I’m not the craftiest of people, you see.

But I was inspired to do a craft in the process of writing about DIY decorating ideas. It gave me an excuse to do something with this vintage floor lamp I’ve had probably for 15 years, which has been naked like this for the whole time:

Enough designer friends convinced me that it would be easy to buy a plain lamp shade and spruce it up. First, Dana Tydings suggested using wallpaper on the inside of the shade, but I completely failed on that count. When I found myself multiplying the shade’s diameter by pi, and the measurements were still coming out wrong, I knew I was too far over my head.

But then designer Sally Steponkus told me that simply wrapping trim around the top and bottom would suffice — with only a pair of scissors and a little glue. That sounded more up my alley.

Ta da! I got everything I needed from my dearly beloved Bruce Variety in Bethesda: anti-fray cream for the rope trim, glue and the trim itself. I took the light into Lamps Unlimited in McLean for the shade. They also told me that the socket was all bad and I risked an imminent fire, so they fixed that right up for me. AND I found the beautiful finnial which has the same colors as my living room.

Designer Raji Radhakrishnan mentioned that I should also use the trim down the seam of the shade, which would look unfinished without it. So here’s the final image:

So, I’m sure if you asked Martha, she would offer multiple suggestions on improvements. But my little craft project makes the living room SO much more inviting, and I just sat on the sofa last night and smiled.

Susan Pilchard, who is known widely for her workroom’s expert construction of upholstery, window treatments and custom hardware, had a really fun afternoon open house yesterday to host Kitty Kelley and her new autobiography of Oprah.

Susan Pilchard, left, and Kitty Kelley

A bevvy of interior designers, including Dana Tydings, Sally Steponkus and Victoria Neale, came to have their books signed, and also to peruse the whimsical-yet-elegant handmade jewelry by Emma Villedrouin.

But I couldn’t help looking around Susan’s house, because when you make window treatments and upholstery for a living, it’s hard not to take that kind of talent home.

One feels special just walking through the door at her Georgetown townhouse.

The drapes -- and windows -- go up two stories in the living room.

I quickly realized that Susan is very good at creating enchanting tablescapes and vignettes throughout the house.

The piano is another great example.

Wine and strawberries mingle with Susan's angels in the kitchen, where you can see more of her craftsmanship with the drapes.

The shelves in the sitting area attached to the kitchen are filled wiht the family's collection of Majolica ceramics.

More Majolica creatures rest on the end table in the same room.

... And this little guy hangs on the wall. The room is like a museum of Majolica -- I've never seen so much of it collected in one place.

Here's the bombshell -- a guest room covered floor to ceiling in red toile, with the bed built into this incredible structure by Michael Bruner of Architectural Built-Ins in Rockville.

The shades and bamboo side table lend a plantation feel to the room, lifting some of its formal quality.

This is Susan's soaring master bedroom, with more built-in cabinetry by Michael Bruner.

There's nothing better than piles and piles of linens on the bed!

Susan has copious amounts of storage space, but piling the white towels on this gorgeous charcoal-gray upholstered bench is so much better than hiding them away.

I have known about Susan for a long time, because practically every designer uses her workroom when they need custom work done for their clients. But I had never meter her until yesterday — and WOW, what a personality. Kitty Kelley has great taste in friends!

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/sally-steponkus-creates-contemporary-cool-in-the-west-end/ http://dcbydesignblog.com/designers/sally-steponkus-creates-contemporary-cool-in-the-west-end/#comments Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:38:57 +0000 Jennifer http://dcbydesignblog.com/?p=99

My friend, Designer Sally Steponkus, just sent me pictures of a gorgeous condo in the West End, filled with pieces from some of my favorite companies. Take a look.

The airy living room is furnished with custom pieces and a vintage acrylic cocktail table. All photographs by Angie Seckinger

Sally’s clients, an Obama appointee and his wife, wanted a contemporary/mid-century modern look embellished with vintage pieces. In addition, she says, “The wife is extremely fashionable, and she wanted something fashionable.” Sally delivered.

Sally mixed a West Elm console and Crate & Barrel lamps with vintage Chinese Chippendale chairs from Circa Who in West Palm Beach, FL.

The wife’s fashion sense is apparent the minute you steps through the door, where you see a vintage bench underneath a bone mirror on one side — and my fav’s — a nailhead chest from Worlds Away with dazzling silver lamps by Shine across the way. The wonderfully graphic grasscloth wall covering by Phillip Jeffries sets it all off.

This couple entertains a lot, so they requested a dining table for eight. In keeping with the mid-century aesthetic, Sally gave them a Tulip table but updated the look with Ghost chairs, which also keep the space airy and open.

The West Elm barstools are perfect here, and in a nod to tradition (and fashion), Sally had the couple’s linen napkins embroidered with their first initials by Leontine Linens, a New Orleans company I adore.

The couple’s Leontine monogram is repeated often in this space, as you can see it writ large across the headboard and bedding in the master bedroom,

The guest bedroom,

Headboard and side tables by West Elm; lamps by Bungalow 5

And guest bath.

Sally gave the dog-loving couple an appropriately themed wallpaper by Thibaut.

The last picture, from the master bedroom, includes a gorgeous lacquered Chinese alter console from Circa Who in West Palm Beach, topped with a vibrant Christopher Spitzmiller lamp.

And here’s Sally herself, who totally fits the look of her own designs. Have a great weekend.

This news is a bit older than the DC designers we’re seeing in the current issue of Traditional Home, but I’ve been offline for more than a month since Washington Spaces closed, so forgive me if I have to catch up.

House Beautiful named its Next Wave of Designers in November, and Sally Steponkus and the team of J.D. Ireland and Julie Weber represented DC on the list. I won’t dwell too much on them, if only because my friend Michele over at My Notting Hill gave them great press when the news came out. So here’s a snippet, and get ready for tomorrow, when we’ll visit one of Sally’s most recent projects — a fabulous West End condo belonging to an Obama appointee.

J.D. Ireland and Julie Weber, who created a memorable foyer in last year’s DC Design House, have the most impeccable taste. They design sumptuous spaces, without any one thing every screaming or being in your face — everything forms a cohesive beauty.

Here is the great work they did for last year’s DC Design House in Georgetown:

The mirror is an elegant match to the Farrow & Ball Lotus papers, and what a great idea to put a painted bamboo-style screen over an old radiator.

All the Design House designers lined up on the stairs to pose, with Julie Weber and Joe Ireland in front. Our other featured designer today, Sally Steponkus peeks out near the top, with the white collared shirt.

A final shot from the Design House — the back stairway, which Joe and Julie had hand-painted by Stacy Tranter of Twin Diamond Studios.

All Design House photographs by Carrie Russell

Sally Steponkus defines preppy glam — and that’s a huge compliment. A less-skilled designer could let that look get way out of control, but Sally reins it in and makes it contemporary and chic, as we will see in abundance tomorrow.

Photographs by Angie Seckinger, via My Notting Hill