Opened in 2021, The Wildset Hotel channels the laid-back charm of Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Housed in four vintage buildings in downtown St. Michaels, the 34-room property was renovated and reimagined with vintage and modern touches by California-based Kathryn Lager Design Studio. Custom and antique furniture, aged-brass accents and handmade tile embellish the rooms and suites—many of which boast freestanding gas fireplaces and private balconies or terraces. The landscaped grounds feature outdoor lounge areas and fire pits; bikes are available for jaunts around town. 

The Ruse, a restaurant on site, has garnered accolades for its seafood-centric fare. It offers a raw bar and a beverage program focused on small-production beers and wines as well as contemporary cocktails.

Rates including Continental breakfast range from $249 to $559. thewildset.com; ruserestaurant.com

For more than 20 years, Scott and Margaret Johnson, retired owners of a DC marketing firm, spent weekends and downtime at their waterfront getaway on Kent Island. But after sheltering there during covid, the couple decided to make it their permanent home.  

The Johnsons recently completed a total overhaul of the 1952 rancher’s cramped, outdated kitchen. They tapped Nadia Subaran and Kelly Emerson of Aidan Design to reimagine the space. Among their goals: to maximize views of the Chesapeake, increase storage and create a bar/serving area for parties. They also wanted to display sculptures and objects collected over the years. 

A clever redo combined the kitchen and adjacent mudroom—which previously housed the fridge—and traded a bulky boiler and hot water heater for a tankless water system. These moves made way for a spacious and functional kitchen where the owners can cook and entertain in casual, easygoing style. 

Facing walls of Wood-Mode cabinetry dramatically increased storage potential. On one side, narrow cabinets store extra sets of china, cookbooks and barware while a microwave stationed near the fridge adds convenience. In lieu of the wall that once blocked the view, a low peninsula divides the kitchen and dining area; on the dining side, it features a bar/serving zone with an under-counter refrigerator. 

The Johnsons are thrilled with their bright, stylish new kitchen. “More than a kitchen renovation, this project is a beautiful extension of their living spaces,” notes Subaran. “We designed it so each cooking and entertaining experience brings inspiration, comfort and happiness.”

There’s more to the ceiling sculpture in Mariela Buendia-Corrochano’s family room than meets the eye. One hundred twenty-three panels of lacquered wood, each embedded with LED lights, make up the dramatic, undulating work of art. It’s one of many moves conceived by the designer during a recent renovation that turned her 1970s-era residence into a modern masterpiece. 

The makeover reimagined the McLean home’s interiors and introduced a crisp, minimalist palette to showcase bold artwork collected around the globe. An airy new family room replaced an indoor pool that had seen better days.

“The pool was an integral part of our family,” recalls Buendia-Corrochano of the time when she, husband Gerardo Corrochano and their two young sons moved into the 5,700-square-foot home 20 years ago. “We used it all year round.”

With the boys now out of college and living in New York, the empty nesters decided during the 2018 renovation that the pool should go. But instead of sweeping it away without a trace, Buendia-Corrochano celebrated the beloved amenity with the ceiling sculpture. “The curves are an interpretation of the DNA of water. It’s not only a piece of art that I wanted to design for the house, but it is also about creating a reminiscence of what existed before,” she explains. 

The renovation remedied a number of design flaws. The owners love to entertain, but the floor plan cramped their style. The foyer opens on the left to a double-height living room with a piano room beyond. The dining room and kitchen were crammed in on the right, leading to a narrow, sunken family room—all small, inefficient spaces. Along the back of the home, the pool was the only spot that enjoyed prime views of their wooded property, which backs onto parkland and Pimmit Run, a tributary of the Potomac.

“We love the natural environment, but the existing house didn’t take advantage of it,” explains Buendia-Corrochano, a design principal at Gensler who also takes on residential projects through her own firm, estudio_MBC. “And the back of the home wasn’t connected to the front. We wanted to have free flow so we could use the whole house.”

