Interior Design Minimalist

Tobi Fairley designed a beautiful Stair Hall for the Richmond Symphony Designer House that pairs classic pieces with modern finishes and vibrant color. The focal point when you first enter the space is a striking pedestal table that she designed and had custom built by Kent Hughes of Fairfax Designs and beautifully painted by Stephanie Jones of me & mrs. jones. (photo by Tobi Fairley via A Passion for Home)Here's the before in a natural wood state with sanding sealer applied. I see tables similar to this in consignment shops and flea markets pretty regularly (although the quality of the craftsmanship in this table does set it apart). Maybe you have a piece in your home like this?
Now here's the after - stunning! In her blog post, Mrs. Jones mentioned that Tobi specified a soft-oyster white and accent trim of raspberry red. Here's a close-up of the perfectly painted lines that give extra definition to the piece.

Here's a view of the space from the stairwell - giving context to the pedestal table in the space. The Showhouse is open through Oct. 11th - the designers did an amazing job and it's definitely worth it to see it in person. (photo by Jami Carlton via RS Designer House Facebook page)

An opportunity to experience a room by Mary Douglas Drysdale is not to be missed. Last Friday I had the chance to do just that at the Richmond Symphony Designer Showhouse. Mary designed the living room with a nod to America's past and an eye to the future. It is an unparalled combination of bold pieces and subtle, meaningful details. The result is an elegant, seamless room that is both welcoming and stunning.
A Great Dane sculpture by Mark Perry is the focal point above the fireplace - unexpected and enjoyable all at once.
A curved settee is paired with a monochromatic graphic pillow. The seating in the room was enveloped in Sandra Jordan's alpaca and curved and straight lines were balanced throughout the space. Artwork subtly referenced our nation's past and its future direction.
Here's Mary with the uber talented Tobi Fairley who created a stunning Stair Hall with traditional furniture treated with modern painted finishes and fabrics. I loved the color palette too - light blues with accents of red. Go here to see a rendering of the space.
My dear friend Anne with Mary - who was the epitome of graciousness. You may have noticed the bare feet. Depending on the shoes you had, the protective foot coverings could be a bit slippery. But this brings me to another element of Mary's design - pattern. The gorgeous patterned cognac floor with light and dark accents (hard to see in my photos) and the pattern on the curtains were designed by Mary. Tom Hickey of Rising Tide Inc. is the decorative artist that beautifully executed the floor design.

Is this all the photos?

Yes, I'm to say. When I attended the Gala, it was unclear if any photos could be used so I limited myself to photos of the designers (although as you see here I couldn't resist taking a few photos of Mary's room.) For bloggers attending Press Day, the only room allowed to be photographed was Mary's. Be sure to visit Jeanette's A Passion for Home in the next few days as she will likely have more images of the room to share.

Is it worth the drive if you live in DC?

Yes, many of the designers in this showhouse created fabulous, creative and inspiring spaces! Set on 8 acres on the James River, the gardens and landscaping are a treat unto themselves. The Designer House remains open through Oct. 11 - details here.

I first heard about the Richmond Symphony Designer House back in April from A Passion for Home. The showhouse is taking place at George and Anne Anderson's Tudor home "Rothesay," located on more than eight acres of land overlooking the James River.

In addition to talented Richmond designers, the showhouse will also feature the work of Mary Douglas Drysdale, Tobi Fairley, and Phoebe Howard as well as the gorgeous lighting of New Orleans' Julie Neill. That's alot of talent under one showhouse roof!

The showhouse opens Sep 13th but if you'd like a sneak peek consider attending the Gala this coming Friday night Sep 10th. Two friends and I are planning to make it a fun get-away trip and are staying at The Jefferson.
Here's designer Tobi Fairley at measuring day. (Photo by Jami Carlton)
New Hampshire designer Randy Trainor of CRT Interiors and homeowner George Anderson in the library during the Bare Bones Party. (photo by Jami Carlton)
Above, the living Garden Room wall by Kelly Brown of Kelly Brown Interiors. For more information and behind-the-scenes looks, check out the Designer House's Facebook site here.

I first heard about the Richmond Symphony Designer House back in April from A Passion for Home. The showhouse is taking place at George and Anne Anderson's Tudor home "Rothesay," located on more than eight acres of land overlooking the James River.

In addition to talented Richmond designers, the showhouse will also feature the work of Mary Douglas Drysdale, Tobi Fairley, and Phoebe Howard as well as the gorgeous lighting of New Orleans' Julie Neill. That's alot of talent under one showhouse roof!

The showhouse opens Sep 13th but if you'd like a sneak peek consider attending the Gala this coming Friday night Sep 10th. Two friends and I are planning to make it a fun get-away trip and are staying at The Jefferson.
Here's designer Tobi Fairley at measuring day. (Photo by Jami Carlton)
New Hampshire designer Randy Trainor of CRT Interiors and homeowner George Anderson in the library during the Bare Bones Party. (photo by Jami Carlton)
Above, the living Garden Room wall by Kelly Brown of Kelly Brown Interiors. For more information and behind-the-scenes looks, check out the Designer House's Facebook site here.

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.

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.

