Washington Design Center & Elle Decor: Opening Night

Last night was great fun - the Washington Design Center and Elle Decor hosted an opening gala for the Hall of Fame 2010 Design House. Newly located on the 5th floor, the showhouse features the work of eight designers who have been honored for their accomplishments in the design community. Here is a sneak peek into one of my favorite rooms; Nestor Santa-Cruz's Study. In his description Nestor wrote, "Elle Decor is the premier magazine for featuring personal, beautifully designed, chic rooms." Enveloped in a dreamy blue, I think his room epitomizes the spirit of Elle Decor. (I believe the color is Farrow & Ball's Chinese Blue)
He selects his pieces with the eye of a curator and then moves forward with a design scheme that is warm, textured and sophisticated in the most comfortable fashion. I love this occasional table - artful but still practical as a resting place for your martini. The Stark area rug is absolutely beautiful.
Nestor found all these pieces at flea markets; the painting and blue ceramic vase are from Copenhagen and the blue platter was found in the Marais in Paris.
This sofa is accented by a warmly textured alpaca pillow from NYC textile designer Bryant Archie. I greatly enjoyed meeting Bryant - her work is amazing and I'm looking forward to doing a whole post on her textiles, throws and pillows. They're currently carried by a number of stores, including Thomas O'Brien's Aero.
Here's Bryant with Heather Safferstone to her left and Sally Steponkus to the right. They're having a banner year in 2010 as Heather has recently joined Sally's firm full-time.
More great people at last night's event - interior designer Lauren Liess of Pure Style Home and her husband David, and interior designer Raji Radhakrishnan and her husband.
There is more to share from the Hall of Fame Design House in future posts. The showhouse is open to the public, free of charge, through Dec. 4. Go here for more info.