She and her husband—lawyers living in DC’s Logan Circle—bought the 5,000-square-foot, 1980s-era abode early in the pandemic, then scrambled to get it ready for sheltering in place with their two young teenagers. Designer Kate Ballou, who had worked with the couple before, updated stodgy, traditional interiors in a hurry, with her clients’ spare, mid-century sensibility in mind. “They love Danish furniture and are real collectors,” Ballou recounts. “We completed the job over an eight-week period, mainly with beautiful pieces that were in stock at Furniture from Scandinavia by Annette Rachlin in DC.”

Streamlined, mid-century Nordic furnishings such as a RadioHus sofa and &Tradition chairs in the living room quickly modernized and simplified the rooms—despite a backdrop of heavy trim and dark cherry wood floors and millwork. Subtly patterned and textured rugs from Matt Camron add softness and woven Roman shades by Woodnotes let in the light. Ballou elevated the dining room with grass-cloth wall covering in deep blue tones and hung beloved, modern artworks from the couple’s collection.

Within the year, the owners were ready to embark on a more thorough makeover that would upgrade finishes and impart contemporary character to the interiors. Remodeling the kitchen and bathrooms was also on the list. “We wanted the house to be comfortable and not overly formal, with clean lines and open spaces,” says the wife. Ballou introduced the couple to architect Colleen Healey, who shares her—and her clients’—affinity for Mid-Century Modern design.

As it turned out, Ballou’s original vision was instrumental to the project’s next phase. “They wanted what we did to relate to the beautiful furniture Kate had already selected,” Healey notes.

The front entrance facing Eastern Bay opens to a two-story foyer dominated by a graceful, open stair; straight ahead, glass rear doors capture the Wye River expanse. Living and dining rooms lie to the left of the front door, with the kitchen and the home’s utility areas—laundry, garage and back stairs—beyond. The foyer opens on the right to a wood-paneled library and, down a short hall, the main-floor primary suite. At the top of the stairs, a communal space with facing banks of windows takes in both views; it leads to the kids’ ensuite bedrooms.

The architect masterminded small alterations that retained the home’s structure and scale, yet made a dramatic impact. Simplifying trim and lightening the cherry floors in a matte finish created a modern shift. Bronze elements add interest—from inserts in the built-in living room shelving to integrated wardrobes with bronze frames in the primary bedroom closet. A coat of white paint freshened up the interiors of the floor-to-ceiling library bookcases.

On the airy foyer’s staircase, iron balusters mimicking sea grass made way for a glass railing anchored by curved iron pickets (the original railing was repurposed as a fence outside). A soffit over the doorway between the living and dining rooms was softened into an archway “that has its roots in modern architecture,” Healey says. She played up the living room’s fireplace in slabs of veneered stone and lined the hearth and firebox in bronze.

Faux-wood ceiling beams were removed to “allow the focus to be on the windows,” she explains. “Those small tweaks made a huge difference in the feel of the house.”

The kitchen underwent a major transformation though its layout didn’t change. Healey collaborated on the update with Julia Jensen of Boffi | DePadova in Georgetown. Dark cabinetry is lacquered in a soft, metallic finish; the bronze-clad island is topped with Corian while the peripheral countertops are made of thin, almost-black porcelain slabs. A textured-limestone backsplash anchors the BlueStar range and white Corian covers the sink wall.

Bathrooms were also revamped. The two ground-floor powder rooms now sport custom vanities and textural tile or wallpaper. And the primary bath was elevated with walnut vanities, a sculptural soaking tub and bronze-framed shower and water-closet enclosures.

Since buying the house, the owners have added a pool, a screened porch, a patio with a built-in grill and outdoor furniture groupings curated by Ballou. “The house is functional and beautiful at the same time,” enthuses the wife. “I love the details.”

Healey concurs. “The project was a study in how to change a space without destroying or modifying its utilities and structure,” she notes. “We kept those things yet completely transformed the home.”

“We fell in love with St. Michaels when we first visited,” recalls Megan Goeller, wife, mother and chief influencer behind the project’s casual style. “It’s a calmer pace of life, with kind people and beautiful views.”

Veterans of home-building projects, the couple had previously built a getaway from scratch in South Carolina and were constructing a new residence in Wilmington—where Bill is president of an electrical contracting concern—when they called architect Christine Mizak Dayton of Easton, Maryland, in 2019.

“What brought them here was their love of the water. They also wanted to create a home that could entertain the family,” notes Dayton, who captured the spirit of St. Michaels with the couple’s relaxed, two-story, 6,000-square-foot retreat, completed by Focus Construction in 2021. Four thousand square feet of heated living space centers on an open-plan, 24-by-35-foot great room incorporating living, dining and cooking. An adjacent primary suite looks out to a screened porch. Upstairs, four ensuite bedrooms plus a bunk room over a two-car garage await visiting family. The house has six and a half baths in all, including two sharing a shower.

The interior skews lively, with a classic, blue-and-white palette that mixes export-style porcelain with easy-care rattan, cane and wicker furniture. The inspiration and acquisitions came from Megan herself. “I went here, there and everywhere,” she says of shopping adventures that took her from Delaware to South Carolina, as well as nearby Easton. “I wanted it to be light, bright and airy, but I didn’t want grandchildren to worry,” she adds. “I have a lot of antiques in our other homes but we did not want that formality here.”

Built on a tranquil, shady lane, the new house presents its charms quietly. Once inside, visitors are greeted with spectacle: a vista through the great room that extends to open water. “When you come in the front door, you immediately gain a sense of what’s beyond,” says Dayton. Wraparound, double-hung Marvin windows flood the kitchen and dining areas with daylight and views, while sliding-glass doors open wide to the porch overlooking the riverscape that drew the owners to this spot.

“We wanted the house to be built around the view,” says Megan Goeller. “Christine was really tuned in to what we had in mind.”

The layout is straightforward. The foyer opens to the owners’ suite on the right. Straight ahead is the great room, with a fireplace set in a wall of lightly detailed, painted paneling. At left, an open stair hall leads past a powder room to the laundry and mudroom that connect the kitchen and garage. Ceilings are nine feet throughout. The first floor has wide-plank, white oak flooring in the great room and primary suite, while the utility spaces and outdoor surfaces are tiled with bluestone.

The kitchen, designed in collaboration with Kitchen Creations of Easton, was especially important to Megan, who wanted to enjoy views from her Thermador range and from what she calls her blueberry-colored, quartz-topped island. “I cook a lot,” she points out. High-style cabinets improve the view from the sitting area; their design echoes glass-fronted models Dayton has in her own home.

The upper level has evolved. The architect included a sitting area at the top of the stairs. The owners gained a den by reclaiming a central bedroom that opens to the deck. A spiral staircase was added from the deck to the lawn, simplifying the route to the pool. The Goellers acquired the site by partnering with another family to split a double lot where a vintage house has since been demolished. Dayton, who designed new homes for both families, gave each its own identity. “This one is classy but not overly formal,” she says.

Siting respects a 75.5-foot setback from the water and also protects peripheral views from the porch. “I can’t see anything but nature,” Megan says. As Eastern Shore residents know well, seasons have their glories. So do porches. In the winter months, the Goellers enjoy the sunny west-facing front porch overlooking their quiet neighborhood. Come nicer weather, the east-facing porch becomes a favored spot for gazing at the pool and the Miles River.

“Christine was so good at having a vision,” says Megan. “This is a simple home, but it lives so comfortably. It’s the perfect house.”

Architecture: Christine Mizak Dayton, AIA, Christine M. Dayton Architect, P.A., Easton, Maryland. Kitchen Design: Kitchen Creations, Easton, Maryland. Builder: Focus Construction, Ltd., Easton, Maryland. Landscape Design: Solidago Landscapes, Church Hill, Maryland.

