Back to Nature Standing on a wooded property for sale in Silver Spring, chef/restaurateur Ruth Gresser and artist Barbara Johnson fell immediately for its pristine stream views and peaceful vibe.

The only wrinkle? The property’s 1950s ranch house was sited on the other side of the lot, with no connection to the surrounding splendor. But this didn’t deter the couple from closing the deal. They had recently toured Philip Johnson’s Glass House in Connecticut and as Barbara Johnson remembers, “We loved that the architect considered the whole property as the house and each of the buildings and even the lawn as rooms.” The Glass House inspired an idea: Rather than remodeling their house or building a new one, Gresser and Johnson would try to do both. 

The couple was drawn to Bethesda architect Mark McInturff’s modern work, so they called him to discuss their project. “Ruth said her partner is an avid gardener but they live in the woods where deer eat everything,” McInturff recalls. “She said they wanted a courtyard house. I heard that and it was like she ‘had me at hello.’ Few people think about their house as a combination of interior and exterior spaces. From there, we were very simpatico.”

As they outlined their vision and requirements with McInturff and project architect Peter Noonan, possibilities unfolded. Gresser—owner and chef of Pizzeria Paradiso with locations in Dupont Circle, Georgetown and Alexandria—sketched out the kitchen. Johnson, meanwhile, wanted a studio and space to showcase art. Together, the couple wanted room to entertain in a home that would celebrate but not overwhelm its site. 

Though Gresser and Johnson had assumed the existing house would have to come down, the architects proposed a thoughtful renovation that would save it, turning it into a functional part of the whole. It would be one of a collection of structures arrayed around a central courtyard, and would house a master suite, guest room, office and art studio. 

“The house was well built and had been maintained, which gave us the luxury of being able to live in it before we undertook the project. The fact that Mark was able do exactly what we wanted, which was to keep the house and have us live here made sense,” says Gresser, motioning to their new, light and airy living space.

Today, a gate beside the renovated house admits visitors into the courtyard, which contains a pool and gardens. A path leads into the home’s new wing. A varied palette of black-painted brick, corrugated metal, steel and mahogany defines the exterior structures, which include a long gallery linking the old and new wings, a screened porch, a car port and a steel wall rusted to a rich patina. “I wanted a Richard Serra but couldn’t afford it,” quips Johnson.

As the design evolved, straight lines and right angles were shifted, thrusting the volumes into the forest to maximize the views and enlarge the courtyard. “We had designed some flares in the new wing,” explains McInturff, “but Peter said, ‘Let’s flare the whole thing.’ It’s almost as if the whole property is opening outward.”

Despite its crisp, modern veneer and volume, the new wing envelops visitors like a cocoon with sunlight, colorful art and warm wood finishes. The combined kitchen, dining and living space occupies the very spot where Gresser and Johnson first fell in love with the property. The dining area faces the screened porch, with a glass NanaWall that opens so the couple can place tables end to end and accommodate dozens for holiday meals or special events. They also enjoy quiet get-togethers in the living room around their modular Mah Jong sofa by Roche Bobois.

In the kitchen, black concrete countertops and a powerful stainless-steel stove and hood are anchored by a banquette and cookbook library. The chef resisted her partner’s plea for a larger kitchen and island, opting for efficiency and ease of movement between two long, parallel work surfaces. 

A stairway leads to a loft, Gresser’s personal retreat. It was here, seated at a table from her first restaurant on P Street, that the chef wrote her forthcoming book, Kitchen Workshop—Pizza (Quarry Books), which comes out in February. 

The loft, says McInturff, “allows this to be a big, high space that is soaring and exuberant and yet right in the middle of it is a place that’s cozy. It’s like a big, suspended basket.”

Johnson, meanwhile, has created a visual feast in the new wing and gallery, showcasing her own work as well as pieces the couple has acquired. “As a painter, most of my decisions are made alone. So it was really exciting to work with Ruth, Mark and Peter because of our shared aesthetic,” says Johnson, who splits her time between painting in her studio and running Art Works Now, an art education and social justice non-profit. (McInturff is currently designing a new building for the organization in Hyattsville.)

A portrait of Johnson’s mother, who passed away in 2012, hangs next to the sliding door to the master bedroom in the original house. “I like the connection to the past,” says Johnson, “and I like that we were not the people who tore down the house. There’s a certain integrity to working with what was there.” The renovation bumped up the roof above the bedroom and Johnson’s studio and created a spa-like master bath. New windows overlook the courtyard and pool.

