Nirvana indeed. Just check out the entry to this place:

All photography by Ken Hayden

This is the Miami home of Todd Davis and Robert Brown, the talents of Brown Davis Interiors who are responsible for decorating the Clinton homes in DC and New York, as well as the ambassador’s residence at the British Embassy, among other A-list projects around town.

I received a phone call this month from Todd — out of the blue — who called me in my capacity as marketing director at the Washington Design Center to emphasize that they are still quite active in the DC market — which means we will continue to see their gorgeous work published from our nation’s capital.

Robert Brown and Todd Davis

There are local projects he can’t yet reveal because they await publication, in fact, so I asked for some “scraps,” — pictures that may have been published before but are still new to me! So here’s what I got: Villa Nirvana, Rob and Todd’s home down south.

These images by Ken Hayden (go to his site — I’m still wiping drool off my chin from his pictures!) come at a great time, as the dark winter is upon us and I’m sure we’re all dreaming of a breezy warm place for escape.

As Todd explains it, “when we purchased this home it had been built on spec and never lived in.  The home featured very large, cold and modern spaces.  The gardens had virtually no landscape.  The developer had built the house during the boom and then lost interest when the real estate market went bust. ”

That means they had, quite literally, a blank slate. “Our goal was to stretch creatively and show that a very cold modern home could be comfortable and inviting.  We have been collecting art over the years and the high ceilings and large spaces provided the perfect backdrop for our collection.”

Voila:

The living room, revved up with personality.

The other side of the living room.

The dining room on the other side of the wall -- there's nothing that adds warmth and texture to a cold modern space like furry chairs!

As you can tell, Robert and Todd are channeling their inner ’70s disco voice: “Our design theme was one of updated 1970′s sexy Miami modern.  Each decade has its good and bad design elements, and we wanted to focus on the oversized comfortable aspect of 1970s interior design.”

Not bad, guys. I also appreciate how they retain a firm hold in the 21st century:

WHAT I wouldn't give for this kitchen, where nature infuses the color to accent the white and steel. Wow.

I think we’ve clearly established that they have a flair for drama, but just in case there’s any question, they’ve designed their entry to make that statement right away to visitors who come through:

Less public, of course, is the master bedroom, a space that generally reveals a person’s real passions and aesthetic.

Clearly, you're not dealing with dull people here.

The styles in Miami, of course, are quite different from what one generally sees in DC, but Todd reports that attitudes are changing. What they’re doing here these days, he says, are the homes of children of longtime clients, who as clients themselves are asking for more updated looks.

So they are back, helping our younger generations update the more traditional notions of their parents, but still keeping within a DC vernacular. I can’t wait to see the results. Thanks, Todd, for sharing.

It’s amazing what designers can do when they are unencumbered by the wishes and whims of a client. Julie Dastvan, whom I had the pleasure of meeting earlier this year when she was nominated as an up-and-coming “One to Watch” at the Washington Design Center, completed her first decorator showhouse this fall.

Anyone -- like Julie! -- who can combine red and green shades in a way that doesn't look like Christmas is truly talented. I love how she did that here. (All photos are by Angie Seckinger.)

I am completely bummed that I never got the time to go out to Ellicott City, MD, this fall to see the Holly Manor Show House, where Julie was chosen to do the master suite. But she was kind enough to send these photos over with detailed descriptions of the resources she used.

"I've had the pleasure to watch patrons come in on the horribly cold, dark and rainy afternoons we had a week ago and see their shoulders immediately drop with relaxation when they stepped in - I couldn't ask for a better reaction," she wrote in an e-mail. "A great first solo show house experience for me!" 

I couldn't agree more. 

I first thought the ceiling was covered in a lovely wallpaper, but it's actually painted with a handcut stencil using flat and gloss paints -- the work of decorative painters Anna-Marie Gallart and Karen Furman. She used a combination of fabrics from Kravet, Lee Jofa, Duralee, and Brunschwig & Fils, and trim from Samuel & Sons, on the bed, drapery and canopy. 

One of the things I really admire about designers is their vision and ability to pull colors and patterns from such a wide variety of sources into a combination that feels as if everything was made to go together. And on another note,the upholstered bed and ivory lamps came from Hollis & Knight, the wonderful shop on antique row in Kensington, MD. 

The elegant desk is Barbara Barry for Henredon, while Julie found the chair in Lucketts, VA (a great source of vintage and antique shops) and reupholstered it herself. The art above the desk comes from Avery Fine Art. 

The chair and ottoman are by Hickory Chair (and if you don't know about this company, whose furniture is sold through Henredon at the design center -- you should! All of it is produced in North Carolina). The surveyor's lamp is by Uttermost, another great company that sells accent furniture and lighting which in this area is sold through Annapolis Lighting. 

I LOVE this detail, particularly the mirrors (also by Uttermost) over each bedside table. Whether it's mirrors or art, I think the effect of "crowning" your bedside tables this way lends more weight to the focal point of your bed. And not least, this scallop-edge table from Kravet makes such a sweet accent. Julie tells me that the framed photos here and also on the desk are of her aunt and uncle, whose travels inspired this room design. 