Fiorino-Schwartz quickly remedied the situation. “We took the shaft out to connect the spaces, which brought in airiness and views,” she recounts. On the third level, she reconfigured a small, south-facing bedroom and adjacent bath to create a bright, modern primary suite (above).

“I used a European-suite concept, with the sink and vanity as part of the bedroom,” explains the architect, who tucked the WC, shower and storage behind sliding glass where the shaft had been.

A spare, modern aesthetic ensures that views take center stage. Wide-plank, white oak floors support low-slung furnishings including an iconic Kartell nightstand; abstract coffee-and-oil-on-paper works by Fiorino-Schwartz—who is also a painter—adorn the wall behind the bed.

Renovation Architecture: Violeta Fiorino-Schwartz, AIA, VAS Architecture, Baltimore, Maryland. 

Keeping the scenic locale in mind, Purple Cherry tucked a small, screened porch (above) to one side off the main living area, beyond which a watery panorama unfolds. “It’s a destination room,” the architect notes. “The clients requested that it support seating, not dining, so it’s smaller in scale and has a cozy atmosphere.” A stacked-stone-look tile fireplace anchors the space, where trim details on columns and ceiling reflect the home’s aesthetic. Comfortable Kingsley Bate furniture sits atop an ipe floor and an all-weather rug. A set of stairs leads down to the pool terrace, creating easy indoor-outdoor connectivity.

Architecture & Interior Design: Cathy Purple Cherry, AIA, LEED AP, Purple Cherry Architects, Annapolis, Maryland. Builder: Bayview Builders, Annapolis, Maryland. Landscape Architecture: Campion Hruby Landscape Architects, Annapolis, Maryland.

“We were transitioning to being less than full-time professionals,” says the wife, a technology executive and college professor (her husband is a lawyer). “Our focus was living on one level for aging in place while having enough space to be comfortable. We also wanted a walkable neighborhood with easy access to public transport.”

The 2,700-square-foot apartment in Woodley Park checked all the right boxes. But the unit had not been renovated since the late ’90s. Shortly after purchasing it in 2021, the wife began assembling her ideal design team for an overhaul. First on the list: architect Jeff Hains, who had already completed eight renovations in the complex. “I am very familiar with this building, its nuances and infrastructure,” he explains. “I also knew how to navigate the process with the board of directors.”

Next, interior designer Barbara Noguera came on board. She and Hains clicked—and their professional chemistry was very important to the owners. “Our synergy was dynamic, and we were able to collaborate on transforming this home into something very clean, fresh and modern,” the designer says. Builder Ted Peterson of Peterson and Collins also joined the team.

The mandate was to improve the overall footprint with an airy, more open plan, and to create a clean, modern sensibility in formerly dated spaces. Though the co-op—a corner unit with ample windows—had the potential for strong, natural light, it didn’t take advantage of its attributes. The kitchen was enclosed and a massive, built-in TV cabinet blocked off the family room. Nine-foot tray ceilings with deep bulkheads felt heavy.

The architect and designer devised a T-shaped layout where everything formal—foyer, dining and living rooms—runs along a main axis flanked by informal areas—breakfast and family rooms—that take advantage of natural light and views. The plan demolished the TV cabinet and opened up the kitchen. “New, shallow tray ceilings define spaces on the floor plan while allowing for six additional inches of height, and they have much narrower bulkheads,” Hains notes. The kitchen was renovated in sleek style with help from Jan Goldman of Kitchen Elements, LLC; it’s now separated from the dining area by a breakfast bar.

The design team reinforced the modern aesthetic by eliminating trim, which made for a lighter feel. “We replaced it with just a reveal in the plaster walls, creating a shadow line to imply a reference to baseboards and casings for doors and windows,” Hains relates. Outdated built-ins, including the family room bookcases, were reimagined as cantilevered, floating shelves and clean-lined cabinets. Floors went from light-maple planks to variable-width white oak, stained dark. A new lighting plan by DKT Lighting & Design includes LEDs in the bulkheads.

When the time came to furnish the unit, Noguera considered spatial planning as well as how the couple wished to live. The ability to entertain with ease was important—but they also specified intimate spots for everyday use. And they wanted to ditch the old furniture from their suburban home and start fresh.

Curated global furnishings such as molded Italian leather dining chairs define various zones in the open plan. “The dining room is the first thing you see when you enter the home, so we used it to set the tone for the décor with strong, sculptural furniture that is comfortable and inviting,” the designer says.

The wife, whose taste leans bold and eclectic, hoped the home would reflect her vibrant sensibility. “She wanted elements of surprise that spark curiosity and conversation,” Noguera recounts. “Often, designers have to convince clients to go big; here, part of my job was reining things in and creating overall cohesion.”

The homeowner’s love of primary colors (she jokes that the blue sofa in the family room is her take on beige) led to the selection of a playful Pierre Frey printed textile that upholsters the large sectional in the living room. Its palette, which includes blue, red, pink and chartreuse, became the springboard for the home’s overall scheme. The angular, modern sectional faces a curvy pair of French-style chairs upholstered in cut velvet. A lacquered waterfall cocktail table is centered between them.

Low furniture profiles keep sight lines clear, and special details add interest—from the eye-catching sectional to Christian Lacroix drapes festooned with colorful birds in the bedroom. Says Noguera, “Everything was deeply considered to ensure it would come together as varied yet whole.”

“It was so much fun taking a blank sheet and creating a space,” the wife enthuses. “We truly love our home. I believe the planning and collaboration made all the difference.”

Renovation Architecture: Jeffrey Hains, AIA, Hains Architects, Bethesda, Maryland. Interior Design: Barbara Noguera, principal; Karla Rivera, project manager, Barbara Noguera Interiors, Washington, DC. Kitchen Design: Jan Goldman, Kitchen Elements, LLC, Olney, Maryland. Renovation Contractor: Ted Peterson, Peterson and Collins, Inc., Bethesda, Maryland. Styling: Kristi Hunter.

RESOURCES

FOYER
Wallpaper: phillipjeffries.com. Bench: us.julianchichester.com. Bench Fabric: romo.com.

DINING ROOM
Art: huntslonem.com through merrittgallery.com. Table & Chairs: alfonsomarina.com. Server: jimeco.com. Chandelier: visualcomfort.com.

LIVING ROOM
Sofa Fabric: pierrefrey.com. Sectional: thayercoggin.com. Coffee Table: bakerfurniture.com. Chair Fabric: manuelcanovas.com. Art: merrittgallery.com. Rug: starkcarpet.com.

POWDER ROOM
Wallpaper: abnormalsanonymous.com. Sink: gramaco.com. Sink Fabrication: unitedstatesmarbleandgranite.com. Plumbing: brizo.com through fergusonshowrooms.com. Lighting: visualcomfort.com. Floor Tile: architessa.com.

KITCHEN
Cabinetry: showplacecabinetry.com. Backsplash & Countertop: gramaco.com. Hardware: pushpullhardware.com. Hood: Custom through rangecraft.com. Appliances: fergusonshowrooms.com.

BREAKFAST ROOM
Server: Custom by icdwoodwork.com. Table & Chairs: tonincasausa.com. Pendant: visualcomfort.com.

FAMILY ROOM
Server: Custom by icdwoodwork.com. Sofa: leeindustries.com. Sofa Fabric: romo.com. Swivel Chairs: thayercoggin.com. Coffee Table: jimeco.com. Rug: starkcarpet.com. End Table & Desk Chairs: us.julianchichester.com.

PRIMARY BEDROOM
Wallpaper: phillipjeffries.com. Bed: bakerfurniture.com. Drapery: Christian Lacroix through designersguild.com. Carpet: starkcarpet.com. Sofa: Owners’ Collection. Sofa Fabric: designersguild.com.