“Because of the courtyard, we live in the woods now,” says Gresser. “It’s very different and very wonderful.”

She and Johnson are so grateful to share this property that they can’t stop quoting a mantra that hit them one night after settling in:  “We hope the people who own this house never come home.”

Julia Heine is a designer and photographer at McInturff Architects. 

ARCHITECTURE: MARK McINTURFF, FAIA, principal in charge; PETER NOONAN, AIA, LEED AP, project architect, McInturff Architects, Bethesda, Maryland. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE: Edward Bisese, Masters Landscape Design, Annapolis, Maryland. 

In the age of emails and texting, the 136-year-old stationer Dempsey & Carroll is still very much rooted in paper correspondence. But along with its classic note cards and papers, the company also offers stationery embellished with patterns by Schumacher and Farrow & Ball. 

It has adopted some of Schumacher’s most popular motifs. “No piece in the collection is a direct lift,” explains Dempsey & Carroll president Jennifer Steiner Pool. “We look at the pattern, find an inspiration point and make it work for correspondence.”  

In addition to the offerings on its website, the company can customize any design in the Schumacher portfolio with a four- to six-week lead time using effective ways to make the website stand out on Google. “From weddings to baby announcements to personal correspondence, people love bringing their home’s design aesthetic to their paper,” says Pool.

Dempsey & Carroll is also offering a limited-edition collection of note cards backed with Farrow & Ball’s hand-painted wallpaper, with proceeds donated to children’s charities in New York and the U.K.

Prices range from $75 for a box of 10 Farrow & Ball note cards to $2,810 for 100 personalized cards and envelopes embellished with Schumacher’s Nasrid Palace Mosaic and made with six-ply stock, hand-engraved in silver ink with a letter-pressed border.

As Pool sees it, no price can be placed on the hand-written word. “You’re at a desk, you write a note and you think about the recipient,” she says. “That gift is implied in every letter set.”

Dream Kitchens: Style + Efficiency The owners of a 17-year-old Rockville home approached kitchen designer Hedy Shashaani to overhaul their large but inefficient kitchen. Down-draft ventilation on the island cooktop was not up to par for the wife, who loves to cook and entertain. She wanted more room to spread out on a larger island for both food preparation and serving, as well as more storage for her kitchenware and small appliances.

Dream Kitchens: Modern Meets Traditional Marc Janecki admits he was initially “afraid to take the job,” when called upon to overhaul his clients’ outdated 200-year-old Alexandria home. The cramped kitchen, untouched since the 1950s, especially cried out for help.

Dream Kitchens: Clean, Classic Style Having enough space is only half the battle when it comes to a functional kitchen design. The owners of a 1926 Colonial in Chevy Chase were very familiar with this issue when they tapped architect Bruce Wentworth to renovate their kitchen.

Dream Kitchens: Sleek + Contemporary After an architect created an addition behind their Cathedral Heights row house, the owners called on kitchen designer Nadia Subaran to help them make sense of their expanded kitchen. The project was already in the framing stage when she arrived on the scene. “The bones were there,” she recalls, “but the clients were unsure about how to put it all together.”

Simply Chic Nestled in a venerable Chevy Chase neighborhood, a residence with a weathered stucco façade, long wooden shutters and masonry arches emanates French Provençal charm.

Once inside, however, guests encounter interiors that are anything but Old World. The entry overlooks a living room washed in pale creams and taupes, with clean-lined, geometric furnishings and nary a swag in sight.

A couple of physicians with two young children, the home’s current owners were drawn to the house for its “great bones.” But as the wife recalls, “It was much more ornate, with frilly details that are not in keeping with my taste. I wanted to pare it down and make it sleek and stylish but not cold.” 

To realize their vision, they called on designer Kristin Peake, who furnished their previous residence 10 years ago and understood the couple’s aesthetic. Her mission was to trade the home’s “more is more” décor for a chic, modern look and create spaces conducive to entertaining guests of all ages. 

“It was dark and dreary; we wanted to make it light, clean and crisp,” Peake explains. “She’s minimalistic and they don’t like a lot of pattern. Everything had to be very uniform, symmetrical and tone-on-tone.”

In the living room, Peake created flexible seating arrangements that would foster conversation. Whether perched on two Art Deco-style chairs near the front windows, ensconced on a chaise upholstered in pewter velour or gathered on the sofa and floating ottomans, guests can linger comfortably in the space. 

