In this age of gut renovations and teardowns, finding a home in mint, move-in condition requires a rare confluence of luck and timing. A couple in search of a new roost stumbled upon just such a gem in Bethesda.
As luck would have it, the previous owner happened to be an architect who’d beautifully renovated the split-level dwelling, much to the couple’s delight. They envisioned cozy dinners and downtime with their three young children in the spacious kitchen and family room. The more tailored living and dining rooms fit their bill for entertaining parties large and small. Landscaped grounds complete with a pool and a pool house cinched the deal.
The new owners saw no reason to tinker with most of the design elements the architect had created—from cabinets and stair-rail details to moldings and millwork. Designer Marika Meyer, tapped to outfit the home’s interiors, wholeheartedly agreed.
“We were able to come in, without doing any heavy lifting on the architecture front, and decorate the home with all the treasures the previous owner had left behind,” Meyer remarks.
One of these treasures—William Morris botanical wallpaper in the foyer—would become a springboard for her overarching plan. A 19th-century British artist and designer who spearheaded the Arts and Crafts movement, Morris celebrated the natural world in his oeuvre. Likewise, Meyer played up organic themes as she marshaled the interiors in new directions to suit her clients’ aesthetic and functional desires. “We were focused on how we could make the personal, private spaces appropriate for kids while creating public rooms appropriate for how the owners wanted to entertain,” she explains.
The open family room and kitchen inhabit a new wing in the home, split by a secondary staircase leading to the upper-level bedrooms. An aqua ceramic-tile fireplace surround in the family room provides a vibrant background for furniture that “is a study in durability,” says Meyer, who selected indoor/outdoor fabrics to withstand the wear and tear of kids at play in this space and throughout the home. A skirted bench of her design became a spot coveted by the children for reading and watching TV.
Meyer’s clients retained the stepped railing on the back stair and the kitchen’s retro-style cabinetry, both of which convey a mid-century vibe. They also kept an antique stove that the previous owner had left in place for decorative purposes only. “The stove is a great focal point and adds character in the clean-lined kitchen,” says the designer, whose color scheme was inspired by the cabinets’ pale lime-green hue.
Color took a bold turn in the living room, where two Lee Industries armchairs are covered in a botanical Schumacher linen. The large-format print—which wouldn’t look out of place in a William Morris catalogue—creates drama against the neutral carpet and walls. “Going for that bold pattern, with its greens, aquas and other tones, was a real leap of faith,” Meyer admits, “but it opened up the color palette. And pairing the chairs with a beautiful Century sofa in red makes for a more dynamic space.” The sofa and Hickory Chair stools, also upholstered in red fabric, weave a common thread with fabrics in the adjacent dining room.
Here, Meyer contrasted a red-and-gold Giati chevron on the chair fronts with a strong GP & J Baker damask on the backs. “In the dining room, the colors are classic and timeless,” the designer contends. “With the muted walls and drapes, having the dialed-up color on the chair backs is not overwhelming.”
Meyer, who has her own eponymous textile collection, judiciously blended colors and fabrics throughout the home. “There’s a fair amount of color, but this house shows how you can integrate it,” she comments, noting the way creamy, neutral shades on the floors and walls subdue the mood. “It’s a matter of careful balance.”
One wall in the dining room displays the owners’ butterfly collection, organized in simple frames. The assemblage softens the room’s formality with a natural flourish. “There’s a classic element in the frames—they are not an exact match but very complementary,” says Meyer. “They create a collected feeling, which was our goal throughout.”
Upstairs, a blue-and-white floral motif sets a breezy tone in the serene master bedroom. The pared-down, upholstered bed and geometric night tables play off this classic embroidered textile. “The whole house has that story of traditional paired with modern,” says Meyer. “It was a joy to be able to step into this home and put our twist on it.”
Looking back now that the project is complete, Meyer returns to her Craftsman-era muse. “The William Morris wallpaper is a testament that classical design and traditional elements are timeless,” she says. “It is still fresh today.”
One can imagine that the visionary Morris would have been happy to pay it forward. In fact, he once wrote, “The past is not dead. It is living in us, and will be alive in the future, which we are now helping to make.”
