home, and I felt safe and comfortable,” shares Quill. “I just knew I wanted to create spaces like that for myself and others.”

After briefly attending community college, Quill took an interior design class which yielded a design internship. At the time, he was gut-renovating his own home in Baltimore. Taking professional photos of his work on that house led to a job in DC with interior designer Christopher Boutlier, where he spent four years before going solo. He now works out of his Georgetown home/studio, and lists Boutlier, Darryl Carter and Molly Kidd Studio as influences. His recipe for good design includes a monochromatic palette, organic materials and antiques—but the most crucial ingredients are determination and kindness. “You have to have drive; you can’t be afraid of falling on your face,” he says. “Also, be nice. Clients want to work with someone who they connect with.”

Interior Design: Matthew Quill, Matthew Quill Interiors, Washington, DC.

The expansion of a 1965 rancher offered the perfect opportunity for a retired couple who’d previously owned a hotel on the Eastern Shore to craft an abode that better suited its prime location. Set on a plot of land overlooking Leeds Creek just off the Miles River in Easton, the house was blessed with tranquil vistas. A renovation by builder Scott Cronshaw of Cronshaw Carpentry raised the roof in both the dining and living areas, while new windows capture the river views. Katie Carlin Interiors designed a graceful, vaulted ceiling treatment with exposed rafters, then dressed the dining room in clean-lined furnishings with a Danish Modern air. “A sheer, sculptural pendant and minimalist table, both from DWR, were intentional selections to enhance the home’s natural light,” she explains. “By anchoring the lofty volume with a deeply saturated Solo rug, we brought the essence of the waterfront inward.” The result is a room “rooted in New Traditionalism” that’s coastal-leaning in its blue-and-white palette, but not too literal.

Carlin incorporated some of the owners' existing pieces and artwork to ensure the space would feel storied and personal. “We wanted the home to be as warm and inviting as the clients themselves,” she shares. “They have lived such vibrant lives, and we wanted the design to be a reflection of those experiences.”

Interior Architecture + Design: Katie Carlin, Katie Carlin Interiors, Annapolis, Maryland. Builder: Scott Cronshaw, Cronshaw Carpentry, Easton, Maryland.

A retired couple who visited St. Michaels for a vacation fell in love with the charming town and decided to make it their permanent residence. For this custom home, they assembled a team that included architect David E. Neumann, interior designer Tracy Morris, builder Michael Campbell and Walnut Hill Landscape Company to bring their dream abode to life. An emphasis on unfussy yet elegant interiors is exemplified in this sitting area, where Morris drew inspiration from the scene just beyond the windows, channeling the sense of calm the view of the Miles River provides. Because the space is situated between the kitchen and the living room and the owners have cats, practicality reigns: Chairs are covered in crisp, blue-striped Perennials fabric that is stain-resistant and durable. “We leaned into a palette of soft colors to create a backdrop that feels relaxed yet elevated,” Morris notes. “They love to entertain, so the seating is arranged for easy conversation while staying connected to the kitchen where so much of the action happens.”

The convivial set-up invites guests to gather for coffee or a cocktail. “It’s also a place to unwind, for reading, relaxing and enjoying the natural light that comes in throughout the day,” observes Morris. “The layout was designed to support warm, inviting spaces, where guests can gather comfortably and feel at ease.”

Architecture: David E. Neumann, FAIA, Neumann Lewis Buchanan Architects, Washington, DC, and Middleburg, Virginia. Interior Design: Tracy Morris, Tracy Morris Design, McLean, Virginia. Builder: Michael Campbell, Winchester, Millersville, Maryland. Landscape Design: Walnut Hill Landscape Company, Annapolis, Maryland.