Rather than make the fireplace a focal point, Peake shifted the emphasis to the walls that frame the sunroom. They are upholstered in the same pewter velour as the chaise and detailed in a nailhead trim motif; benches offer additional seating. “Instead of the fireplace, I wanted to draw your eye back to the beautiful sunroom so I extended the visual symmetry,” says the designer.

Varied textures and forms also make a statement in the dining room. A large, wooden hutch with antiqued mirrors lends some heft to the space. The geometric texture on the flax chair upholstery plays off the curved design on the cabinet doors. 

“There’s a method to the madness,” explains the designer, who expertly created harmonious public spaces with little or no reliance on color. “You can never go wrong with tone-on-tone. It’s all in the details of the layers because there’s no color going on.” 

Accessible from the living and dining rooms with views of the home’s manicured gardens, the sunroom is defined by window mullions painted in Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal. Peake calls the move a nod to the “European flavor of house.” 

Today, the sunroom provides a restful spot where the owners enjoy morning coffee or relax with a book. “My goal is to make sure I spend five minutes a day in the sunroom, no matter how busy I am,” says the wife. “That room makes me happy.”

The restful master bedroom is painted in soft gray. Linen on the stools and drapes contrasts with a chaise in French blue velvet. After the kids are asleep, the parents often work on laptops and iPads in this serene space. “I don’t mind because it’s such a beautiful place,” says the wife. 

The owners enjoy hosting casual family get-togethers and grown-up dinners in their newly completed home. “It strikes such a perfect balance: It’s a comfortable, kid-friendly house and at the same time it has enough function and style that we can have a very nice dinner party without even knowing there are children here,” says the wife. “I was really blown away by how right Kristin got it.”

Photographer Geoffrey Hodgdon is based in Deale, Maryland. 

INTERIOR DESIGN: KRISTIN PEAKE, Kristin Peake Interiors, LLC, Rockville, Maryland. STYLING: CHARLOTTE SAFAVI. 

Seasons' Treats

CALL OF THE WILD
Aqua Expeditions brings five-star luxury to river cruising on the Amazon in Peru. Its 147-foot M/V Aria boasts 16 water-facing, air-conditioned staterooms plus an indoor lounge and outdoor seating areas. Up to 32 passengers enjoy haute cuisine, fine wines and guided nature tours in eight-person launches. Three-night itineraries are $2,685 per person. aquaexpeditions.com

RUSSIA DEBUT
Four Seasons recently unveiled its first Russian property in a restored 19th-century palace just two blocks from the Hermitage Museum. The Four Seasons Hotel Lion Palace St. Petersburg boasts 157 elegantly appointed rooms and 26 suites, including premium one-bedroom suites featuring marble baths and separate living areas with sofa beds. Rates from $312 through April 1, 2014. fourseasons.com

VIRGINIA RETREAT
Middleburg’s long-awaited Salamander Resort & Spa opened in late August to much fanfare. Sheila Johnson’s 168-room, LEED-certified retreat brings a new level of luxury to Horse Country, with 168 stylish rooms and suites, cuisine by Todd Gray of Equinox fame and a full-service equestrian center. Rates from $275. salamanderhotels.com

SPIT FIRE
Chef Mike Isabella salutes Northern Greek cuisine in his new DC restaurant, Kapnos. The menu features a variety of mezze. Don’t miss the spit-roasted meats that inspired the restaurant’s name: Kapnos is Greek for “smoke.” Bethesda’s Streetsense designed the interiors, which include a butcher-block chef’s table and distressed-wood bar. 2201 14th Street, NW; 202-234-5000. kapnosdc.com

TEST KITCHEN
Chef Richard Sandoval has launched his fifth Test Kitchen at Zengo in Penn Quarter. From now through December 31st, look for dishes and cocktails celebrating a fusion between the cuisines of Peru and Malaysia, including the pisco elevation made with lychee (left). 781 7th Street, NW; 202-393-2929. richardsandoval.com/zengodc

SPANISH STYLE
Jaleo Bethesda is fresh from a re-design. Chef José Andrés tapped Barcelona architect and designer Juli Capella to create an edgy, Spanish vibe in the space. It features a central display of the chef’s most popular tapas and distinctive artwork by prominent artists from Spain. 7271 Woodmont Avenue; 301-913-0003. jaleo.com

2013 Holiday Gift Guide CHARGE IT
Tesla touts its award-winning Model S as the world’s first premium electric sedan. Not only has it won high marks for its good looks, driving experience and zero emissions, but it’s also set an EPA record with a range of 265 miles per charge. At showrooms in Montgomery Mall, Tysons Corner and DC. $69,900; teslamotors.com

