DC Design House 2013: The Sitting Room

This weekend marks the opening of the 2013 DC Design House. I was lucky enough to tour the home yesterday – five floors of newly constructed gorgeousness in the picturesque Wesley Heights neighborhood. For those who live in the area, the Design House opens on Sunday, so stop by and experience it firsthand (but hopefully, without the David Gregory drama). For everyone else, I’ll be posting pics here and on Facebook. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Michael Hampton designed the Sitting Room much like a studio apartment, the custom chaise serving as seating by day and a place to rest by night. Stash a TV in the étagère, fit a minibar in the corner, and you have a tiny but glamorous home sweet home!

I love Michael's innovative use of this faux bois wallpaper by Nobilis. It's cut in squares and hung in an alternating pattern for subtle movement and modern flair. A great tip for homeowners (with the help of pros, of course). In the vestibule and desk area, Michael used a lacquered wallpaper by Phillip Jeffries. High shine without the toxic chemicals - it's perfect!

See it all! Visit the DC Design House April 14^th – May 12^th, 2507 Foxhall Road, NW, Washington, DC. www.dcdesignhouse.com

Images: (1-2) Angie Seckinger, DC Design House, (3-6) Sukio

Interiors: Elle Décor's New Web Exclusive

As with Vogue's APT with LSD, Elle Décor recently published an editorial exclusively for online readers. This web-only shoot features the home of Mad Men costume designer Janie Bryant where 70's baroque meets California craftsman plus a few quirky touches. Hopefully, "our first web-exclusive shoot" implies that there are many more to come. Like those with a need for speed or cravings for more cow bell, I have an insatiable hunger for fabulous interiors!

Images: Kimberly Genevieve, Elle Decor

The Skirt: Carolina Herrera S/S 2013

Lauren Santo Domingo and Patricia Herrera Lansing, Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Apollo Circle benefit

So, last year, we had the hat – Balenciaga's large, Darth Vader-like visor that captured the hearts of the fashion world. It took some time, but I eventually embraced its strangeness. This spring, I need no such time to scrutinize or ponder. As soon as look #24 of Carolina Herrera’s RTW collection made its way down the catwalk, I was sold! The skirt: a floor-length, pocketed white ball skirt with mini train and covered in what amounts to graffiti. Perhaps only slightly within my realm of wearability, I’d try my darnedest to make it a wardrobe staple.

My first thoughts on the skirt included, "I could live in this thing." Fashion mags seem to agree. Editorial appearances thus far have cast the garment as a comfy and easy alternative to, say, jeans. I’ve worn a lengthy skirt in a similar fashion, and let me just say, it’s AWESOME. I only wish I could pay the $5000+ to call the Modern Art Print Ball Skirt my own.

Excessive? Lavish? Ridiculous, even? Here are 3 reasons why the skirt is perfect for daily wear. I may not sway everyone, but I’m certainly convinced! How about you?

Images: Carolina Herrera, Alessandro Lucioni, InStyle Magazine, Elle, Neiman Marcus

Interiors: A Contemporary Apartment with Mid-Century Flair

The latest installment of APT with LSD takes us inside the New York City home of Ferebee Taube, founder of the fashion styling website Feyt. After two years of remodeling, Ferebee created an airy family home that mixes contemporary sensibilities, mid-century classics, and space for the kiddies!

Of course, I adore Ferebee's selection of an iconic print by Massimo Vitali, whose beach imagery seems to work in just about any space. She notes, "I love the juxtaposition of the ocean in the photo’s background and the river view from this same room."

Isn't the bedroom perfectly serene?! I especially love the Hans Wegner Papa Bear chairs, great for magazine perusing or iPad skimming.

Images: Claiborne Swanson Frank, Vogue.com

Interiors: A Belgian Home that Breaks the Mold

"...the Verney house stands out like a woman wearing edgy Alexander Wang among a flock of matrons in classic twin sets." - Elle Decor

Not only do I love the fashion reference, but this quote immediately conveys how different Alix and Bruno Verney's home must be from its neighbors. Designed by Belgian architect Frédéric Haesevoets, the house greets visitors with a near windowless facade of stone and concrete. But once inside, the structure gives way to modern, sunlit interiors overlooking a lush landscape. With a house like this, who cares what the neighbors think?

"We are not afraid to be different" - Bruno Verney

Images: Richard Powers, Elle Decor