First, rumors swirled. Then there was uncertainty. Then waiting and more waiting. As the former Washington Design Center building in Southwest began its transition into the future home of the Museum of the Bible and showrooms began to shutter, local designers have left to source their projects in a setting that was uninspiring, to say the least.
All that has changed now that the Design Center has officially opened in the gleaming, LEED Gold-certified Franklin Court building at 14th and L Streets, NW. On November 12, champagne flowed as the 23 showrooms now occupying the building’s light-filled second, third and fourth floors marked the Center’s launch with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Throngs of designers turned out for the event, which included presentations, product debuts and book signings by artist Hunt Slonem and designers Barry Dixon and Thomas Pheasant. Even Mayor Vincent Gray made an appearance to cut the ribbon.
There was much to celebrate. “The opening of the new Washington Design Center, in the ‘center’ of downtown Washington heralds a new era for our local design community,” said Barry Dixon. “A long overdue shot in the arm for architects and designers, the bright, sun-lit halls of possibility are a beacon for creative minds for miles around—and a bona fide cosmic shift for our industry.”
While purchases are still mostly to the trade, consumers are welcome to browse the Center’s showrooms for inspiration. Guests should check in at Franklin Court’s management office in the lobby to receive a daily visitor badge. Open Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm, the Washington Design Center is located at 1099 14th Street, NW. designcenterdc.com
For most families planning to build or renovate, functionality and ease of movement are essential. But in the case of a McLean couple designing a home to accommodate a physically disabled daughter, these ideas took on a whole new meaning. Marta, a nutritionist, and Michael, a scientist/entrepreneur, have three adult daughters including Gina, who relies on a wheelchair for mobility and a service dog to assist with daily activities.
When they relocated to the DC area from Illinois, Gina was off at college and, later, grad school. After she moved back in with her family a few years ago to start a job with the Department of Defense, they discovered that despite adaptations they’d made, getting around their house was too cumbersome for her. So Marta and Michael decided to tear it down and start anew.
Their goals were far-reaching: to make every room—including closets and bathrooms—completely accessible, and to incorporate independent but connected living quarters for Gina, now 31. Throughout the property, doors and passageways would have to be wide enough to accommodate Gina’s wheelchair and English Labrador, Susie. There could be no grade changes on the home’s three floors or in its exterior spaces. All lighting, security, HVAC and A/V systems would be controlled via iPhone or iPad, either hand-held or installed in each room.
“One residence would provide an environment for Gina to learn the skills required for living totally independent from us,” says Michael, “and the other would provide a home for us to age in place with room to accommodate our other daughters and their families when they visit.”
The couple selected a design team based not on experience in universal design but on the willingness to explore outside-the-box solutions. First, they tapped Phil Leibovitz of Sandy Spring Builders after admiring a house his firm completed nearby; he introduced them to McLean architect Glenn Chen Fong, whom they hired to design the home.
“In this case, ADA [Americans with Disabilities Act] standards were not relevant as they didn’t accommodate a wheelchair and service dog side-by-side,” explains Fong. “Hours of discussions allowed us to add up all the parameters and take a fresh look at the accessible design. We truly reinvented the wheel.”
The existing awkwardly shaped lot—narrow on the street side but projecting almost 500 feet deep—turned out to be a boon to Fong’s design. Since Gina commutes to work via a Metro Access van, sitting her quarters near the street made sense, so he created a one-story cottage for her with the family home extending behind it.
Along, light-filled hallway bordering the family’s three-car garage links Gina’s cottage to the main home. “If Gina wants to live wholly independently, she can just close off the corridor,” the architect explains. “But if there’s an emergency, her parents can be there in a heartbeat.”
Guests arriving at the main house enter on the side into a gracious foyer, also accessible via Gina’s inner corridor. The main level encompasses living, dining and family rooms; a kitchen; a study; and a master suite. Though a grand staircase leads to the second floor, Gina can reach her two sisters’ bedrooms upstairs, as well as the lower level, via elevator. In the basement, the entire family works out in a gym and indoor SwimEx resistance pool.
As construction commenced, the clients hired designer Skip Sroka to pull together the interiors while addressing the challenges of accessibility—such as floor coverings. “Marta told me, ‘There will not be carpet in this house. The wheelchair will ruin the rug or, worse, the carpet will roll into the wheels,’” recalls Sroka. So he defined spaces with dramatic designs in the hardwood floors, from geometric patterns to an inlaid medallion in the couple’s shared study. “The patterns are strong enough that they create a welcoming sense,” he explains.
Though his clients also wanted to forgo drapery, Sroka convinced them window treatments were necessary to warm up the interiors. “It would’ve been too institutional if there wasn’t anything on the windows,” he comments. Botanical prints in natural colors reflect rich interior millwork.
Special care went into creating new furniture arrangements. The custom dining table, for example, was crafted to be wheelchair-accessible. “We have a place in every room where there’s space for another chair because that’s Gina’s spot,” says Sroka. “It’s just part of the design.”
Planning for a future when Gina will live in the home when they’re gone, Michael and Marta ensured that it would be as maintenance-free and sustainably designed as possible. Solar panels, geothermal heating and cooling and spray-foam insulation make it energy efficient. “Sustainability simply makes sense,” Michael says.
Now complete, the new home’s sophisticated exteriors and welcoming interiors belie the fact that it’s fully accessible. “To me, beauty is the inspiration for living,” Sroka reflects. “A physical limitation shouldn’t preclude you from that.
