Whole House Interior Design: Traditional-with-a-Twist

Over the years, we’ve been fortunate to have many clients who have entrusted us with their whole house interior design. Sometimes it’s a new construction where we first guide the selections process from the ground up and then outfit the spaces. Other times, it’s an existing home, and the interiors evolve more slowly. The latter has been the case for the Arlington home of repeat clients. We started working with the homeowners in 2009. Since then, we’ve transformed almost every space in their 90s-era, Colonial-style home.

Each room has its own personality yet there is a cohesive traditional-with-a-twist thread that ties them together. Our family room design remains an all-time favorite and even won a First Place Award of Excellence from the Washington Metro Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID). Most recently, we completed three bathroom renovations in the house. Here are some highlights from this whole house interior design project.

Foreshadowing Foyer Design

We’re big believers that the entrance hall sets the tone for the entire house. Our clients’ double-story foyer introduces the sophisticated yet not stuffy approach we employed throughout. A Schumacher hand-blocked damask wallcovering in tone-on-tone neutrals provides a serene backdrop, while a custom eight-foot-round rug and stair runner serves as the centerpiece.

A rectangular, off-the-rack rug would not have worked well with the space’s curved walls so we opted to go the custom route. Our bespoke design features flowering vines in an array of earth tones. The rug was hand-tufted in wool with a combination of cut and loop pile for added texture.

Living Room Remake

We always look at a room wholistically and address any architectural shortcomings before we begin filling it with beautiful furnishings. Here, a non-working, builder-grade fireplace was the elephant in the (living) room.

Our makeover brought form and function to the focal point. First, we renovated the fireplace, removed the existing gas log insert and replaced it with a higher BTU gas logs set. And we added proper ventilation for the new gas logs. Then we replaced a drab black surround with quietly luxurious honed Crema Marfil marble. We beefed up the flat-profile mantel and added architectural trim detail.

Once the dust settled, we populated the warm gathering space with transitional upholstered seating from Hickory Chair and a custom-colored, geometric-motif rug from Kravet.

A Study in Earthy Elegance

For the first-floor study, our first step was to reimagine the basic white-painted built-ins. We added warmth by washing them in a caramel-colored glaze.

We then framed a leafy view with long window panels crafted in floral print by Lee Jofa and wrapped the walls in a dark-brown grasscloth from Kravet. With a Century Furniture desk tucked in the window alcove, the study is an ideal work-from-home spot for the two attorneys.

Award-Winning Family Room Design

The primary goal of any project is to create a space that our clients love and that fits both their style and lifestyle. But industry recognition is always nice too. So, it was a huge honor when our family room design received a First Place Award of Excellence from ASID.

The homeowners asked us to bring coziness and nature-inspired personality to their family’s large hang-out space (their two kids have since flown the nest). Once again, we started with a fireplace makeover. The builder’s white-painted version didn’t play well with the existing natural-stone surround. A multi-layer, mahogany faux finish remedied that disconnect and turned the fireplace into an architectural focal point.

The space’s color palette, textures and motifs channel an organic vibe. Shades of brown mix with touches of blue and green; a Phillip Jeffries grasscloth covers the walls. At the windows, we combined Cowtan and Tout panels fabricated in an embroidered, leaf-patterned linen with natural Hartman and Forbes woven shades.

Two Kravet sofas flank the reimagined fireplace. Behind one sofa, a pretty-and-practical vignette features a custom console from Michael James Furniture, with three Kravet ottomans on casters tucked underneath.

Hanging above, a bold landscape painting by a local artist ups the organic interest.

Powder Room Refresh

In my book, the powder room is always an opportunity to have some fun and take a bit of creative license. For this main-floor space, we leaned into a floral theme.

We installed a whimsical wallcovering from Lee Jofa and hung botanical artwork on top. Even the Kohler vanity sink supports the theme, with a cherry blossom motif adorning its inner rim.

Screened Porch Provisions

The screened porch off the kitchen’s french doors allows the couple and guests to enjoy the home’s verdant setting – while keeping pesky bugs at bay. We populated it with durable outdoor furniture from Brown Jordan.

Comfortable custom cushions and pillows, in a variety of patterns and solids, mix earth-toned neutrals with spicier shades.

Primary Suite Oasis

Timeless design stands the test of time – as this primary suite illustrates. While this bedroom design is one of the earlier projects we completed for these clients, it’s tranquil colors and classic furnishings still resonate today.

The mahogany wood Hickory Chair bed is decked out with sumptuous custom bedding fabricated in Kravet fabrics.

Bathroom Renovation Times Three

Our most recent undertaking for Brett and Eva was a trio of bathroom overhauls. In all three spaces, we married updated-traditional selections with functional upgrades. Here’s a look at the reimagined upstairs hall bathroom:

We switched the outdated vanity for a double-sink version that fits the space better and adds architectural detail. A new mosaic hexagon backsplash and polished-nickel plumbing enhance function and aesthetics.

An ensuite guest bathroom also got an update. The existing tub stayed put, but white subway tile, installed vertically, gave the area a fresh attitude.

We added a shower niche and lined it in a colorful glass tile from Lunada Bay Tile.

The lower-level bathroom underwent the most dramatic transformation. We completely reconfigured the space and then installed stunning selections that lean in a somewhat more masculine direction.

We covered two shower walls with iridescent, picket-style tiles and clad the new niche in a mosaic bar tile, both in shades of blue-gray. Here’s a look at the renovated lower-level bathroom:

These three bathroom remodels brought so much functional beauty to this Arlington home. In addition to its bathroom project, the lower level received a number of other upgrades. We redesigned the staircase and updated the builder-grade railings, refreshed the entertainment room’s fireplace and décor, and we renovated a practical-and-pretty lower level kitchen.

Creating spaces that support our clients’ lifestyle and dreams for their home is what we aim to do at A. Houck Designs. It has been our pleasure to guide these homeowners over the years on their whole house interior design. We’d be honored to guide your design journey too.