HAZEL’S DEBUT At Hazel, a new DC hot spot from the Neighborhood Restaurant Group, interiors feature items handcrafted by local artisans, from light fixtures by Rick Singleton to a mural by Kris Mullins that pays homage to the 9:30 Club next door. Former Tallulah chef Rob Rubba also gets crafty with the menu, which offers medium-sized dishes with a global influence. 808 V Street, NW; 202-847-4980. hazelrestaurant.com
OUT OF INDIA The Knightsbridge Restaurant Group has opened Bindaas, serving up Indian street food in Cleveland Park. James Beard award-winning chef Vikram Sunderam of Rasika fame has developed the menu of small dishes meant for sharing, from chaat to kebabs and wraps. A mural reminiscent of graffiti and light fixtures fashioned from baskets evokes the street life and marketplaces of India. 3309 Connecticut Avenue, NW; 202-244-6550. bindaasdc.com
DOWN-HOME DINING Homestead, a new restaurant in Petworth, specializes in seasonal comfort foods served family-style. Opened in a former 1922 row house, the restaurant salvaged original woodwork in its design. The menu features charcuterie boards and freshly baked bread. 3911 Georgia Avenue, NW; 202-627-2371. homesteaddc.com
ALL-AMERICAN STYLE Tuckernuck, an online retailer founded by two DC natives and catering to the prepster set, has opened its first boutique. The Georgetown shop carries “all-American” apparel, accessories and home décor by brands such as Barbour, Canada Goose, and Vineyard Vines. Pictured: Navy Plaid Scotland Wrap, $88; Legging Jean, $220; Barbour Tack Fedora, $89; Cork Ankle Boots, $379. 1053 Wisconsin Avenue, NW; tnuck.com
STELLAR VIBE Canadian jewelry designer Karen Konzuk views her work as wearable architecture. Inspired by kinetic sculptures of the 20th century, her new Stellar collection includes the Arcturus necklace—made of stainless steel and diamond dust embedded in black-tinted concrete. $570; konzukshop.com
GOING ROGUE Coach’s 1941 Glove-tanned Pebble Rogue Satchel makes a perfect carry-all for fall. With top handles and a removable strap, it can be worn on the shoulder or carried by hand. It features a suede lining and turns lock closure. $795; bloomingdales.com
Clearly, the East Building of the National Gallery of Art has staying power. In 2004, it won an American Institute of Architects Twenty-Five Year Award, given to landmarks that have withstood the test of time. Now, a major renovation and expansion bring architect I. M. Pei’s 1978 masterpiece into the 21st century with two new tower galleries, a rooftop terrace, and updates that display its collections in fresh and exciting ways.
The latest improvements were conceived by architect Perry Y. Chin, a longtime Pei associate, and protégé. As museum director Earl A. Powell III said at the gallery’s September media preview, “Perry continued the vocabulary of I. M. Pei.”
The renovation, which closed the East Building for three years, added more than 12,250 square feet of exhibition space within its existing footprint. Fumed, quarter-sawn oak replaced carpet on the mezzanine and upper levels to match the flooring of the West Building, while new stairways and an elevator improve circulation. Said Powell, “The visitor has many more choices for moving around the building.”
Curators took the opportunity to rethink and reinstall the East Building’s permanent collection, and the expansion made room for 150 additional works of art, now on view. The museum’s curator of modern art, Harry Cooper, marveled over the East Building’s new look, “We have a lovely play of light and a sense of openness.”
RENOVATION CONCEPT DESIGN: PERRY Y. CHIN, Perry Y. Chin, Architect, New York, New York. ARCHITECT OF RECORD: MARY KATHERINE LANZILLOTTA, FAIA, LEED AP, Hartman-Cox Architects, Washington, DC. LANDSCAPE: Oculus, Washington, DC. CONTRACTOR: Whiting-Turner Contracting Company, Baltimore, Maryland.
