Southern Accents

As you may or may not have heard, Southern Accents is ending its publication. I am still in mourning of losing Cottage Living and now another favorite will be forever gone. The September/October issue will be its last so be sure to snag it when it hits the news stands for one last hoorah.

Not Your Grandmother's Wallpaper!

Wallpaper has come a long way. It’s not just floral and small over the top patterns anymore. You can find wallpaper that is textured, geometric, foiled, and painted. If you tend to run the other direction you’re not alone! Just start small like in a powder room with something fun and unexpected. The great thing about wallpaper is you can go bold and beautiful or simple yet sweet.

Image Courtesy of Pottery Barn
This image (above) shows a grass cloth wallpaper inside the paneling. It adds so much to the woodwork and other elements around.

Image Courtesy of House Beautiful
Rather than painting your family room, use a simple patterned paper like this one shown in House Beautiful (above). I love the simplicity yet it brings movement into the room.

Schumacher has a particularly wonderful collection so I had to share some of my favorites with you.

Got Kids: Play Room or Kid's Bath?

Diva: Master Suite Hallway or Vestibule?

Conservative yet Traditional: Foyer?

Urban Chic: Powder Room?

Elegant and Sophisticated: Dining Room?

In the CharityWorks GreenHouse we are using a Schumacher wallpaper in the powder room. It’s very simple yet brings so much warmth to the room. Being that the house is “green” the wallpaper selected is made of an all natural material with environmentally safe dyeing process. It’s a neutral accent to the tile wainscot below. Be sure to visit our Family Vestibule in October to see the finished product!

CDC Interiors Goes Green!

February 26th was the beginning of a new project for CDC Interiors. With news that a new show house was coming to town, and a green one at that, we knew it would be a privileged opportunity. A room full of interior designers and only 18 rooms to distribute-what a challenge. Being our first show house to submit design ideas to, we chose a bedroom, office and mudroom/powder room/laundry room. By the end of March we were granted the mudroom/powder room/laundry room and were well on our way to designing The Family Vestibule!

The CharityWorks GreenHouse, designed by Cunningham and Quill and built by GreenSpur is an amazing project funded by WestGroup and organized by CharityWorks. A Craftsman inspired home on a corner lot in the heart of McLean, this house is in walking distance to public transportation, restaurants, a grocery store and much more. The CW GH will benefit the Friendship Public Charter School of Washington, D.C. as well as make a grant to the McLean Project for the Arts. Funding will derive from ticket sales as well as 10% of all furniture and accessories sales by each designer.

"Living well by design", each designer is asked to use green design principles and adhere to environmentally sound design guidelines while maintaining a luxury concept. The home is a carbon-neutral home using energy efficient design from the moment the original home was demolished from the lot. 97 % of the original homes materials were saved for reuse! It has been a learning experience that all of our future clients will be able to take advantage of. We have researched so many products from the manufacturing process to the materials used to create each fabric, tile, and furniture piece. More on that later...

So mark your calendars! October 10th the CO2FreeLiving house will be open to the public!

image courtesy of CharityWorks GreenHouse

Remember the Details

The detailing of the Interior Architecture of a residence is an important phase in the design process. Custom millwork, built-ins and custom furniture can enhance the architecture and interiors of a residence while also creating an environment that is fitting to the lifestyle of the client.

This is one of my most favorite steps in the design process! One has to focus on every aspect of the interiors and coordinate the details with the architectural structure and style of the home. It is also an opportunity to be creative and think outside of the box.

Here are some samples of the interior architecture of CDC
from drawing to reality.

Foyer Entry

photography by Kenneth M.Wyner

For this shingle style home, the client wanted a more formal entry and living room. We added many layers of simple trim and recessed panels to the walls to enhance the architecture. The detailing is not too heavy and remains elegant and inviting. Imagine how this space would feel if the paneling were removed.

Custom Built In Window Seat

photography by Kenneth M. Wyner

Custom millwork adds to the character of the space and truly enhances the architectural style of the residence. In this example, a simple window alcove becomes a functional and beautiful window seat. The hallway walls are also enhanced with a unique custom wainscot.

Custom Built In Vanity

photography by Joshua Curry

We added louvered panels to the custom doors and vanity of this vacation home.

At Custom Design Concepts we are always looking at innovative ways to detail the interiors of our residences. Let's not forget that it is an important phase in the design of a custom home and can also be interesting and fun.

Remember The Details!

Best of Remodeling

In just a few days Washington Spaces Summer 2009 will hit the news/magazine stands. Tucked inside this issue are the results of the Best of Remodeling 2009! We are honored to receive an award for the category, Winner for Exterior $500,000-750,000. Lucky for you, they have already updated their website with the new issue so be sure to check it out! Thank you everyone at Washington Spaces, and congrats CDC!

Before

Photography by Kenneth M. Wyner

After

Salvaged Iron - Part 3 of 3

So you've seen decorative iron from around the city and where it goes when it's no longer needed. Now I'd like to introduce you to a fabulous furniture company (LOCAL!!) Salvations Architectural Furnishings. Barry Remley, the brains behind the company states,

"When I started Salvations 23+ years ago I think I was ahead of the curve in that our name--Salvations-- was inspired by my wish to "give new life" to the historically important and artistically beautiful architectural materials which I was finding --often in the trash --including in my own back alley in upper NW DC!"

Salvations offers a variety of products from occasional tables to drapery hardware. Located in Silver Spring, Maryland Barry's studio is a work of art. She finds parts and pieces from places including The Brass Knob to incorporate into her designs. With many finishes to choose from you can have an antique gilt console table to a rust fire screen. Here are a few of my favorite pieces:

Images Courtesy of Salvations AF

Currently Barry is working on a low to no finish for our Family Vestibule in the CharityWorks GreenHouse and says,

"And of course now that Benjamin Moore and others have been so good at providing us with no- and low- VOC paints --transitioning our finishes is just a matter of our refining improving our paint recipes to get our finishes accurately transitioned away from the oil and high VOC products of the past."

I can't wait to see the finished product - you'll have to visit the CharityWorks GreenHouse in October to see what she's done!

Salvaged Iron - Part 2 of 3

So what happens to the ironwork after it's been taken down? Stores like The Brass Knob Back Doors buy and sell parts and pieces that are no longer wanted by one person yet coveted by the next. I made a trip to visit the warehouse yesterday and was amazed at the plethora of cast iron tubs, door hinges, and glass knobs but most of all the iron fences and gates!

What do you do with old iron parts and pieces? Part 3...