INTERIOR DESIGN: Marika Meyer, Marika Meyer Interiors, LLC, Bethesda, Maryland.
RESOURCES
FAMILY ROOM
Sofa & Pillows: Custom through meyerinteriors.com. Pillow Fabric: fschumacher.com. Custom-Sized Bench: kravet.com. Bench Fabric: delanyandlong.com. Striped Ottomans: ballarddesigns.com. Ottoman Fabric: kravet.com. Coffee Table & Side Table: Owners’ collection. Rug: coecarpetandrug.com.
KITCHEN
Table, Chairs & Pendants: Owners’ collection.
LIVING ROOM
Sofa: centuryfurniture.com. Chairs: leeindustries.com through americaneyewdc.net. Chair Fabric: fschumacher.com. Coffee Table: salvationsaf.com through americaneyewdc.net. Floor Lamps: arteriorshome.com. Stools by Fireplace: hickorychair.com. Blue Chairs: vanguardfurniture.com. Rug: coecarpetandrug.com. Art: Owners’ collection.
DINING ROOM
Table: centuryfurniture.com. Chairs: woodbridgefurniture.com. Chair Fabric (front and seat): giati.com through jlambeth.com. Chair Fabric (back): gpjbaker.com through kravet.com. Sideboard: lexington.com. Chandelier: curreyandcompany.com. Rug: coecarpetandrug.com. Drapery Fabric: fabricut.com through jlambeth.com.
MASTER BEDROOM
Bed: Custom by meyerinteriors.com. Throw Pillow, Roman Shade & Drapery Fabric: kravet.com. Nightstand: centuryfurniture.com. Chair: leeindustries.com through americaneyewdc.net. Chair Fabric: jimthompsonfabrics.com through americaneyewdc.net. Rug: starkcarpet.com.
After a month-long stint in Marnie at New York’s Metropolitan Opera, Denyce Graves can be found far from the limelight, hiking around her family’s farm with golden retrievers in tow. The mezzo-soprano and husband Robert Montgomery frequently decamp from their Manhattan apartment to this second home to relax and spend time with their children.
“We both have very hectic lives and it’s important to know we can come to this sanctuary and leave our professions behind,” says Graves in a voice both gentle and resonant. “When we arrive here, I feel like we can exhale.”
Graves grew up in Southwest Washington, singing in school and church choirs. The daughter of a single mom who worked three jobs, she discovered opera as a 14-year old at DC’s Duke Ellington School of the Arts.
After studying music at Oberlin College and the New England Conservatory, Graves hit the world stage in 1995 when she landed the lead in Carmen at The Met. She has dazzled audiences around the globe ever since with her awe-inspiring vocals and commanding stage presence. In Washington, Graves regularly lends her voice to events of national importance—from commemorations of the 9/11 attacks at the National Cathedral to the 2018 Kennedy Center Honors.
Offstage, however, Graves defies the stereotype of a prima donna. “My profession is glamorous, but that’s not necessarily who I am,” she admits. By 10 a.m. on a November morning, she’s walk the dog & teach dog new commands and started a 72-hour turkey recipe that daughter Ella requested for Thanksgiving—all while quietly crooning a medley of arias.
Graves met Montgomery—a pioneer in transplant surgery—on a flight to Paris. After a long-distance courtship, they wed in 2009. Uniting her daughter Ella with Montgomery’s three children, they became a family of six.
They settled into a Bethesda home but later traded it for the farm to be closer to Johns Hopkins, where Montgomery worked. Set on 74 pastoral acres, the family’s current farmhouse replaced their original, 19th-century home on the property, which was destroyed by fire in 2012.
Maryland architect Timothy Sanders designed the new retreat in the spirit of a traditional Southern estate, with wraparound porches and prime views of the landscape, where the family raises alpacas. Despite the home’s classic exterior, the owners envisioned an open and airy layout. “I wanted the house to be like a large studio where there weren’t separations or walls, so we could all be together,” explains Graves. On her wish list: a spacious kitchen with a bead-board ceiling, a music room and a closet large enough to store the collection of 75-plus gowns she’s donned on stage over the years.