PICTURE THIS
Sony’s new 65-inch Bravia 65W850A takes high definition to new levels. It features the company’s new Triluminos Display technology that renders pure, distinct color and a lifelike feel to TV shows and movies. It can also pair with a tablet or smart phone to display digital content on the big screen. $2,700; sony.com

SKI CAM
Z3 GPS Goggles by Zeal Optics capture data on skiers’ speed, altitude and time as they swoosh down slopes. Lenses cut the sun’s glare and automatically adjust to changing light levels. $499; zealoptics.com

SOUND PERFORMANCE
Audio Pro’s wireless Allroom Air One speaker packs top-quality sound into a compact, leather-bound package. Only a foot wide, the speaker employs four individual amplifiers totaling 100 watts. Available at area Apple stores; $800. apple.com

SWEATER STYLE
Eileen Fisher’s airy alpaca crimp box sweater combines comfort and the warmth of superfine yarn. Available in azure (pictured) and peridot; $278. Shown with skinny jeans in black-indigo organic denim ($178). In Tysons Galleria, Chevy Chase, and Montgomery Mall. eileenfisher.com

DAZZLE + DROP
Make a statement with Roni Blanshay’s earrings fashioned from Swarovski crystal links. $548 in Bloomingdales stores and online in November. bloomingdales.com

BOOT CAMP
Dior’s striking calfskin boots make a bold statement with a pale gold buckle and sexy four-inch heels. $1,400 at Dior boutiques. dior.com

BLUE SUEDE BAG
This handsome Sandro Abeile clutch is made of snakeskin-embossed leather and suede. In Bloomingdales stores only; $320. bloomingdales.com

The Art of Craft Holiday shoppers and art aficionados alike will find plenty to ogle at the 26th Annual Washington Craft Show, taking place November 1 to 3 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. This year’s show will display the work of 190 contemporary craft artists in a dozen different media including furniture, ceramics, glass, basketry, paper, wood, wearable textiles and jewelry. A professional jury selected the artists, who hail from all over the U.S.

Informative discussions by craft experts round out the weekend. At 1 p.m. on Friday, November 1, Smithsonian American Art Museum director Elizabeth Broun and Renwick Gallery curator Nicholas Bell will share their thoughts on contemporary American craft. And on Sunday, November 3 at 2 p.m., artist Amy Nguyen will discuss how an extended trip to Japan influenced her textile creations.  

Fashion shows highlighting the work of many exhibitors will take place on November 1 at 3 p.m. and November 2 at 1 p.m. washingtoncraftshow.com 

Back to Nature By the time a couple with three teenage daughters contacted Bethesda architect Jim Rill to design a renovation, they had spent almost 20 years living in a home that he calls “dysfunctional.” Though the owners had remodeled the house 15 years earlier, they were still contending with a number of shortcomings. The house lacked a connection to its idyllic backyard. In addition to its cramped rooms, lackluster galley kitchen and awkward flow, the “quirky” home even had two separate staircases leading to the basement, where they met at the bottom. “It was really bizarre,” the architect recalls.

Rill and his team devised a plan that would open up the interiors to the property’s glorious landscape, update the dining room and master suite and create a dream kitchen with a breakfast area and adjoining family room tailored to the way the owners cook and entertain. Though the finished home feels more spacious than before, the project only added about 15 percent to its overall footprint. Says Rill, “It was mostly re-organizing what had been done and wasn’t working.” 

Early on in the project, Rill tapped interior designer Erin Paige Pitts to help with finishes and furniture. The team held regular meetings with the owners, planning every element of the design collaboratively. 

Rill proposed a riff on the Prairie aesthetic in his approach to interior and exterior detailing. In the family room, a massive Old Spruce Mountain stone hearth with a flagstone mantel and subtle bands of trim on the ceiling reflect this Craftsman style. “We gave it scale and proportion without too much ornate detail,” says Rill. “We really wanted to play up the landscape.”

The architect likens the new living, dining and cooking space to a courtyard between the house and its private, park-like backyard. “The addition worships light and brings it into the house,” says Rill. “The owners can sit here on a winter, spring or summer day and feel like they’re outside.” 

Also taking cues from nature, Pitts selected a color scheme of steel blue, taupe and neutrals. “I like to take a strong color and weave it discriminatingly through a space,” says the designer. Two circular iron light fixtures by Dana Creath Designs make a bold statement in the facing family room and breakfast area. “Great lighting is like jewelry,” says Pitts. “It sets the tone. I wanted the two pieces to work together and love to use a circular fixture over a seating group. There’s an intrinsic joining of the space, kind of like an eternity band of a wedding ring.” 

