Following an early career in child-welfare nonprofits, Kiyonda Powell switched gears to pursue her lifelong passion: design. She earned an interior design degree at Marymount, then joined a boutique studio focusing on hotel and restaurant projects.
In 2018, she launched her firm. “It felt right once I jumped into it. I was ready to have my own independent voice,” reflects Powell, who now splits her time between commercial and residential work.
Many clients ask the designer to instill their homes with the same sense of whimsy apparent in her hospitality work. “One of my specialties is pattern play and color combinations,” she says. “I like coming up with interesting palettes. I’m really eclectic in how I mix things.” Recent projects include a DC residence, an Atlanta apartment and a home she’s wrapping up in California.
Not a day goes by that Powell doesn’t put her original degree in psychology to use. “My clients say I’m good at listening,” she observes. “I make sure they feel good every step of the way.”
Interior Design: Kiyonda Powell, Kiyonda Powell Design Studio, Washington, DC. Styling: Charlotte Safavi. Portrait: Michael Ventura.
Amanda Friend goes glam in a master bath makeover.
Barry Dixon revives a 19th-century bath in period style.
Organic elements and natural light define a Zen escape.
When clients in a stylish home on Maryland’s Eastern Shore called on Amanda Friend to reimagine their cramped and awkward master bath, the designer suggested a best-case scenario. If they were willing to move an adjacent office into an upstairs room, she could use the extra space to reconfigure their ground-floor bath into the sophisticated oasis they desired.
Once they agreed, Friend gutted the space and used its length to her advantage. From the bedroom, she designed a corridor that leads into a secondary room, creating an air of mystery. The passage houses a soaking tub and small laundry area on the left side; on the right, a wall lined with an acrylic-and-brass bench and mirror opens to the wife’s closet. The room at the end of the hall is equipped with custom vanities and storage, a luxurious shower and WC.
In response to the wife’s request for a beyond-the-ordinary bath, Friend went in a glamorous-yet-subtle direction. Penny tiles in an array of textures and tones pave the floors. “They almost look like sequins,” she enthuses. Cork wall covering in iridescent bronze and metallic pendants and sconces echo textures in the flooring. Even more dramatic is the shower, where Friend applied a curated selection of glass and mosaic tile to dazzling effect.
Bath & Interior Design: Amanda Friend, ASID, Amanda Friend Interiors, Newark, Delaware. Renovation Contractor & Millwork Fabrication: Warrington Builders, Easton, Maryland. Styling: Charlotte Safavi.
RESOURCES
Wallpaper: thibautdesign.com. Tile: jeffreycourt.com through tilemarketofde.com. Bench: safavieh.com. Mirror: uttermost.com. All Sconces: shadesoflight.com. Chandelier: hammerton.com. Bath & Shower Fixtures: moen.com. Sink Fixtures & Bathtub: kohler.com. Quartzite Countertops & Limestone Tub Surround: ancientartstone.com. Cabinet Hardware: emtek.com. Ceiling & Vanity Paint: benjaminmoore.com.
Though the Neoclassical residence in Washington had a storied past—once serving as the Turkish ambassador’s residence—it had seen better days by the time new owners hired Barry Dixon to restore its former grandeur. To update the modest master bath, the designer first incorporated a neighboring bedroom, complete with fireplace, into the space. “The idea was to create a luxurious and leisurely bath where you could have coffee and breakfast with your hair wrapped in a towel, or enjoy a soak in front of the fireplace,” he explains.
Dixon’s vision pays homage to the home’s vintage, but through a light, present-day lens. Tumbled limestone and marble tiles pave the floor and walls, recalling a time during the 19th century when “people first learned about germs and wanted surfaces they could wipe down,” he says. An antique table topped with stone and a clawfoot Waterworks tub floating in the middle of the room evoke bygone days, as does Dixon’s custom, his-and-her vanity with legs made of hand-forged iron.
Despite the nostalgia, comfort comes first in this bath, which also features a private WC and steam shower. In lieu of built-ins that would look “too suburban,” says Dixon, he sourced a timeless armoire for storage. And Anichini terrycloth covers the Century chairs—designed for lingering après spa. As the designer remarks, “This is not a bathroom to hurry in.”
Interior Design: Barry Dixon, Barry Dixon, Inc., Warrenton, Virginia.