“Part of accessibility,” he continues, “is talking about what the person you’re designing for can do because it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution.”
Gina would have to agree. “The house has greatly improved my lifestyle by being barrier-free,” she concludes. “Rather than the focus being my disability, I can focus on the abilities I have and what I can accomplish.”
Photographer Geoffrey Hodgdon is based in Deale, Maryland.
ARCHITECTURE: GLENN CHEN FONG, AIA, Arlington, Virginia. INTERIOR DESIGN: SKIP SROKA, CID, ASID, principal; ELIZABETH BAUSCH, lead designer, Sroka Design, Washington, DC. BUILDER: PHIL LEIBOVITZ, Sandy Spring Builders, Bethesda, Maryland.
Autumn Getaway Easton’s historic Tidewater Inn makes for an idyllic fall retreat. It’s the perfect base for exploring the town; the inn can also organize golf, boating and fishing trips. The property’s restaurant, Hunter’s Tavern was recently renovated by Philadelphia-based DAS Architects. On November 14, the inn will host the fourth annual Brew & Oyster Brawl featuring live music, freshly shucked oysters and other fare; a portion of the proceeds benefits the Oyster Recovery Partnership. Rates from $149. tidewaterinn.com
Café Culture Visitors to Chestertown have a treat in store at Evergrain Bread Company. Opened in 2010 by Johnson and Wales grad Douglas Rae, the café tempts passersby with fresh-baked artisan breads and pastries, croissants, pain au chocolat and sun buns, which are made of knotted croissant dough double-rolled in cinnamon and sugar. “It’s our crown jewel,” says the Chestertown native, who co-owns the bakery with his mom, Kelly Holton. 201-203 High Street; 410-778-3333. evergrainbreadco.com
Water’s Edge Fresh from a 2015 makeover, The Narrows restaurant sports a crisp new look and improved views of the Kent Narrows waterway. Architect David Miles of The Drawing Board, interior designer Melissa McLay and Timberlake Design/Build collaborated on the project, which updated the dining room with “an old boathouse feel,” says co-owner Kelly Hardesty Phipps. While it offers a varied menu, this Graysonville hot spot specializes in seafood, from cioppino to Oysters Rockefeller. Devoted customers can even order The Narrows’s famous crabcakes online. 3023 Kent Narrows Way South; 410-827-8113. thenarrowsrestaurant.com
Easton Art Easton is famous for its summertime plein air festival, when artists and visitors converge on the Maryland town to paint the scenery and buy art. But this picturesque hamlet actually spotlights art all year long. From November 13 to 15, the Waterfowl Festival shines a light on wildlife art. In addition, upcoming gallery events are listed below.
717 Gallery: “Small Treasures,” November 6 to January 7, 2016. This exhibit showcases small paintings by owner/artist Louis Ecobedo and Eastern Shore artist Chris Wilke. 717 Goldsborough Street; 410-241-7020. 717gallery.com
Troika Gallery: The work of William Storck, a nationally acclaimed maritime painter, through November 10. Gala champagne 18th anniversary group show, November 13 to December 31. 9 South Harrison Street; 410-770-9190. troikagallery.com
A FITTING TRIBUTE
Inspired by the 1937 speed record set by English race car driver Sir Malcolm Campbell on Italy’s Lake Maggiore-—in a Bluebird K3 hydroplane powered by a Rolls-Royce engine—Rolls Royce has released the limited edition Phantom Drophead Coupé. The 12-cylinder bespoke model boasts a hand-brushed steel grille, saddle-leather floor mats and other details that echo the K3’s design. $470,000; rolls-roycemotorcars.com
BRASS TACKS
Jonathan Adler's Brass Tic Tac Toe set makes a bold statement on any coffee table. Brass game pieces play off a grooved marble base. $195. jonathanadler.com
NOSTALGIA TRIP
The Gramovox Bluetooth Gramophone marries vintage style with the latest technology. The speaker delivers old-school sound via Bluetooth, USB or 3.5mm stereo input. It has a range of more than 30 feet and a battery life of 15 hours. $400; gramovox.com
GAME ON
British designer Alexandra Llewellyn fashions handmade backgammon boards in a wide array of themes. Lily (pictured) boasts a dark zebrano interior embellished with calla lilies; its weighted brass playing pieces are inlaid with mother of pearl on one side and leather on the other. Custom designs are available. $7,387; alexandralldesign.com
WINTER WONDERLAND
Dior’s fall/winter 2014 haute couture collection features this embroidered pale pink silk coat with black wool top and black wool pants. Paired with red pumps, the outfit combines soft textures and handiwork with a sleek silhouette. dior.com
STAR STRUCK
This large starburst pendant with diamonds by David Yurman makes a striking gift for the holidays. Strung on an adjustable 22- to 24-inch chain, the sterling-silver piece is studded with .85 carats of diamonds. Available at Bloomingdales; $2,600. bloomingdales.com
SMART SATCHEL
Karl Lagerfeld’s K/School two-tone leather tote is an easy carry-all, with an adjustable shoulder strap and top handles. The expandable sides fit all your belongings for work, play or travel. $750; karl.com
DUTCH TREAT
Celebrated Dutch architect Piet Boon designed the 10 spacious villas with private gardens and Caribbean views at this boutique getaway on Bonaire. At Piet Boon Bonaire, guests choose between garden and seafront accommodations; each villa comes with a fully equipped kitchen—and private chefs are on call. From $642 nightly; designhotels.com
SOUTH BEACH MEETS VEGAS
The luxury, all-suite Delano Las Vegas opened its doors in September, bringing the brand’s South Beach glam to The Strip. The design teams at MGM Resorts International and Morgans Hotel Group evoke the Mojave Desert in the hotel’s public spaces—including the Franklin lounge, with its twinkling lights and gold accents. Rates from $119; delanolasvegas.com
