They couldn’t have picked a better day for a press preview to have us drive through the leafy Spring Valley neighborhood and arrive here, at the 2012 DC Design House, which opens to the public on Saturday, April 14 and runs through Sunday, May 13:

What an elegant way to spend an afternoon, nibbling on hors d’oeuvres from Bibiana, and wandering three floors of rooms that just a couple months ago were, well, rather sad. Not anymore! Here’s a taste of the 23 designs you will see here, from Before to After (all photography by Robert Radifera).

I’ll start with my FAVORITE, a teen lounge tricked out in nothing but Missoni, by my good friend Victoria Sanchez. She started here,

and created THIS:

While “Get Smart” plays on a loop on the TV (not shown), Victoria’s space translates the whimsical colors and patterns of Missoni Home through window treatments, carpet, lighting, pillows, and that HUGE pouf using vintage mid-century furniture as a vehicle — what a perfect pairing! (Target, eat your heart out — this is the REAL stuff. Sure, most of us probably couldn’t afford this room, which is why you have to get over here in the next month to experience all this eye candy in person).

Moving right along, let’s see how design-house regular Kelley Proxmire applied her signature style to this enormous ballroom:

I wouldn’t know where to begin here. But Kelley did:

She created L’Orangerie, “a classic take on a modern sunroom. With Palladian windows on three sides, the room reminded me of Versailles and evoked a grandness that I wanted to emphasize,” she writes. And befitting an orangerie, to define this large end room, she included mirrored walls and greenery throughout.

Marika Meyer‘s breakfast room, which looks out to the lovely patio, would put anyone in a good mindset for the impending day. Here’s what she started with:

And the result:

“Because I have a 2-year-old son, this is the opposite of my real life!” she says. “This is my reaction to having a 2-year-old son.” Indeed!

And while we’re talking about opposites, let’s consider what Nadia Subaran of Aidan Design did with this ghastly kitchen:

(Who EVER thought this design was cool?). At any rate, here’s the lovely, luminous transformation:

And now, for some more mood and soul, we move on to the family room by Dan Proctor of Kirk Designs in Baltimore. He got this space to start with, the old dining room:

And he turned it into THIS:

Wow. I don’t think I would ever leave this space! The cocktail table and desk are custom by Maryland artisan Mitchell Yanosky, and the amazing chandelier and wall sconces were also custom by another Maryland source, McLain Wiesand.

Now, let’s move upstairs, to the impressive master bedroom by Sharon Kleinman of Transitions.

(eww, who would EVER have wanted THIS bedroom??)

But I could definitely get on board with this:

Just outside this room is the balcony, plain-Jane:

And here’s what Shanon Munn and Amanda Welch of Ambi Design Studio did with it:

“It was kind of nice to take a space that had never been loved and do something with it,” Shanon says. I agree! Here’s what the balcony looks like to someone standing out on the hill behind the house:

Here’s what might be the most dramatic transformation in this house. Carolyn Wilson and Elizabeth Boland of Design in a Day took this RANDOM, nothing space:

and made it into the most amazing transition between two of the upstairs rooms:

Lorna Gross of Savant Interior Design also made an impressive turnaround with this ugly, paneled nightmare of a study:

(I mean, if it weren’t bad enough already, they had to put a big ole fluorescent light on the ceiling!)

Here’s how Lorna tamed it:

Ahh, so much better.

The third floor, reserved for the young son and teenage daughter, took vanilla spaces and gave the new, impressive life. These are lucky children!

Susan Nelson, using her own daughter as muse, took this space

and filled it with color and pattern. She even used her own daughter’s prom dress (not shown) as a prop.

“My goal was to get a different pattern on every surface,” she says. I think she accomplished it! I loved Susan’s approach here. Like most kids’ rooms, it’s a blend of pieces from the little-girl stage (a dresser painted with birdies) combined with more sophisticated elements (the profusion of gorgeous fabric on the bed and the addition of wallpaper from Farrow & Ball).

Across the hall, Nancy Twomey of Finnian’s Moon created a young boy’s room from a very similar “before” to what Susan had:

Here’s the result:

Several visitors were saying that the silver buck’s head above the bed resembles Harry Potter’s “petronus” — how right! I also love how Nancy created room to grow: the blue backing behind the bed can serve as a headboard for a Queen-size bed for when the young one gets older.

As with any old house, you’re often faced with ugly, OLD tile.

Pepto pink, anyone?

Dear God. This might have looked good on “I Dream of Jeannie,” but not really anywhere else. Here’s how Allie Man of Case Design interpreted it for a nursery bathroom:

Ohhh, so much better.

