Carter Colonial

An older issue of Traditional Home (May 2007) caught my eye when going through some tear sheets. This is a home Darryl Carter did in the DC area -- right across from Ted Kennedy -- for a young family. I love love love that they were willing to use neutrals in the company of kids. So many people are afraid of them, but in actuality they fill a space without adding clutter and in many ways is easier to maintain.

I love the moldings on the walls -- it trims out the rooms and adds that bit of architectural detail that would maybe make the room feel cold otherwise.

Up close, these photos are all of the family and I love it because it's an example of how family photos can be displayed as art and then become appropriate for more public areas of the home.

The chair. 'Nuf said.


Sharp lines on the lighting, over scale chairs at the table -- all playing nicely together.

Obviously a fantastic patio, but I love it more for the trim around the doors. Very dark trim against the white of the traditional Colonial home almost makes the backyard feel more like Sonoma than an upscale DC neighborhood. A respite from making centerpieces for the the junior league maybe...

(photos by Gordon Beall, Traditional Home, May 2007)