• 1-3: The Pool Room: Erin Paige Pitts Erin was charged with the task of making the rather gloomy pool room into a functional and inspiring retreat. Since the home lacks an outdoor porch, Erin wanted to create an environment that bridged the gap between the beautiful outdoor pool and gardens and the grand interior. Inspired by her love of the coast, Erin chose breezy furnishings and tone-on-tone patterns to provide a laid back and airy sophistication. She gave the room a light and fresh color palette with Farrow & Ball's All White, Stony Ground and Mouse's Back. The upholstered porchswing-esque benches add a playful tone, while grownup touches such as the painted greek key motif winding its way around the the door moldings and the beautiful painted floor by Twin Diamonds Studio (picture 3) lend the room adult elegance.
• 4-7: The Family Room: Barbara Franceski Barbara took on the rather daunting challenge of creating a fresh and multifunctional space out of the long and choppy wood paneled family room. While I know plenty of people, ahem, my husband, who would rather die than paint over wood paneling, I'm usually in the the light and fresh camp, so I was especially interested in seeing what Barbara would do to the heavy space. To retain some of the sturdy masculine character of the room, Barbara left the stained wood of the window casings, dental molding, bar area, and radiator cover untouched. However, she lightened the room by painting the main expanses of paneling in Farrow & Ball's Oxford Stone with a creamy ceiling in Dimity, letting the touches of untouched dark wood act as modern accents. One of Barbara's specialties is letting unique artwork set the tone for her spaces, and this room was no exception. She commissioned Dave Peterson of BrandDave to create a playful take on classical "ancestor of note" portraits (picture 6) which lend the sophisticated room a light tone.
• 8-10: Guy's Bedroom: David Mitchell Feeling that a masculine note is often missing from show houses, David sought to create a "one for the guys" retreat in one of the upstairs bedrooms. Rather than relying on any stereotypically masculine design staples, David infused the room with clean-lined rustic elements and neutral hues. He traded out the imposing, heavy drapery and faux-finished built-ins for a casual and comfortable mix of nature and vintage-inspired accents and well proportioned furnishings. He enhanced the room's cool tone with Farrow & Ball's Pavilion Gray and Slipper Satin. One of my favorite elements was the plethora of collections — from makins hats to Rudbeck avian studies — dispersed around the room. Check out some stunning after shots as well as a few in progress ones on David's new blog.
• 11-12: The Portico: James Rill Even the front facade of the 1920s Tudor got a fresh facelift. Rather than seeking to reinvent the wheel, James Rill of Rill Architects sought to restore the home's original character by switching out the non-descript dark brown for contrasting hues — Farrow & Ball's Mouse's Back and Stony Ground — more in keeping with English Country-inspired Tudor design. Additionally, James replaced lighting fixtures and removed the screen door in order to highlight the unique character of the original front door. Curb appeal accomplished!
The DC Design House opens to the public on April 9th, so be sure to check out their website for more details. Proceeds benefit the Children's National Medical Center.
Images: 1, 4, 8, 11, 12: Lydia Cutter, 2-3, 5-7, 9-10Leah Moss
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I like the new exterior but find the interior very... beige.
I agree with mappysh... lots and lots of beige.
I do like the seating in the family room, though. Very cool.
The new interior feels very...dated to me.
Very beautiful. The exterior is especially impressive. And I like a soft color palette.
Once again, I find myself embarrassed by the commenters here. These owners took an extremely dated and dark home and brought it back to life. It's light, bright, stylish, fun, and from the looks of it, very functional. This house is beautiful—magazine ready even. Bravo!
I think the afters are a huge improvement, though I too would like to see a bit more color and boldness added throughout. It could be as subtle as adding brighter-colored flowers and art prints (in the case of the first before/after.)
@petro
People have differing opinions. If you find yourself personally embarrassed by other people's opinions in the comments section of a blog (and the ones given here are not even particularly venomous), then the only suggestion I can give you is to stop reading the comments. I mean that honestly and constructively.
I really wish they did the before & after pictures from the same perspective. It helps to see the entire room, not just a close up on a chair or couch
these rooms just puzzle me
I agree with flip that it is very difficult to make comparisons when the before and after photo perspectives are so different. For example, the Pool Room looks very spacious in the before photograph, but cramped in the after. I also agree with mappysh that everything is rather boringly beige. The details added, such as the flowers and vase help a little. I do like the new exterior.
I just love Guy's room's makeover. Amazing, and that bench - I want it!
Exterior, too, is fantastic.
Okay, design aside, let's talk about function. Those are swing benches in the pool room, right? With the glass-topped tables in the path of your knee as you swing on the bench?
I know this is probably only set this way for the photograph - but stuff like this drives me nuts.
Sigh.
Oh ugh, I just reread - "The upholstered porchswing-esque benches"
No. Yuck. Fake swings? No.
I think some of you aren't realizing that this is not the first nor the only post about the rooms in this house. Not all of the rooms are just white and cream.
Yeah, but I thought the same seeing pics of other rooms in the Washington Post the other day ... too much beige. Some people think that's design - guess that's what's "in" with designers now. Though some of the colors chosen for rooms with color, like the dining room's green, were just as bad. But then, I've always found Washington to be its own strange place when it comes to design.
And my impression was that the swings were indeed swings. Guess you aren't supposed to swing on them, though, irresistable as that would be.
@Gaidig: I remember the first post about the house, and the rooms were all mostly neutrals as well. It surprised me because the "befores" had lots of color.
Anyway, I think the "after" designs are absolutely stunning in every single room... and beige haha.
Total snoozfest but to each his own. This house lacks personality, inside and outside.
I too am confused with the different perspectives of the before and afters.
Its much better in person. Check out the Master and dressing area-pink, purple, green and grey.
agreed - the "after" photots should reflect the angle/perspective of the "before" photos.
hard to draw any conclusions from what is shown here. i do, however, agree with the porch swings (faux? say what?) and think the ropes take away from the room in general, making it appear taller and more narrow. would have been just fine without.