The custom banquette in the breakfast room faces a spacious kitchen with an expansive island where kids and guests can pull up a stool while the wife—an avid home chef—whips up a meal. Pitts presented Napolina honed, fossilized limestone as a countertop and backsplash option—and the owners fell in love with the textured surface.

Rill took into account a long list of what the home cook wanted—and didn’t want—in the kitchen, designing a layout that would meet the family’s specific needs. The kitchen itself has plenty of room and storage for everyday food prep, cooking, baking and entertaining. Meanwhile, secondary storage options and functionality abound in the built-in desk area, walk-in pantry and butler’s pantry that connect the new kitchen and dining room. “When you cook and entertain, you don’t want it to be cluttered,” says Rill.  “In this kitchen, there’s a place for everything.”

In the dining room—once the home’s formal living room—the design team did away with the existing brick fireplace surround. Square and linear trim convey Prairie style. New drapes and blue upholstered chairs echo the home’s color scheme while a fixture with a round drum shade illuminates the table. From this revamped space, a wide gallery leads guests back to the new family room and the yard beyond. “We created the gallery to move you to the landscape,” say Rill. “The owners couldn’t believe they had lived here that long with no connection to the beautiful backyard. Their whole life has been transformed.” 

Photographer Kip Dawkins is based in Richmond, Virginia. 

RENOVATION ARCHITECTURE: JIM RILL, AIA, Rill Architects, Bethesda, Maryland. INTERIOR DESIGN: ERIN PAIGE PITTS, Erin Paige Pitts Interiors, Gibson Island, Maryland. RENOVATION CONTRACTOR: DAVID CLARK, Woodhaven Contractors, Ijamsville, Maryland. 

French Connection Appreciating an older home requires a special eye. Good things often happen when its owners celebrate its idiosyncracies rather than forcing the home into a conventional mold. 

Such was the case for a couple who had recently rebuilt their DC home after a fire. Though they were “not looking,” they came across an online listing in Massachusetts Heights. “I knew the house in a previous incarnation and thought it was the most amazing place ever,” says one spouse, the CEO of a financial software platform company. Modest in size with an unassuming, stucco-clad front façade, the 1940s-era house would not look out of place in a remote French village. The backyard is far more dramatic as it slopes down to forested Rock Creek Park.  

The home remained a small cottage for most of its history. Then, in 1999, previous owners renovated and built an addition. The update would later catch the eye of former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson as well as former Senator Jon Corzine, both of whom have called the residence home.

This couple were also smitten and jumped at the opportunity, despite the property’s obvious quirks. “It’s an upside-down house,” says the CEO, explaining that the main entry opens to the bedroom level, requiring guests to go downstairs to the public rooms. When they bought it, the house lacked a connection between its terraces and the majestic parkland below. It was too dark, the kitchen needed work and there was no family room—a must for the twosome, who had their first child on the way.

Fortunately, they had already assembled a crack design team. Architect Scarlett Breeding; Washington interior designer Helen Sullivan; Bret Anderson, president of Pyramid Builders; and landscape architect Kevin Campion had collaborated on either the owners’ post-fire rebuild, their remake of a getaway home on the Chesapeake Bay or both projects. In 2010, these design pros were tasked with adapting this newly acquired home to fit the clients’ functional needs and aesthetic while preserving the old-home character that made it so special. 

Initially, the conversation focused on adding a family room, but the program evolved into something a bit more ambitious. First, a comprehensive renovation upgraded the existing house, including complete makeovers of the kitchen and bathrooms. Next, Scarlett Breeding masterminded an addition that would remedy many of the home’s shortcomings without overwhelming its beguiling façade. 

Built into the slope to the left of the main entry, the now-complete, three-story addition is accessible via a small front pavilion. From here, a stairway and an elevator lead down to a light-filled courtyard. Guests then arrive at a glass-enclosed entryway that connects the old and new wings of the house. 

To the left of the entry, the addition unfolds. A large, comfortable family room invites visitors to curl up on a sofa and enjoy the park view through windows unadorned by draperies. A new fireplace plays off a masonry chimney on the opposing wall; the latter is a remnant from the home’s previous exterior. A curved, floating stairway with walls sheathed in limestone leads down to a wine cellar and exercise room. The stairs ascend to a home office with a vaulted skylight that floods the addition with light. 

