Step inside this historic Colonial house and you forget you are in Washington, DC. Studying the eclectic assemblage of art, books and furnishings, you are transported around the world through the centuries. Welcome to the home of Charlet and Steve!
In addition to being friends and clients, they are also former neighbors. Five years ago, Charlet and I attended an open house and, immediately after, we convinced Steve this should be their forever home. Five years later, it gives me immense pleasure to see them settled beautifully here surrounded by family heirlooms, found objects, travel keepsakes and their young son. Oh, I mustn’t leave out Feng Feng the Boston Terrier.
What I find so special is that each room and every vignette tells a personal story. It isn’t about achieving a perfect looking house, it’s about layering life’s moments. That’s the essence of Charlet and her style.
I’m delighted to share this tour!
Spanning five centuries and five countries, this living room wall with its maps and furniture invites one to pause, admire and study. Charlet created this gallery wall of antique maps, bird’s-eye views and garden plots of their favorite destinations: George Washington’s Mt. Vernon, Versailles, Central China (where Charlet is from), etc. The 1900s armchairs and 1500s carved sandstone lion are from China. Completing this ensemble is an 1800s Swedish Gustavian painted chest from
Tone on Tone.
Directly across is a Victorian mantel that Charlet found and had installed during the renovation. I’m honored and grateful to have a few more Tone on Tone pieces here, such as the French silver gilt mirror, carved wooden floral panel and English pine table – all antiques. The Continental coffee table retains its early gilt surface.
Charlet has an incredible eye for art and perfect placement – often times just propped. The living room showcases some of the family’s favorite landscape paintings from abroad.
When I asked Charlet where I could get a few of these pods, she said her father, an acclaimed bonsai artist in China, carved them out of tree roots. He also carved the lovely bowl. Hello – hook me up with some, please!!
BELOW: Flanking a window is a pair of 18th century Chinese interior windows over 18th century Swedish original painted chairs (only one side shown here). BTW, I have a third identical chair available if anyone is interested 🙂
On a Chinese altar table is a collection of antique mini paintings and rocks from Maine.
Let’s check out the sunny kitchen, which is an addition designed by Charlet and Steve. They wanted an unfitted, warm kitchen and incorporated many reclaimed elements such as the American painted stepback cupboard and Dutch pine shop counter. All meals are enjoyed on the casual English farm table since the formal dining room is now a family room.
And here is the family room. As mentioned, this was previously the formal dining area. The family decided to do away with a seldom used dining room. The American Windsor chair belonged to Steve’s grandfather. It’s simplicity complements the humble spirit of this room.
Two more 18th century Swedish cabinets from my shop – many thanks, Charlet and Steve! We all love the rich patina of the terra cotta urn I sourced in the South of France.
Please meet Ms. Feng Feng! It took us forever to get her to sit still – such a little diva 🙂
Now a peek inside the powder room with many old elements including the lantern, mirror and marble basin.
ABOVE: A corner of Charlet’s study. She wanted to straighten up but I requested “please don’t!” Chinese manuscripts, newspapers, decorating books and even a pheasant weathervane make up this charming still life – a work in progress!
The master bedroom is a haven of serenity with its uncomplicated scheme of soft neutrals and faded florals. Again, there is a thoughtful mix here. The lumbar pillow is actually made from 18th century ecclesiastical vestment Charlet found in Paris. Also French is the Art Deco ceiling light fixture. The alabaster lamp and lyre-back chair are vintage Italian.
This concludes the tour. My warmest thanks to Charlet and Steve for inviting us into their lovely home!
Cheers,
Loi
Charlet and Steve's home is delightful with a charming eclectic mix working beautifully together. I was particularly interested to see the Chinese altar table as I have a similar one too. Mine dates to around 1850, and is made out of elm.
Beautiful. I love it because it looks like it reflects the owners and everything they love. Thanks for sharing!
Dear Loi,
Charlet and Steve have a great talent for mixing styles and periods — it all goes together beautifully. I really like that handsome carved floral panel and the cloth covering the table in Charlet's study (it looks as though it might be a tapestry). I'm wondering the origin of those dining room chairs — the painting on them is charming.
