Skip Sroka imbues a Chevy Chase house with understated class and a contact of glamour
It began with a particular house in Chevy Chase, Maryland. In 2007, a pair with two youngsters bought the Craftsman-style house whereas it was nonetheless beneath building, tapping designer Skip Sroka to assist them improve and customise the inside.
Quick ahead to 2017. The house owners – he’s in healthcare and he or she is a retired CPA – have been prepared for a change. “We wished to modernize, to lighten a few of that Craftsman heaviness,” the lady says. They turned again to Sroka and he and colleague Liz Bausch formulated a plan to make the home extra trendy – each in and out. The outside now has a clear farmhouse aesthetic, whereas a lightweight shade palette, simplified millwork, and clear, refined particulars and finishes predominate within the inside.
“It is an ‘city subtle’ aesthetic,” says Sroka. “Glam stylish, however understated.” On the next pages, the designer reveals the method behind the decor.
Q&A
What components did you retain from the earlier iteration of the home and why?
We purchased numerous the artwork in the course of the preliminary renovation and it has transcended each redos. It’s trendy and goes with every thing. We even redesigned the fireside in the lounge to accommodate a Johnnie Winona Ross canvas that the purchasers love.
How did minimizing millwork and moldings have an effect on the inside areas?
It actually lit them up. The woodwork was cumbersome and heavy – in the lounge, for instance, there have been 9 ceiling packing containers. Now it is a easy cove ceiling with hidden lighting, which is a pleasant shock. We additionally resized the moldings between rooms and eradicated some built-ins in favor of customized items.
How has the colour scheme advanced?
We weren’t trying to give the home a closing shade. We simply wished a impartial background, which is extra trendy anyway. We have been drawn to gentle, heat grays that might showcase the artwork. I had put darkish stained oak flooring the primary time round, so we lightened them to a pale shade.
Overscaled lighting performs an enormous position right here. How did you make your selections?
Since we introduced again all of the moldings and took issues out, we now wanted architectural factors of curiosity. I selected the lighting so that you’d discover it, to present every room an additional dimension. For instance, the Visible Consolation luminaires within the hallway are supposed to guide you to the lounge.
Describe the kitchen modifications.
In partnership with Lobkovich, Inc. we transformed the complete kitchen. We framed components of the white cupboards with cerused, blackened mahogany to create focal factors. In an all-white kitchen, that is one software you should use so as to add curiosity. The additional giant island pendants from Tech Lighting additionally catch the attention.
Share your strategies for enlivening a impartial area.
I gravitate towards textures and finishes, such because the Elitis hair-on-hide rug and wood-look wallpaper within the eating room, or the Phillip Jeffries herringbone sample wallcovering I utilized to the lounge ceiling.
Clarify your furnishings choice course of.
I by no means assume my job is simply to put in furnishings. It is about including that further degree of creativity that takes a room to the following degree. For instance, I repeated the herringbone ceiling floor on the doorways of two customized cupboards in the lounge and completed them off with satin-brass trim. It’s a must to take note of the small print.
How do equipment elevate a room?
Equipment present focal factors that hold a room from feeling boring. We herald numerous stuff and see what clients reply to.
What has modified within the upstairs areas?
Every bed room obtained a makeover and its personal bathtub. The house owners’ bed room, which used to have numerous wasted area, has been redesigned to accommodate two wardrobes. Within the house owners bathtub, we constructed a distinct segment for a Waterworks bathtub, backing it with lovely carved marble tiles. They reinforce one another.
Present favourite end?
Brushed bronze. I apply it to desk legs, edges, cupboards – anyplace I wish to add a gentle sheen.
Rule of thumb for utilizing textures and finishes?
I strive to not do the anticipated, however I am additionally cautious to not overdo it. If I’ve a powerful sample that might look nice on a sofa, I will not apply it to multiple piece. I additionally do not desire a room that appears uniform, like a furnishings retailer.
Which type returns?
I believe the Seventies are making a comeback. I just like the 70s type – it suits effectively with the mid-century, which is so standard, and has a little bit of glam to it. I see recycled items fabricated from plexiglass and metallic on 1stDibs.
Design hobbyhorse?
Individuals who observe too many traits. I see it with HGTV hosts on a regular basis. They assume one thing is the brand new rule they usually apply it unquestioningly, whether or not it suits in a home or not. Fashionable farmhouse interiors are a very good instance of this.
How does this home replicate your design philosophy?
Inside design is loads like making a portray of which you would possibly ask, “What do I wish to see? What do I wish to really feel?” My interiors are usually heat, calm and welcoming. I create the home you wish to come house to, to recharge your batteries. Think about taking a shower within the bathtub upstairs! Excellent.
Renovation and Inside Design: Skip Sroka, ASID, NCIDQ, IDAA, consumer; Elizabeth Bausch, undertaking designer, Sroka Design, Inc., Washington, DC. Renovation contractor: Alliance Builders, LLC, Annapolis, Maryland. Kitchen Design: Lobkovich, Inc., Tysons, Virginia. Residence Automation: ABE Networks, Rockville, Maryland.