Julie really made this design personal, from those family photos to these old suitcases that quite literally illustrate her aunt and uncle's travels. Even better, her father painted the two smaller paintings here in the center above the suitcases, and her sister painted a picture that hangs to the side of the bed. 

And if it weren't enough to have a master suite big enough for a seating area by the fireplace and a corner for a desk, here's what you get on the balcony: this serene outdoor setting with gorgeous outdoor furniture by Century, which has a showroom in the design center. 

Julie, whose works from Darnestown, MD, should get lots of great business from this inspired design, which definitely fits the mold of "traditional with a twist." She is still working on a new Web site, but in the meantime, here is her contact info: 

DASTVAN DESIGNS, LLC

Interiors for your lifestyle

14840 Poplar Hill Road

Darnestown, MD  20874

301/330-9595 office

301/254-1279 cell

JDastvan@comcast.net

I feel so cleansed. We just spent two days DIGGING out of our storage room. Multiple trash bags, an impromptu yard sale and a carload of stuff bound for Good Will later, we have a room that works.

OK, not a storage room you would find in any magazine, but an organized pantry, appliance shelves, and coat racks with only coats that we currently wear.

The cabinets (formerly our kitchen's before the renovation years ago) now ONLY contain dishware, placemats, and serving pieces we like and use.

There is a point of design to be made here, even if the storage room is far from beautiful. The reason I have such an incredible lightness of being about this project is that we have gotten rid of so many objects that were taking up space and — yes — emotionally weighing us down. Knick-knacks given to us over the years that we never used; a million picture frames (I’m not a picture frame person); outgrown toys; old coffee pots that for some reason we never got rid of when we purchased a new one; the creme brulee torch that never made it out of the box.

To the point where you couldn’t even walk a straight line when you came into this room. Mostly because of STUFF that falls into the category of “well I can’t just throw it AWAY….” So it all sat and sat… and built up into a virtual hoarder’s lair where it became harder and harder to find the things that we actually needed and used.

Which brings me to Baltimore designer Kim Eastburn.  I met her nearly two years ago, and was absolutely transfixed as she told stories about clients whose desire for “a new look” were really the result of a much deeper longing for a new emotional space — that these were people in some sort of transition in their lives — divorce, kids moving out, you name it — that all of a sudden made their surroundings seem “off.”

Kim has the power not only to beautify your home, but to clear away your emotional cobwebs, too.

Fast forward to this fall, and Kiim’s perceptive talents as well as her design skills are being noticed for this approach. For one, Baltimore Style magazine recently featured her in a wonderful profile titled The Design Shrink;  “You can’t underestimate the impact of a physical environment on your well-being,” she says in the article. “If it’s stagnant and stuck, chances are you are, too.”

What woman wouldn't have instant peace of mind in this boudoir?

Kim has a blog, also called Interior Design Shrink, where she muses about all these topics. Her most recent posting is about how there has to be a certain amount of destruction before you can reconstruct what’s truly important to you in your home: If there were a fire, for example, what would you grab before running out the door? Some have surprised themselves with the answer.

She quotes one woman whose home was threatened by wildfires in California: “Turns out, all the clothes, jewelry and paintings she labeled important, really had little value to her in the big picture. Seems the wildfires were a blessing in disguise. It was the catalyst that made her ask, ‘If all this stuff isn’t really worth saving, then why is it cluttering up my closets, bookshelves and fireplace mantel? What are all those clothes in my closet doing there anyway? And why do I save all those snow globes?’ ”

A beautiful illustration of what you get when you pare back to only the essentials.

When I met Kim last year, I was really struck by her powers of perception. She has never been to my home, but after talking with her for over an hour, she said she was seeing a yellow room with white trim. Our bedroom is a soft butter yellow with white trim! She really can see through someone’s personality and quite literally turn it into color and fabric — kind of like how some people hear music and immediately see a color along with those note patterns.

I would really like to meet the person who lives in this space!

I spent a long time last night reading through Kim’s blog posts, and I started to see why small changes we’ve recently made in the house have had such a huge impact.

For one, I took down a painting next to our front door that my mother had given to us a long time ago (sorry, Mom!), which had a huge garish frame that never felt right for me. I had found an old painting that my great grandmother had painted, dusted and dirty, and recently I took it to Evelyn Avery to be cleaned, refurbished, and framed. Here is the glorious result:

The painting hangs over a chest that my husband had built for my by Caleb Woodard, whose shop is in walking distance from our house. The combination of two pieces that have so much meaning to me makes this small little vignette perhaps the most important part of our whole house. I recently told Jim that these things constituted the first “real” part of our house, and Kim’s writings certainly explain why.

The frame is so perfect for this painting, and the paint has a new glow to it. Look closely at the lower right corner to see my great grandmother's signature -- Jennie Artz. I was named after her.