RETRO RAGE Celebrating the resurgence of vinyl, Crate and Barrel’s Listening Room collection features mid-century-style furniture; electronics, including Audioengine’s high-performance desktop speakers ($249); and a limited release of 75 remastered vinyl recordings through a partnership with Capitol Records. crateandbarrel.com
ROAD WARRIOR Jaguar makes its first foray into the SUV market with its 2017 F-Pace. The dynamic new design marries the aluminum-intensive architecture and driving dynamics of Jaguar’s XE and XF sedans with the versatility of an SUV. Leather seats and a full infotainment system are included. From $40,990, diesel; $42,390, gas. jaguarusa.com
AHEAD OF THE CURVE Samsung’s 9-Series Curved 4K SUHD TV takes television to a new level with its curved panel; quantum-dot color; dynamic brightness; and easy access to live TV, streaming content and apps. Available in 65-, 78- and 88-inch formats; from $4,000 for the 65-inch model. samsung.com
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum honored the recipients of its 17th Annual National Design Awards at a New York gala during National Design Week in October. First Lady Michelle Obama served as the honorary patron of the awards, originally launched at the White House in 2000.
The 2016 recipients include architect Moshe Safdie for Lifetime Achievement; Marlon Blackwell Architects for Architecture Design; Studio O+A for Interior Design; Hargreaves Associates for Landscape Architecture; Ammunition for Product Design; Opening Ceremony for Fashion Design; and Tellart for Interaction Design. Bruce Mau, an author, and designer, won the Design Mind award. And Make It Right, a nonprofit founded by Brad Pitt that builds homes for people in need, won the Director’s Award.
Museum director Caroline Baumann says that the Cooper Hewitt engages design lovers of all ages throughout the U.S. and the world via these awards. Nominations are submitted by the public and reviewed by a jury of design leaders and educators. Winners are selected based on the level of excellence, innovation and public impact of their body of work. “This year’s class of winners reflects design’s remarkable empathy for contemporary social concerns, from promoting workplace productivity to preserving vernacular traditions to encouraging civic engagement,” says Baumann. “These designers explore innovative materials and develop new models of problem-solving in pursuit of these goals.” For a gallery of winners, visit cooperhewitt.org.
VIVE LA FRANCE Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa offers laidback luxury overlooking Grand Cul de Sac Beach on the French isle of St. Barts. Paris designer Sybille de Margerie created its 46 rooms and suites while Michelin-starred chef Guy Martin takes the helm in the kitchen. A La Mer spa pampers guests, who can also work out in the fitness center. From $683, including breakfast. lebarthelemyhotel.com
PACIFIC COAST ALLURE Fresh from an $18 million renovation by New York design firm Krause + Sawyer, W Seattle features 415 revamped guest rooms and nine redecorated suites. Rooms offer stacked-wood walls backlit by LED lights, while in the Extreme Wow Suite, guests soak up views of the city from a Jacuzzi tub. From $299. wseattle.com
SPANISH HOLIDAY Interior designer Beatriz Silveira took inspiration from 1950s Scandinavian design in her makeover of Vincci Centrum Hotel in the heart of Madrid. In the reception area, Ariostea marble contrasts with natural oak furnishings; the light fixture is by Delightfull. Guests enjoy buffet breakfast, a lounge and close proximity to city attractions. Rates from $295. en.vinccicentrum.com
Despite its intriguing composition of glass, wood, and stone, the front façade of a Bethesda home barely hints at the magnitude of what’s to come. But inside the lofty foyer, where sunlight filters through a screen of mahogany slats onto a wall of hand-worked Antiga stone, it immediately becomes apparent that this is no ordinary teardown.
Floor-to-ceiling windows rim the entire first floor, blurring the lines between indoor and outdoor spaces. Rooms spill onto roof decks and terraces and open out to a porch, a pool and a pergola, all of which lure visitors into the landscape.
This is exactly what the owners had in mind when they hired architect Alan Dynerman to design the home on a two-acre property dotted with mature trees. Dynerman spent hours getting to know the clients and developing a picture of how they live. Early in the design stage, he also tapped landscape architect Lisa Delplace of Oehme, van Sweden, and interior designer Lisa Adams to collaborate on the project.
The clients, with children ranging in age from 7 to 16, envisioned a home that easily connects to the outdoors. “We spend a lot of time swimming and playing outside and wanted to be able to see the kids from the house,” says the wife. They frequently entertain friends and a large extended family, so having generous public spaces—including a dining room that seats 30—was key. As she explains, “Our goal was to create the house around the way we function every day.”