LITTLE WASHINGTON GETAWAY
Chef/proprietor Patrick O’Connell has expanded The Inn at Little Washington with the recent unveiling of The Parsonage—an 1850s Victorian house that he has restored and converted into six new guest rooms. Decorated in collaboration with London designer Joyce Conwy Evans, the rooms boast fireplaces and English linens. Named for its proximity to Trinity Episcopal Church, The Parsonage is across the street from O’Connell’s legendary restaurant. Rates from $575; theinnatlittlewashington.com
SAVOIR FARE
Chef Daniel Boulud—the lauded French chef who started his career in DC 30 years ago—has returned to the District to open DBGB Kitchen and Bar. Designed by Thomas Schlesser, the casual French-American restaurant serves house-made sausages, gourmet burgers (including the Yankee Burger, inset) and Lyonnais-inspired fare. 931 H Street, NW; 202-695-7660. dbgb.com/dc
WEST-END DEBUT
Café Deluxe has opened its fifth location in DC’s West End, at 22nd and M Streets, NW. Designed by GTM Architects, the restaurant boasts dramatic lighting and a 38-seat bar, plus leather booths and mahogany furniture; patio seating is available in milder weather. Look for the same classic menu offered at other outposts. 2201 M Street, NW; 202-524-7815. cafedeluxe.com
HOLIDAY CHEER
The Blue Duck Tavern and Blue Duck Lounge at the Park Hyatt Washington are toasting the season with new fall cocktails. Among the handcrafted libations is Smoke on the River—a blend of Copper Fox Virginia Rye, Lapsang Souchong tea, lemon and yellow chartreuse. 24th and M Streets, NW; 202-419-6755. blueducktavern.com
When architect Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens designed the British Embassy in Washington, he could see the Washington Monument from its site on a then-rural stretch of Massachusetts Avenue. Eighty-five years later, the neighborhood has changed but Lutyens’s residence remains an elegant architectural gem that has witnessed a fair share of history since its completion in 1930.
The home is set on four acres with a narrow street presence expanding into wider gardens. As a symbol of the relationship between the U.S. and Britain, Lutyens married elements of a Queen Anne country house with those of the Williamsburg vernacular. The building originally housed both the residence and embassy, which was located in a U-shaped wing facing the street. However, growing pains forced the embassy to move to its current, less elegant quarters in 1960, built on additional land the U.K. had purchased next door.
Over the years, the residence has welcomed a steady stream of luminaries, from presidents, prime ministers and royalty to movie stars and rock legends. There have been solemn wartime tête-à-têtes, lavish state dinners and garden parties literally fit for a queen. The Beatles stopped in after their first U.S. gig at the Washington Coliseum and, recently, the home was abuzz with heartthrobs of another kind: the cast of “Downton Abbey.”
Every year, 12,000 guests visit the residence, where they may find a great hall with a checkered marble floor, a ballroom displaying Andy Warhol’s portrait of Queen Elizabeth and manicured English gardens inspired by the work of Gertrude Jekyll, a close friend of Lutyens. The residence itself was cause for celebration earlier this year when today’s Ambassador Sir Peter Westmacott and his wife, Lady Westmacott, held receptions to mark the publication of The Architecture of Diplomacy: The British Ambassador’s Residence in Washington. Written by historian Anthony Seldon and Daniel Collings with photographs by Eric Sander, the book offers a fascinating history of the home and an in-depth look at how Lutyens’s plan took shape. Lady Westmacott, who noticed a dearth of material written about the residence upon their arrival in 2012, spearheaded the project.
When they are not entertaining, Lady Westmacott spends time in the sunny drawing room while the Ambassador enjoys quiet moments in his paneled library.
“It’s fun when we have family and grandchildren running around here, but you don’t live in a house like this—or you shouldn’t—if you don’t get pleasure from sharing it with other people,” the Ambassador says during an interview on the terrace. “This house earns its keep by doing a lot of things for the United Kingdom’s interests and to promote relations between Britain and the United States.”
He found one particular encounter in the residence most rewarding. “When the new president of France first met the British prime minister, they were in the drawing room in this house,” recalls Westmacott, who was formerly Britain’s ambassador to France. “The beginning of a new relationship—not between the U.S. and Great Britain but between Britain and France—took place here.”
No doubt, Lutyens would approve of the myriad ways in which the house is used today. “To design something 85 years ago for a pre-electronic age, where the beauty and elegance and sense of proportion still enchant us today is, I think, a supreme achievement,” concludes author Anthony Seldon. “To me, this is simply the greatest ambassadorial residence of any country in any capital. It just works to perfection.”
Photographer Eric Sander is based in Paris. All images copyright of The Architecture of Diplomacy: The British Ambassador’s Residence in Washington; Flammarion, Paris; 2014. $65.
Built in 1926 as a Federal Reserve bank in Second Renaissance Revival style, this Baltimore grand dame was noted for its dramatic, arched doorways and imposing façade. It remained a bank until 2012, when Baybridge Properties acquired and developed it into a luxury condominium. It was named The Lenore after a character in a poem by Baltimore native Edgar Allen Poe.