I run into some people who complain that this or that decorator created a design that was to the decorator’s style, not the homeowner’s — that the decorator didn’t listen to them. Kim is all about listening, and when you are with her, she makes you feel like there is no other person in the world besides you.

Another of Ki'ms dreamy designs.

“We can learn so much about ourselves by reflecting on the space that houses the life we build there. Whether it’s an update or total gut job of the physical or metaphorical ‘home,’ it is always up to us whether or not we will live happily ever after,” she writes in this post.

These are lessons we all should remember the next time we are moved by a desire to redo a room, or even the whole house. Thanks, Kim, for helping me think in a new way about the meaning of  interior design.

WELL, why do your own work when someone else can do it for you? Arcadia Home, an online retailer, approached me about doing a guest post. I get approached a LOT about that, but mostly it’s by marketing people who want to hawk their own brands. Susi here is just writing about desgin she loves, in exchange for using the retailer’s link. Fair enough, I say. Here she goes:

Hi, I’m Susi Prescott from Arcadian Home Decor blog. Since I get to visit design blogs around the world to write guest posts about interior design and decorating, I’m always on the hunt for interesting interior spaces to share with readers. The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and their local chapters, like the one here in Washington, DC, can always be counted on for lots of inspiration from their national and chapter interior design awards.

The 2011 ASID Washington Metro Chapter Interior Design Awards were presented on May 25 of this year. The ASID Washington Metro Chapter sponsors a biannual competition that recognizes outstanding design projects in several categories of residential and commercial design. Winners are judged by members of other chapters. This year’s competition, with 26 nominations, was judged by the Tennessee Chapter of ASID. (See complete list of recipients below.)

I recently had occasion to take another look at photos from these award-winning projects and would like to share some of them. Here are eight of our favorites from the 2011 Celebrate Design! Awards.

ASID DC Metro

Charles Larry Horne, FASID, of Horne International Designs, Inc., won the Residential Single Space Award for his design for the Paul Residence Dining Room. This warm-hued traditional room has a pair of square tables under twin chandeliers; the smaller tables create a more intimate dining experience.

ASID DC Metro

The award for Residential Kitchen/Bath was given to Suite 4511, designed by Baron Gurney Interiors. This incredible contemporary bath is a minimalist masterpiece. We love the inset marble floor and dark woods.

ASID DC Metro

For the Residential: Detail/Small Unique Space Award, Baron Gurney Interiors also won for this sleek wine room. The glass- enclosed space looks more like a high-end wine boutique than home cellar. Beautiful!

ASID DC Metro

The Lorber/Tarler Residence was given the Residential Multiple Spaces Award. Also designed by Therese Baron Gurney, ASID of Baron Gurney Interiors, this contemporary home is replete with high tech touches and amazing use of space. This small bedroom feels like a boutique hotel with surfaces so beautiful, no wall art is needed.

Arch Daily

The dining room for Lorber/Tarler Residence, winner of the Residential Multiple Spaces Award, has a strip of glass floor that lets the natural light from the oversize windows flow into the room below.

Arch Daily

The kitchen in the Lorber/Tarler is high functioning despite its smaller footprint. Love the mix of natural woods, stainless steel and dark floors.

Arch Daily

An exterior view of the Lorber/Tarler house shows the unusual layout of the narrow home. The mostly neutral interior is highlighted with colorful table decor.

HMSHost

DC designer Claire Tamburro, ASID won the Commercial: Detail/Small Unique Space Award for the Wicker Park Seafood & Sushi Bar design for Chicago O’Hare. It’s hard to believe this super-chic space is in an airport.

Image credits: [ 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 ]

Complete list of 2011 winners from ASID Washington Metro Chapter:

Residential Multiple Spaces Category: The Lorber/Tarler Residence, Baron Gurney Interiors
Corporate Office: InScope International, Barbara Slater Magistro, ASID
Government/Institutional: Carnegie Institution for Science, Interior Revivals by Beth Leas, ASID
Residential Single Space: The Paul Residence Dining Room, Charles Larry Horne, FASID
Residential Kitchen/Bath Category: Suite 4511, Baron Gurney Interiors
Health Care: The Dr. Cyrus & Myrtle Katzen Cancer Research Center, Huelat Parimucha Ltd.
Commercial Detail/Small Unique Space: Wicker Park Seafood & Sushi Bar, HMSHost
Residential Detail/Small Unique Space: The Wine Room, Baron Gurney Interiors
Hospitality/Retail: Beaudevin, HMSHost
Commercial Sustainable Design: Perkins Will’s Washington, DC Office, Perkins Will

I was flattered that Nate Berkus’ team reached out to me one their quick-turnaround to DC yesterday, and I got to chat with him at the NBC Washington bureau after his interview with Barbara Harrison — it turns out that he has a lot of DC connections, and a lot to say about the design offerings in our city.

