The 2013 DC Design House. Photograph by Ken Wyner.
This year’s DC Design House, a newly constructed, five-level home in Wesley Heights, designed by GTM Architects, opens to the public this weekend. It’s currently on the market for $14.9 million. Tours of the house are available Tuesday through Sunday until May 12. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite sights here, though there are many more. More information about tickets (20 percent of proceeds go to Children’s National Medical Center) and tour availability can be found at the DC Design House website.
Photograph by Jonathan Gooch, courtesy of Charlotte Love.
Dip dye, a painting technique traditionally reserved for Easter eggs, has taken the design world by storm. Artists achieve the look by hand-dipping ordinary objects in rich hues, leaving a section untouched or lightly shaded. Charlotte Love, a London-based stylist/illustrator whose shoot (above) went viral on Pinterest, says decorating with ombré is easy. So easy, in fact, that you can do it yourself. The self-proclaimed magpie painted thrifted wooden chairs and dyed her own textiles. “I knew pastels were going to be a big trend [last season] so I let that inspire the shoot,” Love says. “It just so happened that the location we used was white, and I think it worked beautifully. The contrast prevented the decor from looking too sickly.” For those who’d rather leave dye jobs to the professionals, we found 14 two-tone pieces for sale. So add some spunk to your tabletop with neon bowls and playful spice cellars, or liven up your entryway with statement-making benches and stools.
Photographs by Angie Seckinger, courtesy of Levin.
Liz Levin of Liz Levin Interiors is known for creating stylish yet livable spaces for Washington families. After being unable to find child-friendly furnishings for her own home, the Georgetown-based designer launched Nesting, an online resource for parents and pet owners. The site offers everything from round-edged tables—including the Oly resin table featured here—to stain-resistant fabrics. We caught up with the designer to learn how homeowners can accommodate growing families without sacrificing style.
Composite by Ellen Richardson.
It’s no secret that Washington has some of the best vintage shopping around. Estate sales, auctions, flea markets, and secondhand retail shops consistently offer incredible opportunities for the dedicated and creative shopper. I’ve heard, and agree with, the many reasons Washington has such an abundance of vintage treasures, most of them having to do with the area’s unparalleled midcentury leftovers as well as the transient nature of the area. As a vintage junkie myself, I love a good flea market or consignment shop, and I have a circuit of local retail obsessions that call to me on Saturdays (or Thursdays, when most of them bring in new stock). But my true vintage scavenging faith lies in none other than our local Craigslist.
Haute Fabrics. Photographs by Michele Ginnerty.
Those of us in the Washington area who are obsessed with textiles count ourselves lucky to be in driving distance of Haute Fabrics in Marshall, Virginia, one of the best sources for premier fabrics at bargain prices. I, for one, have hit the fabric jackpot a number of times at Haute, like the time I secured 18 yards of Kelly Wearstler’s Fern Tree in charcoal grey at $28 a yard—a huge steal considering this fabric normally retails at $200 a yard and up!
If you’re in the mood to try your luck at unearthing your own treasure, head over to Haute Fabric’s tent sale beginning July 20. It’s been a few years since proprietor Roxene Hill hosted such an event, so there will be a wide and varied range of select fabrics from $14 to $16 a yard, and trims will be 20 percent off.
The building’s first floor contains 1,700 feet of showroom space. All photographs by Sherry Moeller.
Rooms by quick-talking interior designer Lori Graham are instantly recognizable for their thoughtful intermingling of contemporary art, worldly artifacts, and timeless vintage pieces, whirled together into what Graham has deemed her “signature mix.” With the opening of her new showroom and design studio near DC’s Logan Circle, Graham is pulling back the curtain to reveal the two creatives she’s long been relying on to make such a mix come to life: gallery curator Lauren Gentile of Contemporary Wing, and midcentury furniture dealer Mike Johnson of Sixteen Fifty Nine by MRJ. The three collaborators have finally set up shop under one roof: Showroom 1412, an innovative one-stop design center that offers custom furniture, vintage pieces, contemporary art, and interior design services.
Tips from our designers include summer stripes, common colors over a base neutral, and extending the look beyond the bed itself. All photographs by Veronica Revilla.
When we need inspiration, one of our favorite places to duck into is Timothy Paul Bedding + Home, an impeccably curated boutique of bedding, linens, pillows, and home accessories in Logan Circle. A few times each year, Timothy Paul invites a designer to create a beautiful bedroom vignette to inspire their customers. Last week, they feted the latest installation by designers José Solís Betancourt and Paul Sherrill of the DC-based firm Solis Betancourt & Sherrill, and we took a firsthand look at the carefree, summery space. We think it’s a great tutorial on how to mix cheerful patterns and colors, as well as how to elevate a bed from a practical necessity to a gorgeous focal point.
By Natalie Grasso
At a trio of estate sales in Georgetown last summer we nabbed, among other things, a large-scale gilt-wood mirror holding court over an elegant staircase at Evermay, a full set of 1960s vermeil bamboo flatware for $30, and this sweet chinoiserie tea-and-coffee service for a song. Photographs by Natalie Grasso.
When we were young and impressionable design mavens, we used to think estate sales at fancy houses (ones in Georgetown, especially) must be treasure troves of stylish vintage finds once owned by Washington’s power elite. On this count, we were right. We also never went because we found the prospect of rummaging around these houses kind of intimidating. But all it took was an older, more experienced friend showing us the ropes to get us hooked—and now we want to do the same for you. Read on for a few easy tips on getting the most bang for your buck.
By Kathleen Bridges
Via Pinterest users Lily and Jessica Colaluca.
Something about the arrival of summer stirs within us a desire to get something green and living—a terra-cotta pot blooming with bright buds, a window box brimming with herbs, a simple house plant—and watch it grow.
Then we remember our bleak record of killing anything green within days (hours?) of acquisition.
Enter succulents, the seemingly indestructible water-retaining plants we’ve seen adorning tabletop planters, woven into wreaths, and bedecking centerpieces and bridal bouquets alike. Indoors or out, an arrangement of succulents offers the beauty of foliage without the fear that under your care, what’s currently thriving and green will soon resemble a tumbleweed.
By Rebecca Orlov
It’s always a design challenge to make the most out of your space—especially when that space is very limited. Furniture and decor that not only looks great but is also useful is the template for small-space success.
Luckily, flea-market season is upon us, which is a perfect time to edit your space and add some new design goodies. We’ve been scouting local markets over the past few weeks and have spotted some awesome ideas to share with you. Check out these tips and tricks you can interpret in your own home.
