Marika Meyer fashions the inside of her residence in Bethesda in an inimitable, collected type
As an inside designer and mom of two younger boys, Marika Meyer passionately promotes practical magnificence. “For me, the essential message is that you do not have to sacrifice aesthetics,” she says. “You’ll be able to have a house that is approachable, comfy, and sustainable, whereas additionally being properly embellished.”
Meyer proves the purpose conclusively in her personal Bethesda digs. She and husband Michael, who works in business actual property, purchased the post-war Colonial in 2009 simply earlier than their first little one, Grayson, arrived; Colin got here alongside three years later. Over time, Meyer has created an atmosphere that showcases her design expertise as she survives what she calls “the chaos of life.”
The lounge welcomes guests into the house. Nuanced neutrals set a complicated tone, however sustainability guidelines. A efficiency cloth from Perennials covers the customized couch; the contrasting trim elevates the look. A “very forgiving” velvet covers two armchairs. “Nothing in the home is just too formal,” notes the designer. “I like issues that really feel subtle, however I do not need folks to be afraid to sit down down.”
Classic furnishings, discovered objects, and household heirlooms fill the house. For instance, the cocktail desk in the lounge is signed by TH Robsjohn-Gibbings, a outstanding furnishings maker till his loss of life in 1976. An vintage chinoiserie mirror hangs above the couch in the lounge, and subsequent to it’s a excessive chair that Meyer’s great-grandfather had made for her grandfather over 100 years in the past. Books that when belonged to that very same grandfather fill the library’s customized, black-painted cabinets.
“I choose an area that feels gathered,” says Meyer. “That sums up my aesthetic completely. It’s extra natural and genuine and basically displays the individuals who reside there. This home is an effective reflection of us.”
Reverse the lounge, an “impactful” Farrow & Ball wallpaper envelops the eating room, the place company typically congregate. “Michael likes to prepare dinner, and I like dressing a ridiculous desk so we are able to each specific ourselves,” the designer reveals. “Grayson says I put extra vegetation and objects on the desk than meals.”
These inventive inclinations led Meyer to check tremendous arts on the College of Maryland and located her eponymous firm in 2007. Along with finishing up a variety of tasks, Marika Meyer Interiors additionally makes a speciality of development consultancy. That experience got here in useful two years in the past when the designer reinvented her personal kitchen/breakfast room and improved different areas.
The informal eating space, household room and a part of the kitchen are in an “uncommon” 1970’s extension on the again. One of many first steps in Meyer’s redo was to take away a dropped ceiling within the breakfast room, elevating it practically 5 ft within the course of and now reflecting the vaulted impact of the household room. Freshly put in V-groove ceiling panels carry classic allure to each areas. The bay window of the eating space has a brand new bench seat with hidden space for storing beneath the flap.
Within the kitchen, an overhead cupboard has come down blocking the view to the adjoining household room. The opposite darkish wooden cupboards got a coat of off-white paint. As Meyer explains, “The primary objective was to make the room really feel extra open and spacious.” Delicate-veined granite counter tops and a glazed subway tile backsplash “carry the aesthetic ahead a bit.” White oak flooring with an ebony stain changed white tiles in the course of the addition (the unique hardwood flooring in different areas have been refinished to match).
Meyer selected the colour and sample within the household room’s not too long ago up to date scheme. She reupholstered a settee from Lee Industries in a spritely, green-hued indoor/outside cloth from Thibaut. “This facet of the home is unquestionably getting bolder,” she notes. “I needed it to be extra playful, extra enjoyable. It suits the vitality of our household.”
The chair and cushion materials, in addition to the rug, come from the designer’s personal assortment, Marika Meyer Textiles, which was launched in 2016. The rationale for the adaptable line was twofold: to resolve buying challenges for tough coloration combos; and to gasoline Meyer’s need for “a brand new inventive outlet”. Material choices expanded final September with the introduction of the Dumbarton Assortment, which takes its identify from Georgetown’s historic constructing and affords three garden-like designs.
“For me, inspiration is in every single place,” the creator reveals. “I at all times have a look at issues with a crucial eye on patterns. That’s the blessing and the curse.”
