Chat With DC Designers Liz Levin and Sally Steponkus

Liz: A light warm color will certainly feel bright in strong morning sunlight. I painted my daughter’s room an interesting yellow (Farrow & Ball’s Hound Lemon) and her room has intense afternoon light which has a very bright, but not necessarily hot effect. It is especially lovely in Winter! A warm dark color, like chocolate brown, could feel too hot. Instead, I would try a cool tone such as a spa blue or soft gray.

Liz: West Elm usually has reasonably priced solutions for smaller spaces. I saw this modern dining table that is only 42”

And this Parsons style 36” Square table is also chic. In that same price range I would look at CB2 as well, here is a glass and chrome option that is 48” round and takes up less visual space with its see-through top.

Sally: I would go about this in a different way and decide which finish you like best and keep that piece in that finish, i.e. if you like the cherry best, maybe keep that piece that finish, then maybe refinish the floor in another color (whitewashing is great and chic and light and pretty looking) and get other pieces that match the cherry of the table.  OR if you like the light tones of the floor, maybe repaint the table white, get upholstered chairs and maybe get sideboards/accessory pieces that are painted in a color or that go with the drapery and upholstery fabrics (I specifically love furniture painted in a sturdy, lacquer finish).  I do not care for “suites” of furniture, unless they’re old, but even then I happen to like using other finishes than the usuals – cherry can be boring and in a contemporary setting often looks like office furniture, and “builder neutral” floors are often dull as well and are easily jazzed up with a very dark finish or a very light one.  Also, don’t forget to use an area rug for the Dining Room!  The bigger the rug is, the larger the room feels – don’t just get a rug that fits under the dining table – it’ll look silly AND trip up your guests as they pull their chairs in & out.  Make sure though that the rug has reveals a wood border so you can still see the hardwood.

Sally: Greenfront is good if you like pretty traditional or transitional pieces, but it is also sort of homogeneous to me.  I’d rather find something old in a neat shape or style and have it refinished, repainted, reworked or recovered.  In AA county, most of the transitional pieces are going to be found at big box stores.  For more interesting pieces, I’d look on Craig’s list, ebay and at flea markets.  There aren’t too many one of a kind stores in that area that specialize in well priced new furniture, sadly.

Sally: I think my work is directly influenced by the Classical architecture that is all around us in DC, and which I was surrounded with as a child growing up in Foggy Bottom.  I was a Classics major in college so I’m especially aware of Greek and Roman motifs, styles, etc. that abound downtown, on the mall, at the Capitol, etc., i.e. Greek key border, the egg & dark design, the use of columns, and pediments, just to name a few.  I was taught at school that to understand the future, you must study and understand the past.  I feel the exact same way about design.  I like to be aware of the styles that came before and were popular, and why and when and where THOSE came from.  These make a great foundation for using traditional styles but modifying them to fit modern day life.

Liz: A lot of the big-box retailers have affordable options since they deal in so much volume. West Elm, CB2, Crate and Barrel  and even Target are all popular ones. I have also sourced select items from catalogs like Chiasso, Ballard Designs and Wisteria. Also research the outlet sales for those aforementioned Big-Box retailers –Crate & Barrel has a good one in Old Town. Flea markets are great places to find unique pieces for less!

I would invest in pieces that you use a lot and that make great style statements. A quality sofa is a big one to get right since you’ll have it awhile. Invest in accessories you love and I tend to invest in window treatments, as I think they elevate and finish a space. Cheap ones look just that. It’s a splurge for sure but I try to get the best I can afford.

Liz: When I think of dorm decorating, my mind goes to posters, plastic crates and lots of clutter in tight quarters. You’ll need to rid yourself of all of the above! I would say first look at your space, and if it is a small space like a studio apartment, it’s worth it to design a super functional floor plan and invest in attractive storage- be it a built-in or decorative storage baskets uniting your collections of media, books and other things laying around.

Often missing in dorm living, are interesting throw pillows, which can energize the most boring sofa. Pick a color scheme and mix patterns in the same color family and toss in odd numbers- 3 pillows is a good place to start. A nice throw in your new color scheme will add cozy pulled-togetherness as will a pair of matching lamps lending symmetry. A framed mirror works in lieu of posters and is less costly than a lot of artwork. That said, if you can find interesting art at a flea or are willing to invest piece by piece – that certainly elevates a space; and art can move with you to your next place!

