Take your first look at this year's D.C. Design House with 96 photos at 956 Mackall Farms Lane in McLean, VA. 24 design firms took up the challenge to transform a 8,869-square-foot mansion that was built to suggest a "modern farmhouse" feel. With this nod to the adjacent Virginia countryside, many designers went with a more rustic feel, choosing wallpapers with felt or wood affixed to them. This year marks the eighth year the annual event has been hosted by DC Living Real Estate, LLC. The home was built by Artisan Builders and designed by Harrison Design. Take a look below to see how each designer was inspired by farmhouse-chic.
Nicolette Powell and John Lemieux designed the front porch with Country Causal teak furniture meant to enhance the natural stone exterior of the home. On one side of the porch, Powell and Lemieux leave room for a buffet table with three teak rocking chairs and nesting tables. On the other side, a teak glider, coffee table, and two chairs offer space to sit back and relax. [Photo via Angie Seckinger]
[Photo via Angie Seckinger]
The entry hall, designed by Pamela Harvey, kept the slat-board ceiling, but covered it with a high-gloss pink paint. She paired the sculptural hanging pendants with brass sconces, pink linen, and gilt-framed, abstract artworks. [Photo via Angie Seckinger]
[Photo via Angie Seckinger]
The color scheme used for the living room — cocoa, latte, silver, and cool blue — was inspired by the stones inside and outside of the property. Annette Hannon wanted to play up the organic qualities in the home by utilizing maple and walnut as well as geodes and coral. The purpose of the room, for Hannon, was not centered around a television, but by whatever conversations are held inside. [Photo via Angie Seckinger]
[Photo via Angie Seckinger]
[Photo via Michelle Goldchain]
In the living room, a silk wall covering is embroidered so that the hand-painted flowers pop out. [Photo via Michelle Goldchain]
[Photo via Michelle Goldchain]
[Photo via Michelle Goldchain]
Welcome to the library, a space that Michael Hampton designed to be warm and inviting. The room, itself, was inspired by its focal point, the Chinoiserie panel. Hampton utilized softer variations of the greens in the panel to outfit the room, paired with a "penetrating" red found in the chandeliers and painted jars. Hampton worked with Elizabeth Hamilton to create the screen-printed fabrics found in the room as well as on the ceiling. With a nail-head trim, the fabric on the ceiling is meant to resemble a grass cloth. [Photo via Angie Seckinger]
[Photo via Angie Seckinger]
With exposed stone walls, the gallery is meant to make one's path to the outside of the home seamless. Jeff Akseizer and Jamie Brown placed a grasscloth paper on the ceiling. [Photo via Angie Seckinger]
[Photo via Angie Seckinger]
In the powder room, you can find a Helen Frankenthauler oil painting on loan from the National Gallery of Art. Lisa S. Tureson designed the room with inspiration from the painting, adding sculptural adornments and a hand-etched mirror into the space. [Photo via Angie Seckinger]
[Photo via Angie Seckinger]
At the entryway of the home, you can find the dining room directly to your left, designed with a variety of wood, stone, and fur textures by Jeff Akseizer and Jamie Brown. The china cabinets are custom-made by ADG Millwork. [Photo via Angie Seckinger]
[Photo via Angie Seckinger]
In one corner of the room, you can find a massive book with large photographs of celebrities. Tucked inside are a handful of quill pens. [Photo via Michelle Goldchain]
A closer look at the animal rugs in the dining room. [Photo via Michelle Goldchain]
Here, you can see the textural wallpaper used in the dining room. [Photo via Michelle Goldchain]
For designer Pamela Harvey, the focus for the upper hall stairway was "all about the art" with added inspiration from Coco Chanel. The modern wing chairs are from CR Laine with flannel from the Robert Allen's Wool Suit line.[Photo via Angie Seckinger]
On either side of the hallway, there are window seats with open storage for books. [Photo via Angie Seckinger]
These paintings were commissioned and done by Richard Schadd. [Photo via Michelle Goldchain]
On the walls of the upper hallways, the wallpaper is textured with the Water Diamond fabric from Beacon Hill. [Photo via Michelle Goldchain]