Her redo added doorways and centered off-kilter openings, which set a clear axis from the dining room to the piano room. Glass panels replaced wooden spindles on the stairway and landing above. “As an architect and a designer, I’m very focused on trying to create internal vistas,” Buendia-Corrochano notes.

She expanded the dining room and kitchen from the front to the back of the house, taking over the sunken family room. Its floor was raised to make way for the new kitchen, now equipped with custom, white-lacquered cabinetry and a large island. 

In lieu of the pool, the designer created an open breakfast area and a new family room, where wide expanses of glass maximize views of the landscape. State-of-the-art lighting and audio systems now let the owners control sound and mood throughout the home.

Taking cues from nature, Buendia-Corrochano chose reclaimed white oak flooring stained gray. Black travertine embellishes fireplace surrounds and the kitchen backsplash. “I’m a total modernist. I love natural, earthy finishes and patterns,” she declares. “It’s a minimal use of materials but their impact is what matters. All the finishes, materials and textures work together harmoniously.”

No detail was too small for Buendia-Corrochano to articulate. “I’m very focused on the whole experience,” she says. “Everything is curated and thought through.” Panels of brushed stainless steel mark passageways. Cabinets sport precise, mitered edges. And in lieu of grout, open joints rim each travertine slab to make it look like the stone is floating.

The subdued palette, says the designer, “created a canvas for our collection of furniture and art.” She and Gerardo, a former World Bank director and now an executive at the Inter-American Development Bank, have been traveling and collecting treasures together since meeting in their native Peru four decades ago. Timeless, iconic furnishings acquired over the years fit perfectly into their updated spaces, where paintings, sculptures and artifacts from Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas are displayed gallery-style. “Art is such a special part of who we are,” reflects Buendia-Corrochano. “Our Latin and Peruvian heritage is also really important to us.”

Many pieces hail from Mexico, where Buendia-Corrochano opened an office for Gensler in 2014. When they returned to Washington after spending four years in Mexico City, the couple considered downsizing to an apartment. 

“It was just the two of us,” she recalls, “but we really love the house and its surroundings. We decided that an apartment wouldn’t foster the strong relationship and ties that we have with our kids and extended family. In order to lure our kids back when they have families in the future, we wanted the house to be the hub that it has always been.”

No apartment could have replaced the connection to nature that the couple enjoys on their woodsy property. “There’s nothing better than waking up early, getting a cup of coffee and looking out over the forest,” reflects the designer. “When it’s winter, I turn on the fireplace. Even when I’m working, it’s so soothing to be here.”

Though they initially bemoaned the pool’s demise, the owners’ sons gave the renovation a thumbs-up. “If you bring me grandkids,” their father told them, “I’ll build a pool outside.”

A couple who’d decided to downsize from a large Baltimore home discovered a two-story penthouse in the city’s Guilford neighborhood. Though their taste runs modern and the two-bedroom dwelling in the venerable Warrington building reflected another era—from lavish moldings to ornate fixtures—they loved the layout, proportions and views from the expansive terrace.

After they bought the property, the wife tapped designer Joanne Fitzgerald to revamp the interiors and create a modern, eclectic vibe while respecting the home’s architecture. “Seeing what the place looked like and knowing what she wanted, it was exciting to visualize how we were going to make it hers,” Fitzgerald recalls.

The designer overhauled every inch of the 3,400-square-foot apartment. She transformed the kitchen and three baths, created a bar near the family room and replaced or refinished most of the flooring. Wherever possible, she selected furniture and art from her clients’ collection. “We also brought in modern furnishings and colors that made the traditional elements look that much more spectacular,” she notes.

What influenced your design scheme?
You walk into the apartment and see a gorgeous curvilinear stairway. I suggested we keep that motif going because it’s a very linear space. We selected circular light fixtures and an oval dining table to bring that thread through. 