After a modest ranch home had been razed on the site, Dynerman positioned the new house to maximize natural light throughout the interiors and create myriad outdoor living areas. With its organic material palette and modern lines, his design would not look out of place on a rugged cliff in Northern California. “Construction, at least in a lot of stuff that I do,” explains Dynerman, “is a dance between the randomness of nature and the orderliness of building.”
From the foyer, the three-story structure unfolds in two directions. The wing facing the street houses an open living/dining room and a library on the main level, the master suite with a private roof deck on the second floor and a home office and gym above. An expansive kitchen and breakfast area connect the front wing to a parallel one housing the family room and garage. Children’s bedrooms and playrooms—and a large roof deck—occupy the levels above, while a lower floor houses guest rooms and more play space.
With the finished residence encompassing 20,000 square feet, Dynerman sought ways to create a sense of intimacy in large-scale spaces. “The clients wanted a very open ground floor with a lot of light and glass everywhere, but they also wanted privacy,” the architect reflects. “I came up with the idea of floating cabinets that allow light in above and below-—but at the same time, there’s a sense of closure. You don’t feel like you’re simply in a glass box.”
In addition to these floating cabinets that Dynerman employed on the main floor, the furniture plan also helps define open living areas. “While the finishes and furniture will stand up to use and time, they also had to be elegant enough to reflect the surroundings,” says designer Lisa Adams. From living room upholstery that mimics the palette of the stone chimney wall to hand-woven Odegard carpets, Adams and her clients selected pieces that not only soften the architecture but also add color and warmth.
Abundant built-ins and shelving eliminate clutter throughout the home. Small appliances are stored out of sight in the sleek kitchen and adjacent butler’s pantry, with their distinctive Austrian applewood cabinetry. And backpacks and sports equipment disappear in banks of built-ins near the back stairs.
The rear family-room wing leads to a large pool area and a porch that the family enjoys year-round; it’s heated for colder months but when weather permits they can slide one wall open completely.
Delplace wove a natural tapestry of plantings into the landscape plan, which includes an expansive lawn for impromptu soccer games, a tree house, a vegetable garden and even a sledding hill. Along the street, clusters of rhododendron, river birch, and native grasses practically hide the house from view. In the large side yard, a combination of evergreens and deciduous species connects the new landscape and surrounding stands of mature trees. “Given that the hardscape features are arranged in crisp angles that respond to the modern lines of the house, we were able to bring a fluidity into the landscape that ties both together,” Delplace says. “Our clients wanted to make sure it was a great place for kids to explore and have autonomy—while being beautiful as well.”
As Dynerman reflects, “The home wouldn’t be what it is without the building and landscape being as integrated as they are.” In fact, the clients and the entire design team agree that their open dialog ultimately made the project a success.
“It was a lot of fun. We all became a family,” says the wife. “I think that’s pretty rare.”
As Delplace concludes, “It was a great collaboration and it’s an incredible outcome to see the home be used and so loved.”
Photographer Paul Warchol is based in New York City.
ARCHITECTURE: ALAN DYNERMAN, FAIA, Dynerman Architects, Washington, DC. INTERIOR DESIGN: LISA ADAMS, ASID, NCIDQ, Adams Design, Inc., Washington, DC. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE: LISA E. DELPLACE, ASLA, Oehme, van Sweden, Washington, DC. BUILDER: Horizon Builders, Crofton, Maryland.
RESOURCES
Architecture: Dynerman Architects PC; dwarchitects.com. Interior Design: Adams Design, Inc.; adamsdesign.com. Landscape Architecture: Oehme, van Sweden; ovsla.com. Builder: horizonbuilders.com.
THROUGHOUT Windows: tradewoodindustries.com. Masonry: serrastone.com. Millwork: potomacwoodwork.com; themasterswoodshop.com. Pool Installation: alpinepool.com. Home Automation: atlanticcontrols.com.
EXTERIOR Pool Chairs & Chaises: brownjordan.com; americaneyewdc.net.
FOYER Chest & Art: Clients’ collection. Pendants: resoluteonline.com.
DINING ROOM Table: hudsonfurnitureinc.com. Dining Chairs: arudin.com through michaelclearyllc.com. Rug: stephanieodegard.com. Custom Light Fixture: elleellemurano.com. Sconces: hollyhunt.com.