THE DETAILS
Tub, Tub Filler & Sink Fixtures: waterworks.com. Sinks: kohler.com. Drapery Fabric: scalamandre.com. Drapery Trim: samuelandsons.com through hinescompany.com. Armoire: olystudio.com. Custom Vanity Design: barrydixon.com Hang-Forged Vanity Legs: kellymetalwork.com. Chairs: centuryfurniture.com. Terrycloth Chair Fabric: anichini.com. Antique Table & Urns: Gore Dean Antiques. Lantern: vaughandesigns.com through hinescompany.com. Sconces: jlambeth.com. Custom Mirrors: davidiatesta.com through hollyhunt.com. Tile & Vanity Countertop: renaissancetileandbath.com.
Building a home from scratch puts owners in control of decisions large and small. With this unfettered spirit, a couple enlisted architects Mark McInturff and Colleen Healey to design their new Virginia residence—a modern vision in white stucco with black trim.
The master bath reflects the home’s overall architecture in symmetry and palette. “Serene, quiet and reserved” is how McInturff describes the open space, its floors covered in white Thassos marble.
A vessel tub creates a focal point, flanked by tall windows, frosted for privacy and framed in dark-bronze aluminum. The other walls harbor a steam shower, a sculptural wash basin and a floating vanity. “We tried to relate these four elements in terms of detail and materiality,” explains Healey (who has since launched her own firm).
Julia Walter of Boffi Georgetown collaborated on the selection of fixtures and materials, including panels of Salvatori limestone applied on each wall. One panel anchoring the tub ascends into a skylight that bathes the room in natural light. Another skylight illuminates the shower, which boasts a floating stone bench long enough to recline upon.
Though a TV is hidden in the mirror, this bathroom invites quiet introspection. “Our lives are so cluttered by technology,” Walter comments, “that you really want to relax in a place where you don’t have a lot of distractions.”
Architecture: Mark McInturff, FAIA, principal; Colleen Healey, AIA, project architect, McInturff Architects, Bethesda, Maryland. Builder: Added Dimensions, Inc., Silver Spring, Maryland.
THE DETAILS
Windows: solarinnovations.com. Skylights: velux.com. Bathtub, Bath Filler, Vanity, Mirror, Accessories: boffi.com. Washbasin, Stone Surfaces & Slabs: salvatori.it through boffi.com. Marble Flooring: marblesystems.com. Recessed Lighting: eurofase.com. Lighting Strips: luminii.com. Shower Fixture: gessi.com.
Since launching FORMA Design 25 years ago, Andreas Charalambous has split his time between residential and commercial work. So when a client tapped him to renovate a penthouse that would bridge both of these worlds, the architect jumped at the challenge.
The owner, an entrepreneur who resides in Maryland, acquired the Adams Morgan apartment to serve as an urban pied-à-terre and a workspace for his real estate and entertainment companies. “I wanted a way to collaborate with staff in a non-sterile environment—something cutting edge,” he explains.
Client and architect saw potential in the two-story loft that features panoramic city views, two en-suite bedrooms, dual terraces and a roof deck. But aesthetically, it was woefully outdated. “The apartment had an ’80s or ’90s vibe and an explosion of cherry wood on the countertops, cabinets and floors,” the owner recalls. “It was screaming for the right eye.”
After touring the space, Charalambous agreed, “It was not very inspired. The kitchen was generic, the lighting was poor and railings blocked the views.” Charalambous and associate Juan Gutierrez developed a plan to transform the bland interiors with an avant-garde vibe. Rather than gutting the space, they sought to transform it by better articulating the architecture, introducing a whole-house lighting program, updating the kitchen and opening up the views.
Most of the drama centers around the apartment’s double-height atrium. Charalambous designed a sculptural wall as a bold focal point above the existing fireplace. He also opened up a second-floor office to forge a visual connection to the atrium and views beyond, and further expanded sight lines by replacing conventional railings with glass panels. Other creative gestures—from a cut-out screen near the dining area to floating, interlocking ceiling panels with built-in lighting—define spaces and introduce a bold, modern language.
“These active, three-dimensional ceilings make the space more exciting,” explains Charalambous. “And opening walls lets you experience the atrium from all over the place. Before, it was a missed opportunity.”
