Behind the Doors of the DC Design House: A Chat With Owners Rob and Robin Wilder

The doors of the 2010 DC Design House will open on April 10.

I was honored to be invited on a behind-the-scenes tour of the 2010 DC Design House today, and bless his heart, treasurer and designer liaison Taylor Wells allowed me to bring my two sons. The only condition, however, was that I was not allowed to take pictures of the unfinished spaces, which won’t be revealed publicly until the Bare Bones Tour on Feb. 27.

But I can make up for the lack of imagery with a wealth of detail, not the least of which was a chat with the owners, Rob and Robin Wilder, who stopped by while we were there. Theirs is the only other picture I have for you today:

Robin and Rob Wilder. Rob Wilder is the CEO of Think Food Group. Along with celebrity chef Jose Andres, he manages DC hot spots Jaleo, Cafe Atlantico, Minibar, Oyamel, and Zaytina.

Robin Wilder quickly endeared herself to my sons, who are 5 and 8, by giving them the run of the house — literally.

She told stories about how her kids used to play soccer and use their scooters in the immense drawing room, which Barry Dixon no doubt will be transforming into something, well, where kids probably won’t be playing soccer.

My boys took Robin’s story to heart in the vast empty space, quickly falling to the ground in an impromptu wrestling match. (It’s a good thing that Barry’s associates, who had been measuring the space when we arrived, had already left!)

While the kids wrestled, Robin told me about how their house came to be this year’s designer show house. She sits on the board of Children’s National Medical Center, the beneficiary of the Design House proceeds. Their house, on Bradley Lane in Chevy Chase, had already been on the market for two years when a friend asked her if she’d be willing to consider having it be the site for this year’s Design House.

“It was a no-brainer,” she said. “Anything that helps Children’s.” And having the house dressed to the nines by the city’s top designers probably won’t hurt  its sales potential, either. “I think it’s the best thing for the house. It’s going to get such a freshening,” she said.

As we mentioned the other day, the century-old house played host to Harry S. Truman’s Inaugural Ball, and was residence to two ambassadors. And the Wilders have added their own history to its pedigree.

Robin opened the large French doors leading out to a sprawling deck, pool, and side yard. “We used to have huge parties here,” she said, pointing to a place in the yard where Jose Andres would set up shop over a giant paella pan to serve guests. Her sister also got married out there.

I asked Rob Wilder if he thought they might get upset or sentimental, seeing all the designers take down what was theirs for 10 years and transform it. “This will actually be helpful for the emotional detachment,” he said, a smile on his face.

And it’s a good thing, because from here until the opening in April, designers are in and out of that house every day.

One of them is Page Palmer, who will be decorating the girl’s bedroom. She shared some of her plans with me. She took the house’s Beaux Arts architecture into account when she was designing the girl’s headboard, which will feature a triple arch. The shape mimics the exterior pediment, but with more feminine curves.

The color scheme will be lavender, white and yellow, and Palmer is including a striking Lucite desk and chair. The design “was inspired by a client’s daughter, who became a client, too,” she said.

Down the hall in the master bedroom, Sally Steponkus came to inspect her “before” picture: black and gold carpet with rust-colored walls and heavy gold swags on the six huge windows. All of it will be replaced with neutrals and subtle shade contrasts, she said. Evelyn Avery will provide the art, and China Seas will provide the custom-colored fabrics.

(All paint and wallpapers throughout the house are being donated — again — by Farrow & Ball.)

Downstairs in the window-filled sun room, Sarah Wessel (who wasn’t there) had already taped off patches of the black-and-white linoleum tiles for pieces she intends to install in there.

Taylor Wells told me that Nestor Santa Cruz will retain the trompe l’oeil paint on the walls of the reception room, which resemble stone blocks, but the Egyptian figures painted against a night sky on the ceiling will go.

Well, that’s all for now, folks. More is surely to come next month after the Bare Bones Tour, where all the designers’ presentation boards will be on view.