David Williams, a business investor, had dreamed of owning such a place for decades. Securing a 150-acre point of land on the Eastern Shore’s Chester River provided a great start. David and wife Kathryn, who reside in nearby Annapolis, then enlisted architect Cathy Purple Cherry to conceive a grand yet welcoming getaway. “The vision was to create a generational compound that would consist of various functions to support their family and friends for years to come,” reveals the architect.

Under her site plan, the main house anchors nine thoughtfully positioned outbuildings—a gatehouse, guest house, garage, party barn, carriage house, pottery studio, sheep shed, pool house and boathouse. Additionally, there’s a bespoke playhouse for the couple’s eight-year-old daughter and a growing gaggle of grandchildren. (David has four adult children from a previous marriage.)

As the husband imagined it, the principal abode would sit on a gentle rise overlooking the river. One hitch: The terrain was flat. “First we had to create a knoll within the horseshoe of the shoreline,” recounts Purple Cherry. The team, which included builder GYC Group and Campion Hruby Landscape Architects, undertook a colossal grading effort to raise the construction site by five feet.

David Williams also had in mind a romantic design concept, focused on making the new house appear old. “He was committed to a traditional, Georgian-style home, with a center core and flanking pieces so it would look like it evolved over time and grew as a multi-century home,” Purple Cherry relates. “The massing is my response. It’s a symmetrical layering of structures.”

A mix of exterior building materials bolsters the Old World aesthetic while respecting rural vernacular. The core’s white-painted brick transitions to horizontal lap siding, which, in turn, segues to vertical board and batten. “As you come away from the formal house, siding on the appendages breaks down the mass,” explains the architect, who specified durable fiber-cement products from James Hardie. “We blended Georgian architecture with farmhouse style.”

At 24,000 square feet, the main dwelling indulges the owners’ every programmatic wish. A library lies to the right of the front center hall and the dining room sits opposite. Two seating areas in the rear center core constitute the social hub. A den, the husband’s office and a billiards room with a bar occupy the right appendage. The butler’s pantry, kitchen, casual-dining area and mudroom are situated on the left. Purple Cherry positioned a stair at each end.

And bedrooms abound. The second floor comprises the primary suite and five more ensuite roosts, while the third floor houses his-and-her bunk rooms along with two other guest quarters. The lower level’s pièce de résistance is a brick dining/wine room with a barrel-vaulted ceiling.

Oodles of glass usher in natural light and splendor. “This property has magnificent views, so we put glass in the right places to make those connections,” says Purple Cherry. Lining the main home’s core, transom-topped French doors also encourage al fresco living; they open onto a covered back veranda bookended by a pair of screened porches. Adds the architect, “There’s inside-outside engagement at all times.”

Campion Hruby developed a landscape plan to elevate that engagement while preserving much of the original tract, some of which is still farmed. “The idea was to ground the entire experience in the daily narrative of Eastern Shore living,” shares principal Kevin Campion, who collaborated with firm partner Meredith Beach on the project. “We created spaces where the agriculture and their lifestyle could exist in harmony. There are lots of places to gather, and that was really part and parcel to the overall theme of a family compound.”

Beach concurs, “Our goal was to connect the buildings through garden rooms and to create an experience as you move between those rooms. We wanted the garden to bleed out into the existing agricultural landscape.”

Linear brick pathways, lush lawn expanses and boxwood hedges provide structure to the waterfront’s formal upper garden. Other plantings, such as roses and Hameln fountain grass, soften the effect. The pool terrace rests a few steps below so as not to obstruct the scenic panorama.

Purple Cherry finished the interiors with cocooning architectural flourishes—from the living area’s coffered ceiling to the library’s built-in reading nooks. “Beautiful millwork and little delights were important to David,” she reveals. “We had this constant, symbiotic conversation that allowed us to create unique moments throughout. Layers of detail bring human scale and add texture to the big spaces.”

An exquisite level of customization also sets off the kitchen, with its handcrafted cabinetry that includes homeowner-requested double islands. A tailor-made pot rack with integrated pendant lights from Ann-Morris crowns one island. What’s more, a coffee station precisely frames a particular painting of a silver cup from the couple’s existing trove.

Finally, Purple Cherry and her design crew outfitted the spaces with an eye toward instilling refined comfort. Their schemes combine classic upholstered pieces and unfussy antiques. “The interiors are traditional blended with a little bit of coastal, mostly in the blues of the palette and some fun fabric patterns,” she notes. “To me, this is an incredibly approachable home.”

The architect documents the five-year journey to complete this peerless retreat in her forthcoming book, The Design of a Country Estate, to be released by Gibbs Smith in July 2024. Just as the owners envisioned, the compound often bustles with activity. Other times, it’s a soothing sanctuary. “David and Kathryn love being here,” reports Purple Cherry. “I’m so happy that the home embraces them in the way it does.”

Architecture & Interior Design: Cathy Purple Cherry, AIA, LEED AP, principal, Purple Cherry Architects, Annapolis, Maryland. Builder: GYC Group, Westminster, Maryland. Landscape Architecture: Kevin Campion, ASLA, principal; Meredith Beach, PLA, ASLA, principal, Campion Hruby Landscape Architects, Annapolis, Maryland. Landscape Contractor: Chester River Landscaping, Chestertown, Maryland; and Planted Earth Landscaping, Inc., Sykesville, Maryland.

The owners, two busy professionals, called on Carter and architect Donald Lococo when it was time to renovate their builder-grade abode. Years earlier, the design duo had remodeled the wife’s parents’ house to much acclaim and the couple hoped to recreate that magic in their own home. They teamed with Horizon Builders, the firm that had collaborated on the previous remodel as well. “They wanted to reassemble the dream team,” jokes Lococo.

Frequent partners in design, Lococo and Carter are both renowned for their aesthetic restraint and their ability to synthesize classical architectural motifs and modern elements—an approach that proved useful for this project. Built in 1965, the 13,216-square-foot manse has a sprawling layout featuring a central hall entry flanked by the library and the dining room; the kitchen is on the opposite side of the dining area. Seven bedrooms are spread over three levels, with most situated on the second floor.

An exaggerated French façade was exemplified by overly ornamental limestone details and an oeil-de-boeuf window. To refine the exterior, Lococo streamlined the limestone trim and swapped out the ovoid window for something more understated. He then skimmed the brick with a creamy, stucco-like finish that “allows the brick to ghost through so you see its texture but not its color,” he says. Steel-framed windows and doors replaced the old ones to give the home a more European flavor. “Darryl suggested the house skewed Belgian modern, and that spearheaded the direction of the details,” Lococo explains.

“What Donald did was return the house to a purer state,” Carter adds. “Doing away with some of the decorative elements lends it a more modern sensibility.”

A similar mindset prevailed inside, where Lococo and Carter embraced the existing segmental arch openings throughout the home but nixed many of the interior’s fussier flourishes. Out went elaborate fireplace mantels in favor of sleek stone surrounds, and overdone crown molding was replaced by inset ceiling trim that evokes artisanal plasterwork of yore, but rendered in a fresh way. Walls received a mottled finish that lends a sense of age but still feels contemporary. “The thought was to elevate the interior trim details by reducing them,” observes Lococo. “I think the success lay in making the interior architecture traditional but questioning those details that we see time and time again.”

One exception was the primary bedroom, where embellishments were added: Lococo raised the ceiling to create a barrel vault which subtly echoes the segmental arches that appear throughout the home. “That arc helps transition from the public spaces to the most private and brings cohesiveness,” he says.