Upstairs, Christopher Patrick and Kaitlyn Andrews-Rice of Christopher Patrick Interiors embraced the old brown-and-white tile on the floor of their bath:

And created this dazzling new space, punctuated by vivid Farrow & Ball wallpaper:

They even chose a modern brown mosaic tile to run up the shower wall, literally taking the old floor into a new dimension:

“We’d like to show [visitors] what you could do with a floor like this,” Christopher says.” And instead of ripping out the old shower floor, he instead put a teak tray down. The tray wasn’t inexpensive, he notes, but much cheaper than ripping out and starting over. What a great tip for those of us with old showers!

Well, I couldn’t cover all the spaces here, but then why would you go and see the house in person if I did? Even the rooms shown here have detail and texture that just can’t be captured on camera. So please go see it — the drive through Spring Valley alone will make it worth your while!

The Washington Post just came out this morning with a great story, designer tips, photos, and video tour on the DC Design House, which you should definitely check out. I will add a couple more images here that were not contained in the story, but I’m telling you, they are nowhere near all the incredible details you will see in this huge mansion, which is so worth your $20 to see.

Nestor Santa Cruz designed the reception room between the foyer and the living room. "I don't do cute and I don't do pretty," the architect and interior designer says. "I like modern, I like classical, I like art deco." Photographs by Angie Seckinger

I love this 19th century French industrial side table, made with steel and bronze.

Basha White commissioned Keith Fritz to design a circular dining table for this space. “Round is wonderful,” Keith says. They fit more people, and they’re more egalitarian. Fritz, who used to be based in DC, now lives in Indiana, where he makes his custom furniture and trucks it himself back to DC once a month.

Photograph by Jaime Windon for Children's National Medical Center

Victoria Sanchez, who did an online Q&A with The Post’s Jura Koncius today, designed the library.

This wallpaper was back ordered, so Victoria used her peronsal stock, intended for her own home, in here. She purchased the Picasso reproduction prints from Evelyn Avery of Avery Fine Art. Photograph by Jaime Windon for Children's National Medical Center

Upstairs, Celia Welch created a master bath that, frankly, I would never want to leave in the morning.

Antique glass fills the upper portion of the closets, which were made by her carpenter. The simple-but-elegant chandelier comes from Gragg Studios. Photograph by Angie Seckinger

The slate gray (and eco-friendly) washed-linen chair is from Lee Industries. The sheers and shades are natural fibers. Photograph by Angie Seckinger

Now, it’s on to the airy artist’s studio by Tracy Morris.

It took two days to paint the floor so it looks like limed planks -- even the "nails" look real. An 1890's Oushak rug lies on top, with a Thomas Moser chair at the desk. Photograph by Angie Seckinger

The art is by Susan Calloway Fine art. Photograph by Angie Seckinger

So, I think I’ve exhausted the teasing without giving the whole house away. The house opens Saturday and lasts about a month. Enjoy the tour!

The DC Design House had its press preview day today, and OMG — just can’t get over it. Usually, I would never want to live in a designer showhouse — every room tends to be over the top and way too showy. But MAN, I want to move right into this one. It didn’t hurt that they served us lunch on the terrace by the pool.

It opens to the public on April 10 (see my previous posts here and here). And while I await more professional pictures for a more detailed post next week, here is a little eye candy — not a lot of words, just a lot of visual teasing. I do hope you will pay $20 for a ticket — it will not only give you a most pleasurable afternoon, but it will also benefit the National Children’s Medical Center.

Foyer, by Shazalynn Cavin-Winfrey

I'm pretty sure the vases come from my favorite porcelain company, DC-based Middle Kingdom.

Living Room, by Frank Babb Randolph:

Sun Room, by Sarah Wessel:

Dining Room, by Basha White:

Kitchen, by Clive Christian:

I didn't know what to look at first, the cabinets or the china.

Refrigerator doors!

Library, by Victoria Sanchez:

Conservatory, by Barry Dixon:

Barry is a modern-day Thomas Jefferson, interested in architecture, science, nature, and how to elicit the beauty of them all at home.

The conservatory is a showcase for Barry's lines of furniture with Tomlinson Erwin-Lambeth, fabrics with Vervain, and rugs with Megerian.

Conservatory Terrace, by Andrew Law:

How I longed to be out here at the cocktail hour...

Landscaping by Cynthia Ferranto:

Here's what you see from the balcony on Andrew's terrace.

Master Bedroom, by Sally Steponkus:

The flowers make a perfect complement to the whimsical lines of Barry Dixon's Hendricks table.