Explain how art elevates a home.
Original art makes such an impact and is a window into who the homeowners are. I urge clients to take their time and collect artwork that moves them. And whenever they travel, I tell them to get a piece of art—it will be a lifelong reminder of the trip. 

For this project, my client and I went to Montreal together and selected some new art to add to her collection. And we just got back from an art-buying trip to Mexico City and Oaxaca, where we found some outstanding pottery pieces from a family that goes back a few generations.

How do you foster harmony between traditional and modern elements?
When you have an ornate architectural canvas, it’s important to pay homage to it in some respects and contrast it in others. Adding elements with straight lines and materials without much pattern helps achieve the contrast you need.  

There was so much architectural detail in this home that we decided to keep it very quiet. Rather than changing colors in every room, walls are painted the same pale gray—Benjamin Moore’s Bruton White. We kept the moldings the same color but painted them in a high gloss so they really sparkle. 

Why do you paint ceilings a different color?
I firmly believe that the ceiling plane is vastly underutilized and I’m allergic to ceiling white. To create mood, I paint ceilings in very pale, subliminal colors that people don’t immediately recognize. In this apartment, the paint scheme is consistent; all the ceilings are painted in Benjamin Moore’s Gray Sky. 

How did you upgrade the kitchen without breaking the bank?
The existing materials were nice and installed beautifully. The classic cabinet profile looked good with the crown moldings and fit into the building vernacular really well. We decided to keep the cabinets but re-lacquered them in a pale gray; the paint was sprayed on so the cabinets look factory-finished. Finally, we added exquisite new quartzite countertops and polished-nickel hardware. 

What do you achieve by mixing a variety of metal accents?
Metal is the perfect launching pad for making interiors look more modern; the brushed and polished brass that we see a lot now has a modernity to it. One of my favorite things is to mix warm woods and cold metals. 

Describe the family room transformation.
I wanted to have fun in this room, where 10-foot-tall doors open to a spectacular terrace. The Romo wallpaper has a graphic quality that updated the space beautifully; I chose a complementary dark-gray for the accent wall and picture molding. The coffee table made of burled olive wood with acrylic legs is a play on traditional and modern. Overall, the space is casual but still very elegant.

What advice do you offer clients doing condo renovations?
It’s important to talk to building management early on. Find out what you can and cannot do. See if you can get plans, which is not always possible when you’re dealing with an older building. Once you understand how much flexibility you have with plumbing and electrical, you can work from there. 

Shed light on how and when you use wallpaper.
There are some situations where wallpaper can anchor a space and give it the artistic dimension it needs. And there are others where we might need just a little bit of pattern. That was the case in the primary bedroom. Even though the Phillip Jeffries wallpaper is quiet in terms of color, it has a huge impact in scale. I didn’t want to distract with pattern and color—I wanted to attract and create interest without being overwhelming. ■

ASK JOANNE

What are your favorite sources for art?
I love Susan Calloway’s gallery in Georgetown; the work she curates is excellent. I also send clients to the Torpedo Factory where they can get to know what they like and meet the artists. 

Name your favorite bold shade at the moment.
I’m a huge fan of Benjamin Moore’s Raspberry Blush. It’s a warm pink that’s just fantastic. I will probably try it in a bedroom. 

Share a favorite furniture possession.
A dry sink I bought when I was antiquing with my mom. It has a scalloped edge and original zinc lining. I used it as a changing table and later ended up converting it into a bar. My son once carved his name into it, which adds to its history!

What's a good way to update a vintage piece?
I love painting old wood-framed Bergère chairs in a fun color and jazzing them up with new fabric.

Mounting fashion shows for Tom Ford and Estée Lauder, Laura Cheung Wolf quickly developed a flair for the theatrical. So when she launched a home-décor company, friends knew to expect the unexpected. 

Lala Curio creates glamorous, bespoke wall coverings and cloisonné tile—made in China using centuries-old techniques. Wolf’s family has been in the business for three generations. “We have access to amazing artisans in Beijing and Suzhou who have retained their craft, so we’re able to give it new life,” she says. 