To further unify the rooms, Carter finished the oak floors in a blond hue that established a quiet ground for layering furnishings and art. “We had a shared design language and sense of palette,” he says of himself and the clients. “I am prone to environments that are relatively neutral, but I always like to use a splash of color in the art.” Here, he chose a bold saffron painting that unfolds like origami over three walls of the dining room. Other notable pieces include artworks by Edward Finnegan and Purvis Young, as well as a wide range of heirloom furnishings. “When you bring antiques into a more modern setting, their patina alone makes the environment more tactile and approachable,” the designer notes.

Alongside such rarefied finds, Carter incorporated durable indoor-outdoor fabrics throughout the home to stand up to the kids’ wear and tear. And to ensure there would be places to stash toys, snacks and other necessities, Lococo hid storage in plain sight: The living room paneling conceals built-ins and the primary suite features a wall of stealth drawers. In the kitchen, cabinets were so cleverly concealed as paneling that the wife called Lococo after moving in, panicked that there wasn’t enough storage. The architect showed up and started pulling open hidden drawers.

More visual sleight of hand occurred outside in the form of a living sculptural element. Landscape architect Jennifer Horn created a courtyard terrace of reclaimed French limestone selected by Carter, then planted four mature hornbeam trees that appear to burst forth from the stone, which actually cantilevers above the soil. Horn also leveled out the sloped lot and relocated the swimming pool to improve its sight lines. At the property’s edge, she devised a wall cloaked by a row of arborvitae to frame the woods beyond the house. “We really wanted to distill the landscape down to its purest elements: water, grass, trees, stone,” says Horn. “I think that’s in accordance with what Donald and Darryl were doing with the house.”

With that kind of synchronicity among the design team, it’s no wonder the collaboration rendered such harmonious results. Lococo and Carter have often said they’re so in tune that they finish one another’s sentences. “When we work together it’s a very fluid process, like there’s one brain doing it,” avers Lococo.

Carter concurs. “It’s great to work with an architect who shares a similar sensibility because it makes the collaboration a lot easier. It’s to the betterment of the project at large.”

Renovation Architecture: Donald Lococo, AIA, NCARB, Donald Lococo Architects, Washington, DC. Interior Design: Darryl Carter, Darryl Carter, Inc., Washington, DC. Renovation Contractor: Horizon Builders, Annapolis, Maryland. Landscape Architecture: Jennifer Horn, RLA, Horn & Co. Landscape Architecture, Arlington, Virginia. Home Automation: A.B.E. Networks, Rockville, Maryland.

RESOURCES

LIBRARY
Sofa & Fabric: hollyhunt.com. Wood-Framed Chairs: newel.com. Wood-Framed Chair Fabric: hollyhunt.com. Coffee Table: Custom through darrylcarter.com. Rug: starkcarpet.com. Sculpture: Stephanie Bachiero through peterblakegallery.com. Music Stand & Clawfoot Stool: 1stdibs.com.

ENTRY
Console: Custom by darrylcarter.com. Sculpture: Senufo through trocadero.com. Artwork: Edward Finnegan. Floor Runner: dorisleslieblau.com. Stair Runner: starkcarpet.com. Stair Railing: donaldlococoarchitects.com. Ceiling Fixtures: vaughandesigns.com.

DINING ROOM
Ceiling Fixture: illuminc.com. Table & Chairs: Custom through darrylcarter.com. Chair Fabric: brentanofabrics.com through hollyhunt.com. Drapery: metaphors.com. Artwork: Custom through darrylcarter.com.

KITCHEN
Cabinetry: donaldlococoarchitects.com. Backsplash, Countertop & Island: caesarstoneus.com. Faucet: jaclo.com. Island Lighting: illuminc.com.

BEDROOM
Bedstead & Bedding: Custom through darrylcarter.com. Table Lamps: shop.thedpages.com. Reading Lights on Wall: illuminc.com. Overhead Lighting: remains.com. Pedestal Table & Chest: 1stdibs.com. Art in Window: Purvis Young. Rug: starkcarpet.com.

BATHROOM
Clawfoot Tub: kohler.com. Ceiling Fixture, Mirror & Foot Stool: 1stdibs.com. Tub Filler: newportbrass.com.

EXTERIOR
Wall Lanterns: vintage. Yellow Sculpture: donaldlococoarchitects.com. Chaise Lounges: knoll.com.

Home & Design Award of Excellence
BOWA

Basement under $150,000
GRAND: Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes
GRAND: MOSS Building & Design

Basement $150,000 and over
GRAND: Finesse Design Remodeling
MERIT: Smiley Renovations
FINALIST: HIVEX Basement Finishing Co.

Commercial Interior
GRAND: The Levine Group Architects + Builders

Creative Solutions
GRAND: Lofft Construction
MERIT: Daniels Design & Remodeling
FINALIST: PACE Design & Construction

Entire House under $500,000
GRAND: WINN Design + Build
MERIT: Blue Star
FINALIST: Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes

Entire House $500,000 to $750,000
GRAND: Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes
GRAND: LOFFT Construction

Entire House over $750,000
GRAND: Blue Star
MERIT: Lofft Construction
MERIT: BOWA
FINALIST: Smiley Renovations

New Custom Home under 4,500 square feet
GRAND: Superior Construction Services

New Custom Home 4,500 square feet and over
GRAND: Anthony Wilder Design/Build, Inc.

Residential Addition under $250,000
GRAND: MOSS Building & Design
MERIT: Lofft Construction
FINALIST: Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes

Residential Addition $250,000 to $500,000
GRAND: Marks-Woods Construction Services
MERIT: Sun Design Remodeling Specialists
FINALIST: Sun Design Remodeling Specialists

Residential Addition over $500,000
GRAND: Landis Architects | Builders
MERIT: TriVistaUSA Design + Build
FINALIST: Marks-Woods Construction Services
FINALIST: Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes

Residential Bath under $50,000
GRAND: Honor-Roll Remodeling
MERIT: Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes
FINALIST: Honor-Roll Remodeling
FINALIST: Superior Construction Services

Residential Bath $50,000 to $100,000
GRAND: Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes
MERIT: Marks-Woods Construction Services

Residential Bath over $100,000
GRAND: Smiley Renovations
MERIT: Anthony Wilder Design/Build
FINALIST: Sun Design Remodeling Specialists

Residential Detached Structure
GRAND: Pristine Acres
MERIT: MOSS Building & Design
FINALIST: Superior Construction Services

Residential Exterior under $100,000
GRAND: Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes

Residential Exterior $100,000 to $200,000
GRAND: Daniel Krienbuehl Contractors
MERIT: TriVistaUSA Design + Build
FINALIST: Spectrum Design Build

Residential Exterior over $200,000
GRAND: Spectrum Design Build
MERIT: Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes

Residential Historical Renovation/Restoration under $250,000
GRAND: Marks-Woods Construction Services

Residential Historical Renovation/Restoration $250,000 and over
GRAND: Marks-Woods Construction Services
MERIT: Lauten Construction Co.