To the right of the glass connector, a piano lounge with a cast-limestone fireplace provides a seamless transition into the pre-addition part of the home. Throughout the residence, a palette of authentic, carefully matched materials—from Venetian plaster on the walls to wooden beams, mahogany window trim and slate shingles—blurs the lines between old and new. 

Breeding’s bold plan also integrates the home with the landscape. “The first renovation gave the house a very balanced, symmetrical façade on the back. That led us to create this connector so we could repeat the symmetry and proportions,” the architect explains. “It connects the point of arrival all the way through the house and down to the garden.” 

Landscape architect Kevin Campion devised a way to link the existing rear terrace to the landscape below so the owners and their young son could safely navigate and enjoy the grounds. “The previous owners had done nothing with the slope, so we inherited a site that was wild, to say the least,” he recalls. Today, a curved stairway flanked by lush gardens connects widened terraces to a lower terrace off the exercise room and down to the lawn below. 

Building the addition and hardscape was no easy feat. “It turned out to be a very delicate dance,” says Pyramid’s Bret Anderson. “The site provided no access to the rear of house, where a major portion of the work would transpire. Materials and equipment that couldn’t be hand-carried had to be craned in.

“Our second major hurdle was replicating the exterior and interior details and maintaining a seamless appearance between new and old,” Anderson continues. “The house has a very sophisticated, aged look. Recreating that was a bit of challenge.”

The owners, who frequently entertain on a large scale, sought interiors that were comfortable and elegant, yet more contemporary in context than the home’s previous style. “We wanted to embrace what was there in a more ‘family’ way,” says one of the spouses, a journalist who works from the addition’s new sky-lit office.

Whether their son, now a toddler, is hosting a pumpkin-carving party for his playmates or his parents are throwing a dinner party for 30, the house conveys a welcoming, non-fussy vibe despite its pedigree. Designer Helen Sullivan captured the couple’s vision with a mix of newly purchased and antique furnishings and a restful color palette of neutrals and pale greens and blues. Custom treatments—from the leather banquette in the kitchen to the linen-upholstered bedstead in the master suite—impart a sense of relaxed luxury. Colorful modern art collected on the owners’ travels adds punch. 

“There is a finery about it, but not an overwhelming formality,” says the CEO of Sullivan’s interior scheme. “If you’ve had a bad day, you come home and feel like someone threw a big cashmere blanket around you.” 

While taking cues from its past, the team pushed the home in a more modern direction. The kitchen is clean-lined and crisp, with concrete countertops and steel blue-painted cabinetry playing off the limestone backsplash. Bathrooms boast updated vanities and cutting-edge mirrors and lighting. “You try never to replicate, but to complement,” says Breeding. “The interior renovation was sympathetic and respected the language of the house, but put it in a very contemporary juxtaposition.” Aside from the romantic gas-lit fixtures that adorn the home’s exterior, there is nothing anachronistic about its latest makeover. A state-of-the-art smart-home system controls everything from music to lighting and security. The “seeded” aggregate front driveway is designed to look old but is heated and boasts a charging port for the couple’s electric car. 

Everyone involved attributes the project’s success to a pair of dream clients as well as the caliber of the design team and its spirit of collaboration. The same team is now busy designing a new waterfront escape for the couple near Annapolis. It will be ultra-modern—in marked contrast to this DC gem that has a style all its own. “It looks like a teeny French or Italian villa from the front,” Helen Sullivan marvels, “but in the house, you feel its expansiveness.” 

David Burroughs is a photographer in Annapolis. 

ARCHITECTURE: SCARLETT BREEDING, AIA, principal in charge; SARAH FAVRAO, project architect, Alt Breeding Schwarz Architects, Annapolis, Maryland. INTERIOR DESIGN: HELEN SULLIVAN, Helen Sullivan Design, Washington, DC. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT: KEVIN CAMPION, Campion Hruby Landscape Architects, Annapolis, Maryland. RENOVATION CONSTRUCTION: BRET ANDERSON, president; STEVE MICEK, project manager; Pyramid Builders, Annapolis, Maryland. 

Playful Pied-a-Terre designer Kelley Proxmire, saying “I’ve got something exciting for you.” She and her husband had just purchased a pied-à-terre in the Watergate complex and immediately asked Proxmire to decorate the interiors.