In place of a single pendant that hung in the atrium, they selected blackened-steel Super-Oh fixtures by Delta Light in three different sizes, hung so they make a strong statement but don’t obscure views from the upper floor. “Lighting is a big part of what makes this space amazing,” says Charalambous, who collaborated with Vincent Sagart of Poliform | sagartstudio on the lighting plan.
The designers set out to create moods for both intimate and party settings. Linear Splitline fixtures are integrated into channels and niches that ascend the fireplace wall and traverse the ceiling to reach the loft. “I decided to pick up some of Andreas’ architectural lines,” Sagart explains. “In the end, this unified both levels and brought the spaces together.” Meanwhile, adjustable Topix fixtures bathe the staircase wall with wide and narrow beams of light, creating a 3-D effect. Splitline and Topix, also made by Delta Light of Belgium, can be dimmed and adjusted in myriad ways.
Charalambous set out to eliminate visual clutter, creating a pared-down background for contemporary furnishings and architectural accents. In the kitchen, for example, traditional cherry cabinet fronts were replaced with flush panels free of hardware. A busy backsplash gave way to back-painted glass, while a new island of Snow White Krion from Porcelanosa provides gathering space for work and leisure. Reducing the color palette throughout to gray and white, contends Charalambous, “simplifies the way you see the space so that whatever we decide to play up—such as new upper cabinets with glass doors from Poliform—becomes a focal point.”
Now complete, the project meets the owner’s request for dual functionality. “The way we set it up, the dining area is also a meeting area, the kitchen is a bar and the living room is also a lounge,” says Charalambous. Upstairs on the open landing, another lounge area with a built-in flat screen was designed for meetings and brainstorming sessions.
The architect notes that the success of the project was driven by a few strategic moves. “It wasn’t about tearing out everything and redoing it,” he reflects. “It was about making the space exciting by investing in lighting, upgrading the kitchen and creating the sculpture wall above the fireplace—the things you actually experience.”
Drawing Board
Why is lighting crucial to a successful renovation?
Charalambous: Lighting can transform a space depending on the mood you want to create. You can have the most beautiful interiors but if they’re not lit well they won’t work.
We design lighting for all of a room’s potential functions.
What makes a partial renovation challenging?
As opposed to gutting a home, a partial renovation means you have to adjust existing elements so the result feels like it was all done at the same time, with the same intent and quality.
You shouldn’t have a sense of what is new, what is old or what was renovated.
How do you help clients allocate costs?
When we start looking at finishes, we keep in mind whether the budget is on the high, middle or lower end. Don’t spend all your money in one room or it will look out of place. The project should
feel consistent in the quality of materials, lighting and finishes.
Renovation Architecture & Interior Design: Andreas Charalambous, AIA, IIDA, principal; Juan Gutierrez, project architect, FORMA Design, Washington, DC. Lighting Design & Kitchen Consultant: Vincent Sagart, Poliform | sagartstudio, Washington, DC. Renovation Contractor: HBW Construction, Rockville, Maryland.
After a couple purchased a home in Rockville, they tapped Case Architects & Remodelers to overhaul its outdated kitchen and master bath. The latter was beset with a shower the size of a phone booth and a sunken tub requiring acrobatic entry and exit. On the plus side, the existing footprint gave designers April Case Underwood and Elena Eskandari plenty of room for a redesign. The duo created a shower for two, complete with bench and access from two sides. A glass frame and partial wall (with a niche to store shampoo) separates the shower and a floating vessel tub. They selected gray porcelain flooring and marble-look wall tile, punching things up with a wall mosaic in the shower. “We also added some bling with hardware and lighting,” says Eskandari, pointing out the chandelier hung with crystals. Dual sinks top the corner vanities to the left of the tub; a WC is tucked away to the right. The finished project, says Underwood, invites the owners to linger in “a relaxing oasis in their home.”
Bath Design & Contracting: April Case Underwood, CR, CKBR, GAC; Elena Eskandari, Allied Member ASID, CKBR, UDCP, Case Architects & Remodelers, Falls Church, Virginia.
The owners of a Potomac home were tired of their 1990s-era bath. Not only did it have inadequate storage and a tub that took up too much space, but the walled-in shower induced feelings of claustrophobia. Called in to renovate, designers Daniel Carrero and Andrea Pohl reconfigured the layout to make way for an efficient new design and developed an aesthetic that would measure up to the rest of their clients’ elegant home. They carved out room for a large, open shower with a floating bench, a freestanding tub, a separate WC and a 12-foot wall of customized cabinets offering a place for everything from toiletries to a pull-out trash receptacle. The linen cabinet even harbors hidden plugs. Custom-framed mirrors and sconces offer the perfect setup for make-up application. Quartzite countertops and Calacatta tile on the floor and shower walls add a graceful touch. The clients love their new, spa-like escape. Says Carrero, “Even the husband, who was a bit skeptical about the project, is in awe over it.”
