Fun House 

When Supon Phornirunlit bought a townhouse in DC’s Embassy Row area a decade ago, he decided the deck was boring—so he installed an eight-inch-deep wading pool, placed a Buddha statue in the middle, and flanked the pool with brightly hued umbrellas. “It’s not a typical deck,” he says. “I like that it’s unexpected.”

Much of Phornirunlit’s home is unexpected. One wall of a sitting room is hung with 16 fake animal trophies, most of them white. Below, on a credenza, sits a pair of white owl-shaped lamps.

“I’m a person who doesn’t like things to be routine,” says the graphic designer.

The mostly neutral furniture acts as a canvas for colorful and playful accessories—including fake-fur-covered lamps, a pink poodle statue, Jonathan Adler pottery, and original prints by Andy Warhol.

There are Buddhas bought cheap at flea markets in his native Thailand. The Asian-inspired umbrellas around the pool were $10 each at Pier 1 Imports. “I usually do things inexpensively,” says Phornirunlit, who loves eBay. Bargain hunting allows him to change a room’s accessories frequently. “Seasons change, you change clothes,” he says.

“I have three or four parties a year. Every time I entertain, I change something. When people visit, I want them to be fascinated.

“But I don’t like houses where everything is so perfect you can’t touch it. This house is always a mess, with the dogs running around and their toys everywhere. I want the home to be happy.”

Resources

Phornirunlit’s favorite places to shop in Washington: Georgetown Flea Market, Apartment Zero, Go Mama Go, Design Within Reach, West Elm, BoConcept, Crate & Barrel, Ikea, Waterworks

His favorite Web sites for home accessories: Ebay.com, Cb2.com, Chiasso.com, Etsy.com, Welldressedhome.com