Nate and me in a conference room at WRC-TV

First thing out of his mouth when we sat down: Sixteen Fifty Nine, the fabulous MCM vintage store in Georgetown that, to my dismay, I realized had closed earlier this year.  Good thing it was still open last August, when Nate was here for fellow Oprah alum Art Smith’s wedding. He and his mom, designer Nancy Golden (who made her own name on HGTV), shopped there and he purchased at least 10 items, which now grace his apartment, which he just unveiled this week for the start of his second season on The Nate Show.

“I sent a truck home from DC the last time I was here,” he said. We proceeded to talk about where design IS these days, and why he maintains a design business in Chicago even now that he does a TV show full time.

“It keeps me informed,” he says, referring to his firm’s projects as opposed to TV makeovers. “It allows me to have a very credible relationship with antique dealers and vendors” in particular, he added. And here’s where he takes from his real-life design work and applies it to his TV audience: With so many home goods available that are so inexpensive, he said, “for many, many people, they have been sacrificing quality for style for a really long time. It’s time to take back the importance of what we allow into our homes. It’s important what we allow through our front door.”

Case in point: Nate was recently shopping at a big-box store, where he saw a set of 24 white bath towels, which happened to be placed near a case of toilet paper.

They were the same price.

“There’s something really wrong here,” he said. “I would rather have one good-quality towel than 24 towels that cost the same as toilet paper. … What we really need to do is care.”

Turning his sights to DC, he had lots of great things to say. Turns out he’s good friends with actress Ali Wentworth and her husband, ABC’s George Stephanopoulos. And who can forget the stunning Elle Decor spread on their Georgetown home two years ago, before they up and moved to New York:

They still have this rug, which Ali decorated herself with fabric dye, Nate said. Photograph by Simon Upton

“I think DC has so many great things to offer,” he said, referring to this house in particular, in which designer Elizabeth Martin took a very traditionally designed house and decorated it with elegance and whimsy. “I think what they did was amazing.”

Nate also mentioned the Besthesda home of his cousin, New York Times columnist Tom Friedman, “who didn’t hire me to do their house — thank you! See you at the next family reunion.” (I couldn’t find pictures of the interiors though, and now I’m really curious!)

He’s also “a huge fan” of Darryl Carter’s work (as am I, since my former editor in chief at Washington Spaces, Trish Donnally, helped Darryl write his book, The New Traditional). Overall, he says, “I think DC has a very strong, vibrant design community.”

A quick look through the House Proud  section of “The Nate Show” Web site reveals two gorgeous examples:

The first, not surprisingly, is McLean’s Jill Sorensen, who has become an online design diva with Live.Like.You:

And then there’s Nicole Bourgea in Silver Spring:

(UPDATE: here’s a link to a video from when Nicole, sister of the fabulous Leah Moss of Apartment Therapy DC, appeared on The Nate Show to talk about her house)

These images get to the point of what we were talking about yesterday: These are people who obviously care about what comes through their front door, and curate their homes with details that are meaningful. (I’m sure they keep the toilet paper safely in the bathroom, and hang plump bath towels that didn’t come from the same aisle in a big box store.)

Nate told Barbara Harrison yesterday that the goal of his show in its second season is to become “a destination for how to live with great style in every area of your life without spending a lot of money.” I’m definitely going to have to set my TiVo for 2 p.m. weekdays on Channel 4.

Producers are coming to DC for an upcoming episode of HGTV’s “Bang for Your Buck,” which compares similar-costing renovations to see which one earns the biggest resale “bang.” This time, they want recent master-suite re-dos.

According to the press release:

“HGTV’s Vern Yip and a local real estate expert will determine how the renovations impact each home’s value, and the renovation they determine got the biggest bang for its buck will win a generous grand prize! Throughout the show, we’ll provide viewers with expert advice, answers on remodeling values, and inspiring ideas for design.”

Vern Yip on "Bang for Your Buck"

So basically, it’s not a house you are selling, but a designer and real estate agent have the project assessed and judge how much of the money you spent on the project you would get back on resale. Here is a link to an episode that comapred master suites in Scottsdale, AZ.

Denielle Johnson at High Noon productions sent this notice to me only yesterday, but the deadline for applications is THIS FRIDAY, so homeowners and designers, if you know of a great master suite project that fits the bill, call her asap.

Here is the info:

Request an application by contacting Denielle Johnson at:

djohnson@highnoontv.com

 or (303) 872-8721

Good luck!

This weekend, much of the DC design community — in addition to friends, family, and even those who didn’t know him — said goodbye to a treasured friend.

Michael Schmidt was designer Barry Dixon’s partner — in EVERY way. Not only were they life partners for at least 20 years, they were business partners as well. But beyond that basic description, Michael was simply, as the gorgeous card from the memorial service program states, amazing.

I didn’t know him beyond business or social situations, but I find myself mourning him as if he were my best friend. Why? Because he was the best example of a human being there is. Not many of us are lucky enough to meet one.

