This past Sunday I had the pleasure of visiting the DC Design House, benefiting the Children’s National Medical Center.  The house this year is located in Spring Valley, DC  in a lovely wooded area that feels miles from the city.    The final day to visit the house will be Saturday May 13th, and I would definitely recommend stopping by.  Here is the link where you can purchase tickets in advance:  http://www.dcdesignhouse.com/

I will jump right in and tell you about my two favorite rooms. 

Marika Meyer's "Morning Room"; photograph by Angie Seckinger Photography

 First of all, I loved Marika Meyer’s “Morning Room”.  Marika has the most amazing sense of style.  The whole room exudes a feeling of “comfortable glamour”.   Everything has a lot of subtle layers to it, but in colors that are rich but soft and supremely elegant.  The lovely Sea Urchin inspired art by artist Laurel Lukaszewski through the Art Registry is entirely unique in this space.  The room doesn’t feel staged or “done”.   I absolutely love the vintage faux bamboo chairs which Marika found in Palm Beach and are  upholstered in a shimmery deep blue fabric. The rug from Stark brings together neutrals and punches of rich indigo blue.   This room is pure elegance with a strong dose of comfortable. 

 The room that stands out most in my mind is that done by designer Victoria Sanchez. 

Victoria Sanchez "Teenage Getaway"; photo byJohn McDonnell at the Washington Post

 This room is fun, fresh and energizing.  One of the last rooms that you visit in the house, Victoria Sanchez’s room stands out for me because of its originality and freshness.  All of the walls are white and the fabrics and furniture have strong pops of rich color.   There is a museum-like quality to the white walls which feels fresh and clean and relaxing, as a backdrop to the more energizing pops of color and pattern.   The molding at the light fixture is original to the house and is gorgeously gilted.  The furniture is all vintage   reupholstered in solid shouts of color.   All of the fabrics are Missoni (including the iconic Missoni zig zag at the window treatments).  The result is gorgeous and fun with amazing plays on pattern, texture, transparency and light. 

I actually didn’t even realize until I was looking over the program to write this that the title for this room is:  “Teenager’s Getaway”.  This kind of strikes me as funny, because I am no teenager, and I would love a space like this as a getaway for myself.

There are definitely other interesting spaces in this amazing Spring Valley, DC home, but these are the two rooms that really got my attention. 

Did you happen to get a chance to visit the DC Design House 2012?  If so, what were your impressions?  If you still want to go, you still have a chance so get yourself over there before it is too late.  Only three days left!!

DC Design House

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.
Have a great week!!

Holly

View of Fountain through Tall Grasses: photo by Holly O'Brian

Sometimes when you are feeling in a rut, the best thing to get you feeling good again is to mix up your routine and see and experience new things.  Just as we as individuals need to spice things up from time to time to come back with a clearer perspective, for people to be their most creative, they need to get away and lose themselves in their surroundings.  Last week my Mom and her boyfriend were visiting here from Seattle and we discovered the most wonderful place to do just that:  The Dumbarton Oaks Gardens in Georgetown ( http://www.doaks.org/).   The Garden Entrance is located at the corner of R and 31st Street.   If you haven’t been there yet, you really must take my word for it and go for a visit.  I promise you won’t regret it.  And you may end up even becoming a season pass holder, so that you can visit whenever you feel like it.

The Dumbarton Oaks Gardens and House are the location for the Dumbarton Oaks Conversations that led to the founding of the United Nations back in 1944.  Looking from the many lovely views over the 11 acres of gorgeous gardens make it seem totally possible that this absolutely amazing spot could inspire people to the greatest of things.  These gardens are  thoughtfully laid out, and are well balanced between more carefully manicured parts, and other sections that are more wild and rebellious.  There are lovely water features throughout from small to larger fountains, to a beautiful swimming pool (not open to the public;  I already asked).

In Design School in Madrid, one of the most meaningful projects for me was where we studied the balance and beauty in nature through the examination of leaves.  Nature can never be truly chaotic, unless the chaos is an attempt by nature  to correct itself, thereby returning to balance.  When you really look at a leaf, it is incredible to see how completely balanced it is.  The veining is a work of art in itself.  In my Design Fundamentals class, we then tried to emulate what we found through the creation of a pattern.  Once we had come up with a single element, we manipulated it in various ways to create patterns through rotation, mirroring, repetition and symmetry.  The results were surprising.  Because the initial element was balanced and thoughtful, the resulting modifications  were more attractive.   