A design team from Marks, Thomas Architects preserved its historic splendor while introducing a modern edge. “It was not a retro replication,” says principal Tom Liebel, “but we were trying to harken back to grander days.”
The lobby’s original plaster ceiling and limestone walls (pictured) had to be restored where 1980s partitions had carved up the space. Explains Liebel, “We were undoing rather than inserting things.” Today, a sculpted wall panel by Textures 3-D defines the reception area and geometric chairs by Kellex make a bold statement.
The 102-unit building offers a cyber lounge, a fitness center and a gated dog walk. The project utilized federal historic preservation tax credits; LEED Silver certification is pending.
RENOVATION ARCHITECTURE & INTERIORS: TOM LIEBEL, FAIA, LEED Fellow, principal in charge; Aaron Zephir, AIA, project manager; Darlene Watson, CID, LEED AP ID+C, interior designer, Marks, Thomas Architects, Baltimore, Maryland. RENOVATION CONTRACTOR: HAMEL BUILDERS, Elkridge, Maryland.
Wayne Andersen has long been an architecture buff and admirer of Frank Lloyd Wright. So it should come as no surprise that the physician, author and co-founder of Take Shape For Life, a healthy living program, had a few ideas of his own when he set out to build a new home near Annapolis to share with wife Lori and their two teenage daughters. “We love the water and are avid sailors,” says Andersen, who owns a 54-foot yacht. “It was my dream to keep the boat at my house.”
After a long search, the Andersens finally came across a three-and-a-half-acre parcel located next to a working winery on Harness Creek, a Chesapeake Bay tributary. “The lot was perfect; it’s on a protected creek and looks across to a nature preserve,” says architect Cathy Purple Cherry, who showed the property to the couple with a mutual friend in real estate. “What Wayne was most excited about was that he could see the water and the vineyard at the same time.”
The Andersens hired Purple Cherry—an expert in critical area building—to design a residence that could host company events as well as be a magnet where their daughters’ friends “would want to come over and be with us rather than going out,” explains Andersen. To realize the vision, he and Purple Cherry assembled an experienced team that included Bret Anderson of Pyramid Builders, interior designer Arlene Critzos of Interior Concepts and Kevin Campion of Campion Hruby Landscape Architects.
Andersen wanted the residence to embrace Frank Lloyd Wright’s tenet that a structure should be in harmony with its surroundings. “Wayne hoped that when you approached the house, it would seem as though it grew out of the ground, and when you walked into it, that the ‘wow’ views of the water and land would be more powerful than the structure itself,” Purple Cherry explains. This concept drove everything from the architectural plans to the organic material palette to the interior design.
Christened “Aqua Terra” by Andersen, the completed three-level, 10,000-square-foot house salutes the outdoors with a seamless marriage of interior and exterior spaces. Like Mother Nature, it also displays dramatic wonders of its own. Consider the floating, three-story staircase engineered from glass, steel and wood. Or the mahogany wine cellar and indoor resistance pool on the lower level. Or the three-part fireplace topped with mantel stones that weigh as much as a small car. Artwork and fossils collected by the Andersens on their travels were built into walls, niches and custom furniture.
With such a high level of detail and craftsmanship, the project mobilized scores of tradespeople. “The talent organized for this job was incredible,” says Pyramid’s Bret Anderson. “Even though we employ 50 of our own full-time craftsmen, we had to draw on additional resources. There were days when we had 30 carpenters here along with 20 masons.”
With construction underway, the design team planned the interiors. “This house is an example of how interior design should be the background to strong architecture,” designer Arlene Critzos observes. “The wood, the stone and all of the interior finishes told the story, and we filled in with pieces that would salute those selections but not take over. When we brought in color, it was the color of water, wind or earth—all the elements around us.”
Kevin Campion’s landscape program divides the property into four alluring gardens. There are meadows and rain gardens, a pool garden with a pavilion and a waterfront garden that brims with native grasses.
Since moving into the home in August, the Andersens have hosted two successful company summits with 150 attendees (Lori, a registered nurse, also works for Take Shape for Life). They find the house to be an ideal workplace. “It immediately puts people in a fluid, flexible, creative environment with the water and the sunlight coming through,” Andersen marvels.
The Andersens have also enjoyed family time indoors and out—and as they’d hoped, their daughters’ friends love to visit. Though the house boasts every luxury imaginable, it’s the surroundings that Wayne Andersen seems to appreciate most. “We wake up and can see mist coming off the water or bald eagles fishing,” he says. “Then we walk down the hall and see the vineyards. You’re caught in awe of how incredibly gorgeous it is, and I feel so blessed.”
Photographer David Burroughs is based in Annapolis.
ARCHITECTURE: CATHY PURPLE CHERRY, AIA, LEED AP, Purple Cherry Architects, Annapolis, Maryland. INTERIOR DESIGN: Arlene Critzos, principal; CATHERINE BELKOV, Interior Concepts, Annapolis, Maryland. BUILDER: BRET ANDERSON, principal; HERB SEVERN and James Guercio, project managers, Pyramid Builders, Annapolis, Maryland. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE: KEVIN CAMPION, ASLA, Campion Hruby Landscape Architects, Annapolis, Maryland. WINDOWS: Jeld Wen Windows through Architectural Window Supply, Annapolis, Maryland.