Nancy Twomey designed the nursery to be clean, light, and airy with a textured wallpaper she described as "barely blue." The focal point in the room is centered on the photograph of the fawn with elements like the the dotted wool carpet, faux goose feather pendant, and chicken-legged side table. [Photo via Angie Seckinger]
"I wanted sort of a Scandinavian feel, kind of underdone," said Nancy Twomey. [Photo via Angie Seckinger]
[Photo via Michelle Goldchain]
Inside the bathroom of the nursery. [Photo via Michelle Goldchain]
Through the bathroom of the nursery, you'll find a walk-in closet. [Photo via Michelle Goldchain]
The walk-in closet also comes with a window seat. [Photo via Michelle Goldchain]
This room, dubbed the "Gentleman's Retreat," is aimed to bring out a 19th century farm dwelling feel. Scott Cooke, the designer of the room, maintained a monochromatic color scheme with indoor window shutters and a canopy bed. Many of the decorations in the room are antiques as seen in the drop-leaf bedside table and canopy bed. [Photo via Angie Seckinger]
The Thibaut wallpaper is affixed with wood. The design is called "Eastwood," which is a nod to Clint Eastwood. [Photo via Angie Seckinger]
Christopher Nutter's intention for the upper gallery was to create a light, airy, and whimsical space where the walls were the art. The butterflies, flowers, and animals were hand-painted by artist Gary Goldberg. Nutter said he was inspired by Bunny Mellon and Virginia-based artist Bunny Williams, which caused him to add topiaries, a mirror from Williams' collection, and a painting by Hunt Slonem, titled, "Untitled Bunnies." [Photo via Angie Seckinger]
[Photo via Angie Seckinger]
[Photo via Michelle Goldchain]
[Photo via Michelle Goldchain]
[Photo via Michelle Goldchain]
[Photo via Michelle Goldchain]
Alex Deringer and Courtney Cox designed the guest bedroom, creating a comforting and inviting space with soft neutral colors. The muslin-attached wallpaper was designed by Ann McGuire Studio for Ivy Lane. Inside the room, you can find custom linen window treatments and upholstery fabric for the bed frame. [Photo via Angie Seckinger]
[Photo via Angie Seckinger]
The back stair hall for the second floor was designed by Bethesda-based interior design firm RA Spaces. Designer David Benton used the "Cow Parsley" wallpaper by Cole and Son, photography by Charlie Gaynor, and the "Nuvola Rossa" shelving from Cassina. [Photo via Angie Seckinger]
[Photo via Angie Seckinger]
A closer look at the wallpaper. [Photo via Michelle Goldchain]
According to designer Lynni Megginson, "Even everyday tasks can be elevated." For the laundry room, she created a bold look with framed intaglios representing Greek gods and goddesses, a hand-woven area rug by Doris Leslie Blau, and a custom wall covering made of crushed oyster shells. The pièce de résistance is found in the jeweled bangle drying rack where bracelets designed by Dina Mackney Designs are suspended from a Swarovski crystal-encrusted drapery rod. [Photo via Angie Seckinger]
For extra storage, Lynni Megginson added a grey lacquered chest. The painting is by Brandt Williams. [Photo via Angie Seckinger]
[Photo via Michelle Goldchain]
[Photo via Michelle Goldchain]
Inspiration for the design of the master bedroom all came from one custom necklace by Cartier. Designer Christopher Patrick channeled the greens, blues, and cognac colors of the necklace into the room. [Photo via Angie Seckinger]
The cathedral ceilings cause the room to rise up 15 feet. The hand-gilded glass cabinet is from the Amanda Nisbet Collection of Niermann Weeks. [Photo via Angie Seckinger]
The bookcases are lined with faux wood wallpaper. [Photo via Angie Seckinger]
Along with the master bedroom, Christopher Patrick designed the master bathroom as well. The focal point for this room was the exposed fieldstone wall. The marble flooring was covered by custom-cut carpeting. Patrick relied on minimal decorations and accessories as well as simple linen shades. [Photo via Angie Seckinger]
[Photo via Angie Seckinger]
The hand-gilded chandelier is custom-made by Niermann Weeks. [Photo via Michelle Goldchain]
[Photo via Michelle Goldchain]
[Photo via Michelle Goldchain]
The his-and-her master bedroom closets were designed by David Chin of Closets By Design. [Photo via Angie Seckinger]
[Photo via Angie Seckinger]