After Montgomery left Hopkins to head NYU’s transplant institute, the couple acquired an apartment on the Upper West Side. “In New York, we hired a decorator and our home is very fancy,” says Graves. “But here, we didn’t officially decorate or buy anything new.” She did select “rustic” elements, such as barn doors outside the kitchen and iron gates salvaged from a French castle enclosing the music room. Treasured possessions include a bust of the late Julius Rudel in the foyer. He was the Kennedy Center’s first music director and one of the singer’s trusted mentors. She muses, “He’s still with me, saying, ‘Keep it together, Graves.’”
Just as many teachers coached Graves before she reached opera’s highest echelons, the award-winning diva now imparts their wisdom—and her own—to voice students as a distinguished faculty artist at Baltimore’s Peabody Institute. She also volunteers her time helping young people discover the power of music and learning. “If you look at everything that’s going on in the world today,” she reflects, “the most important issue is education.”
Even during long weekends at the farm, Graves rehearses three hours a day. Her 2019 calendar includes two New York concerts in January, appearances with the Annapolis Opera and Richmond Symphony in May and later performances with the Washington National Opera and The Metropolitan Opera in New York.
When asked how it feels to move an audience to tears, she deflects the praise. “These composers were trying to convey an emotion through music. My job as a singer is to get out of the way and be a vessel for this music to speak through. We’re servants to it.
“It does come through my experience, though,” she continues. “It’s not just sound, but it passes through my intellect and my heart. The stage is a magnifying glass and everybody knows if you’re lying.”
Though she’s performed for presidents and prime ministers in the world’s most prestigious venues, Graves is most touched by experiences of another kind. During a stint in St. Louis, for example, she was asked to sing at a prison. Initially reluctant, once she accepted the invitation she decided to give it her all. “These hard faces lightened up and people started smiling and laughing,” she recalls. “And I thought, ‘Denyce, now you’ve done something.’”
Graves also reflects on the night her mother chartered a bus to transport friends and family members to her Met debut in New York. “They didn’t know a thing about opera. But they knew what it took to get from here to there,” Graves remembers, her eyes bright. “They were there because ‘our girl’ made it to this pinnacle.”
Architecture: Timothy Sanders, Sanders Designs Architects, Cockeysville, Maryland. Kitchen Design: Carefree Kitchens, Baltimore, Maryland. Builder: Bob Krieger, RHK Builders, Monkton, Maryland.
During the renovation of a 19th-century row house on Capitol Hill, one of the owners stopped into Snaidero DC Metro to see a La Cornue range on display. He purchased the celebrated French oven in matte black and, despite his home’s classic style, also fell in love with sleek Snaidero cabinetry. “The owner liked the dichotomy between classic architecture and modern elements, which you see all over Europe,” reflects showroom principal and designer Shawna Dillon. As the project progressed, Dillon joined architect Christian Zapatka in designing the kitchen, bridging past and present while taking inspiration from all things French.
Located off a gallery connecting the entry to a rear salon and garden, the kitchen features a U-shaped configuration of cabinetry and appliances. On one wall, high-gloss lacquered cabinets—containing refrigeration and bar storage—play off base cabinets in a wood finish and glass-fronted cabinets on the other two elevations. These walls house more storage, along with the sink, dishwasher and range and a custom hood in cold-rolled steel. Caesarstone countertops in Linen and a creamy, glazed-tile backsplash lighten the moody palette. New herringbone floors evoke the home’s original vintage, as does a custom table that interior designer Romain Baty fashioned from the bronze base of a circa-1900 bank counter.
“As soon as you enter the home,” says Dillon, “you feel like you’re in Paris.”
Architect: Christian Zapatka, AIA, Christian Zapatka Architect, PLLC, Washington, DC. Kitchen Design: Shawna Dillon, ASID, NCIDQ, Snaidero DC Metro, Alexandria, Virginia. Contractor: LR Mailloux Construction, Inc., Washington, DC.
Resources
Countertops: caesarstoneus.com through rbratti.com. Backsplash: waterworks.com. Cabinets & Hardware: snaiderodcmetro.com. Sink & Faucet: franke.com. Range: lacornueusa.com. Refrigerator & Wine Cooler: thermador.com. Hood Design: Shawna Dillon. Hood Fabrication: akmetalfab.com. Windows: westernwindowsystems.com.
