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Design Dilemma: Straight-Laced in DC? Not Necessarily!

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It used to be that Washington DC decorating was classic, conservative, colonial. Not many designers ventured beyond safe and serious, which is perhaps the decorating style that best projects power. But there’s a whole new generation of designers in the District these days catering to a younger crowd who feel freer and more open to express themselves in design. Safe and serious has been tossed out the window.

Take the home of Kerra Michele Huerta, a D.C. designer who did up her own 600 square foot Dupont Circle rental in a fun, eclectic, boho style that does not call to mind preppy paneled dens or chintz-splashed  living rooms that were once standard around the city. Huerta’s home mixes periods, style, pattern, texture, and lots of artwork for a vibrant, funky feel.

In the living room above and below, Huerta indulges in lush textures, from the furry, sheepskin carpet to the plush, emerald green sofa — a recovered vintage sofa. Huerta found the artwork above the fireplace at a thrift shop and used the emerald and teal palette accented with pinks throughout her entire home. She bought a pair of bergère chairs from eBay and, cleverly,  reupholstered them in an ikat-dot fabric on the front, and white leather on the sides and back, for a glam, graphic feel.

Here’s a closer view of the reupholstered chair:

Color and texture is used in interesting ways throughout. The front door, below to the right, is painted a light blue and opens onto the dining room. Huerta swapped the cheap flush-mounted ceiling lamp that came with her rental for a dramatic bohemian chandelier recalling lustrous pearls, and used a round table to create the feeling of a foyer.

Huerta’s kitchen is as rich, homey and vibrant as the rest of her home, and this despite the fact that it is a rental kitchen where no permanent changes could be made. She used temporary wallpaper on the appliances to jazz things up. She also painted the kitchen’s back wall with chalkboard paint with permission from her landlord.

Also in the kitchen, Huerta brought eclectic energy by removing cabinet doors, installing patterned paper on the backsplash, and  by painting the inside of cabinets a sweet aqua color. The mix of colors and patterns has a slight Latin or Caribbean feel

In the bedroom, Huerta splurged on an Indonesian bed that she says helps make the room feel more expensive than it is. She says her general rule of thumb is to splurge on one item in every room to help imbue rooms with the feeling of quality. The colors in the bedroom were influenced by a trip she took to India. The many feminine touches throughout the apartment she says are just a part of her style.

Here’s a unique paint treatment in Huerta’s colorful home office:

Huerta says she spent about $15,000 to decorate her rental, which she views as a feat. In projects for clients, she easily dedicates that much to just one room alone. By relying on thrift shop finds and repurposing furniture, Huerta has proven that it doesn’t take a lot of money to have a lot of style!