Even if you cannot afford expensive furniture, you can pull together items that are united by a neutral palette, that looks sophisticated and allows you to mix and move things around as you mature into bigger or different living spaces.

Sally and Liz: Wallpaper!  Definitely in the bathroom, and maybe paint fun coordinating colors in other areas to keep the flow going.  Also if you put the same window treatments (white wood blinds, natural grass shades, etc.) in every room, it creates a continuity that will help expand the space and therefore appear larger.

Sally: I think the best and most “finished” looking option to deal with the brightness of the skylight in the daytime is to have a motorized duette or solar shade installed.  A shade of either type would be mounted inside the frame of the skylight and would be operated by remote control (it’s not like you’ll be able to reach up there!)  It is hard to do anything more decorative (plus a fabric shade up there would look weird) so if you had a duette (honeycomb shade) that is light filtering but not necessarily room darkening, hopefully that would cut down on that bright sunshine.  You could also use a solar shade, which is, in my opinion, nicer looking, and you could select one that suits you depending on the percentage of light they allow to come through.  By making them operable via remote, you have the option to open, close or pull partially open at your discretion.

Sally: Since you didn’t mention what room this is, I sort of imagine it being in a hallway where you don’t know what to do about furniture arrangement, etc.  I often like to use a console table that is somewhat narrow (max 20” deep usually but it depends on the width of your space, of course) with one or two good sized lamps on top (depends on if you are OK with asymmetry or not), a mirror hanging above (ONLY if you’re reflecting a piece of art or a nice window, etc…  when choosing a mirror – the most important thing to consider is what you’re reflecting…) and accessories on top that reflect you.  If this space is at the entry of your home or in a hallway, it’s also nice to sometimes throw a funky bench underneath as extra seating, or if the console has stretchers or is a full-bodied piece of furniture like a chest, if you could flank it with a pair of interesting chairs, as this can make for a very inviting, interesting and functional space.  You may also want to use a cool, old tray or platter as a catch-all for keys, cell phone, and all of the stuff that you dump out of your purse at the end of the day and have no time to put it away but don’t want to just chuck it somewhere and leave it out.  You can consolidate your items there so they won’t look messy or out of place.  Sometimes I like to put big wicker baskets under a front hall console that you can use for quick storage for kids’ mittens, boots, umbrellas, etc.  Another tip for having this entry hall area is to really show some fun color or pattern that embodies YOU (you can always wallpaper one wall!  I did in my front hall – see Washingtonian August 2009, page 133!) and set the tone or style for the rest of the home.  You could showcase a collection of some sort:  shells, little boxes, tchotchkies, etc. and give your guest a quick overview of you, your style and your home.

Liz: Either a large scale piece of artwork that is proportional to the space, or I often group a collection of items linked by frame, color or style and stagger them. Another impactful option is to buy inexpensive white wooden Ikea frames- 30” or so square or rectangular -and make a grid on your wall. Pick a theme like abstract photography or some graphic image in each one. In a condo I worked on, where the living room had a huge wall up to a loft, I used 9 open square boxes from West Elm and we left them empty as this interesting geometric wall installation. Drew the eye up and was the right scale for the space! 

Sally: I have the same problem, living over Wisconsin Avenue in Cathedral Heights!  Unfortunately it is SO loud with the busses and traffic that I only open my windows for a little while at a time, i.e. when I’m not entertaining, talking on the phone or sleeping!  Once in a while I’ll leave the windows and balcony door open when I watch TV but often have to turn the volume way up to drown out lively DC beneath me.  I really don’t think there’s an attractive way to reduce the noise from outside, I’m sorry to say.  I have floor length draperies in every room, but worry that they’re going to turn filthy immediately with the grime and dust that floats up from such a busy street if I were to draw them or closed, so even when I do leave windows and door open, I make sure it’s not for very long and shake out my curtains each time so they stay in good shape.

Sally and Liz: Read Denise Kersten Wills' article in this month’s Washingtonian– it’s all about this and has tons of great tips!  Good luck!

Liz: Try a light yellow paint with the grey and add yellow and bright white towels and accessories. That color combo is hot right now and Sally did a lovely show house in that scheme for more inspiration! White lacquer, daffodil yellow pattern on the shower curtain, fresh white towels.. pretty and clean!

