WASH January 2010 : Page 59
H home FaB Four recession be damned… launchpads are still rolling into DC, and here’s what and where you can find them. Room and Board With a nod to its streamlined Minnesota HQ, which is housed in an old car dealership, R&B’s DC location will be in a former auto warehouse. Opening in spring, the retailer’s sleek, simple designs bring a minimal aesthetic home. 1840 14th St., NW. CB2 Crate&Barrel’s younger, cooler sibling is rumored to be taking over the Central Union Mission at 14th Street.TeDC mega-store would be one of seven new outposts for the company.Up for a June 2010 opening, expect brighter colors, sharper lines and more eco-friendly materials than its older counterpart. 1350 R St., NW. Milano Group As the sole American representative of several of Europe’s top artisans, including Isella Cantu, Muebles Canella and the more contemporary Il Loft andMangani, this showroom at theWashington Design Center has some of the chicest furniture around. 300 D St., SW, Ste. 601. Arclinea Calling all cooks: Italian kitchen manufacturer Arclinea has joined the panoply of sleek kitchen lines with ouposts inGeorgetown. Staking out territory inside Poltrona Frau’s cutting-edge showroom, the minimalist designs work beautifully withDC’s ever- growing number ofModernist homes. 1010 Wisconsin Ave., NW, Ste. 210. THE LOOKER Christopher Boutlier is the DC design world’s brightest young thing. Just Dandy! rising star interior designer Christopher boutlier is bringing a modern edge to DC homes—while practicing a very old outlook Tat’s So ’09 antlers, or any kind of taxidermy nylon furniture light fixtures made of utensils Frise shag rugs Chalkboard paint GET IT WHILE IT LASTS Division1’s The Lacey condo complex now has an in-house art gallery. It strikes us that DC decorator Christopher Boutlier, 30, shares a few similarities with the famed Charles Baudelaire—both devoted to all things aesthetic, both seeking to change the times in which they live. For his part, the contemporary dandy fancies himself an aspiring Tom Ford of design. Stylish and sleek, Boutlier recently launched his own firm, after nabbing an M.F.A. in interior design from George Washington University and working with local ASID prez Lisa Adams on manses for European royalty and other eco- chic spaces. “Tere is a slight difference between my generation and the established designers in the field,” he says. Boutlier views interior design as an interactive art form, one in which he and homeowners collaborate creatively to come up with deeply personal, unique, interiors. “I don’t care if you spend $30,000 on a sofa,” he says. “If everyone in the world has it, what does that say about you?” Boutlier’s passions run deep for art and artisans. He supports both—the former through posts on museum committees, the latter through his design work. “Te homes I see here are beautiful, but they seem generic,” he says. “I hope to help people have a connection with their homes and what they live with. Every object has a story.” boutlier.com. The Art of the Deal Haven’t been able to sell that fab dwelling since the credit crunch? Do as the hottest developers and real estate agents are doing—turn it into a gallery space. Whenmod U Street-area condoTe Lacey (laceydc.com) was down to its last unit, the architects at Division1 got innovative and turned the space into the Wool Exploratorium. With the help of DC artists Billy Colbert and Ryan Hackett, the gallery supports local talent and draws new crowds to the building. “We hope to create a real bridge between art and architecture,” says Division1’s Ali Honarkar. On another front, developer and art lover Isabel Ernst teamed with TTR Sotheby’s Daryl Judy and Kimberly Casey (kimberlycasey.com) and Te Art Registry to turn Ernst’s 1739 P Street manse into one hot property. Te art nearly sold out. Hopes are high for the same on the house. Jan/Feb 2010 | | 59
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