Lighting steals the spotlight at this 10th annual designer showcase.
Avenue Lighting’s 5-light Fairfax Collection pendant hangs in the “Lady’s Retreat” at the 2017 DC Design House.
Ask any interior designer and they’ll tell you: light fixtures, particularly chandeliers, can transform a room. So we queried the creative minds behind four of our favorite rooms at the 10th annual DC Design House (through Oct. 29) about their lighting choices.
If you come down with a case of chandelier envy after reading this, don’t fret—all the lighting installed by the designers, as well as the furniture in the 27,000 square foot house—is for sale. Twenty percent of the proceeds go to Children’s National Health System, which also benefits from ticket sales to the event.
Marika Meyer chose the modern Fairfax Collection pendant “to balance some of the traditional items in the room.”
Designer Marika Meyer appointed her “Lady’s Retreat” with Avenue Lighting’s five-light Fairfax Collection pendant in brushed bronze. Meyer says she chose the chandelier because the room lacked symmetry and “this one, which is asymmetrical, was the perfect solution.” The light also helped lower the feel of the 12-foot ceilings and “introduce something that was a bit more modern to balance some of the traditional items in the room.”
The Monaco 6-light chandelier by Niermann Weeks takes center stage in the living room designed by Margery Wedderburn Interiors.
Margery Wedderburn selected Niermann Weeks’ Monaco 6-light chandelier with Venetian silver leaf and antiqued mirror panels for the living room “because it harkens to the past in terms of the Venetian silver leaf style, but then the lines of the piece have a contemporary, modern feel, which is so fresh.” Wedderburn says the piece fit perfectly into her French Modern vision for the room and that the silver leaf and gold detailing complemented other decor elements.
“The Collector’s Cabinet” room designed by Josh Hildreth Interiors features Ironware’s Ondine chandelier.
Josh Hildreth chose Ironware’s Ondine chandelier for his “Collector’s Cabinet” room because of the fixture’s graceful and organic, but strong, shape. “The gesso finish lightens it and gives it an ethereal presence reminiscent of Jean Cocteau’s work,” explains Hildreth. “I also love how the structure offers a framework for seasonal decor. For autumn, we chose to entwine the fixture with bittersweet for a stunning effect.” The room, inspired by Hubert de Givenchy’s Chateau du Jonchet, also features a mirror rimmed in antlers and hide and leather upholstery.
Mary Amons used Aerin’s Laban hanging lantern in the powder room. The sconces are by Ralph Lauren.
Mary Amons says the gorgeous but busy onyx flooring in the powder room “needed quieting and an opportunity to stand alone.” Her Tom Ford-inspired room features black textured crocodile wallpaper, matte black trim, ceiling and selected lighting accents that bring your eye off of the floor and add balance to the spaces. She selected oversized matching hanging Labin lanterns by Aerin in an off-white and burnished brass finish “to compliment but not compete with the floor.” She also added Art Deco-style sconces by Ralph Lauren “to create a sophisticated look producing a beautifully soft glow with the white opaque glass and burnished brass finish.”
The 2017 DC Design House is at 9004 Congressional Court, Potomac, Maryland through October 29. Noon to 5pm Saturday and Sunday. ($35). For tickets, visit DCDesignHouse.com