The owners of a 1980s-era, 3,320-square-foot contemporary home in West Annapolis called on designer Erin Kelly to dress the interiors following a renovation by architect Amanda McFall and builder Forked Creek Construction. Enclosing a sunroom that boasts tranquil views of Weems Creek just off the Severn River created an all-season playroom for the couple’s two young daughters. For the project, “the owners requested a coastal sensibility to reflect the waterfront setting,” says Kelly. The kid-friendly space would also need to do double duty as a place for the parents to enjoy as well, all the while fitting into the aesthetic fabric of the home. “Since it's open to the kitchen and dining room and visible from the main entry, it needed to feel elevated and cohesive with the rest of the house, while still being fully functional for the girls’ day-to-day use,” the designer notes.

Shades of indigo with pops of sunny yellow provide just the right amount of punch. “The goal was something cheerful enough for kids, but polished enough for guests given the coastal backdrop,” shares Kelly. Lounge chairs sporting deep-blue performance velvet coordinate with a custom, striped flatweave rug, while pint-sized craft tables from Etsy in a buttery hue offer a bright spot for the kids. The result is a fun, family space that feels fully integrated with its location.

Interior Architecture: Amanda McFall, Amanda McFall Design, Annapolis, Maryland. Interior Design: Erin Kelly, Erin Kelly Interiors, Aspen, Colorado. Builder: Forked Creek Construction, Annapolis, Maryland. Stylist: Kristi Hunter.

DREAM WEAVING Handcrafted from seagrass, rattan and metal, the Conrad Woven Lantern comes in three sizes. Resembling a fisherman’s basket, each can hold a pillar or votive for ambient illumination. potterybarn.com

SWIM WITH THE FISHES The Sardines Table Runner adds a dash of coastal élan to your tablescape. The 100-percent cotton print requires no ironing and serves as a playful reminder to just go with the flow when entertaining.  In 72- or 108-inch lengths. caskata.com

MAGNIFICENT MOLLUSK Bivalves get an artistic treatment on this ceramic oyster plate, perfect for serving on the half-shell with a mignonette or decoratively displaying  on a wall. coton-colors.com

FIN-TASTIC DISH Handmade from earthenware clay on the island of Malta, the Romina Oval Platter is named for the local artisan who hand-painted the winsome fish. villabolognapottery.com

TROPICAL FLAIR A whimsical tribute to the life aquatic, E. Braun and Co.’s latest collection features delightful, hand-embroidered designs such as this coral and angelfish motif on luxurious linen cocktail napkins. ebraunnewyork.com

BEACH COVER-UP Equally suited for an outdoor brunch or the kitchen counter, the Viola Domed Fruit Tray keeps food protected from summer pests. Its intricate design of wicker wefts and braided details is handcrafted in Italy and protected with a water-based finish. artemest.com

Richmond-based designer Susan Jamieson hopes to help homeowners and design enthusiasts better understand the power of a great palette with Bridget Beari Color Rules: A Guide to Choosing and Using Color at Home (BB Press, March 2026). The primer aims to provide instruction on how to employ hues that resonate on a deep level, resulting in truly personal spaces.

Harrison Design, the nationally renowned firm with a studio in DC, presents Transcending Tradition: Homes for Modern Living (Rizzoli, September 2025), a survey of timeless residential architecture rooted in classical principles. An elegant reinvention of a McLean, Virginia, manse (pictured) is among the 10 exceptional projects featured. Written with Judith Nasatir.

La Tartane Saint-Tropez whisks guests to a tropical paradise

Imagine the decadence and glamour of the Roaring ’20s on the Côte d’Azur —think Fitzgerald and Picasso sipping drinks under the summer sun—and you’ve conjured the vibe of the newly renovated La Tartane Saint-Tropez. Tucked away by a seaside garden just minutes from town, the hotel, which was designed by Jordane Arrivetz, founder of the Notoire agency, resembles a Provençal village with a series of small houses that contain 27 rooms and suites. The charmingly decorated spaces are named after early 20th-century artists and creatives who reveled on the Riviera—for instance, Scott, Pablo, Ernest and Gabrielle. Other amenities include a heated swimming pool, citrus grove and an elegant open-air restaurant, Gaia, that serves Greek and Mediterranean fare. Rates start at $685; latartane-hotel.com

