In the living room, the wall unit visually expands the verticality of the space, while its symmetry lends an easy orderliness. The custom seating, as elegant as it is casual, is extra deep for ultimate comfort.
No doubt that a house tells a lot about a person. And no house could be more telling than an interior designer’s own home.
In Glover Park, a quiet Washington, DC neighborhood with rambling rows of unpretentious townhouses, Edna Sharp Gross’ house, dating from 1929, presents a simple and unimposing brick façade set back just a few yards from the street. But though the exterior is basic and not particularly eye-catching, the house’s beautiful, classic décor showcases Gross’ talent as a discriminating and savvy professional designer. Her house is all about the interiors.
Step inside Gross’ house and see her inviting aesthetic gracefully unfold. The appeal of this elegant home is both its sophistication and its comfort. With a truly personal and well-edited mix of antiques and fine art, this is a refined, yet uncompromisingly comfortable home. It does not overwhelm or over power. It welcomes and soothes. In the light of its stylish informality, everyone-whether family, old friend, or first-time visitor-experiences the same sense of belonging as Gross and her beloved Grand Dame of a pug, Winnie.
Looking from the dining room, the view extends through the main living areas to the front entrance. These are modest-sized spaces that think big and give large comfort and always feel lived-in.
The home’s pleasing and tranquil spirit is immediately experienced at the entrance, an unclosed area that instantly draws you to the living room on the left, while also directing your interest back to the adjoining “library” leading to the dining room.
“I have opened up the first level to the maximum,” explains Gross. To achieve the fluid floor plan, encompassing about 750 square feet, the designer knocked-down several walls and transformed a screened porch on the back into an additional room for dining, which involved doing away with unwanted doors and windows.
To be sure, the entire first floor is open and accessible, yet the individual functional areas are clearly defined and coherent. A consistent neutral color palette flows continuously through the house. “I can work with pattern and color for clients, as they may want, but I favor muted tones and textures,” says the designer. She is obviously partial to warm shades of beige and cream and to soft greens as well as darker forest hues for restraint color accents.
Neutral color is Gross’ signature approach for achieving a harmonious whole, however that is not to say the individual areas do not possess their own special characteristics. Each area presents unique touches including such distinguishing objects as the English striking clock, which is the focal point that first captures your imagination upon entering the house.
In the principal living areas, the relaxed sitting groups offer comfortable sofas and chairs of Gross’ own design that were upholstered in plush chenille fabrics. These conversation areas are true living spaces where people enjoy spending quality time.
Throughout, Gross enlivens her interiors with artistic embellishments. She is passionate about fine art and decorative objects that evoke different centuries and styles. And she mingles them with confidence and flair.
Everyone is drawn to her favorite things displayed on the custom wall units. There is no denying Gross loves things, from Asian ceramics to intriguing curiosities and books. She is not a minimalist, but she is thoughtful about allowing breathing room to each of her possessions. Clutter is tabooed. Her statement is always clean and elegant, marked by simplicity and subtlety.
Gross credits lighting consultant Ann Bissell of Associated Designers, Washington, DC, for her recent work in enhancing the interiors with lighting that perfectly illuminates seemingly every desired inch of the design scheme. The low voltage adjustable accent lights are directed at the perimeter of the spaces, and this serves to enlarge their dimensions.
Although the dining room is not large, tall windows along one wall and ample openings onto other rooms give the allusion of spaciousness.
“After redoing the lighting, I was thrilled to discover my home’s new and fresh vitality,” says Gross. “I felt as though I was seeing the things that have been around for years for the first time- especially in the dining room.” This room accommodates such prized furnishings as an 18th-century French oval wine tasting table, a 19th-century English country pine tall cabinet, and unique hand-carved French chairs from the 1920s. Gross appreciates that, “the accent lighting defines the silhouettes of the antique furniture so clearly and brings out the warmth of the mellow patina of the woods.”
The dining room leads to the “outdoor room,” an adjoining external space that offers a sense of sanctuary. It is a very private, urban garden enclosure with an electrified retractable awning. It is a charming space with comfortable seating for recreation and dining. From spring to fall, this is where Gross often begins her day with an early breakfast.
For more than 35 years, this residence has been an active home. It has a compact but fully equipped galley kitchen that has been updated on several occasions. It is a home equally suitable for hosting intimate dinners or holiday parties for large gatherings of family and friends.
Above the living spaces of the first floor, the second level presents cozy rooms that offer complete privacy. In the front, Gross’ bedroom is a lovely airy retreat. It assembles antiques, accents, and softly colored linens to grant a calming ambiance that soothes body and spirit.
The second level also includes two guest bedrooms, each with comfortable seating areas. “It is wonderful to have two guest rooms,” says Gross, a mother of two adult daughters who like to return for holidays.
“Over the years, this house has certainly served me so well with flexibility,” she says. Indeed, it once even housed her design studio. Gross’ business, DeFord Sharp Interiors, launched in 1982 with fellow designer Lee DeFord, operated from her home for years before establishing headquarters in Georgetown in 1997.
Today, Gross’ home offers the soothing balance to a demanding and sometimes stressful professional life. “I would not have it any other way,” she maintains. “My home is just fine when people are around but it can be so perfect when there is no one here but Winnie and me.”
No doubt about it, Gross is enjoying her comfortable Glover Park home. The splendidly sophisticated interiors, harmonizing beauty with practical requirements, were accomplished with originality and inspired aesthetic sense. This home honestly reflects Gross’ lifestyle and many interests. It is also a house that has so much to tell about good interior design.
John Francisco Andreu is a regular contributor to ChesapeakeHome
Contact:
DeFord Sharp Interiors: defordsharpinteriors.com or 202-333-3783
Additional sources: Associated Designers: associateddesigners.com or 202-363-2867