LIVING ROOM Klismos Chairs: williamhaines.com through profilesny.net. Sofa & Other Chairs: donghia.com. Sofa Fabric: fschumacher.com. Coffee Table: roche-bobois.com. All Chair Fabric: pollackassociates.com. Rug: stephanieodegard.com. Floor Lamp & Round Table: hollyhunt.com. Pillow Fabric: fschumacher.com; pollackassociates.com; osborneandlittle.com.
KITCHEN Cabinetry & Custom Table: potomacwoodwork.com. Countertops: coldspringusa.com. Arne Jacobsen Chairs: furniturefromscandinavia.com.
FAMILY ROOM Sectional, Sofas, Sofa Fabric, Glass Table & Table Lamps: hollyhunt.com. Sectional Fabric: perennialsfabrics.com through hinescompany.com. Chairs: donghia.com. Chair Fabric: spinneybeck.com. Light Fixtures: steng.de/en. Custom Coffee Tables: James Marshall Woodworking; 301-831-3230. Pillow Fabrics: kravet.com; nobilis.fr through hollyhunt.com; jimthompsonfabrics.com through hinescompany.com; osborneandlittle.com.
Though spacious, the master bath in a 1990s-era DC residence did not appeal to the property’s new owners. A vaulted ceiling above the tub peaked at almost three times the height of the ceiling above the vanity area. The shower, enclosed in drywall, blocked light and made the room feel choppy. And outdated saltillo tile covered the floors, walls and tub deck. “It was overwhelmingly busy and looked like a Mexican restaurant inside a bathroom,” recalls designer David Waguespack of Case Design, who was called upon to renovate the space.
First, the designer addressed the proportions and layout by dropping the vault in favor of a tray ceiling. Along one wall, a vanity/makeup station by Shiloh Cabinetry replaced the original millwork. Centered on the opposite wall, a sculptural Victoria & Albert tub is flanked by a W.C. and a new shower, which are enclosed in frosted and clear glass, respectively. A dual-zone heated floor includes separate thermostats for the shower/W.C. side of the room and the vanity area.
“Lowering the ceiling helped with scale,” explains Waguespack, “and we created a lot more symmetry than before. Even though the bathroom is the same square footage, there’s so much more circulation space, and we more than doubled the amount of storage.” Tall cabinets at either end of the vanity store the wife’s jewelry and bath essentials.
Botanical wallpaper by Cole & Son, selected by the client, sets an organic tone, as does the elegant 12-by-12-inch Carrara marble tile from Architectural Ceramics, applied on the floor and shower walls. “You would think the stone would be cool and harsh,” observes Waguespack. “But with Carrara, the veining grounds you to the earth because it’s so natural.” On the shower floor, he designed a “rug” of tiny hexagonal tiles in matching stone, framed by a mitered border. A Crystorama chandelier with drop crystals adds a dressy touch.
BATH DESIGN/BUILD: David Waguespack, CKBR, UDCP, lead designer; George Bergling, project manager; Robert Campbell, lead carpenter, Case Design/Remodeling, Bethesda, Maryland. TEXT: Sharon Jaffe Dan. PHOTOGRAPHY: Stacy Zarin Goldberg.
RESOURCES
Design & Contracting: casedesign.com. Floor & Shower Tile and Marble Countertops: architecturalceramics.com. Vanity Cabinets: shilohcabinetry.com. Sconces: hudsonvalleylighting.com. Tub: vandabaths.com. Sinks: americanstandard.com. Sink & Shower Faucets: rohlhome.com. Chandelier: crystorama.com. Wallpaper: cole-and-son.com.
For more baths also see:
- Ode to DC
- A Simple Palette
- Touch of Glamour
When Alexandria homeowners called on designer Savena Doychinov to overhaul their master bath, she discovered an inefficient layout, an oversized skylight that made the room feel too hot or too cold and glass-block windows that fell short in the privacy department. As if that weren’t enough, she recalls, “The shower was the smallest size that’s legally possible—only 33 inches square!”
Once Doychinov completed her redesign, every vestige of the original bath—from the disused whirlpool tub to the builder-grade vanities—was gone. In their place, the owners now enjoy custom cabinetry, top-of-the-line plumbing and lighting fixtures and a refined material palette. “We wanted to create timeless elegance without it looking over the top,” says the designer.