Sally: I agree w/ Liz…  yellow is the perfect compliment to gray.  I used Dayroom Yellow by Farrow & Ball for the ceiling of the room, whose walls were painted Mouse’s Back, a very striking grey – take a look here on my photographer’s website.

They’re also on my site, but I can’t link you to a specific shot…  site is www.steponkus.com  As far as bath rug & all of that is concerned, Restoration Hardware has lovely white bath towels, rugs, shower curtains, and accessories that are white with a piping of yellow.  I believe they also have it in a gray color called Ash. 

Liz: I am going to go back to the "grid" approach on this one. Go to Ikea or find inexpensive white wood frames for your postcards and tile them on your wall for one big graphic installation- gives greater impact than scattering them about in smaller groupings.

Sally: Congrats on your semester in Europe!  I lived in Rome for my 2nd semester of Junior year.  If I were you, I’d get some inexpensive white or light wood frames at Ikea that are pre-matted for those sizes and then hang them in a huge collection, maybe over a sofa, or in an entry hall – a big group of them will make a bold statement.  You can hang them symmetrically, maybe 3 across and 3 down, OR in a random arrangement, that’s a little more organic. 

Liz: Ah-ha I just solved this problem for myself! I just ordered this desk from CB2 that looks like a drafting table but with two nifty drawers for small items. Love the white, love the wood edging and metal drawers- modern, clean and great price!

Sally: I’d go for something white and sort of open & airy like the Cadman workstation from West Elm.  It has both a large writing table type space as well as an area for storage.

Liz: I nice seagrass or sisal rug would add neutral texture and warmth to compliment your furniture yet not compete with your busy floral pattern. These natural rugs come in many patterns. Sally and I are both a fan of the "Pueblo" pattern sisal rug of large diamonds. Basketweave is a perennial favorite too!

Sally: Chiasso has a lot of fun, patterned rugs that would work with a print on your wing chair and solid brown sofa.  You want to be careful of scale – pattern on pattern is fine, but make sure the scale of the pattern on the rug is either significantly larger or smaller so as not to compete with the floral.  One nice way to avoid patterns clashing is to select something that is graphic/geometric and regular in nature – i.e. a design with a trellis pattern like this from Ballard Designs.

Jonathan Adler also has wonderful (but pricier) rugs in wild graphic patterns.

Liz: My best advice, especially in this economy, would be to apply for a couple internships with designers or showrooms that can teach you the ropes and give you experience quickly doing hands on work. Ask to be shown how the business operates and to attend client meetings, if they'll let you, in exchange for your more administrative help. I also enjoyed the continuing education courses at the Corcoran in their Interior Design Program. You can take one at a time in areas of color or space planning. Personally, I learned mostly by doing, I had wonderful internships and employers that gave me a lot of creative freedom.

Sally: I started working at the Design Center at age 19, in the memo room of the Robert Allen showroom.  I learned so much from the people who run the memo library that I was able to work on their sales floor every vacation that I was home during college and I was able to even intern with a local showroom near my college in Connecticut.  Frankly, it’s all about connections at first (my cousin is the VP of Robert Allen), but then I just kept working & working, studying the history of fabrics, interiors and decorative arts so that I grew to have a very good vocabulary in the trade.  I worked for 8 months on the Robert Allen sales floor learning the showroom side of the business when a designer hired me and I worked for her for 2 years.  I worked part time with other designers, shopping for them, etc. while establishing my own business.  If I were you, I’d get an internship at either a showroom or for a designer (I’m looking for an intern for this fall!) and then see where that takes you.  And if you can go to any lectures, presentations, etc. that could introduce you to more people in the design field, the better!  GOOD LUCK TO YOU!

Liz: My advice would be to ask around and find contractors and designers that people have worked with successfully. There are a lot of bad stories out there. Once you have a short list, invite a few over to go over your project and ask for a proposal or bid. Then you can compare apples to apples. Cost varies widely, and $40K can go quickly. I easily dropped that in two small bathrooms trying to be conservative! Kitchens alone are costly and I would recommend finding a kitchen designer specifically as there are special issues to address in that area that Kitchen Designers know best.