Barry and Michael were (and Barry still is — bless our Lord HE is still with us) the greatest illustrations of a true gentleman. I have never once heard an unkind word from them. Whenever Michael’s name comes up (or Barry’s — “Barry and Michael” was one word, as far as I was concerned), it elicits a sigh of admiration.

But enough from me. I’d like to share with you the heartfelt stories from Michael’s closest friends as they expressed them during the service Saturday at St. James Episcopal Church in Warrenton, VA.

The sun came out before the service, after a morning of soft snowfall.

We all stepped through these lovely red doors to hear memories of Michael.

This was easily was the most elegant remembrance and reception I’ve ever attended, in a chapel more than two centuries old with an alter graced with long-stemmed white tulips and a large stand of branches with flowering quince blossoms.

"Can you think of any color of the rainbow he could NOT wear?" longtime friend and designer Charlotte Lekakos asked. "Seriously, do you know anyone else would could wear ORANGE?"

The service was preceded by a small chamber orchestra playing the Fall and Winter portions of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. After an opening hymn of “Morning has Broken”  and an introductory prayer, Mark Lowham rose to read excerpts from William Wordsworth’s “Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood” (see the entire poem here).

He first started by saying Wordsworth wrote it around this time of year, in the deepest winter, but remembering the joys and inspirations of life as we first saw them with a child’s eye. “Wordsworth might just as well have been thinking of Michael,” Mark said, and bid us all the listen to the words and “capture a moment, or two, or three, of Michael — and capture that joy forever.”

“And with the heart of May doth every beast keep holiday; –Thou Child of Joy, Shout round me, Let me hear thy shouts, thou happy Shepherd-boy!” The poem states (how appropriate that Michael was born in May). And at the end, equally appropriate, this: “What though the radiance which was once so bright Be now for ever taken from my sight, Of splendor in the grass, of glory in the flower, We will grieve not, rather find Strength in what remains behind; In the primal sympathy Which having been must ever be; In the soothing thoughts that spring Out of human suffering; In the faith that looks through death, In years that bring the philosophic mind.”

Barry chose the Wordsworth poem for Mark to read.

Next up was Charlotte Lekakos, who read a poem that Barry and Michael’s dear friend Dianne Strauss wrote but who was unable to come from out West to read herself. Barry “said that this poem has brought him so much comfort, that he wanted to share it with all of you,” Charlotte said.

(For those of you who didn’t know him well, feel free to scroll past it, but I feel it’s worth repeating.)

When angels are called to heaven – we have to let them go.

It is their choice

And it is

For us to love them,

To let them be –

In peace –

And to fly.

Michael Schmidt was a gentle man.

He was the man who would walk me down the aisle

– side by side with Barry—

when I would marry.

He is the human being

I – unconditionally –

Chose to walk through life with.

He is the life partner of my dearest friend.

Michael is the spirit who gleefully showed

his beloved goats

with such joy and benevolence

on a warm Summer’s day…

Suspended in time and space,

We crossed the land,

En route to a new wonder…

In honor of him –

Please remember –

Each and every day that –

Michael stood tall

In life –

As it IS.

It is for those of us who LIVE,

To live with his magnificence,

His shine,

And to carry on his reverent note.

Michael will reveal to us in time what we need to know

Here on earth and in heaven.

Michael IS and shall always be an exquisite life force.

Full of light and energy.

A divine and beloved presence.

So – there is not doubt – that here on this day –

We are honoring and celebrating the life of an angel.

From the moment I saw him and from the moment we spoke – I knew.

No matter what.

This spirit has huge wings! And, when he moves – you knew. The air, wind and earth

Preceded Michael – even before he entered the room. You could feel him. He was

Near… And, then, this wonderous creation of God was in the room.

Michael is and will forever be in the chambers of our hearts and souls – in the room

With all of us who loved him dearly. His gift is that huge! That large. That vast.

So – in peace –

My blessings for all time

To Michael William Schmidt for the touch of his hand,

The warmth of his heart and the grandeur of his care.

These photos of Michael at a friend's wedding were posted just a few days ago on his Facebook page.

After Charlotte finished reading the poem, she acknowledged the love of his legions of female fans.

“We were smarter, more witty, more attractive, sometimes even beautiful” in his company, she said. He must of had “a secret playbook for women from 9 to 90 and how to seduce them,” she continued — “maybe it was all the episodes he watched of ‘Sex and the City.’ ” He would notice if you lost “two and a half pounds, and tell you how fabulous you looked,” she noted. Somehow, he would politely NOT notice if you gained anything.

At parties and gatherings, she said, “Michael would flirt and charm all present, of all generations. He wouldn’t discriminate at all. He was an equal-opportunity lover. He put all women under his spell. … When we remember him, girls, let’s remember that we were fortunate to be in the right place at the right time to know him at all.”

Longtime friend Norma Ramsey, pictured above with Michael and Barry, spoke next.