To accentuate the room’s cathedral ceiling, she installed a round window above the new soaking tub. Custom maple vanities store toiletries and cosmetics—as does a custom built-in armoire on the adjacent wall. A spacious shower and separate W.C. are enclosed behind glass doors on the wall opposite the vanities.
“Every creature comfort that could be had, we installed,” says the designer, citing the heated floors; the TOTO toilet/bidet with its 43 settings; the steam shower; and the five-piece, brushed-nickel tub filler with hand-held spray.
More than 650 square feet of Turkish limestone—in Champagne and the darker Britannia shade—was painstakingly installed on the walls and on the floors in a diagonal grid. A curved limestone platform even rims the oval-shaped tub.
“It’s a classic bathroom in the sense that the stone goes all the way up to the ceiling,” explains Doychinov. “And when the sun enters through the windows, it glows and emanates warmth.
“There are touches of glamour, such as crystals hanging from the chandelier and sconces,” she adds. “It’s low-key, but the sparkle is there.”
BATH DESIGN & INSTALLATION: Savena Doychinov, CKD, principal; Dimiter Doychinov, project manager, Design Studio International Kitchen & Bath, LLC, Falls Church, Virginia. TEXT: Sharon Jaffe Dan. PHOTOGRAPHY: Bob Narod.
RESOURCES
Bath Design & Installation: customkitchenandbathdesign.com. Custom Cabinetry: adelphikitchens.com. Tub: produitsneptune.com/en. Shower System: grohe.com/us. Faucets & Bath Filler: santecfaucet.com. Limestone Countertops, Flooring & Wall Tiles: marblesystems.com.
For more baths also see:
- Bathed in Light
- Ode to DC
- A Simple Palette
Though the exterior façade of a couple’s Arlington home dates back to the early 1900s, its interiors have been rebuilt in a fresh, farmhouse style. BCN Homes completed the extensive renovation and in-house designer Claire Matthews worked with the clients to decorate their newly minted spaces-—including the master bath.
“The idea that they wanted to see an amazing focal point when they walk into the bathroom drove the design,” she recalls. “We looked and looked and tried a few concepts. When we saw a cherry-blossom mosaic at Architectural Ceramics, I thought it was a perfect nod to DC. We all loved it.”
Combining three stone varieties, the artistic motif was installed on a wall between the Victoria & Albert tub and the shower. Glass doors on either side of the shower open to custom his-and-her vanities built on facing walls. The gray QuakerMaid cabinets and trim echo the veining in the Calacatta Chablis marble flooring and shower tile, also supplied by Architectural Ceramics.
For continuity, the designer finished the bath with the same five-piece crown molding used in the home’s first-floor rooms and in the master bedroom. “The dentil molding combined with the modern mosaic gave the bath that mix of old and new,” she says.
Matthews custom-designed the lavatories herself, integrating Kohler sinks with marble countertops and backsplashes. “I drew the curve for each backsplash and had them cut,” she explains. Chrome legs beneath each sink were plated in polished nickel to match the Kohler fixtures used throughout the bathroom.
Double glass doors lead from the master bedroom into the tranquil bath. “There was no way we could do a solid door; we didn’t want to obscure the view,” says Matthews. A linen closet and enclosed W.C. are located on opposite sides of the space. In lieu of mirrors, windows over the vanities admit light— and let the owners enjoy the surrounding greenery.
ARCHITECTURE: Sejun Lee, BCN Homes, Arlington, Virginia. INTERIOR DESIGN: Claire Matthews, ASID, BCN Homes. CONTRACTOR: BCN Homes. TEXT: Sharon Jaffe Dan. PHOTOGRAPHY: Sejun Lee.
RESOURCES
Architecture, Interior Design & Contracting: bcnhomes.com. Mosaic, Wall, Shower & Floor Tile: architecturalceramics.com. Tub: vandabaths.com. Cabinets: quakermaidcabinetry.com. Plumbing Fixtures: kohler.com. Backsplash Fabrication: europastone.com. Sconces: hudsonvalleylighting.com.
For more baths also see:
- Bathed in Light
- A Simple Palette
- Touch of Glamour
For the past eight years, the DC Design House has been the premier design event of spring in Washington—until this year when it moves to the fall. The 2016 show house will take over the stately Wesley Heights home that most recently housed French Ambassador Gérard Araud while the embassy residence was under renovation.