Residential Interior Element under $30,000
GRAND: The Levine Group Architects + Builders

Residential Interior Element $30,000 and over
GRAND: Daniels Design & Remodeling
MERIT: Daniels Design & Remodeling

Residential Interior under $250,000
GRAND: Superior Construction Services
GRAND: The Tailored Closet & PremierGarage of Washington, DC
MERIT: TriVistaUSA Design + Build
FINALIST: Spectrum Design Build

Residential Interior $250,000 to $500,000
GRAND: Case Architects & Remodelers
MERIT: Anthony Wilder Design/Build
FINALIST: Merrick Design and Build

Residential Interior over $500,000
GRAND: Bowers Design Build
MERIT: WINN Design + Build
FINALIST: BOWA

Residential Kitchen under $75,000
GRAND: Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes
MERIT: Honor-Roll Remodeling

Residential Kitchen $75,000 to $150,000
GRAND: Case Architects & Remodelers
GRAND: Sun Design Remodeling Specialists
MERIT: MOSS Building & Design
MERIT: Spectrum Design Build
FINALIST: MOSS Building & Design
FINALIST: Tabor Design Build

Residential Kitchen over $150,000
GRAND: Bowers Design Build
MERIT: Synergy Design & Construction
FINALIST: InSite Builders & Remodeling

Residential Landscape Design/Outdoor Living Area $100,000 to $250,000
GRAND: Rust Construction
MERIT: Spectrum Design Build

Residential Landscape Design/Outdoor Living Area over $250,000
GRAND: Pristine Acres
MERIT: Pristine Acres
FINALIST: Landis Architects | Builders

Universal Design—Entire House/Addition
GRAND: MOSS Building & Design

Universal Design—Interiors
GRAND: Synergy Design & Construction
MERIT: Schroeder Design/Build

Zapatka agrees, explaining that he “creates classic, timeless structures that integrate both site and interior design.” In this case, his renovation—a three-year adventure that included extensive negotiations with DC government agencies, neighborhood groups and historic preservation societies—informed Baty’s vision, which the designer diplomatically describes as “an identity that favored a disconnect from DC style.”
Before finding its inner glamour, the home was treated to a total gut job that reconfigured the interior spaces, adding rooms, functionality and a more organic flow. At the back, recalls Zapatka, “we replaced a goofy, bright-orange, two-story addition” with a lighter, more spacious three-story extension featuring skylights and clerestory windows. Post-reno, the 2,420-square-foot residence includes three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths and a wealth of artfully disguised storage areas and closets.

Homeowners Gary Jankowski and Michael Schaeffer, both real estate agents, came to the project prepared with vision boards and ideas that were more European classic than American traditional. The couple, who’ve traveled extensively in France and Italy, wanted to create a refuge where they could live comfortably but entertain grandly—one that would reflect their sophisticated aesthetic and love of art. To achieve their vision, Baty, who hails from France, modeled their home on hôtel particulier, an architectural vernacular dating from the 16th century and popular among well-heeled Parisians ever since. Combining a wide variety of styles and periods, it’s a hybrid of the most elegant examples of European and American art and design.

The transatlantic journey begins at the front entry, where a refined gray, black and white palette is established through a limestone tile floor with black diamond inlay. Artwork, an Italian fringed stool and bold purple objets atop an antique-mirrored table enliven the graphic scheme. A graceful switchback staircase leads up to the second-level primary bedroom and a third-floor guest room.

A narrow gallery flows from the foyer back to the salon—an airy, open space spanning the rear of the house and encompassing both living and dining areas. The passageway is offset by graphic, arboreal-patterned grisaille (gray-toned) wall covering with a pastoral theme; it creates a bucolic backdrop for an ebonized, antique bar cabinet and a brass-and-leather director’s chair.

For all its grandeur, the salon is an intimate space that equally enriches everyday life and more formal gatherings. Cool blues and grays, luscious textiles and decorative marble and metallic elements all invite the visitor to relax and take in the French-inspired courtyard outside three tall French doors. Baty adhered to his vision of eclectic elegance with Italian and French side tables and pedestals that serve as plant stands while a Louis XV-style settee, exuberantly cloaked in sunburst silk, is flanked by marble-topped side tables and marble-and-brass lamps. Contemporary acrylic stools play harmoniously with two gray velvet lounge chairs and an armless banquette in jewel tones; all three are trimmed with bullion fringe.

Between the two chairs rests an ebonized Napoleon III-style table that opens to seat six when needed (very rarely, the owners confess). This flexibility, Baty explains, reduces volume and clutter and keeps the sight lines to the garden clear. Large-scale grisaille paintings and a photo triptych of Versailles display classic scenes in modern mediums.

Outside the French doors, a picturesque courtyard was landscaped by Oehme, van Sweden to evoke the parks of Paris, planted with fragrant linden trees set in a sweep of pea gravel. At the far end is a loggia designed to hide a two-car parking space. Both the trees and re-built, Moroccan-inspired masonry walls contribute to a cool-and-calm oasis vibe.

To the left off the gallery, the U-shaped kitchen is a study in glossy gray, glass and warm wood. Snaidero cabinets line the walls while creamy Caesarstone counters and glazed tiles are a soft counterpoint to the sleek cabinetry, La Cornue range and custom-designed steel hood. A marble-topped bronze island—crafted by Baty from an antique bank counter—is the couple’s preferred dining table, whether it’s just à deux or for larger groups. “It’s where we do most of our entertaining,” Jankowski admits.

Upstairs—past a cozy media room and a dressing area with built-in storage and a deep walk-in closet—is the primary bedroom, a serene and spare retreat arrayed in the colors of Parisian weather: gray, white and blue. Like the salon, metallic accents are everywhere, adorning the Neoclassical night tables, a Chinese Chippendale headboard and an Art Deco screen. Soft textures prevail, from the bed linens and curtains to the rug.

It’s been nearly seven years since the owners moved back to this recreated corner of Paris and every day they appreciate anew the joy it provides. From the moment you enter, Jankowski avers, “you feel transported to another world. It’s unlike anything we’ve seen on Capitol Hill.”

RESOURCES

THROUGHOUT: Paint & Trim: farrow-ball.com.

LIVING & DINING AREA
Sofa & Sofa Fabric: kravet.com. Rug: moooicarpets.com. Chair Fabric: jab.de/us. Chair Trim: Stroheim for kravet.com. Coffee Table, Chandelier, Large Round Table & Console Flanking Fireplace: Antique. Art Flanking Fireplace: Custom. Bust: Antique. Art above Stands: fornasetti.com. Bench: Owners’ collection. Tables Flanking Bench: alfonsomarina.com. Art above Bench: Brice Chatenoud. Lucite Stools: Vintage. Bench Fabric: jimthompsonhomefurnishings.com. Mirror: Owners’ collection. Dining Table &  Chairs: Owners’ collection. Chair Fabric: Vintage.

FOYER & HALLWAY
Art: mishaillin.com. Runner: pattersonflynn.com. Stool: lorenzabozzoli.com. Mural: ananbo.com/en. Director's Chair: valenti.es/en. Sideboard: antique, Neoclassical.

KITCHEN
Cabinetry: snaiderodcmetro.com.

BEDROOM
Bedding: ralphlauren.com. Wall Covering: phillipjeffries.com. Rug: nourison.com. Desk Lamp: Vintage. Drapery Fabric: dedar.com. Drapery Fabrication: greatdreamsinteriors.com. Stool: lorenzabozzoli.com. Screen: Antique. Bench: Vintage. Bench Fabric: jab.de./us. Blue Chair Fabric: kravet

“The new house stands out, but it actually fits into the neighborhood well,” comments GTM Architects’ Mark Kaufman, who designed the building. “I think the materials, with the aesthetic of bigger glass, feel right.”
A stone-and-glass stair tower dominates the front façade and sends sunlight pouring into a spacious entry hall, where an elevator is tucked into a corner. Straight ahead, a great room encompassing living, dining and kitchen spaces stars a double-height ceiling and a 22-foot-tall stone fireplace framed by an alcove of floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall glass.

“There’s a feeling of being engulfed by these windows,” observes interior designer Annette Hannon, who collaborated on the project with Kaufman and the owners, a businessman and his wife. “As pretty as it is during the day, at nighttime, with the lighting, it’s magic.”

With 6,571 square feet of finished space on three floors, this five-bedroom, five-and-a-half-bath house could be a millennial’s dream. Yet there’s more to the project: The owners, both active and in their early 70s, wanted to age in place—but their previous Bethesda home had become problematic, presenting steps at every turn. “When we were young, it was fine,” the husband says, “but we really didn’t want to do that anymore.” They opted for the best of both worlds: one-floor living inside a purpose-built, multi-story home.