Just beautiful…..love the mix of styles and periods, the result is a beautifully curated elegant and inviting home. Thank you for inviting us in!
Oh Loi, you did it again…and this time, you took us on a tour of someone else's home…yikes, this has to be one of my favorites!
You really know what you are doing. The understated elegance and fidelity to keeping everything vintage, no matter if it has a European, American or Asian feel, everything just works perfectly. And what can I say about the lighting? The white and grays and soft aqua with the silver or pewter all say so much. And Miss FENG FENG…oh she is one diva alright!
Big hugs to you Loi; you are a great artist and I just adore you! Anita
Such a lovely collection of treasures and a beautiful home! Thank you for the tour and sharing their home with us. I saw many things I adore like the carved wooden panel, those carved pods and the lovely color scheme throughout! So many well curated tablescapes! I love that they live surrounded by their histories and family pieces. I love the small painting collection and that inviting kitchen. Of course the pup is the best treasure of all! Have a wonderful week Loi, we need to talk soon! xo Nancy
So beautiful, Loi. What great antiques and collections. Thanks for sharing.
Everything looks so comfortable and authentic. I love the relaxed collections of beautiful things and that kitchen is a dream!
So lovely and serene. I am so inspired. Thank you!
that is a dream kitchen! oh i adore it!!! gorgeous home- thanks for sharing!
Beautiful space and my absolute favorite thing … a "collected" home. One can see and feel the owners' personality through the tour, thank you!
That kitchen! stunning
I was absolutely loving this house (especially all the little vignettes) and then I scrolled down and saw that kitchen, and more specifically, that table and chairs. It couldn't be any more perfect. Thank you so much for sharing this tour with us!
This home seems almost like a 'twin' home to your Loi! Simply beautiful! I saw some snippets on on IG and I knew this tour would be fantastic, I was right! Where do I start? I have a favorite aspect in every room! In the living room, I love the wall of maps and the painted swedigh chest of course, and that mirror! the carved pods are so unique, get me one too! I also love the carved wall panels. The kitchen is so homey yet so elegant too. I'm also in love with the marble basin in the powder room. I could go on and on, just tell Charlet and Steve that they did a perfect job – a great mix of asian and european classics hewn in one gorgeous home! Thanks for the tour dear Loi! And yes, we are enjoying the sun and sand right now, have a big surprise coming up soon when we get back. Take care!
Thanks for the tour, Loi. What a lovely home – I love all the personal touches, meaningful objects and beautiful textures. Your pieces fit just perfectly. I have to say that Ms. Feng Feng is one lucky dog!
Have a wonderful week!
A beautifully 'collected' home that gives a real feeling of calm and serenity Loi……I love the beautiful marble basin!
Have a lovely week,
Sophia x
Hello Loi, A perfect home in which every room has an eclectic range of objects, inviting you to examine them and ask the owners about the stories behind them. I like the way the Chinese pieces are mixed in with without calling undue attention to them. Carved tree roots are quite popular here, made into an unbelievable variety of forms. I am particularly taken with that bowl that was carved by Charlet's father.
–Jim
Beautiful home! I love the mix of Swedish and Chinese pieces.
What a beautiful home. I love English pine tables. The styling is amazing. You are so fortunate to have a stylish neighbor and friend.
Beautiful contrasts…..thanks for giving us the tour.
Thanks for the tour – such a gorgeous home! I could move right in 🙂
Wow, just wow. A feast for the eyes, as per usual, Loi. Her father carved the pods? How amazing is that? What a spectacular home, thank you for sharing it with us!
Charlet and Steve's home is amazing! It would make anyone feel at home and comfortable! Their pieces are priceless! They have the magic touch in knowing how to display their treasures!!! Thank you so much for sharing their home with us.
Loi-
This home is stunning! Such a perfect eclectic mix of beautiful pieces, and the doggie is precious!