The stars were aligned on this project from the get-go. Since Proxmire had designed the couple’s farmhouse near Middleburg, Virginia, they trusted her eye. Even more fortunate was the fact that just a few years earlier, the previous owners of the apartment had completely gutted and renovated it with help from DC architect Outerbridge Horsey of Outerbridge Horsey Associates. His refined, carefully planned design provided Proxmire with the perfect starting point. “It had already been very well done,” the designer says. “The architect oriented all of the public rooms along the river, which really set the flow.” 

Guests enter the fan-shaped apartment through a central corridor that leads to the living room, library, dining room, kitchen and family room—all of which offer sweeping views of the Potomac River and Washington Harbour. Meanwhile, the master suite and a guest room overlook the Watergate’s inner courtyard—an equally famous, if less dramatic, vista. 

Armed with an intuitive understanding of her clients’ aesthetic and a few gorgeous fabric samples up her sleeve, Proxmire was able to complete the project in record time. She proposed a color scheme of muted blues and greens, taking inspiration from the surrounding water, foliage and sky. The owners loved the palette, which was a departure from the primary colors prevalent in their main house. 

A Schumacher paisley that Proxmire had been saving for the right project was an ideal selection for a pair of chairs in the living room. It complements existing blue-painted millwork in the adjacent library that the homeowners chose to keep. The living room walls are painted a soft gray, with a vintage landscape painting and fabrics providing just the right measure of color. “The emphasis is on mixing finishes in the room,” Proxmire explains. “The gray wash, the silvery finish on the furniture, the darker finish on the floors. It’s all a mix, but a thoughtful mix.”

Though most of the furnishings are newly purchased, Proxmire added vintage pieces and antiques, along with art and accessories, to lend the interiors an authentic, collected-over-time look. 

Unexpected finds lend a playful touch to the apartment. Proxmire and her client combed galleries and antiques shops in DC and in Atlanta’s Buckhead district, searching for art, lamps, furniture and accessories. “These one-of-a-kind, older pieces are what help make a room,” the designer proclaims. An antique barometer hangs above a chest in the living room. And a miniature desk—probably a furniture maker’s model—holds court in the library between two leather armchairs. 

In the dining room, Proxmire kept things light and airy with a glass-topped table on pedestals and pale animal-print wallcovering by Schumacher. Whimsical mirrors framed with weathered wooden slats add a touch of whimsy. “They’re not the expected mirrors,” she says. “I just loved the rustic look.”

The dining room is a study in contrasts, with light and dark wood chairs and solid and print fabrics creating a visual interplay. Dressmaker details—from the antique nailhead trim on the chairs to the braided edge on the wool drapes—finish the space with style. 

The dining room opens to a kitchen complete with seating and breakfast areas. Proxmire pulled another fabric—a Vervain floral—from her favorite fabric file for the drapes. Chippendale-style chairs, selected for their architectural profile, have seats covered in faux leather with a reptilian pattern for another unexpected touch. From the breakfast table, the owners can survey the Potomac River all the way to Key Bridge. “I told them, ‘I wouldn’t do much here if I were you,’’’ Proxmire jokes. “‘You can just look out and watch the crew teams go by.’”

The blue palette shifts to green in the family room, where a sleep sofa is covered in apple green Jane Churchill fabric to complement the existing grass cloth on the walls. Wood carvings from Atlanta and a large, round mirror complete the space. The family room and a guest room—both with their own full baths—can accommodate the couple’s two college-age children on visits to DC. 

An expert at threading color schemes and fabric motifs throughout a home in way that’s cohesive and never jarring, Proxmire modestly explains her process. “As we were putting it together, I closed my eyes and could see it all in my head—the balancing of the colors, the balancing of the textures, the scale, the finishes. That’s why we’re the designers, right? These clients trusted me.”

The master suite was in such good shape that the new owners kept the existing wall-to-wall Wilton carpet and armoire in place. Soothing, sage-green walls create a calming effect. The room opens to a terrace overlooking the Watergate courtyard.

Proxmire set out to make this second home both pretty and practical. “If it’s pretty and not practical, forget it. And if it’s practical and not pretty, forget it,” she quips. “The two have to go together—and in this home, they do.”

Photographer Angie Seckinger splits her time between Potomac, Maryland, and Spain.     

INTERIOR DESIGN: KELLEY PROXMIRE, Kelley Interior Design, Bethesda, Maryland. 