Sally: Yes – I think it’s worth going w/ an architect to get this right.  Always better than relying on a contractor to design the space.  OR hire a designer who is experienced in renovations (let me know if you need a rec- I don’t do Kitchens really but know someone great locally who does!) 

Liz: I think this piece is interesting from Crate & Barrel because you can use it in several different configurations.

It is open storage which is more airy than a heavy cabinet, but you'll need to organize your photos in coordinated albums and negatives in decorative storage boxes. You can pick up your colors in the storage boxes- red or light blue.
Check out the many options at Exposures Catalog.

Sally: I have all of my photos in choc brown West Elm fabric covered boxes on the bottom shelf of my bookcase…  they look neat and tidy, are super for storage and create an interesting visual layer to the bookshelf that mostly has books, art, photos and tchotchkies on it. 

Liz: Wow that is a lot of dark finishes in one small space! What about adding a shower curtain in a more feminine pattern. I like this shower curtain from Crate & Barrel which brings in a brighter blue that you could pick up on the walls in a lighter shade and add in lots of fresh white towels and sink accessories.

You could also try wallpaper in a chocolate and white damask or more curvy pattern.  I think you need to balance out the masculine solid finishes with lighter more feminine wall color and fabrics.

Sally:  Hi Laura…  well, Liz and I will probably have the same answer to this question:  WALLPAPER!  Since the bathroom is a small space, you can easily find a vinyl wallpaper (vinyl or wipeable is best in bathrooms and YES it is OK to hang paper in bathrooms) that has a light background that is maybe a light taupe or grey, whichever suits both the counter top and slate in shower area, and that has a pattern on top that brings in those darker colors in small amounts, with maybe an additional color.  This way you can add a color or a pattern that is more “feminine” or you feel like represents you more.  Something organic like stylized flowers or curvilinear vines, etc. will soften the hard, dark edges of the rest of the bath.  This one doesn’t introduce another color but the pattern might work with the slate and browns.

Here is one that has a white background but brings all the neutrals together.

This paper would be LOVELY and girly!

Sally: Dear Stylish Male in the City:  first, PAINT is cheap and fast, buy a good quality sofa and good lamps, a neutral rug and everything else you can buy readymade that brings in more color and pattern, that can be changed every couple of years ‘til if you get sick of them or ‘til you find something you love that has colors you want to commit to.  Good luck!

Liz: Amen, Sally! I concur Mr. SMC. For inspiration, troll around 14th & U, go into my former haunt Vastu and swing around to And Beige for accessories and stylish yet comfortably masculine design ideas. Good Wood on U has great finds too! All three of those places have great people to work with. Mitchell Gold on 14th is not an indie store, but has good sales and solid style too.

Sally: If I were you, I’d spend more $ on a good sofa than anything else.  Crate and Barrel upholstery is pretty good (don’t go for the slipcovered pieces though, they don’t last and look messy) but I’d prefer you even look at Mitchell Gold for a nice, neutral, well-made sofa that will last.  That way, you’ll also be able to choose your own fabric, sometimes at C&B you only have a couple of fabric choices.

Sally: I know!  I have visited Atlanta twice in the last year to shop for clients.  Sadly, we don’t have as many boutiques here in DC.  I’d definitely try the 14th & U corridor, including some of the vintage places like Miss Pixie’s and of course Craig’s List…  but don’t necessarily rule out Book Hill in Georgetown, the block that starts w/ A Mano at the north end, and you’ve got 1659 for great, well-priced mid-century modern pieces that may or may not need to be refinished, then you’ve got Moss & Co. for fantastic accessories, and apparently there’s a new place I have yet to check out called the Georgetown Birdcage there as well.

Liz: Welcome to D.C.! I love Atlanta's design districts too! I have already mentioned the U Street corridor as there are a bunch of gems around 14th and U Street. Good Wood, Pixie's, And Beige and Vastu. Plus some interesting places to grab a bite if you're strolling around. Georgetown does have some pricey options, Cherry is a fun one on Wisconsin for vintage finds. I think Random Harvest has some good deals on accessories too but leaning a bit towards the more traditional or transitional style. Across the Potomac in Old Town there are some great shops: mid-century finds at Daniel Donnelly and Asian accents from Qi (pronounced CHEE).

