Road trip to Rehoboth? Another Show House!

Up for a road trip? John Raines of Boxwood Home in Rehoboth contacted me to let me know that ten interior and landscape designers have transformed a 3200 sq. foot 1920's cottage home inside and out to benefit the Village Improvement Association. Love John's mix of scale with the pieces in this bedroom and the contrast of light and dark - gorgeous!

The show house is open for tours one more weekend, May 4 - 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 10 Fourth Street, Rehoboth Beach, DE. Tickets are $25 at the door. For more information call 302-227-2598 or 302-227-1466.

While you're visiting the showhouse be sure to head over to Boxwood Home at 39 Baltimore Avenue, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971 for a visit.

Another Pretty Gray Kitchen

Gray kitchens have been making  the rounds on blogs as of late so here's one more to add to the mix - it's by talented designer Nadia Subaran of Aidan Design for the 2012 DC Design House.   Love the pairing of the dark wood island with the warm gray-blue cabinets and the thick topped table in the sun drenched breakfast area. Beautiful flooring too. For all the details on the kitchen head over here. 

Mick Jagger's Parisian Digs

Vogue recently featured the Paris apartment L'Wren Scott designed and shares with Mick Jagger. Complete Satisfaction. (Photography by Francois Hallard)

DC Design House: Inventive Spaces

The space mother and daughter design team Carolyn Wilson and Elizabeth Boland of Design in a Day was given wasn't much more than a warren of closets and a hallway.  Now it's a striking, chic transition space packed with a bold, cohesive design.  The walls are papered in a stamped alligator pattern and the ceilings are painted in Farrow & Ball Dayroom Yellow.
(First two images from their blog Haute Couture)


And speaking of challenges, the Master Deck was a forlon long and narrow space, barely 6 feet wide and dated by some unfortunate scrolling iron work.  Shannon Munn and Amanda Welch of Ambi Design Studio transformed it into a private retreat with a very smart furniture plan and the addition of a custom shaded cover attached by a light weight railing system.
Art panels were created from enlarged photographs taken of a Georgetown garden and custom outdoor mirrors visually expand the space.  The dated scrollwork was cleverly hidden by a series of pedestals and benches that create a feature wall and add to the intimacy of the space.

DC Design House
April 14th - May 13th 2012
4951 Rockwood Parkway, NW, Washington, DC
Hours: Saturdays-Sundays 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesdays-Fridays 10 a.m. to 3 p.m
Ticket price: $20

p.s.  Blogger, I'm not convinced your new format is really that user friendly!  While I like some of the features, the control panel and the ability to move back and forth between old and new posts is awkward.  Curious to hear what other bloggers think.

Break-Out Bath: DC Design House

Have a small, dated bathroom you're dying to update? If so, then follow the lead of designer Christopher Patrick. Working with the bath's original brown and cream tiled floor, Christopher added in subway and accent tiles in contemporary patterns to create a luxurious retreat with a bit of an old-money vibe. Love this sleek vanity paired with modern pulls. This gem of a room is one of the stand-out spaces in the DC Design House and it's sure to get these designers noticed.
Here's Patrick with colleague Kaitlyn Andrews-Rice.
Notice how the subway tile runs both horizontally and vertically. Another great takeaway - hide an unsightly floor with a custom teak mat.

Christopher and Kaitlyn used Farrow & Ball's Ranelagh Wallpaper 18-23, Blazer No. 212, and All White 2005. This last photograph is by Robert Radifera, courtesy of the DC Design House.


DC Design House
April 14th - May 13th 2012
4951 Rockwood Parkway, NW, Washington, DC
Hours: Saturdays-Sundays 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesdays-Fridays 10 a.m. to 3 p.m
Ticket price: $20

Eye Candy: Streamlined Bath

I had originally planned to post more about the DC Design House but a dying computer with "trapped"photographs is getting in the way. Hoping to resolve that soon! In the meantime here's some bathroom eye candy from Nuevo Estilo here.

DC Design House 2012 - Sneak Peek!

The DC Design House opens this Saturday and I think it's fair to say it's bigger and better than ever! There's so much to show but to start here's a sneak peek of just a few of the rooms on the main floor of this three level home transformed by 23 local area designers.

Daniel Proctor of Kirk Designs created a luxe, comfortable family room you would expect to find gracing the pages of Margaret Russell's Architectural Digest. Formerly the home's dining room, four 8' x 4' panels were mounted on the wall to create architectural interest and conceal a doorway to the kitchen. One of my favorite features of the room is the long table positioned in front of the window, serving as a work space and providing a great view out onto the terrace. (Walls in Farrow & Ball Charleston Gray and Wimborne White)


Victoria Sanchez's Teenager's Getaway is a fabulous space. Any room that can make you feel younger just by walking into it deserves an award in my book. Farrow & Ball's All White is the backdrop for vibrant colors, Missoni patterns and a bold, striped rug that create a fun, optimistic energy. The sheer drapes have a raised chenille-like zig zag pattern and let in light while making a strong, design statement.