Austin's Uchi brings award-winning Japanese flavors to the District

A long-awaited spinoff of Uchi, the sushi-centric Austin restaurant founded by James Beard award-winning chef Tyson Cole, has arrived on the DC dining scene. Marrying traditional Japanese flavors with international ingredients, the menu helmed by chef de cuisine Rob Drennan stars (left to right) sashimi and Australian wagyu sliced and served on a sizzling hot rock, one of the restaurant’s specialties. The interior by Islyn Studio in collaboration with Hai Design Studio takes its cues from the nearby architecture of the ’60s-era National Geographic Society building by Edward Durell Stone, embracing sleek materials, cool geometric forms and saturated tones. 1700 M Street, NW. uchirestaurants.com

“Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today” is a saying often attributed to Ben Franklin to discourage procrastination—the idea being that the sooner a task is done the more time you’ll have to relish the fruits of your labor. A young family of five took that notion to heart after purchasing a Capitol Hill row house. “They’re in the weeds of their careers in lobbying and have young kids; they didn’t want to wait to do the entire house at once,” shares Richmond-based interior designer Elly Cooper, who steered the project. “They wanted to make the first floor inhabitable asap, so they could enjoy it and entertain friends and family.”

The circa-1890 brick abode was in mint condition and needed no major renovations, a lucky break for the couple. The only modifications were the conversion of the fireplaces back to wood-burning and the removal of some overly ornate mantel details that had been added over the years. However, the home’s dark interiors and Victorian spirit were at odds with the wife’s colorful Southern sensibility. “The question was, ‘How do we brighten it up while still maintaining the history of this older house?’” reflects Cooper.

A scenic wallpaper—one of the wife’s must-haves for the dining room—offered the necessary spark to alight the scheme. A garden view of blossoming trees against a pale cerulean background, “it gave us a launching point for the palette,” explains the designer. As the enfilade of rooms unfolds, a wash of blues and greens unfurls with dashes of pink and paprika in good measure. Cooper learned about color and continuity from the best: She trained under designers Ashley Whittaker and Meg Braff. “I always make sure there is a thread,” she notes. “You never want everything to match perfectly, but something has to pull your eyes through, while giving you a minute to exhale between rooms.”

Crossing over the threshold into the vestibule with its time-worn mosaic tiles feels like stepping back in time. An architecturally inspired wallpaper by Katie Ridder gooses the space with assertive color, providing a fun, modern foil to the original floor. “The wife said it was her favorite thing because it gives people a peek at what’s to come inside the house,” says Cooper. “That paper took the space from gloomy and sad to vibrant and fun!”

The cheerful mood continues in the adjacent front parlor where scale was key in order to fit the family grand piano. An abstract painting by Richmond artist Kiki Slaughter presides over traditional-leaning furnishings in shades of sage and sky. Trim, applied to pillows and skirted chairs, echoes the inlaid Greek key border of the original hardwood floors throughout the main level. “One of the fun challenges of working with a row house is that it forces you to make sure the rooms have a connection while still feeling like individual spaces,” says Cooper.

And like the blossoms referenced in the film Steel Magnolias, sometimes things that appear pretty and delicate on the surface are surprisingly hardy. Take the furnishings and finishes, which exude Southern gentility yet are durable enough for the couple’s three young children. The Bunny Williams dining table and many of the upholstered pieces were designed to take a beating. One of Cooper’s tricks? “If we need to pick practical fabrics, let’s give it a bit of an edge. I always use contrast cords, tapes and gimps to add a little polish,” she says.

Summing up her process, she adds: “My clients are going to such great lengths to work with a designer, so I want every piece of furniture in a house to feel like it was made exactly for them.” It’s all those little details that add up to a home that feels like a deeply personal reflection of its inhabitants.