For McLean homeowners who love to cook and entertain, coping with a 1980s-era kitchen was cramping their style. When they’d finally had enough of outdated appliances, run-of-the-mill cabinets and an inefficient layout, they called on designer Jonas Carnemark for an overhaul.
“The main goal was to design a chef’s kitchen,” explains Carnemark, whose plan bumped out the original kitchen by 12 feet, creating a voluminous addition with 11-foot-high ceilings.
Instead of one massive island, they decided on two parallel ones to keep circulation open. One island contains a sink for food prep while the other anchors the cooktop and a wooden table with room for seating on both sides “so people can sit across from each other and have a conversation,” says the designer.
Storage cabinets, a pull-out pantry, a refrigerator and freezer drawers, a dishwasher and dual ovens are organized along one main wall. On one end, a wine refrigerator is set in a dedicated bar area; on the other end, false cabinet doors open to reveal a nine-foot-long walk-in pantry.
A paradigm of minimalist restraint, the project combines SieMatic cabinetry in a sterling-silver finish, gray Caesarstone countertops, a backsplash of white, back-painted glass and easy-on-the-feet CoreTec flooring made of cork-backed vinyl but resembling weathered wood. Two cozy seating areas—one with a new fireplace—invite guests to settle in and socialize.
Kitchen & Interior Design: Jonas Carnemark, CKD, CLIPP, KONST, Bethesda, Maryland. Contractor: CARNEMARK design + build, Bethesda, Maryland.
Resources
Countertops: caesarstoneus.com. Backsplash: dwglassmarkerboards.com. Raised Table Material: spekva.com. Cabinets & Hardware: konstsiematic.com. Sinks: blanco-germany.com. Faucets: grohe.us. Appliances: mieleusa.com through konstsiematic.com. Flooring: coretecfloors.com. Windows & Doors: pella.com.
Confined to the cramped footprint of the obsolete kitchen in her clients’ Tudor-style home in DC, designer Nadia Subaran faced a few challenges when she was hired for a makeover. A consummate cook and entertainer, the wife asked for more functional workspace, an open layout—and a 40-inch professional Thermador range. “I had to figure out how to achieve the look my client wanted while getting her all the function she needed,” explains Subaran.
The designer rose to the occasion. First, she removed a peninsula that bisected the kitchen. Then she opened up an adjacent hallway, trading a closet for a butler’s pantry. Next to new base and glass-fronted upper cabinetry, she installed a freezer and made it “disappear” behind paneling that matches the white cabinets.
This left space for a dedicated, 30-inch refrigerator in the kitchen. A classic farmhouse sink and Calacatta Belgia marble countertops and backsplash from Gramaco reflect the home’s vintage. Satin-brass hardware and a freestanding pantry unit in a Baltic Sea finish warm the white palette. A custom table with a mixed-metal base mirroring the room’s brass and stainless-steel finishes makes a bold centerpiece.
Two custom lights, sourced through interior designer Lori Graham, lend a modern touch. A brass-accented fixture illuminates the kitchen while one with a darker motif plays off the original slate floor in the butler’s pantry.
Kitchen Design: Nadia Subaran, Aidan Design, Silver Spring, Maryland. Contractor: Horizon Builders, Crofton, Maryland.
Resources
Countertops & Backsplash: gramaco.com. Cabinets: wood-mode.com. Hardware: lewisdolin.com. Sink & Faucet: rohlhome.com through abwappliances.com. Stove & Refrigeration: thermador.com through abwappliances.com. Hood & Table Design: aidandesign.com. Table Fabrication: kmetalfab.com. Light Fixtures: Through lorigraham.com. Stools: cb2.com.
