Upon walking into this home in suburban Washington, D.C., it might be hard to believe that a family with young children and pets actually lives in the rooms. Minimalist artworks on plinths and objects on surfaces are positioned for full effect, while a calm natural palette flows through the rooms. Yet, following an extensive two-year renovation, the interiors of this home are actually as family-friendly as they are beautiful.

“Most of my clients have children,” explains designer Darryl Carter, owner of Washington-based Darryl Carter, Inc. “This project was for a couple with active young children and extraordinarily demanding schedules and careers, and their mandates to me were to be both eco- and kid-friendly.” Carter met both directives, creating memorable, even moody, interiors populated with continental antiques, modern art, and volumes of friendly and forgiving textiles.

Carter enjoys the building process and loves the actual smell of sawdust. For this project, he collaborated closely with architect Donald Lococo, known for the fresh, innovative way he approaches his craft, with nothing extraneous added. “I’d seen the house plans prior to taking on the commission,” says Carter. “What I saw was an artist’s rendering on canvas that I knew Donald would manage with genius because he honors the bygone while embracing the modern.” Lococo and Carter share sensibilities to the extent that they not only finish each other’s rooms, but also, as Carter says, “We often finish each other’s sentences—a fluidity that produces outstanding results.”

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INTERIOR DESIGN BY DARRYL CARTER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY WILLIAM WALDRON
WRITTEN BY EDWARD MCCANN

This story appeared in the Fall 2023 issue of MILIEU.