Before she even got to work on this chic five-bedroom, 10,000-square-foot, custom-built home, DC interiors expert Mariella Cruzado of Splendor Styling knew she had found a design soulmate. “The homeowner told me she had dreamt of a sexy crocodile-wallpapered powder room for her guests, and she couldn’t find a designer who understood her decorating desires,” recalls Cruzado. When she said that, “I knew our styles were completely aligned,” says the designer. “Our shared love for gold, fabulous pieces, and a luxurious lifestyle made the design process bliss.”
The three-level modern farmhouse–style residence, designed for a cosmopolitan young couple and their two children, covers the span of a double lot in the heart of Vienna. Throughout the extensive design process, Cruzado collaborated closely with Christina Simon of CS Design Studio, architect Paul Davey of Studio Z, and homebuilder Robert Miller of RJ Miller Custom Homes. Cruzado’s responsibility was finalizing certain selections and finishes during the construction phase, planning the furniture layout, and ordering the principal furnishings and decorative elements. Home accessories, including the ones for the numerous built-in bookshelves, were done in collaboration with interior stylist and home stager Cat Guerra.
Today, the aforementioned moody powder room is a standout space sheathed in black faux-croc wall coverings, with Violetta marble floors and gilt-framed original artworks by Josh Young. It sits center stage in what became the home’s third-level entertainment basement, complete with the husband’s cigar and game lounge; a boutique hotel–style lobby furnished with two tufted leather sofas and a pair of club chairs centered about a travertine ledger stone fireplace wall; and a full bar, featuring glass-and-brass upper cabinets with a through-view to the Old World wine cellar beyond.
The kitchen perfectly exemplifies the blend of modern farmhouse and glamorous elements, with its timbered space-defining ceiling on the open floor plan and its clean Shaker-style cabinets, some of which are finished in a rich gray, all with gold hardware.
Along with many spaces in the home, the kitchen was designed by Christina Simon’s team at CS Design Studio. “We selected tiles for the bathrooms and most other areas, created the built-ins and cabinets, and sourced the majority of the light fixtures,” she says of the large undertaking in the middle of the pandemic. The home was completed in 2020.
“The use of the wood beams in the ceiling paid homage to the modern farmhouse style of the exterior while adding warmth,” says Simon. “The high-contrast gray and white cabinet finishes and the addition of gold accents by way of hardware, plumbing, and lighting, however, bring a dramatic and glam feel to the space.”
The kitchen’s showstoppers, other than the striking waterfall-edge island, are the two Sub-Zero fridges at either end of the range wall; their custom-cabinet paneling resembles a pair of armoires with antique mullioned doors.
“[The homeowners] wanted a comfortable, warm space but were open to modern, statement-making touches throughout their home,” adds Simon. “Overall, they were drawn to gold finishes and dark colors mixed with white.”
The homeowners host a good deal, which had an impact on how they chose to design and furnish the house. From the center hall foyer, an open plan directs guests to the dining room, with high-gloss paint and metallic-thread wallpaper, on the right, and to an intimate sitting room, with a two-sided fireplace (and a home office on the other side), on the left. Beyond the entry sits a family room grounded with a custom L-shaped contemporary sectional set about a massive fireplace feature wall in black Dekton. The space is also defined by an inset tray ceiling covered in gold wallpaper.
“The modern farmhouse style was evolving into a sophisticated residence with a bold neutral palette in blacks, golds, and cognacs,” says Cruzado. “It’s also splashed with unique, often textural, elements, such as shiny wallcoverings, different types of marble finishes, rich wood, and leather pieces, as well as oversized light fixtures and a custom mural by Kristin Gaudio Endsley that adorns the main stairwell.”
What is clear is that the home is set up for optimal entertaining. Multiple bars stand ready in the different areas, including a breakfast bar in the kitchen, a butler’s pantry for serving food off the dining room, and a beverage bar servicing the main level, with a beautiful backsplash of black-and-white marble tiles edged in gold. Even the more intimate spaces, like the husband’s home office, which is partly paneled in warm wood and has a fireplace and cozy armchairs for sealing a deal, were designed with guests in mind.
The transitional, neutral, and luxurious furnishings (and fittings) travel upstairs to the bedrooms via a stylish metal staircase with X-shape and gold-ball detailing. The homeowners gave Cruzado carte blanche to furnish the house from scratch, and she selected clean-lined forever pieces that were timeless in style and of the highest quality.
For example, the main bedroom has a Lucite four-poster bed (a glam take on the traditional style) and a caramel-colored cut-velvet–upholstered settee with classic lines at the foot of the bed. There is a balcony outside, overlooking the large backyard and pool, outfitted with a “bed” swing and pair of armchairs for enjoying morning coffee on a pleasant day. A custom coffee bar, with geometric black-and-gold tile and open shelving, bridges the bedroom and its en-suite bathroom. The latter features overscale black-and-white graphic marble flooring, his-and-her vanities, a rectilinear tub, and a spa shower.
“The clients trusted us completely with all the details and decisions,” says Cruzado of the design team and overall result. She’s especially proud of this project because it reflects her own aesthetic so closely. “It was a work of love.”
Feature image by Robert Radifera for Stylish Productions
This story originally appeared in our February issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to our monthly magazine.