Teresa
xoxo
I think perhaps my favorite part of this entire tour is the fact that they did away with a formal dining room and opted to eat in a part of the kitchen! It does seem that this is becoming a popular, and oh so useful, way to use space and I'm all for it! A lovely house with so many wonderful details. The entire fireplace and mantel is beautiful, as is that Art Deco ceiling light. Thanks for the tour Loi!
Hello Loi,
We are certain that Charlet and Steve in person will be every bit as charming and elegant as their beautiful house. For this is such a personal testament to the lives of two obviously sensitive and creative people. There is a dynamic intelligence to the way in which so many diverse elements are contrasted and combined. Seemingly effortlessly the old, the new, the perfect and the distressed are combined together to make a visually exciting and, no doubt, highly comfortable home. Lovely!
What a lovely home, so personal, so tastefully curated. Thanks to them for inviting us in.
XO, Victoria
How nice of your friends to share their home with us! Gorgeous and I love the mix of styles here Loi. The mirror is so pretty and I like the display of maps .. very nice! The pieces you show from your shop are beautiful:) xxleslie
of course I adore this home + a real mix of cultures + styles + also love the spelling of her name! am I a push over for anything Chinese? adore carved wooden floral panel from your shop. xxpeggybraswelldesign.com
Beautiful rooms with a lot of atmosphere and personality! Love the collection of framed maps, something which is not seen all that often.
Fabulous post – again!!!
Warmest spring greetings, dear Loi!
Greetings from a sunny Périgord 🙂 (after months of grey and rain)
xxxkarin
Loi,
Touring this magnificent home of your friends and client, I sensed pride of ownership with a collected gathering of beauty displayed throughout a house filled with love. Happy home = happy life.
Vera
Hi Loi, I am in love with this glorious space. I sold a pair of very similar ching chairs a couple of months ago. The counterpoint with the Gustavian chest is perfect.
Have a super spring day–it is glorious over here with sapphire skies.
xoxo Mary
"layering life's moments", i relish that sentiment loi and agree wholeheartedly. the assemblage of varying periods and pieces from such differing countries combine to create a depth of interest. i could wander these rooms endlessly. your elements add such a patina of age and intrigue. the carved flower panel and the french terra cotta urn are divine
cheers
debra
So much soul and character; just gorgeous
Just beautiful Loi, I also enjoyed seeing items of yours in their home!
Hello Loi,
What a lovely home! I am in love with that guilded table with the marble top. Gorgeous! I love everything about this home. Thanks so much for sharing this great photos. We passed day light savings time so Spring is going to get here pretty soon….and then…into the garden we go!
Susan
A beautiful home, Loi; authentic and personal. Of course, I adore the pieces from Tone on Tone but it all works so well – as the things one loves always do when assembled together!
xo,
Phyllis
Congratulations to you and the owners! The house is absolutely gorgeous! I could move in right away! I am in love with it!
xx
Greet
Hi Loi, Truly a collected home, like this style evolved over many years and is filled with loving memories. I especially love all of the different finishes and colors in the kitchen. So warm and inviting. The art collection is amazing too, and love that little sink! Thanks for a great post!
Holly
This is such a warm and gorgeous house that looks so lived in. Congratulations! to the couple on their new home. Carved wooden floral panel is my favorite 🙂 is it from Tone on Tone?
The early 1900 chairs in the first photo I think……do you know I had one of those at my shop and couldn't sell!I think I was asking $495.00 it finally went out the door as I closed for $95.00.Tell me they GOT A DEAL!
Second the gold carved coffee table!I have almost the same one in my kitchen sitting area!Mine was missing the marble so I did a beveled mirror on top!Fun to see!
Third,in the kitchen shot there is a rabbit PATE (spelling!!??) vessel……..My Mother has the same one!
A beautiful house with beautiful objects especially FENG FENG!
Very elegant home. What a beautiful dog Feng Feng is! (You knew I'd be drawn to the dog, didn't you.)