“Loyal. kind. radiant. COLOSSAL,” Norma said. “This is a guy who changed the trajectory of everyone’s life situation that he touched. Just when you thought you were having the time of your life, Michael showed up.

“He was the Pied Piper who easily brought us along on all his journeys. We typically didn’t know where we were going; we just wanted to be there with him. He WAS Amazing Grace.”

She proceeded to tell funny stories about Michael’s life as a gentleman farmer (to put it nicely). “Who remembers that first pumpkin patch? He didn’t know how to grow pumpkins! He trucked him in on his pickup truck!” But he soon mastered gardening, tending chickens and goats … and learning how to ride horses and hunt.

“Whips, hounds, huntsmen and foxes — that sounds like the start of a perfect night with Michael,” she said.

He was so proud of his riding gear, he would even run errands in it, Norma noted. When he wore it to ride horses at a western dude ranch, she said, all the cowboys called him Fancy Pants.

Moving back to the subject of women, Norma added, “Every man wanted to be him, and every female just plain and simply WANTED him. Every woman he ever met thought she could be THE ONE who could bring Michael to the other side!”

A typical party where Michael was surrounded by women. Here, he stands with designers Victoria Neale, Laura Jens, Gloria Blalock, and art dealer Evelyn Avery at a launch party last year for Barry's new line of fabrics.

But Barry, Norma said, looking down at him during the service, “He was so desperately proud of you, as I know you were of him. Together, you were creative magic. Michael will always be in your heart and etched in your soul.”

Michael sets up for a photo shoot for an online sale last month on One Kings Lane.

David Pannell, Barry’s brother-in-law, spoke next. “Let me just say that Michael made QUITE and impression,” he said, comparing him to “an upscale Barry White.”

When he first met David’s wife (Barry’s sister), he gave her “a full bear hug. She swooned and had to be resuscitated,” David said dryly. “I was always thankful that he was a gentleman, and spoken for, and gay.”

He went on: “I mean by gentleman, he had a gentle, merry spirit. I mean that he was pure hearted. I mean that he always made people around him feel like better versions of themselves. … Sometimes, we cannot save even the people we love, and so we are left without the satisfaction of a complete narrative. We need to be grateful for the pages of the story where our lives intersected. They are all that we have, and they will have to be enough.”

Pat and Roseann McGeehin, who met Barry and Michael as clients almost 20 years ago, quickly grew to be among their closest friends.

The four of them pose on one of their many travels together.

They both came forward to give a Top Ten of Michael’s best-remembered traits.

10. His infectious laugh.

9. His inability to keep a secret. Roseann shared a story where Michael would conspire with her to hide purchases from her husband during trips, “only to mention in passing at dinner that the bags in the closet were taking up room from their clothes!”

Michael poses jauntily with Roseann McGeeehin.

8. His (poor) joke telling. “He really only had three jokes in his repertoire, and he would blow the punchline every time!” Pat said.

7. His love of masks. And not just Halloween masks, Roseann said. “God forbid he would go to bed without putting on a facial mask to clean his pores — at one in the morning!”

6. Game partners. Barry and Roseann tended to team up against Michael and Pat. He would accuse Barry and Roseann (who generally would win) of cheating every time.

5. Is it grouper, or groper? “One night, Michael made the memorable mistake of ordering groper instead of grouper at dinner.” From then on, Roseann said, he tended to avoid the fish and lean toward safer fare, such as veal chops.

4. Snorkeling. Imagine, if you will, two six-foot-five men in full snorkel regalia (“I never knew that Prada did a line of snorkel gear!” Pat said), running down the beach, flippers and all. “Barry yells out, ‘sea snake!’ ” and that was it. “Roseann and I are sitting in our chairs, laughing our a– (er,) butts off!”

3. Singing. Michael had two songs that he sang — Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and Happy Birthday, and he sang both spectacularly badly. He called Roseann each year to sing Happy Birthday to her over the phone, a la Marilyn Monroe. “Normally, I would get it on my voice mail, but I was lucky enough this year, on Nov. 30, to hear it live.”

2. Little brother. “I’m a 5’6″ guy talking about a 6’5″ guy,” Pat said, but.. “Michael had an innocence about him — not naivete, but an innocence. I felt sometimes that he needed protection.” And vice versa. “Michael, like a little brother, was always there for us when we had our problems. I’m going to miss him dearly.”

1. My big brother. As an only child, Roseann said, “I was lucky enough, 18 years ago, to meet Michael and Barry, and he was the big brother I never had.”

Once the reflections were over, a soloist sang an mournful and eloquent version of Sarah McLachlan’s “Angel.” We all recited the Lord’s Prayer, Prayers for the Departed, and The Commendation: “Receive him into the arms of thy mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints in light, Amen.”

And as the service started with Fall and Winter from the Four Seasons, we all stood while the chamber players played Spring and Summer — a contemplative, hopeful ending.

What followed, in typical fashion for Barry, was a reception in its finest form: packed with friends, family and well-wishers, sharing stories about Michael. Barry received guests who walked through the kitchen, standing there for what must have been hours, greeting every soul who came to comfort him, but in turn gave comfort to them.