Lamp from Verdigris in Old Town, lamp shade by Pottery Barn, shade trim by Michael Smith for Samuel & Son

Master bath, by Celia Welch:

Original tub, tile; new wallpaper and artwork

Home Office by Rose DiNapoli:

English antique wing chair, with a beautifully upholstered facelift

New paneling; old fireplace

Guest Room, by Michael Hampton:

Artist John Matthew Moore, normally known for his oversized floral paintings, created this one specifically for Michael's design, so it would resemble wallpaper.

Yummy custom-made alpaca bedspread by Sandra Jordan; hide rug

Guest Sitting Room, by Barbara Franceski:

Boy’s Room, by Lisa Adams:

Girl’s Room, by Page Palmer:

Upstairs Living Room and Terrace, by Kelley Proxmire:

And the Virtual Golf Room in the detached Carriage House, by Lynni Megginson:

The space is outfitted for golf, gaming (of the table and video variety), movies, cocktails -- you name it.

The nailheads represent golf balls; the sculpture represents the occasional dandelion you might see on the course.

I hope these small details have whetted your appetite for more to come. I’ll have more design details next week, but not so much that you won’t have to go see this amazing house in person — just across from the Chevy Chase Club.

It’s always fun comparing the architectural drawings of a room to the completed product — I especially love it when Candice Olson does that on HGTV’s Divine Design. But come to find out, there are other examples of great artists right in our backyard, and I saw their work in action last week at the DC Design House’s Bare Bones Tour. (See my post on the tour here.)

The first is Maria Morga, who is an adjunct professor at the Corcoran Gallery in color theory and perspective drawing. I first saw the work she did for Barry Dixon at the CharityWorks GreenHouse, which we published in Washington Spaces:

Then I saw her elevation for Victoria Sanchez’s room at this year’s DC Design House:

She also sent me some other drawings she’s done, and her clients aren’t too shabby. They include the St. Regis hotel downtown:

And the Greenbriar Hotel in White Sulphur Springs, WV:

Here’s one more of her interiors that I particularly like:

And now, Michael Hampton. When I met him on the tour last week, I had no idea that the beautiful sketches he displayed for the guest room he will decorate were his own:

And then I found out what a talented artist he is. Other blogs have featured his water colors in the past year, but I was seriously out of the loop.

Here are more of Michael’s room sketches. I would say this designer, a protege of Thomas Pheasant, is definitely in the right day job.

Walking through a designer showhouse before it’s been decorated really brings home the giant task designers have on their hands — and they only have a month or so to beautify it. The organizers of the DC Design House, which will benefit the National Children’s Medical Center when it opens to tours April 9 through May 10, held a Bare Bones Tour on Saturday so the public could see the “before” rooms. That tour, no doubt, will make us all appreciate the “afters” that much more.

But pictures will tell a better story than my blathering, so let’s start.

We start with the huge entry hall, which Shazalynn Cavin-Winfrey will design.

Shazalynn will apply this color and design scheme to the foyer. Niermann Weeks is loaning three huge chandeliers for the space, and David Iatesta is loaning a bench (in addition to lots of other pieces throughout the house).

The foyer has lots of ornate trim, and Shazalynn is papering the space between the trim with Farrow & Ball paper. "It's really going to make this feel a little edgier for a young family," she says. Farrow & Ball is donating all paint and wallpapers for the DC Design House, as it has for the last two years.

To the left of the foyer is the giant conservatory, which Barry Dixon will design. This picture does not even cover half of the room's area.

Here's Barry, standing on the giant hearth, with his presentation board above. He will be using all his own fabrics from his new line for Vervain.

A closeup of Barry's presentation board. The yellow and gray color scheme is similar to what he did in the great room of the CharityWorks GreenHouse, but where yellow was dominant in the GreenHouse, gray will be the dominant shade here. He took his color inspiration from the stone of the hearth and fireplace surround.

Andrew Law is designing the grand porch off the conservatory, using the color scheme above.

To the rear of the foyer is the baby-blue library, which Victoria Sanchez will turn into a vision in grays and soft yellows, making it compatible with the conservatory next door.

Here are the library details, including a beautiful rent table by David Iatesta.

... And the sketch of what the completed room will look like, by architectural artist Maria Morga.

A sketch of Nestor's vision for this small area, which serves as a transition between the foyer and living room.

Here's the "before" picture of the living room. Peachy, eh?

Here is Frank Babb Randolph's vision for the living room -- full of greens and natural materials.

Light at the end of the tunnel. The doors on the other side of the living room lead out to...

The sunroom! It's actually delightful just as it is, but Sarah Wessel will spruce it up even more.

Here's Sarah, talking about how she thought about changing the light fixture, but decided to keep the white chandelier in her new design.

Sarah's design board sings with soft greens, blues and creams.

Back inside, here is the dining room that Basha White will tackle.

