A Lobby for All Seasons

By Beth Herman

From 20 stories up at the top of the Carlyle Towers, 2151 Jamieson Avenue, the city of Alexandria spreads out in a mélange of shapes and colors. In autumn, the season’s golds, purples, reds and yellows are a palette of particular appeal. But not so for the same theme in the condominium’s current South Tower lobby.

For interior designer Camille Saum and associate designer Nicole Hansen, transforming what is essentially “a harlequin lobby” into an “elegant and durable space” brought the two on a trio of exploratory missions to the property, long before they were tapped for the job.

“We wanted to have the answers,” said Hansen of the time they and nine other firms were first approached for ideas to renovate the south building. For them, the answers included using color continuity to turn a disjointed array of the building’s public spaces into true residential luxury, but with an eye to sustainability and cost-effective measures as well.

Built in phased construction in 1996, 1998 and 2000, the Carlyle’s three towers undergo a kind of roving renovation, according to Hansen, who explained work on the South Tower, built in ’98, is set to begin in the fall. On the redesign agenda are the approximately 1,500 s.f. lobby and mailroom, the Carlyle room which is used for special events that include parties, weekly yoga classes and bridge games, hallways for floors 13 through 20, a conference room and part of the facility’s kitchen.

“The colors that we found in the lobby are predominantly bright red, purple, and then rugs of a sort of rainbow hue in red, blue, yellow and purple,” Hansen said, adding the sofas are a kind of “retro purple mohair.” Two 2 ½-ft.-in-diameter two-story central columns that anchor the space are a red-and-purple harlequin pattern from floor to ceiling. There is no continuity of this particular color experience outside the lobby, so it does not agree with the rest of the property, Hansen explained.

In sharp contrast, the floors are a subdued cognac, bone and light brown marble –a dignified, neutral palette the designers are seeking to replicate in furniture, rug and fabric choices.

Look homeward

According to Hansen, the lobby bifurcates into left and right living room-type spaces, which she and Saum call “the vignettes.” The area below the left and right space’s mirrored mullions is painted white and magenta, though will become a neutral tone with “punches of color.” Durable draperies will complement the two vignettes for a homey look, and Xorel fabric in a shiny beige-and-gold tone will be used on specific walls and columns as it is compatible with the marble flooring. Recycled porcelain flooring will also be added.

Opting for modern but transitional furniture in a warm space that honors the past though embraces the future, Karges and Caron sofas in soft hues are slated for the lobby, with Saum’s signature pop of color (Spring Dust by Benjamin Moore) on the tray ceiling.

In the Carlyle room, used for activities and adjacent to the pool area, neutral tones will be offset by chartreuse accents in 100 percent wool carpeting, for sustainability, and ceiling. “Right now it’s a kind of foil,” Hansen said of the ceiling, adding that a grid of 4-by-4-ft. beams traverses it. The foil is tarnished, so the ceiling will be painted a flat chartreuse color instead. The space’s soon-to-be custom carpeting in taupe and chartreuse will also be replicated in upstairs hallways. “We wanted it all to have a feeling of movement, but with a warm, residential feel as well,” Hansen said, because the building with its public spaces is very much people’s home as opposed to an office building.

The Carlyle room’s expansive dance floor will be refinished in a taupe stain to blend with the carpeting. Prevailing sound issues during lively events will be mitigated by the use of Novawall, a sound absorption material that will be used on the ceiling and one wall, camouflaged by more Xorel fabric.

Where lighting is concerned, the designer said illuminating the lobby’s and hallways’ many dark spaces with an eye towards energy savings were paramount, as well as updating the current look. To that end, LED lights will be interspersed with sustainable recessed lighting, and for aesthetics four contemporary wood and iron chandeliers from Dominion Electric Supply will replace a group of nondescript chandeliers currently in use.

With the four-month project slated to begin in September, Hansen said they are looking forward to the challenge, their objective to make Carlyle Towers’ public spaces as warm, durable and welcoming as the residents’ own homes.

Alexandria Virginia commercial real estate design

A Penthouse Defined by Color and Comfort

By Beth Herman


Chromophobia... fear of color.