LATIN ACCENT ON 14TH STREET
James Beard award-winning chef Michael Schlow recently opened Tico, serving cuisine inspired by his travels to Latin America, Mexico and Spain. The rustic space designed by Elkus Manfredi Architects and StreetSense features art by the chef’s wife, Adrienne Schlow, while the bar stocks more than 125 kinds of tequila. 1926 14th Street, NW; 202-319-1400. ticodc.com
A DC LANDMARK REBORN
The Iron Gate has been recently revived by the Neighborhood Restaurant Group. An in-house team collaborated with Catherine Hailey Design on a makeover of the historic stable that now includes a bar and patio area and a dining room serving chef Tony Chittum’s divine creations. 1734 N Street, NW; 202-524-5202. irongaterestaurantdc.com
NEW CHEF AT 1789
Samuel Kim, formerly of Tom Colicchio’s Colicchio & Sons in New York, has taken the helm at Georgetown’s 1789 Restaurant. This brings Kim full circle since the former banker launched his culinary career as chef de partie rotisseur at 1789 more than a decade ago. His new menu includes Icelandic cod with chanterelle mushroom purée. 1226 36th Street, NW; 202- 965-1789. 1789restaurant.com
ONE OF A KIND
Valentino’s new fragrance, Valentina Eau de Parfum, is feminine yet unconventional. It combines notes of Calabrian bergamot with white Alba truffle, jasmine and Amalfi orange blossom. Available at Bloomingdales and other local retailers. $82 to $110. bloomingdales.com
GOLD RUSH
Simplicity and elegance define the 18-karat yellow gold Origin Nine Disc Mesh Necklace by New York-based jewelry designer Sandy Leong. Small, layered discs create a cascading, swaying whole. $4,200. sandyleongjewelry.com
SHIFTING SEASONS
Tibi’s Floral Tapestry Dress adds an unexpected edge to the conventional shift. With color-blocked floral prints, an asymmetric hem and a leather inset, its fresh, textured look is perfect for the change of seasons. $545. bloomingdales.com
When designing the interiors of an expansive new Rockville home, Marlene Weiss Alexander devised an outside-the-box plan for its powder room. “Every inch of this powder room is custom, even the lighting,” she says.
The designer and homeowner share a penchant for an organic aesthetic dressed up with a touch of glamour, so Alexander aimed to capture this spirit in her design. “It should feel glamorous but not overdone,” she explains.
The room’s focal point is a massive, 10-inch-thick ledge clad in eye-catching Pau Ferro wood that serves as a floating vanity top. “I wanted something extremely exotic because I knew it was going to be the star,” says Alexander, who had the lumber supplier make four trips to the house with slabs before she found one with the grain she desired.
A panel of mother-of-pearl wallcovering by Innovations creates a dramatic backdrop to the vanity, while stained cherry columns and a mirror with a smoked-bronze finish wrap around it for added effect. A pair of rock-crystal pendants by Wired Lighting, an oversized onyx sink by Stone Forest and Brizo wall faucets add sparkle and texture. Art and accessories—including a painting from Renaissance Fine Art and a B&B Italia vase—finish the space.
“I love powder rooms because they’re like jewel boxes. They can be dramatic and you won’t get sick of them because you can close the door,” says Alexander. “Though this is one powder room where I’d want to keep the door open.”
INTERIOR DESIGN: MARLENE WEISS ALEXANDER, Weiss-Alexander Design Group LLC, Washington, DC. ARCHITECTURE: GERI YANTIS, Sutton Yantis Associates Architects, Vienna, Virginia. BUILDER: NATELLI HOMES, LLC, Gaithersburg, Maryland. PHOTOGRAPHY: GEOFFREY HODGDON.
For two more amazing custom baths, see
A Maryland couple who’d grown tired of their outmoded 1980s master bathroom turned to designer Diane Taitt for help. The wife, a physician, wanted a serene retreat where she could unwind after long days at work. “She told me, ‘This is the one space in my house that is mine,’” Taitt recalls. “It was going to be her sanctuary.’’ The husband’s only request: that the décor reflect the soothing colors of his native Caribbean island, Anguilla.
Taitt devised a plan that would transform the ’80s throwback into a one-of-a-kind home spa full of custom finishes and features. After the original was completely gutted, Taitt created privacy without walls by enclosing the W.C. and a large shower behind panels of textured glass that leave the space light and airy. The panels are painted in a motif inspired by an ancient Turkish pattern symbolizing creation and infinity. “My clients fell in love with the concept,” she says.
They also love the shimmering surfaces and tiles that evoke the way sunlight dances on tropical seas. A crystal chandelier in the W.C. and silver-thread sconces above the dual vanities further reflect the light. “The room feels alive as you move,” says the designer.
Above the bathtub, porcelain tiles embellished with a subtle palm-frond motif echo the island theme. Against a tone-on-tone palette of soft grays and white, mosaic elements around the vanity mirrors add hints of Caribbean color.
According to Taitt, both homeowners were “ecstatic” with the results. However, the designer says that as far as being the wife’s private sanctuary is concerned, “she can’t get her husband out of the bathroom.”
INTERIOR DESIGN: DIANE S. TAITT, ASID, Associate AIA, De Space Designs, Washington, DC. PHOTOGRAPHY: Maxine Schnitzer.
For two more amazing custom baths, see
Twenty years after interior designer Rosemarie Howe and contractor Tom Gilday collaborated on a Chevy Chase renovation, the same clients called them back for an update. This time, the very large and inefficient master bath needed the most help.
