The Aspire House McLean project began in 2018, when Bill Harrison, renowned architect and principal of Harrison Design, introduced aspire design and home CEO and Founder Steve Mandel to a developer he worked with called Artisan Builders. Mandel was immediately impressed, and planning began for a showhouse in this elegant suburb of Washington, D.C.
The residence, which adapts Palladian concepts of geometry, proportion and symmetry, is modern and light filled, with vast windows to flood the space with sunlight. In order to make sure the interior design matched the caliber of the architecture, Mandel invited Mary Douglas Drysdale to be the design chair. Drysdale explains, “A talented group of designers and creatives from the Mid-Atlantic region displayed their skills to create a home that is a modern classic mix, referring to the architectural traditions of our region and to the lifestyle that people aspire to today.”
In our recently released aspire design and home Showhouse Issue, we sat down with Elizabeth Gill to learn more about her creative process in designing the mudroom and entry for this project.
aspire: How much time did you have to complete this room, start to finish?
Elizabeth Gill: It took me several months to complete the rooms from concept to installation. I really enjoyed the entire creative process.
aspire: What was your biggest challenge? Did you have a Eureka moment during the process?
Elizabeth: The biggest challenge was trying to make a laundry room memorable. My ‘eureka moment’ came when I decided to go beyond simply designing a laundry room and instead chose to make it a comfortable & functional modern mudroom that any member of the family would want to spend time in, even the family pooch.
aspire: What did you and your team accomplish that you thought would not happen in time?
Elizabeth: Luckily, all installations ran smoothly. I was planning on including a hand-painted ceiling in the main level entry space, but ended up canceling the work once the wallcovering was installed since it was such a work of art on its own.
aspire: What was your inspiration for this room?
Elizabeth: The entry space emulates walking into the foyer of a sophisticated pied-à-terre on Central Park West, with an emphasis on quality pieces, art and fine finishes. It is both elegant and contemporary. The laundry room was designed with a sense of humor, featuring a wallcovering with giant blowfish, and family-friendly fabrics.
aspire: Did you step out of your comfort zone for this project, and if so, why?
Elizabeth: I designed each of my spaces with a different audience in mind while allowing for a seamless transition from one space to the other (they are separate rooms, but next to each other).
aspire: Is your preference for a showhouse a small space or a large space? Does one or the other provide a better opportunity to stretch your creativity?
Elizabeth: My first choice was a bedroom, but I am glad that I was able to get two smaller spaces on the main level. I’m used to designing for city living, so I wasn’t worried about the space, per se, but rather how to create a lasting impression with the relatively small spaces I was given. I’m very pleased with the overall design and believe I proved that the size of the space does not dictate the overall impact it can have.
aspire: Describe the town of McLean in one sentence.
Elizabeth: An upscale, suburban enclave with bucolic elements, yet just minutes away from the nation’s capital.
Click Here to view more interviews with our Aspire House McLean designers.
Photography by Stacy Zarin Goldberg.
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