Published in Washington Life Magazine. Article by Kinne Chapin. See full article here.
Designer Jeff Akseizer's Modern Lounge. Photo by Morgan Howarth.
To the layman, the term “dream home” conjures up an image of a stately country house or a romantic beachside getaway. But to interior designers, DreamHome is a professional challenge to create ideal spaces. This year, the Washington Design Center, a luxury home furnishings showroom, has challenged eight emerging designers to create rooms that reflect the theme “Design Craft.” The home’s featured designers are Miriam Dillon, William McGovern, Catherine Hailey, Jeff Akseizer, Christine Philip, Kori Keyser, Scott Cooke, and Shanon Munn. The inspiration for this year’s theme was the upcoming “40 Under 40: Craft Futures”exhibition, an exhibit of 40 contemporary craft artists under the age of 40 that will open this summer at the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery.
Using the “40 Under 40″ exhibition as their guide, the Washington Design Center encouraged the designers to explore color, scale, and perspective. The results are eight unique spaces that reflect emerging aesthetics in both craft art and interior design. Each room serves a different function, and together they create a house so creative and functional that it’s easy to forget the place is merely a display. From Jeff Akseizer’s modern lounge, which drew inspiration from Alfred Hitchcock and the 1960s, to Christine Philip’s breakfast room, which mimics the rosy hues of the morning, each space creates its own artistic impression on the viewer while adding to the home’s overall creative aesthetic.
The DreamHome is currently on display to all visitors of the Washington Design Center, admission is free.Visiting the home can lend inspiration to those looking to renovate their own homes, or anyone passionate about trends in interior design. The Center hopes that viewing these dream spaces will help visitors conceptualize the many ways that the design center’s furnishings, lighting, and fabric can be combined into creative and artful interiors.