WILD & WOOLLY
Missoni Home’s Winter Flame collection includes the all-wool knit Pereira rug—as soft as a well-worn fisherman’s sweater; sculptural Virgola chairs shown covered in Vitim, a 3D chevron jacquard; and cozy knit cushions in assorted colorways. missonihome.com
SNUGGLE UP
Designed by Giorgio Soressi, Roche Bobois’ Avant Premiere four-seat sofa is pictured in luxurious Sensori velvet—the perfect backdrop for a night of snuggling or movie-watching. roche-bobois.com
DESIGNER TAKE
ZigZagZurich’s Artist Wool Blankets collection presents a host of bold patterns created by a global roster of designers. The 55-by-79-inch throws cocoon loungers in 100-percent New Zealand wool. zigzagzurich.com
MANMADE
Playfully dubbed Furry Tiles, this hand-stitched carpet by Doris Leslie Blau is made of wool that mimics natural cowhide. The rustic, toe-tickling rug can be customized in any shape or size. dorisleslieblau.com
FAUX FUR
Moroso’s Pipe armchair, designed by Sebastian Herkner, offers a warm, faux-fur embrace. Available through Apartment Zero. apartmentzero.com; moroso.it
PILLOW TALK
Rex Pleated Pillows by Adri Collection feature ruched rabbit-fur fronts and silk-velvet backs. Available locally in six sizes and colorways—including Snow, Bark and Coal—at Holly Hunt. hollyhunt.com
As founding editor of Residential Architect magazine, Boyce Thompson has plenty to say about what constitutes a great house. So much, in fact, that he has assembled his thoughts into a book, Anatomy of a Great Home: What America’s Most Celebrated Houses Tell Us about the Way We Want to Live (Schiffer Publishing; 2018).
To illustrate his ideas, Bethesda-based Thompson sought out not sprawling, ornate manses but “smaller, attainable” abodes. In short, he says, “houses that you could imagine living in, with family-friendly floor plans.”
Out of the 50-plus homes spotlighted in the insightful volume, nine are in the Washington, DC, region. The four local architects who designed them, Robert Gurney, Mark McInturff, Stephen Muse and Richard Williams, joined Thompson for a panel discussion at DC’s Politics and Prose bookstore in November.
The speakers all agreed that today’s architects strive to celebrate a site, blur lines between interior and exterior spaces and create open, light-filled rooms. They also stressed the importance of building with sustainable materials. “Maybe 15 years ago there was an excuse not to do it, but today, information is available and the price is pretty neutral,” Thompson asserted.
The author championed architects who conserve resources by designing simple forms, then splurge on “killer details” such as custom fireplaces and window walls. “Why not spend your money where you can enjoy it most?” he asked.
Another hot topic was longevity. Thompson questioned the conventional assumption that consumers must have a different home for every stage of their lives. “Why can’t you have one house where all of that is thought of in advance?” he reflected. “A great house needs to work for your family both today and in the future.”
Made to Order
Colorado-based Wagner Custom crafts bespoke skis based on clients’ abilities and preferences. Combining customer data with computer diagnostics, ski builders determine the right shape, materials and “flex,” then apply custom graphics to each creation. A design by artist Dawn Gerety on a finished pair was inspired by a day of ski touring in Alaska. From $1,750. wagnerskis.com
Out of the Glare
Oakley’s Line Miner XM Goggles feature Prizm lenses that maximize contrast and visibility. Shaped to optimize peripheral vision, the goggles are also compatible with most helmets and come in an array of sizes and color options. From $150. oakley.com
A Shot of Scotland on Maryland’s Eastern Shore
One of the country’s most valuable single-malt Scotch collections can be found not in the big city but in a new outpost in downtown Easton. The Stewart serves rarified whiskeys and vintage Champagnes in Baccarat crystal, along with caviar and other delicacies. Clubby interiors by Connecticut-based Shaun Jackson feature a 19th-century, walnut-and-brass trumeau chimney, tufted-leather seating and paintings by German master Peter Caulitz. 3 Federal Street; thestewart.com
Italian Delights from Morning to Night
Chef Nick Stefanelli (Masseria) made a splash at District Wharf last fall with the opening of Officina. This three-level emporium designed by Grupo 7 includes a café/bar serving pastries and casual meals; a marketplace stocked with Italian provisions; and a trattoria, where the nightly dinner menu may include braised veal ravioli. A salotto—aka the Amaro Library—serves a wide array of libations, which can be savored year-round on a rooftop terrazza warmed by fire pits. officinadc.com
Set on 600 pristine acres in Western Montana, Triple Creek Ranch serves up outdoor adventures along with gourmet dining and luxury R&R. At this adults-only Relais & Chateaux property, guests enjoy hiking, ice-fishing, cross-country skiing and year-round horseback riding, among other wintry pursuits. After a day in the wilderness, ranchers can warm up in a cozy cottage, soak in an outdoor hot tub and sample wines from a state-of-the-art cellar. From $1,050 per person nightly, including meals. triplecreekranch.com
Though photographed on a romp through Maryland’s Star Bright Farm, this winsome skirt by local couturier Ella Pritsker is intended for dressier affairs. The Italian silk chiffon garment is hand-beaded with Swarovski crystals for subtle sparkle; price upon request. ellapritsker.com
Photography & Styling: Helen Norman. Model: Callie, T.H.E. Artist Agency. Hair & Make-Up: Lori Pressman.