Bath Design & Contracting: Daniel A. Carrero and Andrea Pohl, House to Home Solutions, LLC, Rockville, Maryland. Photography: Chris Zimmer.
OUTDOOR OASIS
Glenstone has always practiced its own brand of social distancing. Since its inception, this private museum in Potomac has capped admissions so that patrons can experience its art, architecture and landscape unfettered by crowds. Though indoor galleries and cafés are still shuttered at press time, Glenstone reopened its grounds on June 4, welcoming a limited number of visitors to explore a 300-acre sanctuary of rolling meadows and forest dotted with outdoor installations by luminaries such as Jeff Koons, Richard Serra and Ellsworth Kelly. The property is open from Thursday through Sunday; advance reservations and masks are required. glenstone.org
PAPER TRAIL
Hillwood Estate recently reopened its 25-acre grounds to members. But if you prefer an armchair visit, Kate Markert’s A Garden For All Seasons: Marjorie Merriweather Post’s Hillwood documents how Post (above, left, with Lady Bird Johnson in 1966) and her design team created one of Washington’s most celebrated outdoor treasures, complete with formal parterres, luxuriant lawns and cutting beds. Photographs by DC’s own Erik Kvalsvik capture Hillwood’s pristine beauty. Rizzoli, New York, 2020; $50.
VIRTUAL VIEWING
When covid-19 forced its closure, the National Museum of Women in the Arts launched NMWA@Home, a virtual portal of podcasts, videos and online exhibitions. One of its most compelling shows, “Delita Martin: Calling Down the
Spirits,” features seven large-scale portraits that explore the lines between the earthly and the ethereal. Audio commentary by Texas-born Martin sheds light on the influences and techniques behind her immersive works, including “Soul Keeper,” right. nmwa.org
ARTISTS IN QUARANTINE
In response to the pandemic, the Hirshhorn launched “Artists in Quarantine” on April 23. This video-diary series will spotlight nearly 100 artists from around the globe, with new entries released twice weekly on Instagram, YouTube and the museum’s website. “The goal is to collect insights during a time when artists, like billions around the world, have had their daily lives and routines disrupted in extreme ways,” says artist and Hirshhorn board member Theaster Gates, who’s spearheading the project. hirshhorn.si.edu
Kohler’s latest smart-home innovations bring touch-free technology to the bath. The Verdera Voice mirror features a high-quality grooming mirror; adjustable LED lights for makeup and skin-care regimes; a motion-activated nightlight; and hermetically sealed speakers—all of which can be run via Bluetooth and Amazon Alexa. And voice-activated or wall-mounted controls power the DTV+ Shower System to adjust sound, water, steam and lighting. kohler.com
When Ifat Pridan ordered a zip-front frock made of natural Japanese fabric ($580) for her summer collection, little did the owner of Georgetown’s LiLi the First boutique know how on point it would be: A strip of yellow tape on the back reads, “I need space.” As Pridan marvels, “No one anticipated we would need this message so much.” Though the pandemic gave her time to open a shop online, Pridan looks forward to welcoming customers face-to-face. “The whole point of a boutique,” she says, “is to have personal interaction.” 1419 Wisconsin Avenue, NW; lilithefirst.com
The Chesapeake Bay and its winding tributaries harbor more miles of shoreline than the entire U.S. West Coast. Whether it edges a meandering creek or the mighty bay itself, waterfront real estate rewards residents with ever-changing scenes of this pristine estuary environment.
One such site near St. Michaels, Maryland, captivated a couple seeking a home in the region. They were taken by its panoramic views of both the Miles River and its confluence with the East Bay. The lot’s sweeping, 270-degree water vista even included a distant glimpse of the Kent Narrows Bridge.
They knew their search was over and purchased the property, which came with an outdated split-level home, a pool and a dock. The twosome—he, an energy consultant and she, an environmental engineer—had sold their Bethesda home of 27 years with the intention of moving to a house on the water where they could host their married son and daughter and three grandkids for carefree family visits. They’d commute to an apartment in DC during the workweek, but St. Michaels would become their full-time home once they retire.