Wolf studied interior design at Parsons before her stint in fashion. She later earned a master’s degree in fine and decorative arts at Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London. “Then I decided to go back to my roots and spent three years in rural China working with artisans to create our collections,” she recalls. 

In 2014, Lala Curio was born. The atelier puts a playful spin on traditional cloisonné and on hand-painted and -embroidered silks, many of which are inspired by an archive of 18th-century chinoiseries. “We create haute couture for walls,” says Wolf, who recently relocated from Hong Kong to DC, where her husband grew up. “Everything is made to order so clients can add a personal touch that tells their story.”

Find at Rue IV. lalacurio.com; ruefour.com

Fresh Air 

The Lucid Air Sapphire brings a new level of luxury and performance to the electric-vehicle market. Featuring three motors, carbon-ceramic brakes and track-tuned suspension, it speeds from zero to 60 mph in under two seconds. California-based Lucid Motors is taking reservations for the 2023 limited-edition model, with delivery expected later this year.
From $249,000. lucidmotors.com 

AI for Avians

Bird Buddy, an AI-powered feeder, identifies and captures close-up photographs of feathered friends as they pop by for a snack. Connected to a smart phone via wifi, the camera-equipped device also records sound and notifies humans whenever a bird alights. Species data collected by the company helps experts study bird populations and migration. From $199. mybirdbuddy.com  

Deep-Sea Drone

QYSea’s V6s Professional Underwater ROV Camera captures and live-streams 4K HD footage of ocean adventures. The stainless-steel underwater drone can plumb depths of 328 feet and powers up to six hours on a single charge. Two LEDs illuminate marine scenery. Designed for professional and recreational use, the device also drags, drops and tows objects with a robotic arm. $3,199.
urbandrones.com

Named for Washington-born Duke Ellington, Ellington Park Bistro made its debut last fall in the District’s St. Gregory Hotel. New York designer Melissa Bowers spearheaded the sleek interiors featuring a central bar, booths swathed in emerald-hued velvet and a fireplace lounge. Chef Frank Morales, a veteran of the Oval Room in DC and Le Cirque in New York, devised the menu. Guests are tempted by classics such as PEI mussels and frites along with cocktails. 2033 M Street, NW; 202-888-2899; ellingtonparkbistro.com  Photos: JUAN FERNANDO AYORA

Dior’s Summer 2023 ready-to-wear collection takes inspiration from Catherine de’ Medici—a powerful figure who pioneered corsets and lace. The line includes a silk-and-cotton bra and shorts in a Petites Fleurs motif; and a technical taffeta peacoat. dior.com

Lively Palette Designers infuse a district kitchen with efficiency and a playful vibe See More...

Natural Blush Despite its muted palette, this DC kitchen is anything but demure See More...

New Frontier A designer retools her Reston kitchen in rich, natural patinas See More...

Timeless Charm Liz Levin's Bethesda kitchen redo channels an English sensibility See More...

A desire for color was one of many factors that drove the owner of a 1940s DC Colonial to overhaul her kitchen, housed in an existing addition. With dated cabinets and appliances and a convoluted layout, the space was ripe for renewal. 

She called on Nadia Subaran and Kelly Emerson of Aidan Design to create an all new, functional kitchen steeped in eclectic style. “Our client loves crisp whites with pops of color as well as warm accents and art, ” says Emerson. 

By re-trimming the addition’s semi-circular windows and vaulted ceiling, the designers created a streamlined backdrop. They replaced a small island with a larger one boasting a prep sink. And they positioned a new refrigerator near the cooktop, while the less frequently used freezer and double ovens were moved to an opposite wall near a pantry. The existing copper hood remains; new brass hardware plays off its metallic sheen.