Baltimore residents knew they were onto something sublime when they built a weekend getaway on a bluff overlooking the Severn River near Annapolis more than 100 years ago. The simple cottage was perched high enough to enjoy dramatic views, yet situated only a stone’s throw down to the shore.
Over the years, multiple owners altered and expanded the home and its outbuildings; a stable evolved into a guest house and a brick carriage house into a garage.
When the current owners spotted the property for sale online, they also knew they’d found a gem. The retired Navy officer and his wife, then living in a San Diego high-rise, wanted to move back to their old stomping grounds near Annapolis. “I went to the Naval Academy and my wife went to Towson, so we’re both attracted to the area,” says the husband. “We wanted to be on the Severn and we wanted a family compound that would attract our three grown kids and grandkids for visits.”
After seeing the property in person, the couple purchased it and moved East to begin a new chapter in this pristine setting. “It’s the bluff that gets you,” says the homeowner. “You look out over a widening in the river—it’s almost like a private lake right there. That’s what won us over.”
Knowing their minimal apartment furniture would be lost in the three-bedroom main home, the owners hired designer Gina Fitzsimmons to furnish the interiors in a casual coastal style. “The first time I walked the property, I fell in love with it,” says Fitzsimmons. “It’s so charming; it has a Nantucket feeling.”
The designer set out to create a “cottagey” look, employing a neutral palette enlivened with waves of blue. She freshened up the kitchen, installing a new backsplash. And in the adjacent breakfast/sitting room, she replaced a Victorian fireplace with a new one surrounded by crisp paneling aligned with the windows above. Subtle cues, from driftwood sconces to a Sam Moore chair with a “porthole” back, pay homage to the shore. “I used a lot of bold, nautical-looking stripes without going overboard,” Fitzsimmons explains.
She created a tranquil refuge in the sunroom overlooking the river. Rattan chairs and sisal rugs lend an organic note. And Fitzsimmons expertly scaled the furniture to fit the more formal living and dining rooms. For example, a pair of petite loveseats in the living room leaves plenty of space for the couple’s baby grand piano.
Once the main home was complete, the owners set their sights on upgrading the run-down guest house. For help, they called on local architect Scott Rand, who renovated the main house in 1996 for the previous owners. When Rand and builder Pat Mona inspected the former stable, they uncovered how rudimentary its construction was. “There was very little in the way of foundation and it was just not salvageable,” the homeowner recalls. “So we essentially tore it down and Scott designed a new guest house in the same footprint.”
Rand fashioned the two-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bath structure to mimic the lines of the main cottage. “I used the same windows and trim and the same roof pitches,” says the architect. “There’s a commonality.”
After the dust settled in the guest house, Fitzsimmons returned to work her magic on its interiors, creating inviting spaces that echo her work in the main home. “I tried to use similar elements, but introduced teal instead of blue to give it a different twist,” she recounts.
Winding brick-and-stone pathways swathed in greenery and hydrangea lead to a terrace overlooking the water. Rustic stairs made of concrete and oyster shells descend to the Severn, where the owners are building a new sea wall that will contain a sandy area for their grandchildren to play.
The entire property has become a true family refuge. “There is the waterfront to encourage kids to play sports, Annapolis is a great town and having Washington, DC, close by also makes it an attraction,” says the husband. “I have a motorboat, but to tell you the truth we mostly use it to go to restaurants.”
Whether they’re entertaining the troops or enjoying their aerie alone, the owners never tire of gazing at the Severn, with the boats streaming by. “You get to know the people who are using the river and what it does in certain kinds of wind,” the homeowner reflects. “The river has a personality.”