After discovering many drawbacks to the split-level—such as a musty, subterranean hot tub—they concluded that building anew made more sense than renovating. So, to help make their dream home a reality, the couple assembled a design team: Easton architect Charles Goebel, Annapolis interior designer Erin Paige Pitts and Paquin Design/Build. They set out to create a welcoming, casual-chic residence that plays up its stunning habitat.
Goebel devised a plan that would take full advantage of the site, with water views in every room. A light-filled great room sits at the heart of the home, open to the kitchen, breakfast area and screened porch. The master suite and the wife’s office are also located on the main floor. “They wanted a house that’s full of light, that capitalizes on the views and that lays out according to their needs and desires,” says Goebel. “The home lives very comfortably as one story when it’s just the couple there.” Accessed by stair and elevator, the second level houses a cozy sitting room that spills onto a deck, two en-suite guest rooms and a TV lounge with built-in bunk beds.
Though he loosely based the exterior detailing on Shingle style, the architect says, “it’s not a strict replication. It’s very bright and airy, with lots of glass.” Above the great room, a bridge connecting the bedrooms serves as a library with built-in shelving; it’s a perfect spot to read and take in the scenery.
Another goal was to make the home energy-efficient without compromising on design. Since natural gas was not available, the owners explored geothermal and solar options. During construction, eight geothermal wells were drilled into the front yard; the system, equipped with two pumps, now heats and cools the 5,140-square-foot house. And Sunrise Solar of Chestertown, Maryland, placed 50 photovoltaic panels on flat sections of the roof; they provide electricity along with three Tesla battery panels in the garage that are used to charge the owners’ electric cars and serve as emergency back-up.
The home achieved zero-net-energy status, which means that it produces as much renewable energy as it consumes. “Our total electric bill was $98 the first year we were in the house,” says the husband. “Yet the home was optimized for beauty, comfort, ease of operation and style—not really for carbon or energy.”
Throughout the design process, Erin Paige Pitts collaborated with Goebel and their clients to streamline the architectural and interior plans. She selected finishes and furnishings in neutral palettes that would accentuate rather than compete with water views. Sculptural light fixtures, textural tile and stone surfaces and clean-lined furniture impart a chic aesthetic. “My clients embraced the idea of easy living,” Pitts explains. “Nothing’s fussy, but it’s nicely done. It’s kind of a classic Shingle-style, but feels more modern and is reflective of the clients’ personality.”
Well-versed in designing waterfront homes where little ones run amok in wet swimsuits, Pitts specified outdoor or treated fabrics on all furniture. She also dissuaded her clients from leaving windows bare. “Living on the water is amazing, but on a blustery January day it’s also quite severe,” she says. Simple, tonal panels and shades soften the windows without blocking the views.
Since moving in a year ago, the owners have enjoyed their retreat on the bay. “I didn’t envision it would be this spectacular when we started,” the wife admits. “I feel like I’m on vacation when I’m here.”
Their revamped pool, surrounded by a new Pennsylvania bluestone terrace, certainly has a resort feel. To enhance the grounds this spring, McHale Landscape Design will add mixed plantings and planters for warmth and color and widen existing beds.
The owners love relaxing on the terrace or screened porch and watching boats sail by. Says the wife, “There are many days when I look out and feel like I’m at sea.”
Architecture: Charles Paul Goebel, AIA, AICP, LEED AP, Charles Paul Goebel, Architect, Ltd., Easton, Maryland.
Interior Design: Erin Paige Pitts, Erin Paige Pitts Interiors, Annapolis, Maryland. Contractor: Paquin Design/Build, Grasonville, Maryland.
From time to time, photographer Lee Goodwin heads to Annapolis before dawn on days when the forecast promises still waters and dramatic skies. He shot this view of the State House dome at 5:30 one August morning, more than an hour before sunrise. “I hoped to capture the reflections of the Capitol shimmering on the water,” explains the Potomac, Maryland-based photographer. “I use long exposures—this one was 15 seconds—to show an aspect of a scene that might not be visible in real time.” Photo: Lee Goodwin
After a busy week, NBC4 anchor Wendy Rieger prefers to get out of Dodge. For 20 years, she headed east to unwind in a bungalow on the Chesapeake. But now, she heads west to her pristine retreat in Rappahannock County.