Shazalynn Cavin-Winfrey's dining room, while elegant and sophisticated, is also warm and inviting. A balance that is hard to strike but definitely achieved in this space. Upholstered banquets flank either side of the french doors that span the back of the room and a large console table provides a practical place to set up for a buffet, afternoon tea or bar. Wish I had taken a picture from a straight-on angle to give a better sense of that.
The ceiling is wallpapered in a marbelized pattern and it ties in with all the delicious corals and blues in the room. (Walls are covered in Farrow & Ball Tallow 203, Fowler Pink No. 39 and Dragged Wallpaper 6-33)
To the left of the dining room is Marika Meyer's serene and lovely Morning Room. Love, love her use of citrine and indigo against the backdrop of neutral creams and grays. Artful choices in pattern and accessories create interest throughout the space.
This could be setting for a four hour breakfast - I mean, would you really want to leave this gorgeous table? Bookshelves are backed with a trellis patterned fabric. (Wall covered in Farrow & Ball Wallpaper Drag 12-15, Harwick Whtie, Shaded White and Slipper Satin)

If you do have a chance to visit the Design House in person, you'll be greeted by the sophisticated foyer and reception hall designed by artist John Matthew Moore. Playing off the existing black and white marble floors, Matthew created a space that perfectly references the 1950's period in which the home was built while bringing in contemporary elements and chinoiserie touches.
This incredible double star chandelier designed by Matthew and created by local lighting artist Rick Singleton is a work of art and the source of many oohs and aahs! Interestingly, it was inspired by a wire sculpture in Barbara Franceski's room from last year's Design House. There it is on the bureau below.
His original designs also extend to a linen drapery fabric in a traditional diaper-patterned of creams, grays, and blacks. Reflected in the mirror, you can see Matthew's painting, the "Three Swans." It is anchored by a black and gilt bench with gorgeous leopard silk velvet bolsters and a collection of antique blue and white porcelains. (Walls in Farrow & Ball Hardwick White, Shaded White, Whimborne White and upstairs Crivelli Trellis 31-03)

This post is only a snippet - much more to come in the next few days. If you are anywhere near DC, you will absolutely want to see this home in person. Not only is it a visual treat, it's a leading fundraising event for Childrens National Medical Center.

DC Design House
April 14th - May 13th 2012
4951 Rockwood Parkway, NW, Washington, DC
Hours: Saturdays-Sundays 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesdays-Fridays 10 a.m. to 3 p.m
Ticket price: $20

Happy Easter!

I danced on a Friday when the world turned black

It's hard to dance with the devil on your back

They buried my body, they thought I was gone

But I am the dance, and the dance goes on

Dance, dance, wherever you may be

I am the lord of the dance, said he

And I lead you all, wherever you may be

And I lead you all in the dance, said he

They cut me down and I leapt up high

I am the life that will never, never die

I'll live in you if you'll live in me

I am the Lord of the dance, said He

(verses from Lord of the Dance, Sydney Carter)

I Want This

I want this, the necklace that is. (Although the figurine is quite fine too.) Saw this while window shopping a few weeks ago in Beacon Hill. My photo doesn't do justice to the quality of the large green stone end piece.

This weekend I'm finishing painting the kitchen. You may remember the last time I mentioned the kitchen it was a few days before 34 people came for Thanksgiving dinner. Well, this go around it's only 7 for an Easter Sunday gathering. If you look at it from my perspective, that's an improvement!

From the Stacks: A Fav Kitchen & more

In truth, this is from my tear sheets and that's why I don't know the photographer to credit but I'm fairly sure the designer is Chicago based designer Athalie Derse (House Beautiful Aug 2005.) This is one of my all time favorite kitchens - really more of a cooking room with a casual seating and meal prep area blended so nicely together. Always have thought too that the black print hanging over the fireplace plays so nicely off the counters and coffee table.
Perfect chairs - simple and floral, happily coinciding in the same space.
Ikat before the trend. Hope you're having a great week.

Farrow & Ball Color Talk April 4th (McLean VA) and Contest!

Color Wheel of McLean, VA is sponsoring "Color Inside and Outside the Home"
an inspirational talk by Farrow & Ball Color Consultant, Ann Pailthorpon, on how to transform your home, inside and out, with an emphasis on exteriors this Wednesday April 4th (Session 1 at 10 am, Session 2 at 4 pm.)

Event details: (registration at the store)
Limited reserved seating. $25 fee due at registration. Each attendee will receive a gift bag valued at more than $25. A drawing will be held for 3 gallons of Farrow & Ball Paint ($255 value) and a copy of the book Living with Color ($40 value).
Must be present to win. Registrants will also recieve a free ticket to the Home & Design Luxury Expo May 5-6, while supplies last.

This talk coincides with Farrow & Ball's contest - The Great Outdoors - Farrow & Ball world wide search for the best exterior door. The deadline for submitting your photo is April 16th.