Design Blog

What’s Your Design Salvation?

Interior Design Services in Washington, D.C.

Buyer’s remorse set in right away, when Dean Hill unlocked his new studio in Dupont Circle. The staging furniture was gone, and all he could see was 467 square feet of empty floor. “Omigod! I just paid too much money for a closet!” Dean remembers thinking. Luckily, he took Monty Python’s lead and looked at the bright side of life: “It’s mine now. Let me make the best of it,” he said to himself. He found our own Jaye Langmaid and Tucker Riner through a quick online search for local furniture shops, and discovered that we’re even more: A design studio that also sells furniture. “I looked at their website and saw that they had design packages to choose from,” he says. “That’s exactly what I needed.”

And that’s where Jaye and Tucker came to his rescue. A blank space that needs to be furnished and decorated for multiple functions? Dean needed our Design Salvation, Jaye says, a top-to-bottom makeover to take maximum advantage of every inch in Dean’s small studio. “He’s getting more out of this condo than I think he ever hoped for.”

Interior Design Services in Washington, D.C.

 

 

“I have a 3D Imagination. I could see the space done to scale.” 

—Jaye Langmaid

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dean, who currently lives in Raleigh, N.C., wanted a crash pad where he can also work remotely on his frequent trips to DC. That means the condo needed dedicated work space in addition to space for living and sleeping (and eating would be nice, too). While his client couldn’t visualize much more than a walk-in closet, Jaye explains, “I have a 3D imagination. I could see the space done to scale, and that’s really helpful in making sure the pieces that are selected are the right pieces.”

The studio is part of an old Dupont Circle brownstone; it’s got a bay window of floor-to-ceiling glass that includes a door to a small outside terrace. Jaye chose a chair and accent table for this niche that still leaves room for Dean to use the door.

Interior Design Services in Washington D.C.

Jaye and his team create idea boards such as this one so clients can see the actual furniture pieces arranges in place.

 

Set apart from the main living space—even if just a few feet, Jaye says, “He will feel like he’s in a different area. It gives the illusion that the space is bigger than one room.” When guests are over, Dean can just pull that chair closer to the couch for extra seating. Another double-duty bonus? The couch opens into a bed, and the coffee table extends up and out to become a dining table.

As for Dean’s work space, Jaye has chosen “a generous desk” that serves as his nightstand when it’s bedtime, and the bed itself has built-in storage to hold office supplies or off-season clothing.

Interior Design Services in Washington, D.C.

While all this multitasking furniture is on order, Jaye is planning a paint treatment that’s as much strategic as it is just plain cool. He plans to paint the walls in one shade about four feet up from the floor, while another (both colors are still TBD) will cover the rest of the walls and stretch across the ceiling. That approach, he says, “draws your eye up and makes the space feel larger.”

Interior Design Services in Washington, D.C.

 

 

The piece de la resistance is a framed vintage photograph of Marlon Brando, which will hang proudly over Dean’s desk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dean bought the condo as a weekend getaway from his home base in Raleigh, though he planned a permanent move later on. He’s so excited about his Design Salvation, though, that he’s rethinking his timeline. “The design has made me realize that the space is very livable,” he says. “Now I’m looking at it as somewhere I might just want to move to and live.”

We’ll be sure to post an update this fall when the whole studio is installed. In the meantime, if Dean’s Design Salvation describes the kind of service you might be interested in for your own home, don’t hesitate to give us a call.

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If our approach sounds like a match for you and your home, reach out and tell us a little bit about you. Let’s get started!