Chesapeake Home

Touring design houses is perhaps one of the most fun parts of my job. When else do you get to gasp and gawk at wonderfully designed rooms…without the pressure of deciding whether to buy the house?

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to attend the press preview for the 2012 D.C. Design House in Spring Valley. The 10,000-square-foot, seven-bedroom, seven-bath estate was built in 1956 by W.C. & A.N. Miller for Dr. Francisco and Gladys Aguirre and their six children.

Beyond a doubt, my favorite room in the house is the Teenager’s Getaway, by Victoria Sanchez Interiors. Perhaps it’s my inner 16-year-old girl, but I was immediately drawn to the bright colors and bold design, courtesy of the Missoni Home store in New York.

“Pairing my ideas with Missoni was a recipe for success,” says Sanchez. “Their bold and lively colorful fabrics are a perfect foil to the traditional nature of the house.”

By far, my favorite piece in the room is the “Light Bubble” from Missoni. The colors are funky and fun, adding high energy to the room. The getaway also includes groovy furniture, such as a sofa frame with stylish buttons across the back and exposed wood design on the sides. The barrel back chairs feature upholstery in textured solids from Missoni.

To see all of the rooms in this year’s home, visit the design house, which is located at 4951 Rockwood Parkway, NW, Washington, D.C. It is open Saturdays and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Tuesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. until May 13. Tickets are $20 each.

For more information about the 2012 D.C. Design House, which benefits the Children’s National Medical Center in D.C., please visit dcdesignhouse.com.

FLOR fans don’t have to go far to find fabulous floorcoverings (try saying that 10 times fast!). Next week on Thursday, April 19, FLOR will open their latest store in Georgetown. The grand opening will take place from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. at 1037 33rd Street, Washington, DC 20007.

Meet members of the FLOR team and learn about the range of services and design options available. FLOR is famous for their beautifully created carpet squares, available in a variety of colors, textures, and styles. The squares fit together using FLORdots instead of nails, padding, and glue, which make them easy to replace or remove.

To RSVP for the grand opening of the Georgetown location, please visit FLOR.com/Georgetown-grand-opening or call 866-433-3567.

As you may already know if you’re an avid reader of this blog, I’m addicted to purple. Purple shoes. Purple dresses. Purple pens. You name it, I’ve got it. My passion for the royal hue is the reason I was immediately drawn to the living room (pictured) in DreamHome at the Washington, D.C. Design Center. Purple paintings. Purple pillows. Purple upholstery. I fell in love.

To be fair, the room, designed by Scott Cooke, of Scott Cooke Design in D.C., was not drenched in purple and that’s precisely what I liked about it. There were pops of color in all the right places. “I wanted the room to feel grand,” says Cooke. “The color also makes it feel fun and fresh.”

The theme of this year’s DreamHome is “Design Craft.” The show features eight interior designers who created rooms inspired by the works featured in the “40 under 40: Craft Futures” exhibit opening at the Renwick Gallery this summer.

Cooke’s inspiration for the living room was the piece “Dulce,” by Cristina Cordova, which Cooke says, “refers to the languid, reclining women that were depicted by the master artists Manet and Goya.” The black and white featured in the piece inspired the gray neutral backdrop for the original artwork on the wall.

Meanwhile, in the modern lounge, designers Jeff Akseizer and Jamie Brown, of Akseizer Design Group in McLean, Virginia, took a modern twist on a 1960s-era room influenced by a piece from Shawn Smith. The piece displays 1-centimeter cubes pixilated to create a fire, which Akseizer and Brown used as fireplace for their room, which looks as though it could’ve been taken off the set of “Mad Men.”

“This is a room that’s all about you,” says Akseizer. “And there are a lot of allusions, such as the floating piano made of acrylic.” Brown described the room a fun, “You can relax and read a book. It’s perfect for leisure and work.”

Christy Oates’s “Crane Chair” inspired the office, designed by Shanon L. Munn, of Ambi Design Studio, LLC in McLean, Virginia. The artwork is an inlaid wall-art piece that turns into a functional chair. Thus, the office was all about combining aesthetics with practicality in a feminine setting. I would love to work in this office.

The 2012 DreamHome will be unveiled at preview party on Thursday, March 15 and remain open to the public through November 30. For more information about the DreamHome at the Washington Design Center, please visit dcdesigncenter.com or call 202-646-6100. The Washington Design Center is located at 300 D Street, SW in Washington, D.C. Viewing hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Admission is free.

“40 Under 40: Craft Futures” opens at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum on July 20 and features 40 contemporary craft artists under the age of 40. For more information about the exhibit, please visit americanart.si.edu/renwick40.

It’s no secret that I’m a huge bookworm, which is why I absolutely love the theme for this spring’s Maryland Home and Garden Show. Last Friday, I attended the preview party for the home and garden show to benefit Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake. The book-themed gardens did not disappoint.

After visiting the nearly 20 literary landscapes (and trying to guess which book inspired the design before looking at the poster), I had a hard time choosing a favorite. They were all so lovely! The two gardens I especially liked were: 1) “The Wizard of Oz” by Peter Ireland Enterprises, Inc., of White Marsh. The design included a yellow brick road leading to the Emerald City. 2) “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” by Porter Landscaping, of Perry Hall. You could smell the chocolate river before you even entered the garden!

This year’s show features more than 300 home improvement exhibitors, as well as seminars and demonstrations. Admission to the show is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors 62 and older, and $3 for children ages 6-12. Children 6 and younger are free. Admission is also free for active military, police and fire employees with ID.

