URBAN SOLACE J UST O UTSIDE WASHI NGTON, D. C.

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2 URBAN SOLACE J UST O UTSIDE WASHI NGTON, D. C. INTERIOR DESIGN BY SUE BURGESS ARCHITECTURE BY GLENN CHEN FONG PHOTOGRAPHY BY GORDON BEALL PRODUCED BY RICH MICHELS TEXT BY LINDA E. CLOPTON

4 THEY VE GOT GREAT LEGS IN BETHESDA, MARYLAND, AND THEY CAN THANK DESIGNER SUE BURGESS OF CHEVY CHASE. IT S PART OF HER SIGNATURE uncluttered style to mix the practical with the chic. I m comfortable with a leggy room, she explains. Leaving chairs and sofas unskirted gives airiness and lightness to a space, and that creates a background of serenity. Serenity. A valuable asset in a busy world, especially just outside our nation s capital. The desire for a sophisticated, soothing sanctuary resonates with a husband and wife whose previous house Burgess had decorated. When they decided to build a smaller home, they called on her as soon as they received the plans. I love Sue s style, the wife says. She s into neutrals like I am. I wanted this house to be cozy and comfortable but with beautiful appointments custom OPENING PAGES: An espresso front door and entry floor of French limestone from Paris Ceramics set the tone at a Maryland home with interiors by Sue Burgess. Cowtan & Tout linen-cotton on Minton-Spidell benches. Antique table. Custom mirror and railing. Stark stair runner. TOP AND RIGHT: Brunschwig & Fils fabric on Baker sofa; Malabar silk on pillows. Worlds Away floor lamps. Stools from Gore Dean as tables. Hinson & Co. fabric on vintage chairs. Donghia vase on Formations fireplace surround. Vintage mirror. Langhorne Carpet Company rug. Currey & Co. chandelier. Scalamandré trim on Cowtan & Tout silk at windows. 68

8 touches like nice moldings and wide doors. Involved from the ground up, Burgess relied on her experienced eye for composition and refinement. She changed the location of the staircase. She added coffers and crowns, twelve-inch baseboards and elegant finishes such as glazed walls. Subtle glazing gives depth to a space, the designer explains. You can t achieve that with just straight painting. On the practical side, Burgess created large storage areas near the kitchen. The walls are very thick there because of back-to-back fireplaces, so it made sense to use this for floor-toceiling shelving. Women would kill to have that kind of storage space, she says with a laugh. As for ambiance, the entry sets the tone. The French off-white limestone floor introduces the home s subdued palette. This marriage of style and practicality continues throughout in simple window treatments and those leggy interiors. The client has dogs, and they, as well as men s shoes, are hard on skirted upholstery. For the hub of the house the kitchen the wife wanted the floors to look old, so Burgess chose hand-scraped wide planking. My dogs are in the kitchen a lot, says the wife, so when their nails scratch the floor, I don t care. The more scuffed up the patina gets, the better it looks. Despite the serene background of the rooms, Burgess designed a few surprises for dramatic effect: We re such creatures of habit, we need to test ourselves a bit. Case in point: She painted the dining room walls a rich chocolate brown. The look stimulates both appetite and conversation yet stays in sync with the neutral palette. Many furnishings came from the couple s former home and took on new personas with fresh upholstery. A few well-chosen accessories enhance the decor without dominating it. It s easy to get carried away with the small things, Burgess says, but you need an overall balance. If you re pleased visually, you feel comfortable. The homeowners agree. I find it very soothing here, very easy to live with, says the wife. Sue has such elegant taste that building this house was a labor of love. PRECEDING PAGES: Nancy Corzine chairs in Country Swedish fabric. Niermann Weeks table, sconces and chandelier. French antique lamps. Mirror Fair mirror. Pierre Frey viscose-linen for draperies; Samuel & Sons trim. Asmara rug. TOP AND RIGHT: Glant linen-cotton for headboard and bedskirt. Nancy Corzine silk-cotton on pillows. Rose Cumming silk with Samuel & Sons banding at windows. Vaughan lamp. Baker sofa in Fonthill cotton; pillows in Pierre Frey cotton-viscose; Houlès trim. Speer Collectibles table with mirror top. Pierre Frey cotton on vintage chairs. Vaughan chandelier. Stark rug. ABOVE: Waterworks tub and faucetry. Global Views table. Larsen silk at windows.

10 ABOVE AND RIGHT: R. Jones & Associates sofas in Niermann Weeks mohair; pillows in Rose Cumming silk noil. Niermann Weeks sculpture and Vaughan lamps on table by David Iatesta. Vintage mirror. Rose Tarlow-Melrose House chair in Highland Court fabric. Carole Gratale Incorporated coffee table. Draperies in Cowtan & Tout fabric. Fireplace surround and light fixture, both by Formations. Patterson, Flynn & Martin rug. BELOW: Dessin Fournir chandelier. Dennis & Leen table and chairs, upholstered in Classic Cloth linen-wool.

12 THIS AIRY KIT CHEN HAS GREAT F L OW F O R FAMILY, FRIENDS AND T H E D O G S.

13 Wood-Mode cabinetry. Classic Floor Designs wide oak planking. Waterworks sinks and faucetry. Wolf stove and hood. Chameleon Fine Lighting pendants. Dishwasher by Miele. Fabric for shades and banding fabric, repeated on La Forge Française Ltd. stools, both by Cowtan & Tout.

Timeless DESIGN A NEW HOME IN FORT WORTH IS POISED TO AGE GRACEFULLY WITH CLASSIC DESIGN CHOICES, A PRETTY COLOR PALETTE, AND A DASH OR TWO OF WHIMSY.

Timeless DESIGN A NEW HOME IN FORT WORTH IS POISED TO AGE GRACEFULLY WITH CLASSIC DESIGN CHOICES, A PRETTY COLOR PALETTE, AND A DASH OR TWO OF WHIMSY. TEXT ALICE WELSH DOYLE PHOTOGRAPHY NANCY NOLAN 7 SOUTHERN