“The huge whirlpool tub was used only for drying running clothes,” recalls Howe, “and tucked into a dark corner beside the counter was a teeny little shower.”
The team first removed the oversized tub, replacing it with a spacious, light-filled shower boasting a rainfall showerhead. This move created space for a double vanity along the opposite wall. And in the center of the room—which Howe deemed “empty dancing space”—a new tub now creates a dramatic focal point. “While the owners once viewed a vague and amorphous bath from their bedroom, they now see a free-form tub sitting on a ‘rug’ of really handsome tile,” she explains. “The tub has a sculptural presence and makes sense of the very large bathroom.”
In addition to the mosaic floor, Howe selected subtle, white marble walls and a Caesarstone countertop for an elegant, crisp aesthetic. “I wanted it to be calm, spare and quietly luxurious,” she says. The marble, tile, tub and sconces are by Waterworks while the sinks are by Kohler. Chrome drawer hardware—discovered by Howe on a trip to Paris—lend an unexpectedly modern touch.
“When it all came together, our clients were delighted,” she says. “It was fun to tweak a house Tom and I had both worked on before.”
INTERIOR DESIGN: ROSEMARIE HOWE, Rosemarie R. Howe Interiors, Inc., Washington, DC. CONTRACTOR: TOM GILDAY, Gilday Renovations, Silver Spring, Maryland. PHOTOGRAPHY: MORGAN HOWARTH.
For two more amazing custom baths, see
& CAMILLE BACHRACH
LUXURY ON THE MEDITERRANEAN
Whether you want an active vacation or a beach break, Columbia Beach Resort on Cyprus’s Bay of Pissouri will fit the bill. The 95-suite resort features an award-winning spa, a full fleet of water sports and a cycling center on the premises, plus two fine restaurants and casual beach bars. Rates from $382 with breakfast. columbiaresort.com
SOJOURN IN SCOTLAND
Scottish tennis star Andy Murray—the 2013 Wimbledon champ—has purchased Cromlix, an historic estate near his hometown of Dunblane. Opened last spring as a five-star inn, Cromlix boasts 10 individually appointed rooms and five suites, a library with billiards, a restaurant and whiskey bar, fishing in its own trout loch—and tennis, of course. Rates from $420; cromlix.com
NEW YORK RETROFIT
The High Line Hotel, carved out of the historic General Theological Seminary complex in Chelsea, is located adjacent to New York’s popular converted railroad “trail.” Design firm Roman and Williams outfitted the 60-room retreat in “collegiate Gothic” style, furnishing rooms with Victorian and Edwardian antiques, period art and even rewired 1920s telephones. Rates from $399. thehighlinehotel.com
SHOW TIME
Vespa’s most modern motorbike yet, the Primavera combines comfort and elegance with the latest technology. The model boasts a new steel body and low fuel consumption; riders can customize it with a padded backrest or colored screens. $4,799; vespausa.com
FAST & FURIOUS
Bentley has unveiled the Continental GT3-R, its most dynamic and performance-focused luxury car yet. With a twin-turbo V8 engine, weight reduction and shorter gearing, it is also the brand’s fastest car ever, with a 0 to 60 mph time of 3.6 seconds. Production of only 300 units keeps this model ultra-exclusive. Price to be announced. bentleymotors.com
SHOW TIME
Epson’s latest projector, the PowerLite Home Cinema delivers the ultimate home-theater experience in both 2D and 3D. With 2400 lumens of color brightness and horizontal and vertical lens shift, installation and viewing are optimized. Two pairs of 3D glasses are included. From $2,599. epson.com
MAKING MEMORIES
Hammacher Schlemmer’s new HD Video Recording Monocular captures close-up videos at a distance with up to 8X magnification—all in high-definition resolution. It features a coated glass lens and a rechargeable battery that provides 60 minutes of recording time on a full charge. $250; hammacher.com
On a breezy July afternoon, chef Robert Wiedmaier offered his guests morsels of savory-sweet Maryland crab, a taste of what would be on the menu that evening. The meal—also spotlighting fresh rockfish and Chesapeake Gold oysters—was not being served at one of his seven area restaurants, which include Marcel’s, Brasserie Beck and Mussel Bar & Grille. Instead, Wiedmaier was whipping up a dinner for eight at his family’s sprawling weekend home near Solomons Island, Maryland.
“Let’s go fishing,” he called out to his buddies, who were relaxing over mojitos on the screened porch. “The blue fish are kickin’ big time.”
Only 75 minutes from his home in Kensington, Wiedmaier’s four-acre property on the Patuxent River might as well be a world away from the pressure-cooker lifestyle of a successful DC chef/restaurateur. Robert, his wife Polly and their sons Marcel, 15, and Beck, 11, escape as often as possible to this retreat where they fish, waterski, ride dirt bikes, kayak and even go duck- and goose-hunting (minus Mom). With two fishing boats at the ready—an 18-foot Parker for solo trips and a 32-foot Luhrs for larger expeditions—Robert regularly hauls in rockfish and blue fish, along with crabs off the dock and oysters from beds just offshore.
The Wiedmaiers literally stumbled upon the property during one of many drives spent looking for a weekend home on Maryland’s western shore. “We happened to be driving down Rousby Hall Road and there was a Sotheby’s sign,” Robert recalls. They turned down the long, sweeping drive, “saw this house and fell in love with it.” They were sold on its proximity to DC, its prime waterfront location and pier and the inviting, five-bedroom house that had been recently renovated.