Twenty local design teams will revamp interior and exterior spaces using a creative mix of furniture, fabrics, art, and accessories. Farrow & Ball is the exclusive paint sponsor.
“Visitors will see a great mix of styles in approachable, inspiring and inviting rooms that could actually be used and enjoyed,” says one of the design advisors, Michael Hampton of Michael Hampton Design.
Participating designers are Eve Fay, Gina Palmer, Blake Dunlevy, Jonathan Senner, Kelley Proxmire, Kimberly Asner, Josh Hildreth, Victor Sanz, Pamela Harvey, Camille Saum, Betsy Barmat Stires, Nadia N. Subaran, Megan M. Padilla, Lena Kroupnik, Victoria Sanchez, Charles Almonte, Andrea Houck, Allie Mann, Rachel Dougan, Quintece Hill-Mattauszek, Melanie Hansen, Pooja Bhagia Mittra, Steve Corbeille, Barbara Brown, Stephen Wlodarczyk and Joshua Dean.
“There’s a nice group of newer designers along with some veterans,” says DC Design House co-founder Skip Singleton. “And it’s quite a marquee house.” The five-story, seven-bedroom property is currently on the market for $10.8 million; it was designed by GTM Architects and built in 2010 by Gibson Builders.
Proceeds from the DC Design House benefit Children’s National Health System. The event has raised more than $1.5 million for the organization since 2008.
The show house is located at 2509 Foxhall Road, NW, and will be closed on Mondays. Home & Design is a media sponsor. dcdesignhouse.com
SEA CATCH Fresh seafood takes center stage at chef Michael Schlow’s new 30-seat Conosci, which recently opened within his larger restaurant, Alta Strada. In Conosci, designed by Edit Lab, beaded chandeliers illuminate a counter, where chefs work their magic on creations such as Japanese octopus with spicy citrus juice, yellow peppers, and pickled shallots. 465 K Street, NW; 202-629-4662. conoscidc.com
NEW LOOK IN OLD TOWN The Majestic in Old Town Alexandria is serving up new décor along with its seasonal bistro fare by chef/proprietor Gaby Hakman. Beckman Architects and designer David Anthony Chenault collaborated on the makeover, inspired by the Art Deco roots of the original Majestic Cafe, which opened on the site in 1932. Arteriors chandeliers hang over the bar. 911 King Street; 703-837-9117. themajesticva.com
LATE BITES Richard Sandoval’s Toro Toro now caters to the after-hours crowd with a late-night menu. Along with pan-Latin small bites and drink specials, night owls can enjoy the restaurant’s sleek décor by LW Design Group of Dubai. Tufted gold-leather couches and metallic chandeliers grace the sultry lower-level lounge. 1300 I Street, NW, 202-682-9500. richardsandoval.com/torotorodc
TROPICAL GETAWAY Located near the Vietnamese port of Da Nang, Naman Retreat hosts guests in modern villas, some of which are clustered around an expansive pool. A full spa and on-site tai chi and yoga foster a relaxed vibe; the resort is a perfect jumping-off point to My Son Sanctuary and Marble Mountains, both World Heritage sites. From $250. namanretreat.com
NEW YORK STATE OF MIND Designed by Jeffrey Beers International, the Renaissance New York Midtown Hotel blends urban glam with industrial style, as shown in its lobby bar and guest rooms. From its digital concierge to an interactive entrance wall, technology is one of the hallmarks of this 348-room Garment District hotel. Rates from $499. renhotels.com
A STAR IS REBORN The legendary Ritz Paris has reopened with much fanfare following a four-year renovation by the New York design firm Thierry W. Despont. The makeover preserved the property’s landmark façade and revamped the Grand Jardin. Inside, everything from the luxurious pool to Bar Hemingway has been painstakingly restored in period style. Rates from $1,345. ritzparis.com
STEP IN TIME Tiffany’s Art Deco Watches, part of the 2016 Blue Book Collection, combine a white-gold band with precious gems. Choose among pink and blue sapphires, diamonds and emeralds. From $75,000. tiffany.com
EMERALD STYLE Perfect for autumn soirées, CH Carolina Herrera’s Emerald green silk evening gown features a fetching bow detail. $1,150 in the designer’s CityCenterDC boutique. carolinaherrera.com
STONE AGE In a nod to nature, Christian Louboutin’s Paloma Malachite Patent Leather Tote sports a playful, faux-stone exterior. The nine-by-nine-inch bag has double handles and a removable shoulder strap. $2,000. saksfifthavenue.com