What a shame she'll have to cover up all this decorative painting.

Here is Basha's presentation board for a fresh, updated look.

Clive Christian supplied this board of before pictures for the kitchen...

... So you could see how dramatic the change would be.

Upstairs, the master bedroom cries out for help.

Sally Steponkus is ready to provide it.

Sally's revision will be awash in neutrals, where texture and pattern, rather than color, will add variety.

Celia Welch will transform the master bath and closet. The wallpaper will have to go.

Here's Celia, with her design board of calming neutrals -- a nice accompaniment to Sally's designs.

This sweet little nursery will soon be a super-cool boy's bedroom.

Here's the hip new design for a lucky young man, by Lisa Adams.

Now for the girl's room. Not much to look at, at this point.

But Page Palmer will turn it into a space inspired by a friend's daughter.

Here's the dreamy design scheme,

and the custom headboard on the bed mimics the shape of the pediment over the home's front door.

Meanwhile, Michael Hampton will be handling the guest room.

The new design will trade bright fuchsia for soft tans and blues.

I love the texture and subtle patterns on the guest-room fabrics.

Next door to the guest room, Barbara Franceski will battle yellow harlequin to create a guest sitting room.

Here's the scheme for Barbara's new sitting room.

And here's Barbara, pointing out that the room will have accents of intaglios, pictures of Greek busts, and other details that make this room classic-chic.

And finally, the art studio. The baby blue art studio, which Tracy Morris will be doing something about.

Here's Tracy, discussing her ideas for the new room.

A closeup of the sketch for the new art studio.

As I was talking to Tracy, two extremely handsome men walked in. They are brothers, Brian and Preston Key, whose company, Delivering Design, specializes in delivering precious goods, such as designer furniture and art for the DC Design House.

Wouldn't you want Preston, left, and Brian to take care of your fine furniture and other valuable goods?

I was unable to get much detail on the outdoor landscaping by Cynthia Ferranto, the study by Rose DiNapoli, or the upstairs family living room by Kelley Proxmire. But they will all be in their “after” glory starting on April 9. For more information on the design house, check my previous blogs here and here.

]]> http://dcbydesignblog.com/designers/bare-bones-at-the-dc-design-house/feed/ 15 http://dcbydesignblog.com/designers/behind-the-doors-of-the-dc-design-house-a-chat-with-owners-rob-and-robin-wilder/ http://dcbydesignblog.com/designers/behind-the-doors-of-the-dc-design-house-a-chat-with-owners-rob-and-robin-wilder/#comments Tue, 26 Jan 2010 23:57:56 +0000 Jennifer http://dcbydesignblog.com/?p=156

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.

Wow. Skip and Debbie Singleton of DC Living Real Estate have really outdone themselves in their third year of chairing the DC Design House, which benefits the Children’s National Medical Center. After showcasing stupendous properties in Georgetown the fist two years, they’ve moved out to Chevy Chase — to a veritable chateau (the real kind, not the McMansion kind) across from the tennis courts of the Chevy Chase Club on Bradley Lane.

The Beaux Arts mansion encloses more than 10,000 square feet for our area’s best designers to make over. It includes nine bedrooms and 10 baths. It was the site of Harry S. Truman’s inaugural party, and once served as residence to the ambassadors of Mauritius and Uruguay.

With all the cars there today, it's clear that everyone is already hard at work on the design house. I love the entryway and the decorative pediment above it.

I can’t wait to go to the public Bare Bones Tour on Feb. 27, where you can tour the unadorned interiors and see all the designers’ concept boards in each room for what they will do to transform it. The completed Design House will open for tours from April 10 to May 9.

Can't you imagine standing on this terrace by moonlight, in your ball gown, looking out at the stunning grounds surround this house?

The designers have been named who will decorate about 20 spaces in the house. To date, they are:

Barry Dixon, Drawing Room

Andrew Law, Drawing Room Terrace

Victoria Sanchez, Library

Shazalynn Cavin-Winfrey, Entry and Stair Hall

Nestor Santa-Cruz, Reception Room

Frank Babb Randolph, Living Room

Sarah Wessel, Sun Room

Basha White, Dining Room

Clive Christian Kitchens, Butlers Pantry, Kitchen, Porch

Sally Steponkus, Master Bedroom

Celia Welch, Master Dressing Room

Rose DiNapoli, Study

Michael Hampton, Guest Bedroom

Barbara Franceski, Guest Sitting Room

Lisa Adams, Boy’s Bedroom and Bath

Page Palmer, Girl’s Bedroom

Kelley Proxmire, Family/Living Room

Tracy Morris, Artist’s Studio

Cynthia Ferranto, Landscaping