Renovation Architecture: Scott L. Rand, AIA, Annapolis, Maryland. Interior Design: Gina Fitzsimmons, ASID, Fitzsimmons Design Associates, Annapolis, Maryland. Landscape Design: Andrea Lockett, The Landscape Design Center, Edgewater, Maryland. Guest House Contractor: Patrick Mona, Mona Design Build, Annapolis, Maryland.
When William Waybourn, a photographer and owner of DC’s Long View Gallery, purchased a condo in DC, he realized that although it was brand new, the property would require a few tweaks. With windows rimming the space on three sides, displaying art proved a challenge. Since he planned to host work events such as corporate team building etc. It was also a priority to him. In the kitchen, a too-small-to-be-useful island did little more than block circulation. So Waybourn tapped architect Ernesto Santalla to remedy these flaws in his 700-square-foot abode.
After careful study, Santalla made dramatic improvements with a few bold strokes. He created a paneled wall that screens off the bedroom and houses a TV—which also freed up a spot for art on the original TV wall. He traded the ineffective island for a much larger one that marries a work surface with a table that can seat up to eight for dinner or serve as a buffet for a bigger crowd.
Struck by how the glassed-in apartment seemed to hover above the complex’s plaza below, Santalla decided to play up that impression. He outfitted the space with floating ceiling panels, suspended globe pendants, wall-mounted furniture and chairs with minimal legs—all subtle cues that reinforce a feeling of airiness.
“When you have a small home, it’s important to create a sense of expansiveness,” he reasons. “One of the things we focus on is living well in less space.”
Why does a small space demand big art?
If you put lots of small things in a small space, it starts to get busy. Large art creates a very strong focal point and ultimately gives you a sense of expansion. It’s a play on scale.
How did you downplay the open kitchen?
Previously, the kitchen was really prominent. I didn’t want people to arrive in the living area and have the sense that “here I am in a kitchen.” I wanted it to be a backdrop to everything else going on. In the new design, the island and colorful chairs became the prominent objects, which helped the kitchen take on the look of a white wall.
How does lighting come into play?
There is an impulse in construction, in general, to put up walls. In condo spaces, this means that many rooms end up being too dark, so both day-lighting and artificial lighting are always big priorities. In this project, the lighting didn’t work. Our client needed better lighting for artwork and more functional lighting as well.
How did you incorporate added storage?
We designed custom furniture in the bedroom to maximize the use of space. Below the bed are a bunch of drawers where the homeowner stores all of his photographic equipment.
What’s your theory on using color in tight quarters?
I use color selectively and always in the context of neutrals. In this space, for example, the bright colors are in the same range. The eye is drawn to the artwork and the chairs; you get a sense there’s a lot of color when in fact there isn’t all that much.
What’s your secret to designing small homes?
Everything has to be well-designed and serve more than one function; otherwise, you start to hurt for space. Select materials that are going to stand up to daily use and are also beautiful.
Explain how you “find” more room in a condo.
Often, circulation areas take up a lot of usable space. In many condo remodels, we find ways to take back space given to circulation. Sometimes what happens is amazing. All of a sudden, a bathroom gets three times larger because circulation has been handled properly.
How has technology changed the game?
The big thing is connectivity. So much can be done working at home. That has changed the way we relate to our living spaces; we’re not creating dedicated spaces for home offices. People are working on their laptops in the living room, the bedroom or the backyard.
What advice do you give clients when downsizing?
You need to exercise a lot of restraint with what you have. Sometimes a client will bring something that’s not going to work and we have to face that. For example, you’re not going to have four sets of dishes.
How do you justify renovating a new property?
You have to have a good reason and a really good concept behind why you’re remodeling something that’s brand new. If a renovation gives clients what they already have, but just a little bit better, I think they’ve wasted their money. We’re always looking to transform a space and create a lifestyle that we can foresee for the next 20 years—not something that will soon be obsolete.
How does art elevate a home?
Art completes a space as the owner’s self-expression; it can take a room from excellent to outstanding.
What’s your secret to selecting pillows?
Pillows need to be the right scale and shape, and strike a balance between decorative and functional.
Design pet peeve?