Liz: Congratulations on your engagement! Isn't registering fun with the gun? I personally LOVE a white bed. I don't think it looks too hospital room if the rest of your room is working. I like layering textures in white and off white- delicious. An all white bed also allows for some killer Euro Shams and pretty quilt or spread folded at the foot of the bed. Pick up your accent color in the pillows and continue with bedside lamps- maybe curvy ceramic ones. I love pale aqua blue wall color in a bedroom. I've said it a  million times Palladian Blue is my fave! (Benjamin Moore) Serene and restful. Have a great wedding!

Sally: Congrats on your nuptials!  I think if you can’t agree on a paint color and bedding scheme, maybe just paint the walls a neutral beige (like Ben Moore HC-81 Manchester Tan, eggshell finish for walls, 2 coats please) and then ANY bedding you get will look good.  If you think you’re really fickle, maybe buy a set of bedding that’s on sale or really inexpensive…  like from Macy’s (Martha Stewart’s stuff is GREAT and they’ve always got a sale on and coupons in the paper).  The other option would be to spend a good chunk, but divide it in two  buy 2 sets:  one for spring/summer and one for fall/winter, so you don’t get sick of them.  Hope this helps! 

Liz: I have not seen the flight recliner in person. But, I see online it is a very nifty concept! I don't think the price is outrageous. A similar non-reclining chair from our custom vendors with designer fabric is about $1,300.

Sally: I’ve never seen this in person and frankly, I think the proportions are weird (leg base seems odd to me), and I definitely don’t think it’s worth $2800 unless it’s the most comfortable thing you’ve ever sat in (and you’d have to be the judge of that!) 

Liz: Try Ylightling.com or Illuminations here in town.

Sally: Let’s see…  mod light fixture…  so many options.  Depends on your budget.  If you don’t want to spend much, try CB2, Crate & Barrel or Room & Board, if you want to up it a little, I love Circa Lighting (www.circalighting.com) or even find an old lantern at a garage sale and flea market and take it to Artisan Lamp in Cleveland Park on CT Ave to be fixed up, rewired and even repainted. 

Sally: My favorite dark one is Farrow & Ball’s Mouse’s Back (see answer earlier about gray/yellow), for a medium gray, I also love Sag Harbor Gray HC-95 from Ben Moore, which I just used for my boyfriend’s Living Room.  For light gray, I like Ben Moore’s Coventry Gray #HC-169.

Liz: I know what Sally will say on this one Miss Mouse Back Gray (nice medium gray). A great color. Benjamin Moore has Coventry gray which is light and I love the blue hue in their Wickam grey also on the lighter side. 

Sally: I’m all for white towels, pretty much all of the time, as they’re always classic.  but to bring in other colors, I’m ALL ABOUT the monogram!!!  Restoration Hardware has a super line that’s fine and they’ve got plenty of choices of piping and embroidery colors but if you can REALLY splurge, check out Leontine Linens – they have tons of colors for embroidery, monogramming, piping, etc.
www.leontinelinens.com

if you’ve purchased towels where they don’t do monogramming, take them to get embroidered…  my local monogrammer is Debbie Whyte at Whyte House Monograms… www.whytehousemonograms.com (be sure to call or email for an appointment)

Liz: What is going on with all of these dark slate and black granite bathrooms? I think as we said with the previous dark but too masculine bathroom is you need to find a wallpaper or shower curtain that ties those colors together and can add a new accent color to pull from and white to brighten. And P.S. to all the builders out there, black granite shows everything and is tough to live with. You could consider changing the countertop to a lighter stone which isn't terribly costly. More than a shower curtain of course, but we're throwing out ideas here!

Sally: This is a TOUGH question.  Well, even though you can’t use fabric in the room, I really think you should still pay attention to and treat the windows.  My best suggestion would be white wood blinds…  they’re good for privacy, blocking some light and also are timeless so they’ll be classic.  For the floor, I would have a faux painter come in and paint the design of a rug, something with a pattern and maybe a border to simulate the color and warmth and presence of a rug.

Liz: I agree with Sally here on the floor painting. A border or interesting design or even white washing would be fun. I would also add that woven grass shades are a lovely and warm fabric-free option. They add something natural into the room and come in lovely warm tones. I'm a big fan of the grass shades- they work in modern and traditional settings easily. See the board I did for Denise in the current issue of Washingtonian where there is an example.