“We wanted to be on the water but Polly didn’t want it to be remote,” explains Robert. “To the left of the property, we can see the mouth of the Chesapeake. To the right, there’s Solomons Island.”
The house revealed another surprise: It is built around a two-story, circa-1670 customs house where taxes were once collected for the King of England from ships entering the Patuxent. The original brick walls, fireplace and wood-beam ceiling have been restored in the historic sitting room located to the right of the home’s main entry. A ladder leads to the upstairs bedroom where the customs agent once slept.
Despite this centuries-old gem, the rest of the home is practically new. After a larger home had been built around the customs house in the 1950s, previous owners hired Annapolis architect Charles Anthony in 2003 to design an addition, which encompasses a vaulted great room with an open dining area and kitchen, a ground-floor master suite, a basement with a media room and wine cellar and a free-standing garage with a guest apartment above it.
“The house has just the right amount of charm and age,” says Polly. “In the old sitting room, you feel the history of the place—but I wouldn’t want to own a whole house that old. When you walk into the big, new, bright part [of the house], it’s just easy. It’s a great combination.”
The Wiedmaiers were convinced. They purchased the home and tapped Arlington designer Charles Craig—who recently transformed Marcel’s lounge—to help with some of the décor. They’ve been enjoying it ever since. “Once I get onto Route 4, my stress level goes way down. And when I walk out to the water, it feels like I’m far away from DC,” says Robert.
Polly, chief marketing officer of their RW Restaurant Group, agrees, “I’m outside so much more here. We take the boats out and go to different restaurants on the water, whereas at home, I’m usually inside at my desk.” Meals on the bay are casual affairs, often cooked on a trusty charcoal grill—a far cry from the haute cuisine and white linens of Marcel’s.
From a young age, Robert Wiedmaier loved to cook and gravitated to the kitchen, where his American mother and Belgian grandmother taught him the ropes. “They were both awesome cooks,” he recalls. “When they went to the local markets, I would tag along.” His Belgian-born father, who emigrated to the U.S. during World War II, worked overseas for the U.S. Air Force for decades. Robert grew up mostly in Germany and Belgium and attended culinary school in the Netherlands. Then he moved to Washington, gaining experience in such culinary standouts as the Four Seasons’ Aux Beaux Champs and the Watergate’s Jean-Louis, where he replaced renowned chef Jean-Louis Palladin.
In 1999, Wiedmaier opened his own fine French restaurant, Marcel’s, named for his newborn son. Since then, there have been many debuts. Brasserie Beck now has two locations and Mussel Bar & Grille has three, with a fourth opening in Baltimore’s Harbor East this fall—in addition to BRABO in Alexandria and Wildwood Kitchen in Bethesda.
Wiedmaier sees potential synergy between his bay property and the restaurants. “I am going to build a chicken coop and a greenhouse and do honeybees. I want to grow things that I’ll be proud to serve in the restaurants,” he explains. “I’ve always enjoyed working on farms. It ties in with the full circle of hunting, fishing and cooking.”
Whether he is grilling oysters, sipping bourbon around the bonfire with friends or plotting out his future greenhouse, Wiedmaier is in his element on the shore, where he and Polly will move permanently once Marcel and Beck leave home.
Originally, Robert wished for a 100-acre getaway. “But Polly told me, 'You’ve got thousands and thousands of acres in front of you…in the water,’” he recounts with a booming laugh. “I said, ‘That’s a great way of looking at it.’ It’s nice to be able to go down to the boat and just take off.”
Geoffrey Hodgdon is a photographer in Deale, Maryland.
Designer David Mitchell recently planted 115 daylilies, 25 dahlias and 16 hydrangeas in his backyard—every one in white to offset the other plants in his garden, which are all lime green. He also grows beets, heirloom tomatoes, eggplant and Russian black watermelon. “Remember the old green color people used to paint shutters, that Southern green?” he comments when asked about the melons. “They’re that color.”
Even in his garden, Mitchell leaves nothing to chance.
From his front porch to the interiors of the 1930s Colonial he recently renovated in DC’s Shepherd Park, the designer has masterfully manipulated color, texture and scale to create bold, graphic spaces. Envisioned as a “guy’s house” for the “designer who would rather be kayaking than buying antiques on a Saturday,” Mitchell’s home celebrates the outdoors in shades of olive and khaki. But aside from the occasional baseball cap, this designer’s home is far more stylish and sophisticated than your typical man lair.
Mitchell was drawn to the home for its beautiful proportions and mint condition. “I liked the fact that it was from the 1930s—I like ’30s stuff. And I was going to be the second owner. No one had messed it up with stuff I was going to have to rip out,” he explains.
As soon as he purchased it, Mitchell embarked on an update that respected the home’s original vernacular. Other than a single wall that he demolished to make way for a larger master bath on the second floor, the designer left the existing floor plan intact. On the ground level, he introduced a modern vocabulary by raising the height of the doorways between rooms by 16 inches and updating the fireplace in the living room with a clean-lined marble surround. He ripped out the old wall-to-wall carpet, exposing original hardwood floors, and completed a total kitchen makeover. He also screened in a side porch, adding a beadboard ceiling and porcelain faux-wood floors to reflect the home’s period style.