The island was painted in a custom spring green, the client’s favorite color. “We kept the other elements very simple,” says Emerson, pointing out white Shaker-style cabinetry that rims the kitchen and breakfast area, “but the backsplash packs a punch.” The handmade tile in a leafy green-and-blue motif—along with bright-red dining chairs—enlivens the reimagined gathering space. 

Project Team

Kitchen Design: Nadia Subaran, principal; Kelly Emerson, senior designer, Aidan Design. Contractor: Impact Construction. Photography: Robert Radifera. 

Kitchen Details

Cabinetry: wood-mode.com through aidandesign.com. Backsplash Tile: clayimports.com. Countertop: caesarstoneus.com through norwoodmarble.com. Cooktop, Microwave & Refrigerator: thermador.com through abwappliances.com. Faucets: calfaucets.com through abwappliances.com. Hardware: waterstreetbrass.com through pushpullhardware.com. Stools: westelm.com. 

A family relocating to DC settled into a Tenleytown home and decided to upgrade the kitchen immediately. Though they loved its generous proportions, “It had run-of-the-mill finishes and insufficient storage,” says designer Zoe Feldman, hired along with Thomson & Cooke Architects to envision a makeover. “They wanted to elevate it to reflect their personality.” Removing upper cabinets on the house’s rear window wall and above the existing range established an open, airy feel. New, full-height cabinets conceal refrigeration and small appliances while open shelves keep essentials within reach.

“This created a really nice symmetry and allowed light to flood in,” the designer notes. The clean-lined maple cabinets are part of Feldman’s new signature collection designed in conjunction with kitchen designer Tanya Smith-Shiflett of Unique Kitchens & Baths, who also collaborated on this project. “The clients wanted a white kitchen,” Smith-Shiflett recalls. “Zoe and I said, ‘Trust us—with a natural blush, you’ll get the airiness you want.’”

The clients agreed. Now, a black-painted island and honed Via Lactea marble countertops offset the pale, muted cabinetry. Livelier pops of color come from green tile in the adjacent scullery and stained-glass windows the owners found at Community Forklift. Salvaged from a decommissioned church, they now enclose the pantry of this stunning, one-of-a-kind space.

Project Team

Kitchen Design: Tanya Smith-Shiflett, Unique Kitchens & Baths. Interior Design: Zoe Feldman, Zoe Feldman Design. Renovation Contractor: Scott Hundley, Custom Home Productions LLC. Photography: Max Burkhalter.

Kitchen Details

Cabinets: uniquekitchensandbaths.net. Cabinet Paint: farrow-ball.com. Countertops: marblesystems.com. White Backsplash Tile: ziatile.com. Green Backsplash Tile: heathceramics.com. Sconces: hvlgroup.com. Custom Hood: customhomeproductions.com. Range: fisherpaykel.com. Refrigerator: thermador.com. Hardware: rejuvenation.com. Faucets: newportbrass.com. Stools: ballarddesigns.com. Roman Shade: theshadestore.com.

The traditional kitchen in designer Jan Mengenhauser’s otherwise contemporary Reston home was a renovation waiting to happen. An awkward bank of cabinets cramped the dining area and blocked garden views across the adjacent family room. After tolerating the space for 23 years, she relates, “I finally pulled the trigger.” 

Mengenhauser dreamed up a new, efficient floor plan and a palette reflecting her penchant for warm woods and modern lines. As she explains, “I wanted a minimalist kitchen with a quiet confidence and rich materials.” 

To make that richness a reality, the designer partnered with Amuneal, a Philadelphia-based fabricator, to create custom cabinetry in dark, oxidized-oak and mottled brass. Pale oak floors and countertops and a backsplash in shimmering Cristallo quartzite brighten the deep, moody wood and metal patinas. 