After renovating a small home in DC, a couple with three young boys wanted their new build in Falls Church, Virginia, to be a better (read: more fun) reflection of them. “They felt the choices they made in the last house were too safe and boring,” says interior designer Ann Gottlieb, who was tasked with pushing them out of their comfort zone.

“They both work in creative marketing and are interesting people with great style.” The only hitch? The husband and wife weren’t always on the same page aesthetically. A Q&A details how Gottlieb found common ground in their preferences to create a home that’s a harmonious blend of both their styles.

How did your design bridge the couple’s different aesthetic leanings?
He loves the color green and the mid-century modern period and she loves dusty pink and is more of a maximalist. So they had to practice the art of compromise and meet in the middle. For instance, in their bedroom we went with a blush pink, but there are no frills in there. The design is very clean. But she got to pick a crazy wallpaper for her office bathroom. The front living room is a shade of his favorite hue, but then we went bolder by picking a lively fireplace stone and light fixture. It was a combination of balancing things they both liked with bringing out the elements each one of them preferred individually.

The masculine/feminine blend really sings in the kitchen—how did it take shape?
They wanted it to feel very Scandinavian with white oak, flat-panel cabinets, which were a nod to his fondness for minimalism. Again, she likes pink so when I brought over tile samples, she immediately fell in love with that
backsplash tile. She wanted a fun wallpaper, so we ended up with that Kristy Stafford floral.

How do you encourage clients who want to experiment with color?
I get excited when anyone wants any color outside of white or blue, which is what everyone seems to request these days. When someone says they like pink or green, I want them to lean into that. I try to push them to not be afraid and to do something more saturated—even if it’s a grayer version of that color—and use it in as many places as possible.

What inspired the lighting choices?
The husband doesn’t like lights where you can see the light source, so we didn’t want anything with exposed bulbs or a lot of metal details. That’s how we landed on those glowing orbs over the kitchen island. That theme continues with the Graypants custom chandelier in the stairwell and the Foscarini pendants over the dining table.

Name some ways you made this home family-friendly.
The rugs are all wool and stain-treated, and for upholstery we used Crypton fabric or leathers that could be cleaned. We opted for motorized window treatments so the kids couldn’t pull on the chains to open and close them. The dining table has a heavy-duty durable finish. The countertops are stain-resistant quartz. For the breakfast area and powder room we chose Kristy Stafford wallpaper in vinyl because we wanted them to be able to easily wipe down the walls.

What role did art play in these interiors?
The couple used to live in Chicago where a lot of their friends were artists, so they had a big collection. I helped them place pieces in the rooms where I thought they looked best, or we let the art lead the design. For instance, they knew they wanted to put the whale painting in the dining room, so we designed that space around it by bringing out some of those blue/green colors in the bar cabinetry. They had planned for the art in the green living room. I made a collage of their art for the family room gallery wall. The portrait on the stair landing wasn’t planned. That one went up after the fact, but it looked great with the wallpaper.

How would you sum up this project?
I think it’s a perfect example of when you’re faced with a wonderful couple that doesn’t have the same design taste. The challenge is how to successfully marry their styles together. In the end, they were super-happy with how it turned out—they even called me back
to do more work!

Ask ANN

You’re having people over—what’s playing?
My Spotify playlist is full of Chappell Roan and Amy Winehouse.

What are you serving?
I’m really into making elaborately designed charcuterie boards and I love mixing up Manhattans.

Where do you jet to for design inspo?
If I want maximalist pieces, I head to Paris Design Week, but if I’m looking to be inspired by minimalism then I go to Copenhagen. And Milan is great for up-and-coming plumbing fixtures.

Local spot to score mid-century finds?
Daniel Donnelly Modern Design in Alexandria. He’s obsessed with collecting mid-century pieces and reupholsters the classics. I can’t go in there without buying something!