“They wanted a great space and a really nice owners’ suite on the first floor, with all the amenities they would need,” Kaufman explains.

An opportunity arose to acquire a property nearby and demolish its existing, outdated dwelling. The couple went for it, and Kaufman began designing their new house in December 2019, with construction completed by autumn of 2021. His scheme maximized the triangular quarter-acre lot with an L-shaped plan that positioned the public rooms and garage facing the street, while the primary suite projects out in the rear.

The new abode was conceived for accessibility and ease of living rather than downsizing. The owners insisted on three second-floor bedrooms for visitors; the wife currently uses one as an office. “There’s a bigger bedroom on that level,” Kaufman points out, “so you could definitely put an owners’ suite up there.” A lower level provides a 20-by-44-foot recreation and exercise space, a wine cellar, storage and another bedroom and bath.

On the main floor, the architect eliminated entry steps. A ramp leads from the garage into the house. Doorways measure 36 inches wide, exceeding ADA specifications. Hallways are five feet wide, with generous turnaround space throughout. After the wife had two knee replacements within three months, her husband reveals, “we tested our theory of whether we could age in place living on the first floor.” Her path was smooth.

The owners’ suite is entered off a strategic hallway beyond the kitchen. Extending from the front stairwell to the rear garden door, it connects the suite directly to the home’s functional features: garage, mudroom, laundry, kitchen, pantry and elevator. Kaufman emphasizes that the passage is barely noticeable from the public spaces, giving the owners an extra measure of privacy while moving to and from their first-floor suite. “The service hall really helped tie the house together,” he says. “It provides access to everything.”

Hannon joined the project before ground was broken, partnering with the architect on cabinetry, kitchen layout and bathrooms and establishing a modern yet warm aesthetic on the glass-walled main floor with plush upholstery and subtly patterned rugs. She added splashes of color to reflect her clients’ spirited personalities while ensuring functionality—for example, a shapely blue Vladimir Kagan chair lightens the mood in the husband’s main-level office. “I firmly believe one’s home should reflect who they are and what makes them happy,” the designer avers. “I think this house reflects the fun nature its owners personally exude.”

Benjamin Moore’s Balboa Mist creates a neutral backdrop in the great room. A smattering of deep browns and blues on upholstery, together with touches of leather and bronze, complement walnut cabinetry extending from living area to kitchen. The white quartz island is lighted by a fixture of frosted glass baubles. For ease of use, seating in the breakfast nook and at the kitchen island is lightweight; the dining table, a slab of birdseye maple, has a self-storing leaf. For viewing the media screen, Hannon chose a standard sofa and swivel chairs. “Sectionals don’t allow the viewer to move around freely,” she explains. “I didn’t want a barrier. There should be flow from the kitchen to the great room during the course of an evening. I love that open relationship.” A brass ribbon sculpture by Martha Sturdy behind the sofa speaks to the clients’ appreciation for art.

In the owners’ suite, the bedroom is lined with textured wallpaper in a pearly hue under 10-foot-high ceilings, with nine-foot-tall windows that meet at a corner overlooking the garden. A door opens out to a terrace. Kaufman designed a sapele mahogany double vanity, fabricated by Sandy Spring Builders in the primary bath, which boasts a curb-less shower. Hannon enlivened the WC with a colorful, custom vinyl wall cover.

Summing up the project, the designer says, “You can age in place without sacrificing design. And you can still have fun.”

RESOURCES

THROUGHOUT
Home Automation: htarchitects.com.

LIVING AREA
Sofa, Swivel Chairs & Coffee Table: aneesupholstery.com through hinescompany.com. Sofa Fabric: designersguild.com through osborneandlittle.com. Pillow Fabric: brentanofabrics.com through hollyhunt.com. Pillow Trim: samuelandsons.com through hinescompany.com. Swivel Chairs Fabric: designersguild.com through osborneandlittle.com. Contrast Back Pillow Fabric: hollandandsherry.com. Blue Chair: arudin.com through michaelclearyllc.com. Chair Fabric & Pillow Fabric: kirbydesign.com through romo.com.  Poufs: hollyhunt.com. Poufs Fabric: designersguild.com through osborneandlittle.com. Rug: carpetimpressions.com. Metal Sculpture: marthasturdy.com through hollyhunt.com. Round Occasional Table: hollyhunt.com.

DINING AREA
Table: keithfritz.com through michaelclearyllc.com. Chairs: hollyhunt.com. Chair Fabric: designersguild.com through osborneandlittle.com.

FOYER
Hardware: pushpullhardware.com. Rug: carpetimpressions.com. Art: Owners’ collection.

UPPER LANDING
Railing: custommetalsofvirginia.com. Stairs: chesapeakestair.com. Figurative Sculptures & Chandelier: Owners’ collection.

OFFICE
Desk: roche-bobois.com. Desk Chair: hermanmiller.com. Blue Chair: vladimirkagan.com through hollyhunt.com. Art: Owners’ collection. Occasional Table: hollyhunt.com. Rug: carpetimpressions.com.

KITCHEN
Island Lighting: gabriel-scott.com. Cabinetry: Custom through Metro Carpentry. Counters & Backsplash: msisurfaces.com. Countertop & Backsplash Fabricator: petrastonegallery.com. Stools & Chairs: roche-bobois.com. Breakfast Table: hollyhunt.com. Chandelier: visualcomfort.com through dominionlighting.com.

BEDROOM
Wallpaper: carlisleco.com through hollyhunt.com. Bed & Chair: aneesupholstery.com through hinescompany.com. Bed, Chair & Pillow Fabric: designersguild.com through osborneandlittle.com. Bedding: sferra.com. Rug: carpetimpressions.com.

PRIMARY BATH
Vanity: Custom through Metro Carpentry. Wall Tile & Flooring: architessa.com. Vanity Top: msisurfaces.com. Vanity Top Fabrication: petrastonegallery.com. Art: detroitwallpaper.com.

The brick, glass and limestone structure was a collaborative effort by Stevensville, Maryland-based WGM Architecture + Interiors, New York-based Margaret Sullivan Studio and Louis Cherry Architecture of Raleigh, North Carolina. Organized around a central volume with clerestory windows rising two stories on one side, it encompasses meeting and collaboration spaces; dedicated areas for children, families and teens; maker and technology zones; a reading room; and a café. The entry serves as an exhibition gallery.

Flooring materials, ceiling heights, colors and finishes delineate each zone. Creative lighting is also a defining element; for example, clusters of cloud fixtures grace the kids’ area (above) while teen and adult spaces are lit by sleek, linear bars. Annapolis history also plays a role—stone entry tiles depict an 1895 nautical survey map of the Chesapeake Bay and acoustic panels showcase the text of George Washington’s resignation from the Continental Army in 1783, delivered at the nearby Maryland State House.

The library won a 2023 AIA Chesapeake Bay award for Non-Residential New Construction.

Architect of Record: Jeremy Kline, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, principal, WGM Architecture + Interiors, Stevensville, Maryland. Concept Design: Louis Cherry Architecture, Raleigh, North Carolina. Interior Design: Margaret Sullivan Studio, New York, New York. General Contractor: Towson Mechanical, Inc., Parkville, Maryland. Photography: Keith Isaacs.

The couple with two young kids was also smitten with the property, located on a wooded, two-and-a-half-acre site overlooking a lake in suburban Maryland. After Williams made a quick study to see if renovating the dated gem was feasible for their budget, they cinched the deal. Originally designed by New York architects Robert Hutchins and William Huntington, the residence embraced the Bauhaus style of its day with a flat roof, strong horizontal lines and minimal exterior detail. Updates in the 1980s and ’90s created a second-level primary suite and, on the western side of the home, added on new living space, a pool cabana and a garage.