My lasting memory of the day was driving up to the house in a long line of cars coming from the church, and as we drove up that long driveway, up a hill toward the house, we could see a lone bagpiper, and hear his mournful strains even through the closed car windows.

Yes, we were all sad at this gorgeously orchestrated reception, but leave it to Michael to bring together so many friends, so much fondness, and so much warmth. We’ll miss you Michael, and we’ll continue to embrace Barry with all his elegance, style and class.

DC Designer Paul Corrie is ON FIRE these days. He’s been recognized so frequently that it’s almost comical, until you take a look at his work and realize that, on both macro and micro levels, the former lawyer’s designs are like exquisite still life’s.

First, let’s tally the accolades, which, tellingly, have all flowed from Traditional Home magazine.

– Paul’s home is featured in the October 2010 issue, which is now on newsstands.

– In March, Trad. Home chose him as one of its “Young Traditional Home Designers to Watch For.”

– THEN, as if that weren’t enough, readers and designers — in separate contests sponsored by the magazine — BOTH chose him as one of their faves. That makes him a designer’s designer AND a client’s designer — a rare combination.

Paul, have you set up an office yet at the magazine? Well, you should, since you’re going to be making design recommendations for a randomly selected reader, who lives in Kentucky, in next month’s issue.

Now on to the pictures. Paul sent me some before-and-after doozies from a tiny condo project he just completed downtown. See for yourself why Traditional Home loves him so much.

Here’s what he found:

Yellow, pink and green, oh my!

And after:

Ahh, much better.

A detail of the corner. I like the casual placement of this formal old portrait.

Another before, looking toward the entry:

Note the pedestal-legged console and urn on top of it next to the front door...

And after:

A much better showing, especially without the tacky mirror and all that banana-yellow on the walls.

Let’s retire now to the bedroom, as its former self:

That yellow has chased us all the way in here. Add to that insult, an injury of melon and sage green. What kind of stores sell this stuff?

Paul to the rescue:

I could sleep soundly here now that we've departed the Copacabana.

I could curl up in those lush velvet drapes alone...

And now, another flashback — this time from the other side of the bed:

Ow. This hurts.

And back once again to what is now a lap of luxury:

I love it when a bedside "table" is also a desk, especially this smart-looking antique drop-leaf.

Here's more of a closeup. I just love the sweet little light on top.

Now you can see how Paul can utterly transform a space from a disturbing before picture to a sanctuary in all aspects, from color to texture to line. I especially love what he did in the bedroom, creating a soft, sophisticated environment that literally envelops you.

Thanks for sharing, Paul. Your honors are well deserved. (To see more of his work, you can go to his Web site, right here.)

I have a story in today’s Washington Examiner about how designer Dolly Howarth made Lisa and Martin Standiford’s new house in Alexandria into their dream home. She served both their needs, from Martin’s love of pool to Lisa’s home office, where she designs jewelry under the name Lisa Latham.

“We wanted it to be so many things, but we just couldn’t make that first step in realizing our vision,” Lisa says in the article, right here. She adds: Dolly “is an amazing listener, and she just got it.”

The examiner only had room to use a single picture each of the billiard room and office, so here you can see all the other pictures of these spaces, which Dolly had photographed by Angie Seckinger and Morgan Howarth. I also have photos from the rest of the house, which illustrate the way Dolly extended Lisa’s love of jewelry into the living and dining rooms, and how she translated the couple’s mutual love of Italian villas in their contemporary kitchen.

Dolly took the existing Oriental rug as the color inspiration for the room, and chose a non-traditional felt color for the pool table to match. She also designed the fireplace surround and built-in shelving. Photo copyright Morgan Howarth, www.morganhowarth.com

Dolly had a faux finisher paint the medallion on the ceiling. The art is a reflection of Martin's Art Deco taste. The floating demi-lune table and bar tables are all custom, topped with zebra wood. Photo copyright Morgan Howarth, www.morganhowarth.com

The billiard room was the first room to be completed, and is a favorite of the couple’s guests, Lisa says. Martin liked it so much that it gave Lisa the license to decorate the rest of the house, starting with the office.

The chrome-and-glass sawhorse table by Williams-Sonoma Home allow Lisa to see all her semi-precious stones on top and her tools below. Dolly cose lighting so she could see everything clearly. Photo by Angie Seckinger, http://angieseckinger.com

Lisa's desk sits across the room. Blu Dot desk in ivory lacquer, chair by Room & Board. Photo by Angie Seckinger, http://angieseckinger.com

"The lamp is where this all started," Dolly says of thd cobalt murano-glass lamp by Donghia. That, and fabrics by Bethesda textile designer Camilla David, dictated the jewel-tone colors on the accent walls. Note the tiny glass bead trim on the window treatments, which match the lamp. Photo by Angie Seckinger, http://angieseckinger.com

Color fills the corner of the office meant for sitting and reading. Lisa wanted white on the walls where she works to provide a neutral backdrop for the jewelry. Rug by West Elm. Photo by Angie Seckinger, http://angieseckinger.com

The rest of the house is filled with color, too. Every room contains a note of luminescence that echos Lisa’s jewelry.