SPEED RACER With its sculpted body and aerodynamic profile, Mercedes Benz’s new AMG GT R is a sports car designed with a nod to the company’s motorsport models. Its V-8 biturbo engine powers from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds. A nine-way adjustable traction control system lets this head-turner hug the road in style. Look for a mid-2017 debut; price to be determined. mercedes-benz.com
DANISH MODERN The new Oslo speaker by Denmark-based Vifa marries a simple, compact design with electrifying sound. The five-pound, Bluetooth-enabled device can be moved around the home or easily taken on the road. Its textile cover by Kvadrat comes in Sand Yellow, Ocean Blue, Anthracite Gray and Pebble Gray. $549; vifa.dk
SMART SHOES Using a built-in chip, Under Armour’s SpeedForm Gemini 2 Record Equipped running shoes track and store data including runtime, duration, distance, and splits. The shoe, which enables athletes to run device-free, sends data after workouts to smartphones and fitness monitors. $150. ua.com
During an early spring photo shoot, Sandra Meyer is a picture of calm as she scrutinizes throw pillows arranged on the family room sofas in her Bethesda home. “Too much color,” she murmurs, tossing a taupe one aside.
Serenity reigns in this open living space encompassing her kitchen and breakfast area. A black-and-white color palette, crisp architectural lines and no-fuss furniture convey a subliminal invitation: relax, breathe and linger.
While Meyer makes it all look effortless, “before” photos reveal how far she has taken the 14-year-old, colonial-style home she and her husband bought in 2013. Shifting the interiors from overdone and boxed-in to uncomplicated and open was a path that unfolded instinctively from the moment she first toured the house.
Like a warren of cubbyholes, all the rooms on the main floor were enclosed by interior French doors. “Every door had a transom or sidelite. It was very ornate and there was molding everywhere,” Meyer recalls. “But you just don’t get ceiling heights like these in a new build. The proportions worked and I knew if I opened up the doorways, I could fix these rooms.”
Having grown up in an 1860s Cape in Hingham, Massachusetts, Meyer developed an early appreciation for architectural integrity. “When you drive down Main Street in Hingham, it’s just breathtaking; there’s something about the homes and their proportions,” she marvels. In contrast, when a home “melds” too many styles and is “not done in a way I consider architecturally correct,” Meyer points out, “I want something different; I want something totally clean.”
This rationale drove the design of her family’s six-bedroom abode. She envisioned a restrained, pared-down look that would still relate to the home’s traditional roots. “I wanted to simplify,” she explains. “I took out moldings that didn’t fit and dialed everything back from the original cherry finishes.” Meyer achieved the contrast she loves with walls painted in Benjamin Moore’s crisp Moonlight White and existing floors stained a deep shade of chocolate. Removing the French doors and widening the openings into the dining room to the left of the entry and the smaller piano room and den to the right filled the spaces with light and established a sense of openness.
The entry hall leads back to the family room/kitchen/breakfast room. Where there was once a lopsided island, haphazardly sized windows and disjointed cabinetry, a sense of order now prevails. “Our driver was to do what the existing kitchen didn’t do,” explains architect Donald Lococo, who collaborated with Meyer on the kitchen redesign. “Where it was ornate, we made it restrained. Where there was color, we made it black and white.” Varied openings gave way to uniform, oversized windows and doors.
“I like balance and we definitely hit it from that standpoint,” says Meyer. She salvaged existing lower cabinets, but stained their raised doors a deep black. These are offset with white, flat-paneled cabinets on the perpendicular wall housing the refrigerator and storage.
The large new island and tall door frames create bold, modern scale in the space, while thick-slab stone countertops and simplified crown molding relate to the home’s classic language. “We swung the pendulum from one extreme to the other,” says Lococo, “but we had to dialog with the rest of house, which is a traditional venue.”