[Photo via Michelle Goldchain]
[Photo via Michelle Goldchain]
[Photo via Michelle Goldchain]
RA Spaces designed the back stair hall for the first floor with additions like a custom-tuffed bench, leather "tree" rug, and open wood shelving. To bring light into the window-less hallways, David Benton added a chandelier by Circa Lighting and a painting by artist Dennis Kirk, called "Old Dominion Sky," with the intention to create a "virtual window." [Photo via Angie Seckinger]
[Photo via Angie Seckinger]
Margery Wedderburn transformed the butler's pantry with bright, vibrant green, peacock, and cyan blue colors. The ceiling is actually a wallpaper, not the repurposed pine it appears to be. [Photo via Angie Seckinger]
The back of the closet is wallpapered to create the faux horizontal stripes. [Photo via Angie Seckinger]
While decorating the breakfast room, Sarah Wessel was inspired by the pastel, "Farm Town, Court Day," The colors for the pastel were channeled into the soft oriental rug and the hand block-printed curtains from Lee Jofa. [Photo via Angie Seckinger]
[Photo via Angie Seckinger]
The kitchen was designed by Paul Lobkovich and Emily Heifeld of Lobkovich Kitchen Designs. The island is made out of quartzite. The backsplash is made from tatami mosaic stone. [Photo via Angie Seckinger]
The custom-made hood has three finishes: blackened steel, stainless steel, and mirror. [Photo via Angie Seckinger]
Unlike most of the designers at the D.C. Design House, Iantha Carley combined Chinoiserie elements with the country elements in her family room. Just check out the foo dogs, water lily window treatments, and Chinese brush paintings. [Photo via Angie Seckinger]
[Photo via Michelle Goldchain]
[Photo via Michelle Goldchain]
[Photo via Michelle Goldchain]
The loggia was designed by Nancy Colbert of Design Partners, LLC. [Photo via Angie Seckinger]
[Photo via Angie Seckinger]
[Photo via Michelle Goldchain]
[Photo via Michelle Goldchain]
The light fixture is from Theodore Alexander. [Photo via Michelle Goldchain]
Skip Sroka of Sroka Design Incorporated designed the outdoor patio at this year's D.C. Design House. The blue-and-white color palette was complemented by the "Palm Beach meets Hollywood Regency" pavilion. Four blue planter boxes with Topiary Boxwoods were placed around the setting.
[Photo via Angie Seckinger]
Sroka Design Incorporated partnered with Walpole Outdoors , Concrete Jungle, and Robert Allen Fabrics for the structure and furnishings. [Photo via Angie Seckinger]
[Photo via Michelle Goldchain]
[Photo via Michelle Goldchain]
[Photo via Michelle Goldchain]
In the basement of the D.C. Open House, you can find a bistro with a "sexy night club" designed by Joanne Fitzgerald of Gatéga Interior Design, LLC. As a subterranean space with no windows, she created light with the bar's light blue tiled backsplash and a chandelier made of handblown glass orbs. The portrait painting was done by Galerie MX. [Photo via Angie Seckinger]
The bull painting was done by Katie Pumphrey. [Photo via Angie Seckinger]
Welcome to the Art Aficionado Lounge, designed by Terri Pakravan of Decor Dose, LLC. This space is small, but intimate, filled with provocative photography and a glass-backed Bernhardt bar filled with liquors and portraits of sultry women. [Photo via Angie Seckinger]
This leather chair is almost 100 years old and belongs in the Poltrona Frau collection. [Photo via Angie Seckinger]
The Venetian chandelier is hand-painted and made of silk. The ceiling is also covered in silk. [Photo via Michelle Goldchain]
The bar is made up of wooden panels, wrapped in leather. Inside, there's an automatic light switch. [Photo via Michelle Goldchain]
A look inside the bar. [Photo via Michelle Goldchain]
Stone, lamb's wool, velvet, vinyl — the textures are never-ending in the lower level den. For Samantha Friedman, she was able to tie all of the layers and designs together with a monochromatic color scheme. According to Friedman, the focal point of the room is the television. [Photo via Angie Seckinger]
The ceiling light fixture is from Fine Art Lamps and is 36 inches in diameter. [Photo via Angie Seckinger]
The wallpaper in the lower level den is textured with felt. [Photo via Michelle Goldchain]
The landscape was designed by Charles Owen of Fine Landscape, LTD. [Photo via Angie Seckinger]
[Photo via Angie Seckinger]