Caite Hamilton

Design trends come and go. And, sometimes, they come back again. Take, for instance, wall murals. Interior designer Karena Akhavein says she’s been getting more and more requests for 21st century versions from clients of her Gordonsville studio, Pebble Hill Design. “In grand Virginia estates, it was the tradition to use pictorial wallpaper in the […]

Traditionalists beware: This style is not for you. (We’re looking at you, too, shabby chic-lovers and those after French country.) But if you have eclectic taste and aren’t afraid to experiment, local designer Alexandra Bracey of Bracey Designs says brutalist design might be right up your décor alley. But, what is it? Brutalism derives from […]

Ray Gaines has been involved with sustainable architecture since the energy crisis of the 1970s—long before “sustainability” was a term du jour. So when an old friend approached him about building a house with passive solar functionality and other green attributes, he was more than ready to accommodate. “We talked in generalities,” he says, as […]

It’s a not-so-secret design secret that mirrors can help open up a dark space. But, says WKNDR Design owner Becky Seager, in some cases, white walls can deliver the same effect: They visually open up a space and reflect light (as long as there’s natural light to reflect). And there’s another benefit to white walls. […]

To make something from nothing requires a certain amount of optimism. To make something from something? That requires some elbow grease. No problem, says designer Caroline Faulconer, who regularly takes neglected pieces and breathes new life into them. “When designing a space, the ability to refinish or repurpose a client’s existing piece or a flea […]