Monday, April 16, 2012

DC Design- Lots going on!

This past week our good friends Brooke & Steve Giannetti of Velvet & Linen were in town visiting with two of their kids, Nick & Leila.  Thursday night, Dave & I went to an insanely perfect cocktail party in their honor thrown by Loi Thai and Tom Troeschel, owners of Tone on Tone, a beautiful antiques store in Bethesda.  Like usual, I forgot to take very many pictures (I'm usually having too much fun, let's be honest) but to say Loi & Tom's place was amazing is a serious understatement.  I have NEVER been somewhere like this house.  It completely transports you to another place.  You don't feel like you're in Kansas DC anymore.  Because I forgot to take photos, I've taken most images of these from Joni of Cote de Texas's blogpost of almost 2 years ago when the house was just newly renovated, so there have been a lot of changes since then.  The walk up to the front of the house is incredible.  Boxwoods and trees now surround the front lawn which is empty in this photo:


{The limestone pavers on the front porch are so beautiful...  I felt like we were walking around on Mt.Olympus here...  The doors were flung open and a Spring breeze flowed into the house.}

  The entire home feels completely open to the outdoors & to me, there's nothing better than that.


{looooove the skylights in this house!!!}

Almost everything is done in shades of white & neutrals (hence the name "tone on tone") and the floors are even bleached wood:


You feel like you're floating around the house...



There were small green accents throughout the home and I fell in love with these cheeky industrial green pendants in the kitchen:


I enjoyed the far right barstool as well...  With less than a month to go 'till baby comes, I REALLY loved the food & had a great little spot to indulge!!!  mm mmm mmm!

The kitchen & attached family room is where Loi & Tom do most of the "living" and it's a bit less formal than the rest of the home.  They have topiaries & ferns all over the house (which are my FAVORITE things to accessorize with & that I unfortunately can't keep alive) and they're so beautiful:

{This console bisects the kitchen/ family room so the TV is opposite the kitchen.  There's the most beautiful skylight above the topiaries.}

The pair of maiden hair fern may have been my favorite accessory in the entire home.  Here's one of them on a pedestal flanking the fireplace:


..But of course my favorite part of the night was seeing so many great friends & people all in 1 place.  The DC Design Community is full of amazing people & personalities and there's never enough time to see all the people, so it was so nice to get to see so many sweet faces at once. 

{Brooke, Leila, me and Leah Moss of Moss Eclectic}

 I'm so glad Brooke & Steve came to DC.  They were signing copies of their book, Patina Style, which if you haven't read yet, needs to happen.  It's full of beautiful photos & such practical hands-on information.

{Image from  Patina Style   }

We were able to steal them away from their busy schedule Friday for a trip to the Air & Space Museum (boys-only...  Leila & Brooke & I hung at home) and for hanging out & pizza & cupcakes.  (mm-mm-mm!!)  Of course I didn't take photos, but if I had, you would have seen me lying on the couch and Brooke lying on a chair having a "sympathy pregnancy" for me.  :)  Sometimes it's nice to just veg out. 

I'm off for the day but thank you so much to Loi & Tom for such a beautiful night!!  Here they are in their (perfect) living room towards the end of the party:


{They are so sweet & hospitable and I'm pretty much in awe over their house...  I'm one of those annoying people who ends up leaving a party last or almost last (I somehow don't notice when people are saying goodbye) so thanks for putting up with me Loi & Tom!!}

And, speaking of great DC people, the DC Design House just opened this weekend & it's looking beautiful!!  My good friend John Matthew Moore sent me  this photo of the gorgeous foyer he just completed:

{Yay Matthew!!!!   photo by Angie Seckinger}

For information on visiting the DC Design House, visit the website here: Dcdesignhouse.com

My room from last year's DC Design House is actually in this month's issue of Better Homes & Gardens Magazine too so if you see it on newsstands, check it out.  (As soon as I get images, I'll be sure to post!! :)

Also, for more images & information on Tom & Loi's home, be sure to check out Joni's post:  Cote de Texas Ton-on-Tone post 

I just realized Loi has a blog, Tone on Tone, and you can view it here.  The most recent post is about keeping his topiaries alive!! :)


xoxo, Lauren

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