Matchy-matchy.
What new product are you dying to try?
I’m always on a quest for new lighting. Right now, Artemide has introduced LED products on the forefront of lighting design that I am excited to use.
Name a favorite “low-end” find?
IKEA makes very attractive wardrobes that are fully customizable. The trick is to design around
IKEA’s size modules.
How do you warm up a modern room?
I do it primarily through color and texture.
Interior & Architectural Design: Ernesto Santalla, AIA, LEED AP, Ernesto Santalla PLLC, Washington, DC.
DEEP DIVE
The Orange Starfish Wallpaper Mural depicts an oversized specimen against a glinting turquoise sea. Available in three paper weights. From $3.25 per square foot. muralswallpaper.com
TOUCH OF GLASS
California artist Jeffrey M. Andrews created this signed, kiln-formed glass tray containing carved starfish in white gold leaf. 18 by eight inches; $276; 1stdibs.com
SALAD DAYS
Mariposa’s Starfish Salad Servers are fashioned out of recycled aluminum and decorated with sculptural, sandcast starfish designs. 12.5 inches long; $29. bloomingdales.com
DRIFT OFF
Coral-hued starfish dance across Nautica’s Ripple Cotton 3-Piece set. Choose between a comforter or duvet cover; shams are included. From $146; birchlane.com
SEA CATCH
Pottery Barn’s Starfish Napkin Rings marry resin “creatures” with rings wrapped in jute for a nautical touch. $5 each; potterybarn.com
NIGHT LIGHT
Pier 1’s Sea Point Metal Starfish Lantern, made of galvanized iron in a white finish, conjures summer’s eve by the shore. The lantern is 12.5 inches high; $59.95. pier1.com
Every two years, the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum spotlights emerging and mid-career makers deserving wider national recognition. “Disrupting Craft: Renwick Invitational 2018,” on view from November 9 through May 5, 2019, focuses on four artists who challenge conventional definitions of craft as well as social and cultural assumptions. As curator Abraham Thomas notes, “During such a drastic period of change for the craft field, an exhibition series like this can act as a friendly agitator.”
The 2018 jury selected Tanya Aguiñiga, whose fiber work reveals a personal narrative; Sharif Bey, whose ceramics range from utilitarian to sculptural; Dustin Farnsworth, whose creations in wood shed light on societal and economic decay; and Stephanie Syjuco, who questions typologies in her mixed-media installations. americanart.si.edu
The Washington area’s abundant arts scene got even richer with the October expansion of Glenstone Museum in Potomac. Five years and $200 million in the making, the addition of a boldly modern second building and 130 acres of pristine woodlands and meadows does more than double Glenstone’s original splendor. It also lands the venue firmly on the map as a world-class art institution.
Far from a line-up-at-the-turnstile attraction, Glenstone orchestrates a contemplative, immersive experience for guests, accentuating art, architecture and landscape design in equal measure. Visitors are greeted by guides at an arrival court, then dispatched on a gravel path meandering over a stream and through swaths of ferns and wildflowers. After they catch a glimpse of Jeff Koons’ mammoth “Split-Rocker” on the horizon, the Pavilions rises from the landscape.
Though it appears to be comprised of separate minimalist structures, visitors discover inside that the “pavilions” are actually connected via the airy Passage—a corridor rimmed with walls of glass that encircle a dream-like Water Court.
Designed by New York architect Thomas Phifer, the Pavilions houses 11 light-filled galleries, some with clerestory windows or floating walls, which display art from Glenstone’s collection. Billionaire industrialist Mitchell Rales and his wife, Glenstone director Emily Wei Rales, founded the museum to share their vast holdings with the public. While nine rooms in the Pavilions are devoted to a single artist, the largest houses an inaugural installation of 65 works by 52 artists, dating from 1943 to 1989.
Taking in the landscape is meant to be part of the experience, as viewers travel among the two museum buildings, 10 outdoor sculptures and two new cafés on site. “We considered the landscape as the inspiration,” explains Phifer. “From your first moments at Glenstone, the bustle of ordinary activities drops away and your mind and soul prepare for an intimate encounter with art.”
Glenstone Museum is open Thursday through Sunday; admission is free but reservations are required. glenstone.org