As the dust settled, it became clear to Mitchell that the house called for a departure from his regular oeuvre. “I’m known for doing ethereal houses with lots of blue-grays and golden colors,” he says. But after testing his favorite robin’s egg blue on the foyer walls, he recalls taking a step back and saying, “‘Well, this doesn’t work.’ I was trying to turn the house into something it’s not.
“My house is more graphic than what we normally do. It has a Pacific Northwest feel to it,” he continues, “mixed with a little bit of Southern heritage. Getting it to work together was a challenge.”
In less experienced hands, rooms in the compact, 1,800-square-foot house could have wound up feeling cramped and smothering. But instead of filling his home with diminutive pieces, Mitchell tricked the eye by selecting furniture with substance. For example, a tall walnut desk and large George Smith armchairs bring weight and balanced proportion to the living room. “People are afraid of big things in a small space. But they work really well,” the designer observes. “You just have fewer of them.”
Nature plays a starring role in the décor of this home located a stone’s throw from Rock Creek Park. In the living room, framed photographs hung in a grid pattern depict birds, deer and landscapes—“all things I love about my neighborhood,” Mitchell says. Rather than artwork flanking the fireplace, ledges are reserved for seasonal displays of tree branches, hydrangea or pussy willows, which the designer arranges in mammoth vases. “They bring a green element into the room,” he says, “and flowers or branches become part of the color scheme.”
The palette of brown, ivory and green offers a bold contrast to Mitchell’s well-honed collections, which include antiques, fine-art photography, creamware and ceramics. “I look for paint to be a backdrop,” he explains. “A lot of people are obsessed with matching paint; I think paint is something you should play with a little more.”
The author of his own no-holds-barred blog, “David Mitchell Uncensored,” he is never one to take his work too seriously—especially in his own home. Mitchell happily admits to pairing rarefied antiques and designer pieces with affordable flea market and retail finds. “I love high-low stuff. In my living room, I have a pair of original André Arbus chairs and I also have a West Elm rug.”
Mitchell is as proud of the priceless still-life photograph of a bay leaf plant in his bedroom as he is of the oversized marine blueprints covering one of the walls in his second-level TV room, which doubles as a guest room. Each one, printed in orange reverse, cost $15. “I design this way,” he says of the mix. “I think it’s what makes design so interesting nowadays.”
He is also a master at combining disparate and unexpected objects. In his home you’ll find étagères and a coffee table from his own collection for Salvations Architectural Furnishings; stone-glazed Chinese stools; African bone bracelets arranged as a dining room centerpiece; and in the kitchen, a curved metal table on wheels that began life in a Victorian animal hospital.
In Mitchell’s kitchen, color gives way to a calming palette. Pale gray cabinetry and slabs of marble on the counters and walls create a timeless, classic vibe.
The room will change next year, when an addition will enlarge the kitchen and convert the screened porch into a new TV room, making way for a dedicated guest room upstairs. Mitchell will also build a deck. “As much as I’m into gardening, a little less green space is fine with me,” he admits. “This spring I did find genetically engineered grass that only grows three inches tall. We’ll see if it works.
“I love learning stuff,” he reflects. “There’s always something new to learn.”
Photographer Angie Seckinger splits her time between Potomac, Maryland, and Spain.
INTERIOR DESIGN: David Mitchell, David Mitchell Interior Design, Washington, DC.
RAISING THE BAR
Republic in Takoma Park is serving up seasonal cocktails and a special happy hour bar menu, available weeknights from 3 to 7 pm. The new drinks contain homemade bitter-lemon syrup, including the Bitter Presbyterian—spiked with sour mash whiskey, Domaine de Canton, lime juice and mint. The bar menu features oysters, mussels, sandwiches and jerk-spiced sweet potato chips. 6939 Laurel Avenue; 301-270-3000. republictakoma.com
AMERICAN REVIVAL
José Andrés’s ode to American cuisine, America Eats Tavern, is expected to reopen in its new home in The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner in early June. The menu will feature classics with a twist, such as cornmeal-crusted rockfish and peanut soup. 1700 Tysons Boulevard; 703-744-3999. americaeatstavern.com
GARDEN PARTY
Jardenea, the restaurant at the revamped Melrose Georgetown Hotel, has garnered attention for chef Nate Lindsay, whose new menu spotlights fresh seasonal ingredients. Standouts: rosemary-skewered Maine scallops and jumbo asparagus risotto. 2430 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW; 202-955-6400. melrosehoteldc.com
TROPICAL RETREAT
Tucked into the Costa Rican rainforest, Nayara Hotel, Spa & Gardens welcomes guests to stay in private casitas with views of the nearby Arenal Volcano. The luxury property features a spa suspended in the trees, an infinity-edge pool and gourmet dining. Rates from $700; nayarasprings.com
CAPITAL GETAWAY
The third President would no doubt approve of the way his namesake hotel welcomes visitors. Throughout 2014, The Jefferson, Washington, DC treats guests in its specialty suites to a bottle of wine that reflects the suite’s theme. For example, guests in the Butterfly Suite receive a bottle of Domaine des Baumard, Clos du Papillon Savennière. Suites from $749. jeffersondc.com
THE GREAT OUTDOORS
Celebrate nature—and enjoy a cooler climate—at Trout Point, a five-star lodge in Nova Scotia. The 100-acre estate invites guest to explore the Tusket and Napier Rivers by canoe or kayak, venture on nature walks or simply soak up the scenery in the hot tub. Two acclaimed restaurants on-site specialize in local seafood and grilled meats. Rates from $269; troutpoint.com