Stuck with compartmentalized rooms, lackluster finishes and a convoluted layout, the six-bedroom residence was ripe for improvement. “It was an amazing place that had been abused and misunderstood,” relates Williams, who was hired for the redo. “We needed to get it back to its roots and bring a 21st-century sensibility to this very cool house.” The architect and his team envisioned a makeover that would streamline the floor plan, modernize the interiors and forge stronger connections to the picture-perfect site.

The existing foyer contained a walled-in stairway and two doors, one leading back to the dining room and the other to the main living room on the right. The ’90s-era kitchen and family room awaited on the left, while on the far right, additions contained another family room/library and office.

“It was a bit weird,” observes Williams. “The kitchen was located on the east side and, in our opinion, imbalanced the entire life of the house because on the west side there was a swimming pool, garage and terraces. There were also two living spaces back-to-back,” he adds, “so you couldn’t justify how one was different from the other. It seemed redundant and wasteful.”

Order was restored by shifting the kitchen to the opposite side of the house. Replacing the extra family room and office in the west wing, Williams designed a large new kitchen and family room overlooking the terrace and a side yard where the kids play. His plan also orchestrated a new mudroom, forging a clear path from the kitchen to the garage and pool. “This rebalancing created a whole new center of life,” the architect reports. “In the absence of the former kitchen, we created a new study-hall zone with a media room, library and meeting area.”

Though the home’s 7,600-square-foot footprint remained unchanged, a comprehensive renovation completed with builder Bruce Ottati replaced everything from HVAC systems, roofing and insulation to flooring, bathrooms and fenestration. A minimal material palette, including rift-and-quartered white oak floors, white walls and enlarged windows, simplified the aesthetic and let the views take center stage. Says Williams, “We introduced a new attitude, but one that I think is really in keeping with the original 1936 project.”

Today, guests arrive in a reimagined foyer that opens to the dining room with views of the lake beyond. In lieu of confining walls and doors, a slatted scrim of Douglas fir delineates living and dining areas. Though the original stairway remains intact, Williams traded the drywall side rail for a panel of weathered steel that elevates the entry, along with a ceiling painted in deep, metallic gold. “I thought that the weathered steel, also repeated on the kitchen island, would shake up the restrained nature of the interiors,” explains the architect.

Scaled as a generous hub for family and social life, the kitchen maximizes prime views of the landscape. Custom cabinets in walnut and deep blue echo hues of woods and sky. Threads of blue are woven throughout the interiors, outfitted by interior designer Dieter Thelen with clean-lined furniture and bold, modern art.

The overhaul also revamped the lower level as well as five second-floor bedrooms and all of the baths. The rehabbed primary bathroom, clad in marble tile, now offers some of the best views in the house through one of several porthole windows likely added in the 1980s redo.

In its latest iteration, the residence has come full circle. “By opening the house up, you get a sense of limitless movement, and that’s a pretty great feeling,” Williams reflects. “I suspect the original house was that way too. In general, we tried to make it live up to its potential.”

The center occupies the former Newseum building in its enviable Penn Quarter location near the U.S. Capitol. The structure was repurposed for its new role by two New York-based firms. Ennead Architects, which designed the original building in 2008, spearheaded exterior alterations while Rockwell Group orchestrated fresh interiors. An exterior clad in Tennessee pink marble echoes historic buildings nearby; an expanded glass façade brings in natural light. Inside, levels were removed to create a seven-story atrium (pictured above); myriad academic and gathering spaces are configured around this central core. “Conceptually and structurally, the transformation was designed to establish a progressive new identity,” says Richard Olcott, FAIA, FAAR, of Ennead Architects. “We opened up the building to reveal the vibrancy within while revitalizing the streetscape.”

Flexible spaces promote engagement via public forums, innovative programming, briefings, collaborations and more. An art gallery, large-scale commissioned art installations and a 375-seat theater are part of the mix; extensive terraces provide panoramic city views.

Exterior Architecture: Ennead Architects, New York, New York. Interior Architecture: Rockwell Group, New York, New York. Architect of Record: SmithGroup, Washington, DC. Contractor: Clark Construction, Washington, DC. 

• R | refuge: Page.
• Farm to Table: McInturff Architects.

• 3 House in a Clearing: McInturff Architects.

• 4 Clerestory House: Colleen Healey Architecture.

FULL AWARDS LISTING: AIA MARYLAND

WINNER

• 504 S Dallas: EastWing Architects.

HONORABLE MENTION

• Tilt House: Place Architecture: Design.

FULL AWARDS LISTING: AIA BALTIMORE

HONORABLE MENTION

• University of Maryland College Park, Yahentamitsi Dining Hall: Ayers Saint Gross, Holder Construction Company
• Ringling College of Art and Design Greensboro Hall: Ayers Saint Gross, Willis A Smith Construction
• Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center: CannonDesign
• Right to Dream Academy + Purpose Labs: Gensler
• New Carrollton Branch Library: GWWO Architects, Tuckman-Barbee Construction Co., Inc.
• Van Ness Elementary School: ISTUDIO Architects, Broughton Construction
• 40Ten: Moseley Architects, Chesapeake Contracting Group
• Bon Secours Community Works: PI.KL Studio, C.L. McCroy Framing Co. Inc.
• The Beacon: PI.KL Studio, MC Dean

DESIGN AWARD

• John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Building 201: CannonDesign, Turner Construction

HONORABLE MENTION, RESIDENTIAL AWARD

• 504 S Dallas: EastWing Architects, Guerilla Construction

DESIGN AWARD, SUSTAINABILITY AWARD

• Pikes Peak Summit Visitor Center: GWWO Architects, GE Johnson Construction Company
• Michael J. Trostel, FAIA Preservation Award
• Forum Building: Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects, Wohlsen Construction

DESIGN AWARD, GOOD DESIGN=GOOD BUSINESS AWARD

• Sandtown Furniture Headquarters: PI.KL Studio, Commercial Interior Construction

HONORABLE MENTION, RESIDENTIAL HONORABLE MENTION

• Tilt House: Place Architecture: Design, CLA Homes

DESIGN AWARD

• City House Charles: SM+P Architects, JC Porter Construction

SOCIAL EQUITY HONORABLE MENTION

• Hot Sox Field at Wilson Park: WBCM, NASTOS Construction Inc.

GOOD DESIGN=GOOD BUSINESS HONORABLE MENTION, SOCIAL EQUITY AWARD

• Baltimore Unity Hall: Ziger | Snead Architects, Southway Builders

GRAND DESIGN, DESIGN AWARD, DETAIL AWARD

• Clyburn Arboretum Nature Education Center: Ziger | Snead Architects, Lewis Contractors

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD

• Lexington Market: BCT Design Group, Southway Builders

• Clerestory House: Colleen Healey Architecture.

• Pivoting: MODE4 Architecture.

• Brookeville Cottage ADU: Miche Booz Architect.
• Corten Tree House: Colleen Healey Architecture.
• His, Hers & Theirs: McInturff Architects.
• Lincoln Street Residence: EL Studio.
• Ocean Sundial: Donald Lococo Architects.

• Casa Venezuela: KUBE Architecture.

FULL AWARDS LISTING: AIA POTOMAC VALLEY

• Casa Madera Cristal: David Jameson Architect, Inc.
• Pivoting: MODE4 Architecture.
• Oak Farm: StudioMB.

• 70’s Reno & Thought Bubble: Donald Lococo Architects.
• Rambler Redux: StudioMB.

