Fashion

  • West End Process :: Concept

    One of our favorite Huntley & Co. projects this year was for a young couple who hired us to design and renovate their newly purchased townhouse in the West End neighborhood of Washington.  Much to our delight, the duo brought a combination of sophistication and excitement to the endeavor.  Translating that into a concept and then into a finished product was a multi-step process — and worth every minute.   * * * |  THE CONCEPT  | Our clients inspired a decidedly cosmopolitan aesthetic.  Accordingly, we imagined an eclectic mix of vintage and antique furnishings, unexpected stone and tile, and layers of complex colors and tones.  As shown below, the mood board we created conveyed our idea of an elevated yet spirited home…

  • Huntley & Co. Interior Design

    DESIGNING WITH PASSION :: THE COLORS OF VALENTINE’S DAY

    I love the colors associated with Valentine’s Day.  Red, garnet, blush, pink, plum — they’re all so delicious and sexy.  This is a palette that seduces in design, fashion, and even nature.   I suggest that you soak in the gorgeous inspiration of our post today, especially if you are spending the holiday sans sig-other.  There is no balm for the soul like beauty.  Well, that and a really good bottle of pinot noir and dark chocolate.  HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!   ** Sources/links for the photos above can be found on our Pinterest page … along with other Valentine’s Day inspiration.

  • POM POMS

    You wouldn’t think there would be any commonality among design, fashion and a dog’s tail.  Pardon?  My beloved pup had surgery on her tail recently and her gorgeous, fluffy appendage turned into something of a pom pom.  Sad? Yes. Adorable? Absolutely.  It reminded me of how delightful pom poms are.  It’s something about a shape so perfectly simple encased in fluff.  Whether it’s a detail on shoes, trim on drapes or something more unexpected – pom poms just make me happy.   The indefatigable Iris Apfel gets it. (L) Rebecca de Ravenel wearing her celebrated Les Bonbons earrings;  (C) a fanciful canopy by Olive Juice Interior Design;  (R) happy yellow Billy Button flowers c/o…

  • dc design house inspiration - DC interior design showhouse

    SHOW-HOUSE // FAUX-CLIENT

    A showhouse is unique in that it provides a designer with the freedom to create a space that is bound only by her innovation and talent.  With a project that lacks a scope of work and a flesh-and-blood client, we find it important to invent a narrative to guide our design concept.  At Huntley & Co. we create a “faux client” to serve as muse during the showhouse process.  We have been blessed with some pretty wonderful clients throughout the years, but our Faux Clients 2016 definitely have us crushing hard!   dc interior designer Concept Development______________ Washington DC is a city filled with people of varied and interesting backgrounds.  Our…

  • THE BEST OF LA // DESIGN

    I was in LA recently.  It’s the perfect getaway and has everything my heart desires — a warm climate, a cool vibe, a lush and luxurious urban landscape and all the shopping a girl could want.  It’s not called the “city of angels” for nothin’ people.  For designers, the LA scene offers gorgeous settings, lovely laidback staff and some of the best furnishings in the US.  Key streets are Highland, Beverly Blvd, La Cienega, Melrose Ave and Melrose Place.  Head to Blackman Cruz, JF Chen, The Window, Harbinger, Hollyhock, Nicky Kehoe, Kelly Wearstler, Galerie Half, Garde, Lief … to name just a few.  The east coast is unseasonably cold and Legends of…

  • THE BEST OF LA // FASHION

    I recently spent some downtime in LA.  And when I travel, I shop.  That’s just how I roll.  Shopping at home feels like a chore to me and I almost never do it (save my visits to Hu’s in Georgetown).  And it’s just so damn easy in LA.  You get in your car, you park RIGHT IN FRONT of the store, you peruse and chat with the nicest of people.  Then you walk out with a half dozen bags that you drop into your trunk.  So lovely … and um, possibly a bit too easy?                                         Beverly Hills :: Maje, Perrin, Etro, Barbara…

  • PARADOX = DESIGN HARMONY

    Paradox is my passion — contrasting modern with traditional, sexy with conventional and subtle with provocative. Introducing incongruity and tension give a room interest and energy. As we designers say, it’s what makes a room “sing”. In the simplest of terms, I like a little rock-n-roll with my ladylike. It’s integral to my designs, my fashion sense and my attitude.              bubble chandelier + oushak  | classical-themed wallpaper + midcentury architecure  |  columnar lamp atop leather-wrapped dresser + modern high-rise apartment      graphic polka dot tank + pink animal-motif shorts + snakeskin heels  |  distressed jeans + damask pattern jacket + large belt buckle      camelback sofa + vintage lamps + saarinen table…

  • Dark and Inky

    Halloween always inspires me.  I relish the drama and suspense of the holiday, not to mention the excuse to go a little goth and watch scary movies.  It’s always good to embrace one’s darker side, especially if you lean a little type A.  So with all my clean and tailored design tendencies comes a need for what I call “dark and inky”.  If you’ve worked with me or for me, you’ve heard me use this term.  I am always on the quest for the perfect murky green, garnet or ebonized-blue (and of course black).  Whether it’s a lacquered leather chair, a kick-ass pair of aubergine boots or a smokey eye for…

  • mad for plaid

    I was talking with a girlfriend recently about her upcoming wedding.  “I’m thinking about incorporating tartan,” she said.  “I know that’s probably not your thing as a designer.”  Au contraire!  I can’t get enough of checks and plaids.  Everything about them appeals to me — the geometry, the endless color combinations, the nod to Midwest traditionalism.  I have incorporated a check or plaid in nearly every Huntley & Co. project and have plenty of it in my closet as well.   The evidence of my ongoing love affair can be seen below.  You don’t have to be Scottish, traditional, Midwestern or preppy to love these patterns … fall is upon us, so…

  • Shark!

    Sharks are certainly newsworthy these days.  Shark Week is in full swing on Discovery, JAWS  just celebrated the 40th anniversary of its release, and on a less inviting note, Carcharhinus have made the Outer Banks their summer vacation destination.  Yikes!  Surprising as it may seem, I am loving every minute of it.  Despite my lifelong fear of sharks, I am obsessed with the movie Jaws.  I admit this seems a bit odd for a land lover, professional aesthete and enthusiast of all things cute and fuzzy.  First, I love a good thriller.  Second, the cast is perfection.  Third, the cinematography (Spielberg, of course) is inventive yet convincing.  And fourth, the…