You won't find it anywhere in interior designer Camille Saum's Washington oeuvre, and certainly not in the Edgemoor condominium she created for renowned D.C. area real estate broker Sherry Davis.

Known as much for her personal style as prodigious use of color (think: sun-yellow floors and skin-pink ceilings), in more than three decades Saum has yet to acquiesce to the beiges, blacks, browns and greys of convention –unless absolutely pressed!

"You do have to listen to the client—that’s what success is all about," Saum affirmed, conceding that she has worked very hard over the years to be able to strike a balance between clients' desires and her own evolved design ideas.

Transitioning Davis from a sprawling 4,500 s.f. Bethesda home to a 2,500 s.f. penthouse in the same neighborhood, Saum said in addition to the use of color for depth and drama, economy of space was paramount. By the same token, the client’s priorities clearly needed to define the space.

"The instructions that I had at first were that she’s got to live in this room,” Saum said of the living/dining room space, because unlike the expansive home Davis was leaving, there were no other areas to which to escape except for a bedroom and guest bedroom. Desiring a comfortable, largely contemporary environment, accommodating a cherished, aging schnauzer with accruing health problems named Max was also high on Davis’ dance card and factored heavily into fabric and flooring. A durable “nubby” fabric was subsequently chosen for the couch and loveseat, and a wool rug that could be easily cleaned was added.

Because size mattered, Saum had furniture custom-made which allowed more flexibility in scale. “You have to be creative,” she said, reaffirming the smaller room mandate. Recalling an issue at The Westchester, where she resides, Saum said she’d once witnessed a failed attempt to load a magnificent antique sofa through a doorway. “Every piece of furniture I order for every space—I measure doorways and everything else,” she said, whether custom-made or otherwise. “You can take the feet off and do other things, but I prefer not to do that.” In fact, in the client’s aptly named Panache Penthouse, Saum made the sofa backs shorter, for easier entry, so the cushion sits up three inches above it and looks beautiful.

With small grandchildren, space in a concentrated area for them to spread out for reading, games or art projects, or to be able to participate in holiday meals, was achieved with two built-in pedestals that double as seating, with colorful cushions on top, or as low table surfaces.

Saum chose a favorite in her signature color palette for the space’s tray ceiling—the resulting shade of “plantain” redolent of the sun. Reflected in accessories such as pillows, lamp shades and especially a wall-sized acrylic canvas by artist Linda Cafritz, the plantain hue transforms the room into a bright, shining environment. “I always try and make a space happy, because when you walk through a door, you want to love to be there,” Saum said.

Enlightening space and client

Not enamored of recessed lighting, Saum said her client had to be convinced to try it and when she did so, never looked back. “She thanked and thanked me, as we had to think about what we were going to do in the living room when a floor lamp wouldn’t be enough,” Saum said. An antique chandelier from Dominion Electric Supply added sparkle to the living/dining space, and table lamps “float,” according to Saum, with holes drilled in glass-top tables and skirts to conceal cords.

In the master bedroom, a custom 72-inch leather headboard in a deep camel with green cording complements neutral walls and soft, moss-green furniture. Twin Donghia lamps were painted to accent the room, and a camel-colored area rug with 3-inch banding and mitered corners completed the space. The penthouse’s guestroom utilizes an iron bed from Davis’ former home, along with a crisp mustard-and-white-striped chair in Donghia fabric. A simple Pottery Barn bedspread, cuddle pillow with a solid flange, and toile quilt and sheets - also in a Donghia fabric - reflect a serene and gracious environment, with chili-red lampshades providing a dollop of drama.

Of her designing life and proclivity for color, Saum maintains she was “born with it in her blood.” A bona fide daughter of Georgetown, among Saum’s earliest memories is a move from one home to another where she recalls the placement of every piece of furniture, along with the color and texture of the wallpaper, when she was just 4 years old.

“It’s intuition, and all the school in the world cannot change that if it’s not there,” the designer affirmed. “Color is inside of me.”


photos courtesy of Gordon Beall Photography