Inside Top Designer's Home, Cool Ideas for Comfort and Style

You experience both drama and serenity when you enter the Washington, D.C. home that interior designer Susan Vallon shares with her husband Andy Beyer, horse racing columnist and handicapping legend.

A little fur thing glides past; you can hardly make out this is a cat because its gray and tan coat blends with the monochromatic setting. What stand out are a cast iron sculpture of a larger-than-life primitive-looking man seated on a high perch and, on the walls, art the size of parking spaces.

I sometimes worry I won't be able to implement design features on my own. But recently, after Susan showed me around her home, I picked up some ideas I plan to try. Maybe you will too!

Entryway

• Susan suggests when you enter a home, you should start to feel what the rest of the house is going to look like.
• What's this house about? Who are these people?
• The entry area is great place to show off something punchy, to set the mood for your living space.

Art

• Susan and Andy buy their art when traveling.
• Investing in art is their shared passion. It gives a fun focus to their trips and provides enduring reminders of fond memories after they've returned home.

Water filter for the whole house

Seven years ago Susan had the whole house was retro-fitted for a water filtration system at a cost of around $3,000. They need to replace the $1200 filter every six years.

Vanity

"I love my dressing table," says Susan. "Sitting at a vanity with my cosmetics in a drawer and all my potions within reach makes me feel like a 1940's movie star." She made me want to dash right out to buy one.

Bedroom color and lighting

• Susan and Andy's bedroom of mocha hues is both contemporary and comforting.
• "It's like being in a womb," says Susan, who adds, "You don't need to see well in the bedroom, so it can be low lit and dramatic."

Cushions on the bed

Rather than pillow shams, Susan uses squared off cushions, such as those you might have along the back of a sofa. They are comfortable to lie against and give a clean finished look to the bed.

Comfort

• Throughout the house, from the breakfast room chairs to the sofa to the chaise lounge in the bedroom . . . lasting materials, style and comfort drive the choices.
• You should never buy seating through a catalogue or the Internet, notes Susan, unless you have tried it first and know it's comfortable.
• Quality is also crucial for Susan, who says, "I'll have my kitchen chairs forever."

Woven raffia basket for vitamins

Unlike in my home, where I keep a cluster of vitamin bottles next to my sink, in Susan's master bathroom there are clusters of nothing. She has a charming woven basket with a cover in which she keeps her vitamins.

One trinket

I spotted a small glass penguin on Susan's vanity and asked "What's this?" She told me it was from someone she enjoys being reminded of. I have trinkets all over my house that contain happy memories, but visiting Susan made me want to pare down.

Powder room

In the powder room a spray of sea green tiles, scattered randomly like confetti, is imbedded in a limestone-tiled floor. You can dim the lights at night and use a candle and flowers to create a dramatic look.

See my article Create a Dramatic Look in Your Powder Room for more of Susan's advice on how to jazz up small spaces.

Heated bathroom floor

A heated bathroom floor is divine on chilly winter nights, but can't be done without ripping up the floor 

Washlet by Toto

Everything you need to know about luxury toilet seats, and perhaps more, is detailed in Charlie White's article, Super Toilet Seats, the Ultimate in Luxury Tech. Susan's Washlet by Toto offers washing choices of rear, rear soft and front cleansing. Drying options include pulsating and oscillating. And, of course there is a stop button.

What cool things to you have in your home?

SEE SOME OF MY OTHER DESIGN ARTICLES:

MY MOM'S DO-IT-YOURSELF DECORATING TIPS

RENOVATION BASICS, WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW IF YOU REMODEL

40 GREAT TIPS FOR ARRANGING FLOWERS . . . FASHION YOUR OWN GREAT FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS LIKE THESE

29 GREAT TIPS FROM A PRO FOR BUYING PICTURE FRAMES AND HANGING ARTWORK AND FAMILY PHOTOS

EASY, INEXPENSIVE DO-IT-YOURSELF PICTURE FRAMING