Completed last year in time for Thanksgiving, her new home enjoys panoramic views of rolling pastures, shimmering ponds and the Blue Ridge beyond. “The water has its own peace and its own grace, but to be in the mountains and see the land unfolding before you is a totally different head,” she says. “It is so peaceful and yet so powerful here.”
For Rieger, the time was ripe not only for a change in locale, but also in architectural style from both her “cottagey” bay-area bungalow and her ultra-modern apartment in CityCenterDC. “I wanted my new home to be everything they were not,” she vows, adding, “I didn’t want a farmhouse.”
After putting her other properties on the market, Rieger tapped Flint Hill, Virginia, architect Jay Monroe to design her country escape. She envisioned a home modest in size yet large enough to host guests in comfort. She pictured airy interiors that would capitalize on the grandeur of the views but still feel cozy and intimate.
The 30-acre site consists of woodland sloping down to a former pasture. “It made sense to tuck the house up against the woods rather than place it in the field below, to give it a sense of protection,” Monroe says.
To kick-start the design phase, Rieger shared photos gathered on Pinterest and in magazines with Monroe and her builder, Joseph Keyser. They developed a plan for a two-story, modern cottage that nods to Scandinavian style. It contains an open kitchen and dining area, living room and guest suite on the first floor; the second floor harbors the master suite and a second guest suite. The architect clad the home in stucco and added Western red cedar pergolas for texture. Dormers on the second floor break up the lines of the standing-seam metal roof.
“In Rappahannock County, we pride ourselves on letting the landscape be the art,” says Monroe. “We keep houses fairly simple and clean.”
More than 60 windows, their wood frames painted black, strike an industrial note. “They speak to the area without getting too ‘white board-and-batten,’” quips Rieger. She took interior design inspiration from spare, Nordic style and authentic local art. “I really want to support local artists out here,” says the journalist, whose collection includes a sculpture by noted blacksmith Nol Putnam and what she calls an “explosive” painting of a night garden by Ruthie Windsor Mann.
The living room and kitchen span the rear of the home with a dining nook and built-in bar between them. During construction, Rieger made an unusual request for windows behind the range hood. “I cook a lot when I’m here and wanted to look out at the woods,” she explains.
Upstairs, dormers were put to good use. The master suite and guest room are furnished with custom daybeds. “On a rainy day, who doesn’t want to curl up with a book on a daybed?” Rieger reflects. A wooden desk inset in the center dormer serves as a home office where she writes, a photo of NBC4’s late Jim Vance by her side.
When in Rappahannock, Rieger (who stays in an apartment in DC during the week), checks headlines every morning but eludes nonstop news cycles. “I have two TVs in this house—and they’re not plugged in,” she admits. She and her boyfriend, who visits often, enjoy biking on Skyline Drive and hiking on nearby trails.
Now 64, Rieger surmises that escaping from the Washington scene on weekends has kept her grounded during nearly 40 years in broadcasting—32 spent at NBC4. “I joke that it’s the only successful relationship I’ve ever had,” she remarks. “I wouldn’t be in this house if I hadn’t worked for Channel 4. They’ve been very good to me and I’ve been good for them.” The three-time Emmy winner currently anchors News4 at 5, DC’s top newscast in its time slot. In 2005 she pioneered a “Going Green” segment that aired around the country and later inspired a series on NBC Nightly News.
Rieger also took her new home in a sustainable direction. “I wanted to live what I’ve espoused and kept the footprint as small as possible,” she explains. “The house is heavily sealed and the way it’s oriented on the land, I barely have to run the heat even on the coldest nights.”
Rieger looks forward to giving back to the community near her new country home and remains awestruck by the beauty surrounding it. “I think I have one of the best views in the county,” she muses. “I was drawn here by the enormity of it.”
Architecture: Jay Monroe, AIA, ASLA, Monroe and Crocker, PC, Flint Hill, Virginia. Builder: Joseph Keyser, Joseph Keyser Construction, Washington, Virginia.
Growing up in Lynchburg, Virginia, William McKinnon Massie, Jr., and Anne Harris Massie were immersed in classical beauty. Their parents nurtured family gardens and shepherded Will and Anne to more than 100 nurseries and botanical gardens by the time the siblings were in their early twenties. Indoors, recalls Will, “Our home was filled with family heirlooms—beautiful pieces collected over time.”