French Flair Inspired by the elegance of Parisian salons, the new Société Collection from Duchateau features 9.5-inch-wide planks of European oak finished in six tones. With its weathered patina and striking chevron pattern, Dahr (shown, above) evokes subtle movement. duchateau.com

Check, Mate Tile Club’s latest collection, Boldara mimics the look of timeless Italian marble in low-maintenance porcelain. The square tiles, which come in 12- and 24-inch formats, are available in rich tones like Rosso and Verde (pictured), bold Nero and lighter, more neutral shades such as Bianco, Oro and Blue. tileclub.com

Euro Star Conjure the charm of an Old World manor house with Carre Bardiglio Imperial Cross and Star porcelain tiles. Approximating the look of a variety of marbles and limestones in multiple sizes, Carre allows you to create unique geometric patterns. architessa.com

Gray Matter Showcasing a natural cleft surface, this Brazilian black slate tile has a matte look and deep charcoal color, which suits both classic and contemporary design. Sturdy and low-maintenance, it comes in 12-by-24 and 24-inch-square formats. tilebar.com

When Pristine Acres first met with the owners of this McLean, Virginia, property to discuss the clients’ vision, they encountered a steep, undulating hillside dotted with craters and stumps where massive trees once grew. The homeowners hoped to take the unusable yard and turn it into the outdoor entertaining area of their dreams, culling inspiration from their own Chilean heritage. “We knew there had to be a boldness to the design while remaining warm and inviting with an underlying sense of being natural,” relays landscape architect Kevin Kurdziolek.

The master plan included the addition of a large infinity pool overlooking the forested environs. Pretty and practical, the design utilized white marble coping for the border of the pool that provides contrast in the design but also stays cool to the touch during those hot summer days. An oversized pavilion and expanded deck that can hold up to 180 people round out the plan. Open and airy, the modern pavilion features a unique cantilevered roofline, giving the appearance of almost floating over an entertaining hub that includes a kitchen, bar, sitting area with a television and a gas fire feature. Says Kurdziolek, “We knew from the beginning that the structure needed to be a very special anchor in the design for the space to work as a whole.”

Award: Residential Landscape Design over $250,000. Landscape Architecture & Construction: Kevin Kurdziolek, PLA, ASLA; Rambod Mirbaha, Pristine Acres. Automation: Trizone Automation.

HUES FLASH! Saturated berry tones take center stage in Caracole’s latest furniture collection. Designed by Claudio Bellini, the pieces shun neutrality in favor of rich shades of azure, saffron and rouge, the latter seen here in the Tobie table and the Archie dining chair. caracole.com

CINEMATIC SEAT Roche Bobois’ reissue of the Lounge sofa is part of a collaboration with acclaimed director Pedro Almodóvar. It comes in two versions, one of which has a limited run of 50 pieces signed by the Spanish auteur. roche-bobois.com

ARTFUL PRINT Poltrona Frau has teamed up with artist and activist Shepard Fairey to produce 200 numbered interpretations of the Italian brand’s iconic Archibald armchair using some of Fairey’s most recognizable motifs. poltronafrau.com

BUREAU OF WHIMSY A new collection by Easton designer Jamie Merida for Chelsea House celebrates artistry and storytelling as seen in the Chinoiserie-inspired Willow Garden Chest, which features bespoke touches such as a painted-bird detail hidden inside a drawer. chelseahouseinc.com

NATURAL SLUMBER Sixpenny describes the Florette bed’s moody floral upholstery as “an impressionistic memory of a day spent in nature,” for a sleep experience that offers lush foliage views without fear of rain or mosquitoes. sixpenny.com

STATEMENT FLOWERS Designed to feel like the equivalent of a soft embrace, Moroso’s cloudlike Me Time sofa is a seat you want to melt into for movie night. Festooned with branches in bloom, its tactile fabric resembles the coziest fleece. moroso.it