A refrigerator is positioned to the left of the cooktop with a freezer and pantry stationed to the right. On the contiguous wall, two convection ovens flank a built-in coffeemaker and warming drawer—all by Gaggenau. An oversized island boasts plenty of room for casual meals. Exposed ceiling beams in black steel, added for support when the old cabinets were removed, allow for clear views of the landscape. Now that it’s complete, says Mengenhauser, her new kitchen has opened up “a world of possibilities to comfortably cook and entertain.”

Project Team

Interior & Kitchen Design: Jan Mengenhauser, Simplicity Interior Design; Amuneal. Contractor: Reid Construction Group. Photography: Stacy Zarin Goldberg. 

Kitchen Details

Cabinetry, Hood, Hardware & Metal Fabrication: amuneal.com. Countertops & Backsplash: eurostonecraft.com. Appliances: gaggenau.com through abwappliances.com. Faucet: graff-designs.com. Flooring: mafi.com. Stools: fyrn.com. Steel Beams: hpmetalfabrication.com. Paint: farrow-ball.com.

Spending the covid shutdown at home in Bethesda with her husband and two daughters gave designer Liz Levin plenty of time to scrutinize—and reimagine—their late-1990s open kitchen/breakfast room. “A U-shaped peninsula cut the room in half,” she recalls, “and everyone was trapped in the U.” What’s more, inefficient cabinetry meant that clutter—from small appliances to homework—was piling up.  

Levin hatched a plan for a total redo that would improve circulation, expand storage and recast the space in timeless English style. An island with a marble top and brass footings established easy traffic flow. A cabinet tower near the stove stows breakfast essentials, while cabinets on the adjacent wall conceal a coffee station. The microwave, which once dominated a counter, shifted to a shelf in the pantry, located by the fridge on an opposite wall. 

Considering the simple saltbox style of her home, notes Levin, “The English vibe didn’t feel like too much of a departure. I wanted to bring in natural textures, antique-brass accents and a combination of dark-green and lighter cabinets. The idea was to make it feel like it had been there 100 years.” 

With chic breakfast room furniture and a built-in banquette, the space is now a magnet for the family. “Making these design changes had a huge impact,” she says.

Project team

Interior & Kitchen Design: Liz Levin, Liz Levin Interiors. Contractor: Gresinger Construction. Photographer: Stacy Zarin Goldberg. 

Kitchen Details

Cabinetry: uniquekitchensandbaths.net. Marble Countertops & Wall Slab: marblesystems.com. Backsplash Tile: riadtile.com. Range: thermador.com through abwappliances.com. Hardware: armacmartin.co.uk through pushpullhardware.com. Pendants & Sconces: visualcomfort.com. Stools: arteriorshome.com. Faucet: houseofrohl.com through build.com. Table & Rug: serenaandlily.com.  Chairs: fourhands.com. Bench Cushion + Shades: gretcheneverett.com.

“Move the Way You Want,” Jonathan Monaghan’s recent multi-media exhibition at The Phillips Collection, immersed viewers in a dreamlike realm where fear and fantasy collide. A computer-animated film followed a horse ambling down a deserted beach littered with abandoned scooters and bike shares. Close encounters with a drone and a riderless Peloton unfolded as the mesmerizing, eight-minute sequence looped without beginning or end.

Monaghan was asked to engage with art from The Phillips’ collection for this show. He drew inspiration from two works, including a Théodore Géricault painting of horses cavorting among Greco-Roman ruins. “These ruins are a signifier of a lost or collapsed civilization,” says the Washington-based artist. “In my practice, I engage with history and ancient mythologies and reinterpret them for the digital age.”

Though his prints, sculptures and animation imagine a technology-driven future, Monaghan’s body of work is influenced by art, architecture and emblems of the past. His visually stunning imagery draws viewers in to experience “a cautionary tale,” as he describes it, posing questions about power, technology, consumer culture and the environment. Cloaked in ermine, robotic figures with LED lights for eyes stand in for royals. Gilded columns and frescoes adorn spaceships that undulate like jellyfish. Empty coffee shops and supermarkets with unmistakably familiar logos gleam like long-forgotten shrines.

