Ah, Decorium!

I was so excited to see a great post by a local DC design blogger about two of my favorite people, David and Jeff, owners of design and home decor shop in Old Town, Decorium. They are both incredibly talented, warm, and wonderful, and helped us outfit our home in a way that suits us perfectly. Their store is a treat to peruse, but wander upstairs into the design studio and you could stay all day. If you're looking to re-upholster a chair with a beautiful fabric (p.s. I have a great upholsterer I can share), dress up your windows with roman shades, or purchase a new couch (I love my Lee Industries slip cover David convinced me was the right call, which it absolutely was, despite my aversion to slip covers).... they are the best!

Here's the piece, and photos of their beautiful Lorton home.

At Home with Decorium’s Owner

June 3, 2010 by Jennifer
Filed under Shopping

Apologies for my prolonged absense — I’ve been blessed with an abundance of freelance assignments, which have taken precedence this week. But in the course of reporting one of my stories, I was lucky enough to meet Jeff Albert, the owner of Decorium in Old Town Alexandria.

I drove there last week to meet Jeff and his partner (in business and in life), David Chenault, who is in charge of D2 — the interior design business upstairs. The store is hard to miss, as it’s dripping in artificial wisteria on the outside walls — which will be replaced this fall with some other seasonally fabulous hangings. You have to duck when you go inside, as there are more plantings hanging from the ceiling, along with all manner of chandeliers.

The store is stuffed to the gills with furniture, gifts and accessories — unapologetically over the top. (Jeff, at times, has carpeted the floors with sod, and in the autumn, customers have walked over crunchy fall leaves.)

So, you can imagine what their house must be like. Here’s a tour of their 90-year-old farmhouse in Lorton, which was designed to resemble a Tuscan farmhouse — or maybe a psychedelic dream version of one.

The sweet and inviting entry, but modest compared to what you'll find inside.

Barry Dixon lovers will recognize the nailhead-lined stair runner, which Jeff said was designed in tribute to Barry's style.

The kitchen's eating area, with recycled limestone floors, burlap settee, and a mixture of chairs under a beamed ceiling.

The farmhouse's original parlor combines rustic wood with velvet upholstery, framed by exuberant window treatments.

This corner of the parlor features an antique prayer chair, a brass Pope's crown, and tapestry against neutral walls created with seven shades of emulsions and glazes.

The library, which is about as contemporary Jeff and David get.

The art room, where Jeff and David display their art collection, reminds me of a setting from the house where the Bloomsbury Group of writers communed in England 100 years ago.

I love this vignette in a corner of the art room.

And finally, a lovely vignette in a corner of the couple's dining room. I adore the painted frames of these chairs.

So many people these days preach clean lines and minimal interiors, that it’s almost refreshing to see such an unabashed overabundance — the house is a good illustration of the incredibly generous personalities of Jeff and David, who greeted me with a lovely spread of coffee and muffins in the design studio over the store.

Decorium is worth a visit for the eye candy alone.