Home Décor anD renovations caugHt up witH cHristine arcHer principal designer of washington-based christine archer interiors to see what it took to create the luxurious rooms featured in Visions of Design. as an interior designer, her goal is to share her inspiration with others so they can truly love, appreciate and be comfortable in their homes.

where did you draw inspiration from when decorating this home? My inspiration was drawn from the outdoors. The windows have magnificent views of the trees and sky.

what challenges did the home present and how did you solve them? The 18-ft. ceiling was a bit of a challenge. We painted it chocolate to bring warmth and the colour down to co-ordinate with the other furniture.

How do you create livable spaces in homes that may not be so “user-friendly” or open?

By Laura malloy

Destination Style

with Christine ArcherQ&a

[ Photos courtesy of David Dundan Livingston, featured in Visions of Design by Panache Partners ]

Using drapery is the best way to open up a room and its windows. Drapery brings attention to the windows and adds height, volume and warmth to the room.

what do you love about interior design? It is pure joy for me to transform an ordinary home into something spectacular and know that I have changed my client’s life in such a wonderful way.

can you offer any advice on how to decorate or even move furniture around to fit more people for the holidays? For big parties, I always take out the chairs around the dining room table so people can move easily around and have easy access to all of the food. I also place food all around the house so that most rooms are used, and people feel welcome in each of the rooms I’m using for the party. All rooms in the house should always have a touch of the holidays in them – it always makes people smile and feel good.

00 Home Décor and Renovations | December 2010 51

with Christine Archer

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It is pure joy for me to transform an ordinary home into something spectacular and know that I have changed my client’s life in such a wonderful way

00 Home Décor and Renovations | December 2010 51