• Vapor House: David Jameson Architect, Inc.
• Spring Mill House: Robert M. Gurney, FAIA Architect.
• North Adams House: Robert M. Gurney, FAIA Architect.

FULL AWARDS LISTING: AIA NORTHERN VIRGINIA

• Wye River Renovation: Colleen Healey Architecture.

• Salt Creek Overlook: Atelier 11 Architecture. Photo: Property One Photography

• R | refuge: Page. Photo: Anice Hoachlander

FULL AWARDS LISTING: AIA CHESAPEAKE BAY

MERIT, NON-RESIDENTIAL NEW CONSTRUCTION

• Michael E. Busch Annapolis Library: WGM Architects
• St. Mary’s College of Maryland Nancy R. and Norton T. Dodge Performing Arts Center and Learning Commons: GWWO Architects

HONOR, NON-RESIDENTIAL NEW CONSTRUCTION

• Wor-Wic Community College Patricia and Alan Guerrieri Technology Building: Becker Morgan Group

HONOR, NON-RESIDENTIAL RENOVATION/ADDITION

• Hot Sox Field at Wilson Park: WBCM Architects
• The Packing House: Quinn Evans

MERIT, NON-RESIDENTIAL RENOVATION/ADDITION

• Twigs & Teacups: Barton Ross & Associates
• Wildset Hotel & Ruse Restaurant: Charles P. Goebel, Architect

MERIT, RESIDENTIAL NEW CONSTRUCTION

• R | refuge: Page Think

CITATION, RESIDENTIAL NEW CONSTRUCTION

• Salt Creek Overlook: Atelier 11, Ltd.

HONOR AWARD PRESERVATION AWARD PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD, RESIDENTIAL RENOVATION/ADDITION

• Cloverfields: A Historic Estate Reborn: Kimmel Studio Architects

HONOR, RESIDENTIAL RENOVATION/ADDITION

• Wye River Renovation: Colleen Healey Architecture

ENGLISH VIBE
Designer Mark D. Sikes channels classic British vernacular in his Clementine Collection of decorative hardware for Modern Matter. Solid-brass knobs, pulls, hooks and latches sport porcelain elements and hand-applied finishes. modern-matter.com

RUSTIC FLAIR
Ashley Norton’s artisanal hardware now comes in a hammered finish that imparts a rustic aesthetic. Each dent and divot is achieved using traditional techniques; the finish can be found on hand-forged knobs, pulls and lever handlesets. ashleynorton.com

STYLE BUFFET
Hardware offerings from Atlas Homewares make a bold statement. Pictured above in a wintry mood, clockwise from top, left: a pull from the Kate Collection; two knobs from the Optimism Oval Collection and a Sutton Place Collection cup pull. atlashomewares.com

TACTILE SURFACE
Linear grooves embellish the Fluted Lever, a new addition to Viaggio Hardware’s Contempo Collection. Forged from brass, the handle comes in five finishes (Satin Nickel is pictured above) and boasts a concealed screw mechanism for a seamless look. viaggiohardware.com

FINISH LINE
Hardware Renaissance has reimagined its solid-bronze decorative collection in a range of artisan-made finishes accented with color, veining and highlights. Hand-applied patinas adorn an assortment of knobs, pulls and levers. hardwarerenaissance.com

A New York City power couple, the owners had traveled the world—but fell in love with Chestertown, Maryland, more than five years ago. After finding the perfect site, they asked Purple Cherry to design a vacation home there that would reflect their shared aesthetic and values. It had to be sized for the two of them, with a modest presence and interiors that would support a vibrant collection of art, furnishings and books, as well as Asian Pacific artifacts acquired during wanderings abroad.

“Simplicity, smallness of scale, lack of pretense,” Purple Cherry says, ticking off the clients’ program for both architecture and interiors. “And, overarchingly, a very tight budget.”

Today, Nepalese wind chimes sound at the approach to the light-filled, 3,875-square-foot dwelling, which is set on a clearing parallel to and 100 feet back from the water. “One of my favorite aspects of the house is how the design thoughtfully blends in with its surroundings, truly bringing nature into every room and from every angle,” says the husband, a financial executive.

Purple Cherry arrived at the clean, modern spirit her clients had in mind via a restrained form consisting of three volumes. A bird’s-eye view reveals the house plan as a rectangle flanked by two identical squares topped with peaked roofs. “When you’re aiming for something simple and pure,” the architect observes, “symmetry makes for a more peaceful structure within the landscape.”

A visit begins at the east-facing front door, which opens into a 40-foot-long gallery with three points of entry into the 40-by-18-foot great room. The space neatly accommodates seating, cooking and dining for six under a beamed, white-painted ceiling rising to 16 feet. A wall of full-length windows looks west to the river through a 40-foot-long screened porch.

The gallery connects the central living space with two 30-foot-square “pods” at each end of the house. One contains the owners’ suite, featuring a fireplace in the bedroom, a pocket office separated by sliding barn doors, a small library and a laundry. The other wing holds two ensuite bedrooms—a home office now occupies one—plus a mudroom, walk-in closet, powder room and kitchen pantry.

Purple Cherry directed her interiors team to focus on quiet comfort rather than grand entertaining, in keeping with the owners’ desire for a private refuge. Says lead designer Annie Kersey, “The clients sought to combine their curated collection with a modern/minimalistic approach that feels natural and cozy while it draws your eye out to the water.”

In the great room, Kersey started with an existing coffee table and Oriental rug, then added soft goods in a palette shading from cream to gray. “We brought together the colors of the rug to make it the focal point,” she says. Furniture, rugs and textiles collected on the owners’ travels fill the primary suite.

In the kitchen, Crown Point Cabinetry under cabinets finished in Sherwin-Williams’ Classic French Gray frame Wolf, Sub-Zero and Asko appliances. A Remains Lighting Co. globe fixture and a backsplash of handcrafted, glazed-brick subway tiles from Waterworks nod to the residents’ New York ties. “The tiles are long, skinny and heavily pitted, so they’re a bit urban and modern-looking,” notes Kersey. Charcoal-gray grout provides contrast and relates to the dark gray, honed-soapstone perimeter countertop.

A precise budget led to cost-effective choices including asphalt shingles, prefabricated fireplaces and a patio of ipe wood rather than stone. Pared roof overhangs and minimal trim emphasize a clean-lined, modern aesthetic while inside, builder Pilli Custom Homes excelled at detailing—case in point, the distinctive square beams and boxed planks on the great room ceiling, which are set vertically to emphasize height.

Landscape architect D. Miles Barnard of South Fork Studio in Chestertown complemented the streamlined architecture with a restrained palette of ornamental grasses bordering the waterline and native shrubs planted around the house. He achieved all-season interest with chokeberry, clethra, summersweet, fothergilla, oakleaf hydrangea, inkberry, winterberry, Virginia sweetspire and Southern bayberry. A pair of Sweetbay magnolia trees graces the front entrance.

The heated, 14-foot-wide screened porch off the great room boasts a fireplace of stucco and rough stone. Jeld-Wen windows finished in Chestnut Bronze influenced both the trim color and furnishings selected by Kersey and team. The porch is a mainstay, making possible the kind of intimate evenings among close friends that the clients envisioned; at the same time, the easy indoor/outdoor connection makes the house expandable for larger events. “Porches are a lot about nighttime use,” notes Purple Cherry. “It’s not about the view, it’s about the camaraderie.”

Architecture: Cathy Purple Cherry, AIA, LEED AP, CAS, Purple Cherry Architects. Interior Design: Annie Kersey, Purple Cherry Architects, Annapolis, Maryland. Builder: Guy Pilli, Pilli Custom Homes, Millersville, Maryland. Landscape Architecture: D. Miles Barnard, RLA, ASLA, South Fork Studio Landscape Architecture, Chestertown, Maryland.