Decades later, echoes from this painterly past somehow swayed sister and brother from their designated career paths. Anne was finishing a master’s degree in fine arts at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), but didn’t fancy herself a full-time artist. And Will was less than thrilled with his job in banking. So the duo decided to team up and dive head-first into the outdoor-furniture business. “Our parents loved the concept of creating a lasting garden and were also ardent antiques collectors,” explains Anne. “Will and I put those two great loves together to make something beautiful and lasting.”
They founded McKinnon and Harris in 1991, working out of their apartments in Richmond’s Fan District and building, painting and packing every piece themselves. To counter the throwaway mentality associated with low-end lawn furniture, they set out to produce pieces that were handcrafted, timeless and enduring. Early products were inspired by English archetypes, family antiques, museums and books. “Our first bench was Gothic in style; we were also enamored by the American Federal period,” Will recalls. “Anne and I were driven by our vision of making pieces that we ourselves wanted, and that is what we’re still doing. Our design philosophy is guided by classicism.”
Though they initially worked in steel, the founders soon turned to aluminum for its longevity and corrosion resistance. Thanks to Reynolds Aluminum, an industry giant founded in Richmond, they drew from a community of suppliers and skilled metalworkers.
Though the siblings admit to starting out young and naïve, their venture flourished. Today, they oversee their Richmond base with a staff of 70, plus McKinnon and Harris showrooms in New York, Los Angeles and London.
The company moved into its current, 65,000-square-foot flagship in Richmond’s historic Scott’s Addition district after outgrowing a previous location nearby. Will and Anne saw potential in what was an abandoned 1940s warehouse covered in graffiti, its roof partially caved in. They tapped local architecture firm 3North to transform it into offices, showroom space and a manufacturing facility. During the extensive renovation, the architects added roof monitors and skylights to dapple the interiors with natural light, and created contemplative, gallery-like spaces for product display.
Anne and Will still design each new bench, chair, sectional, table and chaise themselves, starting with hand-drawn sketches. “Everything we make has to ascribe to what we jokingly call ‘our ruthless aesthetic,’ meaning highly edited,” says Anne. “We’re interested in clean lines and don’t like ornamentation.”
In the workshop, artisans create furniture that can withstand the elements using methods akin to fine woodworking. Starting with aluminum components, metalworkers cut, bend and weld pieces by hand. Welds are beveled and joined for extra strength and integrity. “There is a phenomenal amount of unseen complexity in our construction,” Anne reveals. “A piece may appear utterly simple, but so much has gone into it to make it seamless.”
After welding, every surface is sanded and polished to create a smooth silhouette. Products are then treated to a high-performance, marine-grade coating that renders them resistant to salt spray. Finally, each is powder-coated in one of McKinnon and Harris’ 21 signature colors inspired by nature, from Severn River Stone to Wicomico White. The company also produces its own upholstery, using outdoor fabrics and reticulated foam cushions that allow water to flow in and out and dry quickly.
Still innovating almost 30 years after hanging their shingle, Anne and Will recently introduced stone tabletops and the Virginia Bench. Like heirlooms in their childhood home, most McKinnon and Harris pieces have a story behind them—from the Beaufort line named for a beloved dog to the Otey collection honoring a favorite aunt.
Though their products are sold globally, the founders have never strayed from their Richmond base. “We are so lucky that a lot of folks join McKinnon and Harris after graduating from VCU, which has one of the best art and sculpture programs in the country,” reflects Will. “Our people are part of the maker’s culture in Richmond—and the city is part of the soul of our brand.” mckinnonandharris.com
ForrestPerkins recently revived the Westin St. Francis hotel, housed in San Francisco’s 1904 Landmark Building. The award-winning, $45 million overhaul upgraded the property’s 618 rooms and specialty suites. The design team took inspiration from Parisian décor in a nod to San Francisco’s reputation as “The Paris of the West.” The two-level Chairman’s Suite boasts carved millwork in the main-floor living room and dining room; upstairs, layered and refined textures create a serene and tranquil vibe in one of three bedrooms. The hotel’s dining options include ENO wine bar, serving close to 50 wines by the glass, and the venerable Oak Room Restaurant, which opened in 1913 as a wood-paneled bar for men only. Rates from $144; westinstfrancis.com