5 LUXURY BATHS
1. Organic Vibe: Design by Rixey-Rixey Architects
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2. Quiet Luxury: Design by Nestor Santa-Cruz
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3. Elegant Touch: Design by Karen Dunlap
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4. Sleek Update: Design by Deborah Kalkstein
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5. Tiny Jewel: Design by Dahlia Mahmood
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Making Waves PLUG + PLAY
The 2014 Panamera S E-Hybrid is Porsche’s first plug-in hybrid. The sporty new model boasts a more powerful electric motor and a higher-performance lithium-ion battery than the 2013 model, and accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds. $99,000; porsche.com

SAVVY SOUND
D’Agostino’s Momentum Preamplifier pleases the most discriminating audiophiles. With its copper accents, the preamp complements the company’s Momentum amplifier and comes with a radio-frequency remote. $32,000; dagostinoinc.com

PITCH PERFECT
Denon’s Music Maniac Artisan Headphones deliver a studio-quality listening experience. A special 50-mm Nano Fiber driver matches the performance of a loudspeaker while memory-foam ear pads and socket ear cup design provide a perfect fit for every user. $1,199; denon.com 

HEALTH TRACK
Basis’s award-winning personal health tracker helps users optimize their physical activity and sleep quality by monitoring heart rate patterns, motion, perspiration and skin temperature throughout the day. A lightweight wristband reports data to a dashboard on a computer or mobile device that suggests ways to improve health and performance. $199; mybasis.com

FASHION FORWARD
Designer Marissa Webb is making waves on the runways with her fall/winter collection that puts a modern twist on classic haberdashery. Pictured here, Vera shearling turtleneck top ($1,985); Sasha silk wool blouse in Glacier ($570); Eugenia skirt ($645); and Willa pointy toe heel ($498). marissa-webb.com

TREASURE TROVE
Named for the Greek goddess of the sea, H.Stern’s new Iris collection interprets the forms of underwater creatures. The Axis earrings ($1,400) and necklace ($3,400), crafted of rose gold with diamonds, are reminiscent of snail shells. hstern.net

BAG IT
Zac Zac Posen’s Eartha snake-embossed satchel makes a great segue into fall. The embossed-leather bag has a single-top handle and adjustable shoulder strap. $495; bloomingdales.com

Global Luxury ISLAND ESCAPE
St. Regis marks its first foray into Africa with The St. Regis Mauritius Resort. Overlooking the island’s Le Morne Brabant Mountain, the resort pampers guests in 172 luxury rooms and suites and the Iridium Spa. Pastimes include snorkeling, deep-sea fishing and kite-surfing at one of the world’s top venues for the sport. Rates from $485; stregis.com/mauritius

LONDON CALLING
Claridge’s in London recently unveiled The Map Room—an exclusive lounge designed by the British design firm Linley. The Art Deco-inspired space features a large marquetry map on the wall, custom furniture and suede-lined bookshelves. Room rates from $1,190 per night; claridges.co.uk

TAKE MANHATTAN
Fresh from a multi-million-dollar renovation, The Tuscany hotel in New York City was re-designed by New York’s Jeff Lincoln Interiors. The lobby reinterprets the building’s history as a 1920s apartment building, with Tuscan travertine stairs and a hand-forged rail. Rates from $339; stgilesnewyork.com

SAVOIR FARE
Malmaison brings French café culture to the heart of Georgetown. The bi-level, 50-seat restaurant created by DC’s Grizform Design Architects serves an authentic menu devised by Parisian chef Gerard Pangaud, plus decadent pastries by Serge Torres (a cousin of Jacques Torres). Pictured, clockwise from top: asparagus salad, duck confit, braised lamb shank, Alaskan halibut with mushroom crust and Napoleon of roast beets and goat cheese. 3401 K Street, NW; 202-817-3340; malmaisondc.com 

ITALIAN STYLE
Fabio Trabocchi, Fiola’s James Beard award-winning chef, has opened Casa Luca, a family-friendly osteria named for his nine-year-old son. Interiors by DC’s HapstakDemetriou, with artisanal details playing off an industrial palette (left), are a perfect backdrop for cuisine inspired by the chef’s native Le Marche region. Along with a selection of Italian wines, the bar serves cocktails such as Il Palio, poured over Campari ice (above). 1099 New York Avenue, NW; 202-628-1099; casalucadc.com

SOUTH OF THE BORDER
Celebrity chef Todd English has opened MXDC—a modern Mexican restaurant serving scallop ceviche, pork belly tacos and other novel twists on the classics, plus 100 tequilas from around the world. Interiors by DC designer Chad Alan feature copper chandeliers and rustic wood accents. 600 14th Street, NW; 202-393-1900; mxdcrestaurant.com