Italy was the inspiration for this kitchen, but "I didn't want your typical rustic Italian," Dolly says. Think the sleek modernity of Milan, rather than the old-world influences of Rome or Florence. Photo by Angie Seckinger, http://angieseckinger.com

I love this detail with the green glass pendants, which pick up the colors in the mosaic backsplash from Renaissance Tile. The one rustic element -- the stone column -- is something you might see in the Italian countryside, but in just the right (tiny) dose. Photo by Angie Seckinger, http://angieseckinger.com

The dining room glows with color, anchored by commissioned works from Laura Edwards, whose studio is in the nearby Torpedo Factory, and lush window treatments with fabric by Duralee.

The rug is by one of my favorite designers, Thomas O'Brien, for Safavieh. Photo by Angie Seckinger, http://angieseckinger.com

The Standifords chose the chandelier by Porta Romana specifically because it looks like jewelry. The table and chairs are from another Italian company, the family-run Giorgio, which Dolly found in New York. Photo by Angie Seckinger, http://angieseckinger.com

The living room is a smooth take on mid-century modern. The riot of colors isn’t overwhelming — an effect we amateurs shouldn’t try at home!

Dolly chose an ebony stain over the purple-cast heartwood to give the shelving a deep aubergine color. The cognac-colored leather sofa is from Italy through Cliff Young Ltd. The floor lamp is from West Elm. Photo by Angie Seckinger, http://angieseckinger.com

Dolly chose these Blu Dot chairs and upholstered them in blue velvet. She found the New Moon rug at the J. Asher showroom at the Washington Design Center, which pulls everything in the room together. The painting is another work by Laura Edwards. The big dog is another nice accent! Photo by Angie Seckinger, http://angieseckinger.com

It’s not uncommon for designers to partner with great photographers to shoot their projects. In this case, designer Sue Burgess married hers. Gordon Beall, whose work can be seen in Architectural Digest, The Washington Post, and Darryl Carter’s book The New Traditional, has taken pictures of the town and country homes they share in Chevy Chase and Upperville, Va.

A hallway leads to the living room in the Chevy Chase house.

A vignette from the Upperville bedroom

I profiled both houses in the current issue of Bethesda Magazine in the wake of a new book out this year called Designers Here and There: Inside the City and Country Homes of America’s Top Designers by Michele Keith.

In the story (which sadly is not online), Sue describes how her Chevy Chase house is decorated to the hilt in fine antiques and tailored looks. She wanted the Upperville house to be more relaxed, and filled it mostly with items taken out of storage in Chevy Chase. She plans a major renovation of the Upperville house in the next year or so, so she didn’t want to use anything that she didn’t mind parting with later on.

Gordon expertly shot both houses — Sue insists that the country house is merely populated with castoffs, but her trash is our treasure, as you will see below.

CHEVY CHASE

This monumental Biedermeier chest in the living room is an example of precious antiques that won't be replicated in the country, Sue says.

My favorite space -- the kitchen.

The dining room. Sue's stark walls and floor coverings allow the fine antiques and artwork to shine.

Sue had limestone specially cut for the fireplace surrounds. She also had all the drapery hardware custom made by Barry Remley at Salvations Architectural Furnishings in Silver Spring.

The quietly elegant and formal bedroom.

I adore Gordon's detail here of the clock on the bedroom dresser, flanked by cool blue-gray succulents.

UPPERVILLE

The living room, with upholstery by Perennials indoor/outdoor fabrics that are impervious to spills -- and Sue and Gordon's dog.

Sue used panels from an old show house as window treatments in the dining room. The painting is by the owner of Oly Studio, my favorite furnishings manufacturer. She pulled the massive candlesticks, given to her by her father, from storage. The benches are also leftovers from Chevy Chase.

The mirror is from one of Sue's trips to Paris. The huge doors were a find from Leesburg -- she used them in a couple doorways to make the builder-grade entries seem more grand.

I sooo love this kitchen detail. Sue had everything in the kitchen, including tacky salmon-colored laminate counters, painted white so she could bear to look at it until a new kitchen is built with the renovation. She added the open shelves and light fixture.

The pleasing guest room, which features prints from the Paris flea markets that Sue had had in storage for years. She overlaid several white hide rugs on the floor.

A striking detail in the guest room.

This is my favorite image -- hand-painted Oriental silk screens in the master bedroom that feature stags in the countryside. Sue says they represent the horse country where Upperville is located without the cliché hunt scenes that have riders in red jackets.

Sue is the only DC-area designer featured in Designers Here and There. Other notables that are included are Barclay Butera, Eric Cohler and Vicente Wolf. You can get it right here.