Meyer sought “visible tranquility” within the upstairs proprietor’s suite, the place she bathed the partitions in heat grey paint. Hanging within the area is a cherished portrait of the designer’s great-grandmother, grandmother, and mom, all of whom shared the identify Marika. The boys’ rooms, then again, are buzzing with exuberance. For proof, look no additional than the wallpaper alongside Colin’s path.
The phrase “good” typically pops up when Meyer describes each her handiwork and her method. The smart recommendation of the designer serves as an illustration for individuals who begin new development or renovation. “Have enjoyable,” she encourages. “It is a luxurious to have the ability to do it, so there is no motive why the method should not be as enjoyable as the top consequence.”
Renovation and Inside Design: Marika Meyer, Marika Meyer Interiors, Bethesda, Maryland.
SOURCES
LIVING ROOM
Paint entrance door: finepaintsofeurope.com. Rug: mattcamron.com. Couch: customized made by meyerinteriors.com. Couch cloth: perennialsfabrics.com. Cushion cloth: kravet.com. Material cloth: marikameyertextiles.com. Curtain manufacturing: gretcheneverett.com. Spherical Desk: classic. Desk lamps: classic through misspixies.com. Wall paint: Manchester Tan by benjaminmoore.com. Mirror Over Mantle: johnrosselli.com. Mirror above couch: meyerinteriors.com. Facet chair: classic through hickorychair.com. Facet chair cloth: marikameyertextiles.com. Armchairs: classic. Armchair Material: cowtan.com. Chest: classic.
DINING ROOM
Desk & Chairs: classic. Chair Seat Material: perennialsfabrics.com. Chair Backrest Material: fschumacher.com. Rug: starkcarpet.com. Chandelier: circalighting.com. Background: farrow-ball.com. Material cloth: fschumacher.com. Curtain manufacturing: gretcheneverett.com. Ceiling Paint: Iceberg by benjaminmoore.com. China case: classic. China cupboard paint: billetcollins.com.
KITCHEN
Cupboard paint: White Dove from benjaminmoore.com. Worksheets: unitedstatesmarbleandgranite.com. Backsplash: mosaictile.com. Range: kitchenaid.com. Lamp: classic. Basin fixture: perrinandrowe.co.uk through fergusonshowrooms.com. Runner: classic.
BREAKFAST SPACE
Desk: allmodern.com. Chairs: serenaandlily.com. Chandelier: classic. Window sill cloth: thibautdesign.com. Materials for window seat cushions: clarencehouse.com; galbraithandpaul.com. Roman blind cloth: China Seas through quadrillefabrics.com. Manufacture of Roman Shades: gretcheneverett.com. Wall paint: Pale Oak from benjaminmoore.com.
LIBRARY
Wall paint: Manchester Tan by benjaminmoore.com. Bookshelves: customized made by meyerinteriors.com. Card Desk & Chairs: classic. Chair cloth: China Seas through quadrillefabrics.com. Rug: starkcarpet.com. Lighting Fixture: circalighting.com.
FAMILY ROOM
Wall paint: Pale Oak from benjaminmoore.com. Rug: marikameyertextiles.com. Pink Desk & Desk Lamp: classic. Financial institution: leeindustries.com. Couch cloth: thibautdesign.com. Lucite desk: ballarddesigns.com. Picture: Slim Arons. Sculpture on the wall: customized.
BOYS ROOM
Animal wallpaper: scionliving.com. Company: westelm.com. Workplace chair: amazon.com. Desk lamp: classic. Blue Dresser: classic through misspixies.com. Sideboard lamp: homegoods.com. Mattress: kratenbarrel.com. Cushion cloth: kravet.com. Mirror: classic. Roman shade cloth: lucyrosedesign.com.
BEDROOM OF THE OWNERS
Wall paint: Pale Oak from benjaminmoore.com. Beds: customized. Material headboard: fabricut.com. Bedding: matouk.com. Cushion: marikameyertextiles.com. Armchair & Drinks desk: classic. Rug: coecarpetandrug.com. Roman Shade Mud: Lee Jofa through kravet.com. Artwork & Nightstand: classic. Desk lamp: circalighting.com.