Meyer also reoriented the family room, now the perfect yin to the kitchen’s yang. She realigned an off-center fireplace on axis with the kitchen stove and hood and designed a wall of white cabinetry that relates to the white cabinets in the kitchen. The space functions well whether Meyer, her husband and teenaged daughters Zoe and Ella are sharing a casual dinner or the couple is throwing a party for 30. Guests filter in and out of the new French doors onto the screened porch and backyard patio.
Natural materials, a mix of modern and classically styled furnishings and elements with a decidedly industrial bent lend Meyer’s home a comfortable, collected appeal. Light fixtures with attitude make a bold statement in every public room, while sisals in the living and dining rooms and a silky Oushak in the master bedroom add softness and texture. The dining room—the only space in the home where the walls aren’t white—resembles a glamorous jewel box lined with ethereal clouds in the form of Cole and Son’s Nuvolette wallpaper. The jewelry includes a Julian Chichester mirror and sexy, open-backed chairs that Meyer designed and covered in gray velvet—legs and all.
The designer concedes that her home is more monochromatic and perhaps less “finished” than most of her projects. “I’m typically not a big color person though I use a lot of color for my clients,” she observes. And rather than adhere to a strict plan, she preferred to let her home evolve organically. “It’s more fun,” she says, “and I think you end up with a better composition.”
Reflecting on the transformation of what she once called her “least favorite house in the neighborhood,” Meyer is content with the results. “I wanted something different but not so ‘out there,’” she says. “At the end of the day, I want to come home to something kind of serene.”
Photographer Stacy Zarin Goldberg is based in Olney, Maryland.
INTERIOR DESIGN: SANDRA MEYER, Ella Scott Design, Bethesda, Maryland. RENOVATION CONTRACTOR: TONY PAULOS, The Block Builders Group, Bethesda, Maryland.
RESOURCES
Dining Room Wallpaper: cole-and-son.com. Drapery Fabric: pindler.com. Shades: conradshades.com. Chandelier: arteriorshome.com. Mirror & Table: julianchichester.com. Chairs: Custom by Sandra Meyer. Chair Fabric: romo.com. Sisal: prestigemills.com.
Foyer Light Fixture: apparatusstudio.com. Bottom Rug: maslandcarpets.com. Top Rug: timothypaulhome.com. Drum Table: madegoods.com.
Family Room Sofas: mgbwhome.com. Rug: meridastudio.com. Small Tables: julianchichester.com. Eames Chair: dwr.com. Built-in Design: Sandra Meyer. Floor Lamp: bobointriguingobjects.com. Marble Fireplace Surround: marblex.com.
Den Rug: crateandbarrel.com. Table & Upholstered Chair: domicilefurniture.com. Chair Fabric (Stripe): glant.com through hinescompany.com. Light Fixture: urbanelectricco.com. Table: Lamp: julianchichester.com. Round Ottoman: 1stdibs.com.
Piano Room Mirror: julianchichester.com. Chairs: olystudio.com. Sisal: prestigemills.com. Light Fixture: franceandson.com. Pedestal Table: fourhands.com. Prints: 1stdibs.com/dealers/david-bell.
Kitchen Architectural Consultant: Donald Lococo, AIA; donaldlococoarchitects.com. White Cabinetry Design: Sandra Meyer. White Cabinetry Fabrication: asticks.com. Light Fixture: apparatusstudio.com. Granite: Cambrian Black Brushed Marble & Binco Lasa Vena Oro Honed Granite Countertops: marblex.com. Stools: noirfurniturela.com. Hood: subzero-wolf.com. Orchids: Sandra Meyer. Copper Bowl: 1stdibs.com.
Breakfast Room Table: julianchichester.com. Chairs: fourhands.com. Flowers: Sandra Meyer.
Master Bedroom Bed: hickorychair.com. Bed Upholstery: romo.com. Area Rug: timothypaulhome.com. Carpet: rosecorecarpet.com. Chair & Ottoman: leeindustries.com. Antique Vellum Night Tables: 1stdibs.com/dealers/david-bell. Table Lamps: visualcomfort.com. Chandelier: arteriorshome.com. Round Table & Armoire: bolierco.com. Stacked Table: globalviews.com. Ottoman: fourhands.com.
Hall Lucite Console: cb2.com. Woven Seat: roostco.com. Vases: My sister in law – Linda Epstein