I used to go to the Botanical Gardens in Madrid, right outside the Prado Museum and sit under my favorite grove of trees surrounding a beautiful statue.  I would sit there in that most peaceful setting and cram for Art History tests.  It was so much easier for me to get the ideas to seep into my brain as I was nestled in this cool oasis from the heat outside.

Pebble Garden Fountain: photo by Holly O'Brian

I am thinking that the Gardens at Dumbarton Oaks will become my inspiring oasis in Washington, DC.

The Gardens at Dumbarton Oaks have limited hours,  but they have a season pass available which allows a family to visit for the entire 6 month season for $85.00.  An individual can have unlimited visits for $55.00.

Liz Levin Entry Hall Design House: Photo Credit: Angie Seckinger, Photographer

This past Sunday I had the opportunity to visit the 4th Annual DC Design House, which is an event to benefit the Children’s National Medical Center. Unfortunately, this was the last day of the event, but I wanted to share what stood out most for me. 

The location for this year’s design house was a 1925 Tudor in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Northwest Washington. The home boasts amazing outdoor spaces with a gorgeous pool and outdoor ballroom (the first I had ever seen). Twenty designers had the opportunity to showcase their work, while raising money for an excellent cause.
I have two favorite rooms which I’d like to share with you.

My favorite room, the entry hall, was designed by British born Interior Designer Liz Levin. It was filled with gorgeous art, and had a clean mix of modern and traditional which was fresh and beautiful. The design puts the focus on the art and the architecture, so that the final result is balanced and gorgeous.

Artwork at Foyer: "Thistle" by Angie Seckinger Photographer: Photo Credit: Angie Seckinger, Photographer

Liz Levin is definitely one of my favorite residential DC interior designers of the moment.  Her aesthetic is calming, but unexpected.   I love the value that she places on art in all of her spaces.   The photography in the Entry Foyer is by the amazing globe-trotting photographer Angie Seckinger (she lives 6 months in the States and 6 months in Spain!)  Check out her work here:  www.angieseckinger.com.

   Liz is also very sensitive to family- friendly design, with a special section on her website entitled: “Nesting”.  Her work is meant to be comfortable and liveable, but also has distinctive touches of glamour and elegance. I love the fresh modern feel of her interiors in more traditional older homes.  Her aesthetic celebrates the beauty of the architecture, while at the same time infusing the spaces with clean, modern pieces. The rug is a lovely modern ikat design from Timothy Paul Rugs on 14th Street, in subtle blues and browns.  Looking through her website, the spaces feel calming, well-balanced, fun and elegant. 

 Liz’s British roots come through in her appreciation for layering and mixing traditional and contemporary pieces.  Her website bio explains her philosophy: “Life in London’s Notting Hill introduced her to the British inveterate love of and comfort with layering and mixing the old and new, unlikely colors, and patterns. From old buildings companionably housing contemporary design and modern lighting to a street fashion sense focused on fewer and more interesting pieces, she found inspiration for her well-appointed design approach.”

I really love Liz Levin’s work!   Check out more about Liz on her website:  http://www.lizlevininteriors.com/

I also love the pool kitchen done by Aidan Design, and more specifically Nadia Subaran. Nadia was able to take a very blah and extremely outdated space (with solid pine walls throughout) and transform it into a lovely, modern room.

Pool Kitchen by Nadia Subaran: Photo Credit: Lydia Cutter: www.lydiacutterphoto.com

For the pool kitchen, Nadia Subaran replaced solid pine wall with a built-in wall cabinet with glass doors.

The kitchen combines gorgeous unique materials.  She uses an end grain walnut table top by Grothouse Lumber Company, soapstone countertops, Italian light fixtures, and unique streamlined storage solutions.   The space is light-filled with all neutral colors with a splash of bright color in the art.  The mix of materials creates interest through contrast in color and texture. The kitchen connects beautifully to the outdoor space through a counter-length window, making the foliage outside the window read as its own work of art.

You can see more of Nadia’s work here on her website at:  http://www.aidandesign.com

Did any of you get the chance to visit the DC Design House this year? What were your impressions? Were there any rooms that really stood out for you?