Love everything about this living room. My snapshot doesn't quite represent the pretty, bleached palette of this room. (Original photography by Lisa Romerein, designer not known)
More room envy. A reproduction dining table was refinished to look much older. One of my favorite parts of this open dining area is the large urn in front of the window, off to the right. (Original photography by Simon Upton, designer not known)
The pics above are from House Beautiful 500 Makeovers - a book that I really enjoy referring back to often. The only thing is that the designers aren't listed; not sure why that is.
You probably already know this, but just in case, Katie Denham of KatieDid is posting wonderful pictures from her visit to the very impressive San Francisco Decorator Showcase 2010. This dining room was created by Suzanne Tucker of Tucker and Marks Design. Go here to see more -so far it's a five part series!

Love everything about this living room. My snapshot doesn't quite represent the pretty, bleached palette of this room. (Original photography by Lisa Romerein, designer not known)
More room envy. A reproduction dining table was refinished to look much older. One of my favorite parts of this open dining area is the large urn in front of the window, off to the right. (Original photography by Simon Upton, designer not known)
The pics above are from House Beautiful 500 Makeovers - a book that I really enjoy referring back to often. The only thing is that the designers aren't listed; not sure why that is.
You probably already know this, but just in case, Katie Denham of KatieDid is posting wonderful pictures from her visit to the very impressive San Francisco Decorator Showcase 2010. This dining room was created by Suzanne Tucker of Tucker and Marks Design. Go here to see more -so far it's a five part series!

There have been alot of posts recently about showhouses in DC and other cities and it has me wondering about about the classic debate:

Should a showhouse be a cohesive presentation of beautiful but somewhat predictable design or should it push the boundaries and go for the wow factor, even if the rooms don't flow? When it comes to the wow factor, where do you draw the line between unique and innovative and too edgy and impractical?

Considering the expense, in today's economy it's understandable why designers may choose to create rooms that potential clients can relate to. In fact, some people prefer the showhouse that's not too far from what they could imagine in their own home. But, when is it that too conventional?

I think this 2009 Hamptons Designer Showhouse sitting room designed by Ellen Hamilton Design pushes the boundaries of safe in very successful and exciting way. The large scale Osborn and Little wallpaper by Suzy Hoodless is matched with the strong colors of the upholstery, carpet and drapes for a very exhuberant and committed look.

(First image via Emily Evans Eerdman, second and third image via The Smoking Nun, photographer unknown)
For me, this dining room designed by Marshall Watson, is pushed past beautiful to fascinating by the seagrass shades dripping with illuminated glass balls, the black outdoor lantern sconces, the oversized wire urns and the tobacco glazed and stenciled walls. Chair slipcovers are embroidered with guest names and even the uber-wide edging on the carpet strays from the trend for a narrow band.

There have been alot of posts recently about showhouses in DC and other cities and it has me wondering about about the classic debate:

Should a showhouse be a cohesive presentation of beautiful but somewhat predictable design or should it push the boundaries and go for the wow factor, even if the rooms don't flow? When it comes to the wow factor, where do you draw the line between unique and innovative and too edgy and impractical?

Considering the expense, in today's economy it's understandable why designers may choose to create rooms that potential clients can relate to. In fact, some people prefer the showhouse that's not too far from what they could imagine in their own home. But, when is it that too conventional?

I think this 2009 Hamptons Designer Showhouse sitting room designed by Ellen Hamilton Design pushes the boundaries of safe in very successful and exciting way. The large scale Osborn and Little wallpaper by Suzy Hoodless is matched with the strong colors of the upholstery, carpet and drapes for a very exhuberant and committed look.

(First image via Emily Evans Eerdman, second and third image via The Smoking Nun, photographer unknown)
For me, this dining room designed by Marshall Watson, is pushed past beautiful to fascinating by the seagrass shades dripping with illuminated glass balls, the black outdoor lantern sconces, the oversized wire urns and the tobacco glazed and stenciled walls. Chair slipcovers are embroidered with guest names and even the uber-wide edging on the carpet strays from the trend for a narrow band.

More than a terrace - Andrew Law's refined and sophisticated space is an outdoor living room worthy of this historic home. Andrew removed some less-than stellar elements (dropped ceiling, ceiling fan) and added to the architectural elements with beams and a wonderful washed paint treatment on the ceiling. Love these klismos chairs and the faux bois table.
The antique Swedish stone eagle is from Tone on Tone in Bethesda and serves as a focal point for the terrace. He is a character in his own right and I just couldn't resist posting a second picture of him.

Basha White commissioned custom furniture maker Keith Fritz to create this gorgeous, round dining table. His pieces are destined to become family heirlooms. Formerly of DC, Keith's firm is located in Indiana and he personally delivers his pieces to clients. I love that the claw feet and casters are in a silver finish.
Nestor Santa-Cruz's reception room is hip and traditional at the same time. The faux painted stone treatment on the walls and the eclectic mix of furnishings give a real European feel to the space.
A close-up shot of the fireplace from Frank Robb Randolph's living room that I posted about here.
Shazalynn Cavin-Winfrey brought a fresh,updated look to the large entry and stairwell area.
When you visit the showhouse be sure not to miss the garage conversion by Lynni Megginson - it's now a virtual golf room complete with an outdoor putting green. Even if you'll never set up an electronic fairway in your home, Lynni's space is a multi-purpose entertaining/game room full of ideas. (virtualgolfgirl at me . com)
There's still more rooms to see at the DC Design House - Emily Bishop's Deck and Patio, Sarah Wessel's Sun Room, Barry Dixon's conservatory, Victoria Sanchez's Library and the kitchen by Rosi Kallivokas of Clive Christian.

The house is open April 10 - May 9 and tickets are only $20. The money raised supports The Children's Hospital. For more information about the DC Design House here. Have a great weekend!