If you missed the Maryland Home and Garden Show last weekend, you can still catch it this weekend, Friday through Sunday. For more information, please visit mdhomeandgarden.com.

It’s not spring without the Maryland Home & Garden Show. This year, the show will be held from March 3-4 and March 9-11 at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, Maryland. The garden theme for 2012 is “Books in Bloom,” which professional landscapers will use to create unique gardens through interpreting a famous book.

But before the show opens to the public, there will be a preview party to benefit Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake on Friday, March 2 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

During the party, guests will get an exclusive sneak peak of the show, including the 17 landscaped gardens designed around this year’s theme, “Books in Bloom.” The second annual preview party includes lite fare, beer and wine, as well as the landscape awards ceremony and live music from Jimmy Gaudreau and Moondi Klein (formerly of the Seldom Scene).

Tickets for the preview party are $50 online at habitatchesapeake.org for pickup at will call and $60 at the door. The ticket price includes admission to the preview party and to the show during regular hours.

This year’s show features more than 300 home improvement exhibitors, as well as seminars and demonstrations. Admission to the show is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors 62 and older, and $3 for children ages 6-12. Children 6 and younger are free. Admission is also free for active military, police and fire employees with ID.

For more information about the 2012 Maryland Home & Garden Spring Show, please visit mdhomeandgarden.com.

Whether you’re an avid antiques collector, or you’re just getting started, there is something for everyone to enjoy at the Maryland Antiques Show of Hunt Valley, which takes place this weekend.

General show hours are Friday, February 24 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, February 25 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday, February 26 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

On Friday there is a  lecture by José Solís Betancourt, president and owner of Solís Betancourt & Sherrill in Washington, D.C., and his business partner, Paul Morgan Sherrill, on Friday morning. Betancourt and Sherrill will speak about their influential design work and elegant transformations.

For young collectors, there is a soiree Friday evening, which includes a scotch and Maryland wine tasting and light hors d’oeuvres. Afterwardm Deborah Gore Dean, a renowned antiques store woner and decorator, will demonstrate accessible ways to decorate with antiques at the show.

A private show tour led by James Archer Abbott, director-curator, of the Evergreen Museum and Library will take place Saturday morning, in addition to a children’s tour for kids ages 7 to 13. Dr. Thomas Bruggman, a child pscyhologist and graduate of Sotheby’s will lead the children’s tour.

Finally, if you’re curious about one of your own treasures, bring it to the appraisal event this Sunday. For more information about the antiques show, please visit mashv.org or read the article in our February issue here.

There’s just something romantic and vintage about trunks. This year, trunks are functional as well as fashionable and available in a variety of styles. My favorite thing about trunks is that they’re versatile. You can use it as storage for your linens, or as a piece of furniture or makeshift coffee table.

For a modern look, new trunks are available in lacquered colors, but for a classic look, opt for French white or even leather. The options are truly endless.

Who doesn’t love chocolate? Even if you’re not a fan of cocoa, the annual Chocolate Affair to support Health Care for the Homeless is a worthy cause.

The event, which takes place this Thursday, February 2 from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. at the Marriott Baltimore Waterfront Hotel, feature’s the city’s best restaurants, caterers, and chocolatiers.

The hotel’s Executive Chef Carlos Gomez will create a chocolate-inspired dinner. And, of course, there will plenty of chocolatey desserts from businesses such as Mr. Charles Market and Moore’s Candies to enjoy. For more information on the chocolate affair, please visit chocolateaffair.org or call 443-703-1345.

With chilly temps in the air and (a little bit of) snow on the ground, sailing away from it all on your own boat may seem like a far-fetched idea. But the reality is closer than you may think. From January 19-22, the Baltimore Convention Center will be home to the Baltimore Boat Show.

The annual event, which is Maryland’s longest running and largest indoor boat show, gives water enthusiasts the chance to scope out the newest boats and technology.

There are boats to fit every need and budget–from luxury yachts to fishing boats. The Baltimore Boat Show also includes children’s activities, contests, challenges, and seminars from boating professionals.

Admission is $10 for adults 16 and older. Children 15 and under are free. For more information, please visit baltimoreboatshow.com or call 410-224-7633.

It’s no secret I love color. In my very humble, semi-professional opinion, I believe everything could use a pop of color…from your home to your closet. Purple shoes? Yes, please. Fuchsia tights? Of course! Although purple is my favorite color, I am very pleased to announce Tangerine Tango is Pantone’s 2012 Color of the Year.

If I had to pick a second-favorite color, orange…excuse me, tangerine…would probably be it. It could be because I’m a diehard Baltimore Orioles fan (yes, I know we’ve had too many consecutive losing seasons to count, but they’re the home team and as such, I must root for them). But I digress…

I especially love Tangerine Tango because, first of all, the name is awesome and the color is fun! How could you possibly be upset while looking at this color, seriously? “Tangerine Tango, a spirited reddish orange, continues to provide the energy boost we need to recharge and move forward,” according to a press release about the color from Pantone. I couldn’t agree more.

Pantone describes Tangerine Tango as “a bit exotic, but in a very friendly, non-threatening way,” which makes it perfect for home décor. Not a fan of color? Try starting small with an orange vase in your kitchen for a simple, but vibrant look. Or you could add some tangerine-colored accent pillows to your living room sofa.

If you’re feeling bold, but working on a budget, paint an accent wall in Tangerine Tango for an inexpensive boost of energy. You can’t help but smile when surrounded by such a lively hue! For more information about Tangerine Tango and ideas for how to use it in your home, please visit pantone.com.