Monaghan has exhibited globally, from the Sundance Film Festival to solo shows in Paris, St. Petersburg and Istanbul. His work can also be found in private collections.

H&D paid a visit to his bright studio at Catholic University, where he teaches digital art and design. Monaghan started out by explaining that his artistic path began when he was a kid in Rockaway Beach, New York, playing video games in his parents’ basement. He taught himself how to use 3D Studio Max—software he still uses today. “I didn’t have a whole lot of drawing or painting skills but knew I wanted to create moving and still imagery,” he recalls. “Anything you could dream up you could create using this software.” He went on to study computer graphics at the New York Institute of Technology, where he was inspired to craft more “challenging and experimental” pieces.

“I began to exhibit in galleries and have been an artist ever since,” Monaghan says. In 2011, he completed a master’s program in studio art at University of Maryland. “Having that experience was very valuable because I was going from making virtual forms to making physical forms,” he notes. “I got experience with sculpture and metal-casting and continue to make physical work and art objects.”

One of these, a faceless bust with a surface resembling tufted leather, was inspired by Apollo Belvedere, an ancient Roman relic. Monaghan’s sculpture was carved out of Carrara marble by a robotic milling arm in Italy and hand-finished by local artisans. A collaboration with Visionnaire, an Italian furniture brand, it was unveiled at Salone del Mobile in 2022 and at press time was shown at Art Basel Miami.

Initially, Monaghan brainstorms a new work on an old school sketch pad. “I start by making doodles, thumbnails and storyboards,” explains the artist, who also considers the environment where a work will appear. “Though it originates on a computer, it’s designed with the physicality of an installation in mind.”

“After Fabergé,” a 2017 exhibit at The Walters in Baltimore, displayed the museum’s jewel-encrusted Fabergé eggs alongside Monaghan’s digital prints; his takes on the precious objets d’art are embedded with tiny computer screens, satellite dishes and a Starbucks.

In these and other works, he often references the lavish ornamentation of the Baroque period. “The era defined by Baroque aesthetics—an era of strong central power and authority—didn’t do so well,” he asserts. “I recreate that opulence and draw connections between it and the decadence of the digital age.”

Beaches also recur in his dreamscapes. “I grew up between the natural expanse of the Atlantic and the concrete jungle of Manhattan,” says Monaghan. “The relationship between manmade and natural, between organic and synthetic—all of my work deals with the tensions between these different things.”

Monaghan’s surreal worlds are devoid of people, yet the human presence is always there. From Amazon to AirPods, he riffs on brands and technologies that are ubiquitous in daily life. “I think of my work as a dream,” he reflects. “In dreams, your fears and desires manifest as familiar imagery. In my animation, things we’re familiar with come together in a cryptic dance that’s hard to understand at first, but I think has an impact."

For more information, visit jonathanmonaghan.com.

The Ultimate Bath (Rizzoli, 2022) by Barbara Sallick spotlights 150 luxurious bathrooms conceived by top architects and interior designers, including local luminaries such as Barry Dixon, Donald Lococo and Mona Hajj. A cofounder of Waterworks, Sallick selected retreats that surprise and enchant, from classic to contemporary.

The Houses and Collections of Marjorie Merriweather Post: The Joy of It (Rizzoli Eclecta, 2022) celebrates the philanthropist and art patron’s residences and personal collections. Written by Hillwood’s curatorial staff and full of lavish photography, the book opens the doors to Post’s illustrious homes, from Florida’s Mar-a-Lago to her beloved estate in DC. Hillwood’s French drawing room is pictured below.  

Beyond Bold: Inspiration, Collaboration, Evolution (Pointed Leaf Press, 2022) traces the evolution of DC landscape firm OvS. Featuring 320 pages of vibrant photography, the book written by OvS principals pays tribute to the firm’s late founders, Wolfgang Oehme and James van Sweden, and details how the duo’s legacy lives on.