Claudia
Loi, thank you for sharing this beautiful home! I love seeing spaces that are filled with the moments of life, from time spent with family and friends and adventures. The study is my favorite room, it is collected and looks like a wonderful place to while away the days with a cup of tea and a good book.
Have a great day, enjoy the nice weather because I think there is another storm coming that way….the eternal winter.
Take care, Elizabeth
Oooh! I love how each vignette and space speak to the family's history, and the function of the space. It is beautiful and real, not contrived. You can see the respect for history in the antique items, but this is no museum. Thank you for sharing such a lovely home with us, Loi.
-Revi
What a pleasure seeing this beautifully serene home! Thank you, Loi!!!
What a wonderful home! I love it because while it's certainly coordinated, warm and personal, it doesn't look overly "decorated." LOVE the kitchen. LOVE the absence of upper cabinets. Beautiful vignettes. I think my fave is the fireplace mantle, although I love the one with the little rocks and paintings. Geez, I love them all! Feng Feng is adorable! What a ham! I also love the mix of Chinoiserie with the Swedish which I think always looks wonderful together. And finally. LOVE the messy books. Please don't straighten them up. After-all… it's impossible to find anything when it's all put away! LOL xoxo, L (and thank you again for that kind, kind comment on my blog.)
Hello Loi,
Thank you for this beautiful home tour– what a treat! I loved seeing all of the carefully-considered pieces and arrangements. I hope this inspires people to decorate with personal, soulful things, not just 'look-alikes' from design centers… There's no way to reproduce the patina, scale and humanity of antiques and hand-crafted pieces, is there?!
Warm regards,
Erika
Loi,
This is my favorite kind of home…filled with collections dear to the owners. It's fabulous and the furniture and pieces Tone on Tone provided shine in this stunning home. I loved this tour. Charlet and Steve are fortunate to live in such an inviting and warm home. Thank you for sharing.
Karen
The house is so beautiful with loads of style and character. I like the fist photo mixing the Gustavian cabinet with the oriental chairs. I also admire the wall carving with the flowers. Lastly, can I have Ms Feng Feng? She is so adorable!
Loi,
This home is gorgeous! I love it all! It just goes to show "if you love it, it will all work together"! This is truly a collected home! Thanks so much for sharing this home with us.
Loi- I think your friends could be my friends:)!! Their home is beautiful. It's the perfect blend of rustic elegance and I so appreciate the thoughtful attention to detail in all the collections. I love the old shop counter in the kitchen, I want a few of those for my future "tasting room".
Lovely lovely home, and a cute little terrier too:). Thank them for sharing it with us and have a great week.
XO Sarah
Lovely home Loi – thanks so much for sharing it with us! Your friends have really created a delightful space to live in!
so much tranquil elegance in the air here. what a collection of lovely objects. the step back cupboard in the kitchen…oh my! that color squeezes my heart like a nerf ball. merci for sharing such a charming home.
michele
Hi Loi,
I'm very proud to say that I spotted every pretty piece from your shop before it was confirmed in your text! Your signature style makes such elegant statements, wherever it is placed. Thank you to Charlet and Steve for granting us this memorable visit to their beautiful home, a showpiece of sentimental collections and quiet charm.
Wishing you a lovely, sunny week!
xoxo
Poppy
So nice to see such a personal and well-loved home. Thanks for the tour, Loi!
Deborah
I'm just dying over the kitchen!
Olá,
uma casa encantadora, amei. A cozinha linda, gosto assim de cozinhas com móveis diferente. O rústico é minha paixão. Uma linda casa. Desejo felicidades ao casal que tenham muitos anos de muita felicidade.
Bjos tenha uma ótima semana.
Hi Loi, this is beautiful…it takes a great amount of care, love and thought into creating a home such as this…I love the casual elegance and of course the mix…. what I strive to do in my own home..the acquisitions from Tone on Tone just add to this very beautiful home…N.xo
What a beautiful home…I would love to sit and have a cup of coffee in this home and be able to take everything in…the kitchen is gorgeous with the wonderful lighting coming in the window..
Your clients' home really feels collected over time… as if each object has a story. It's just lovely!
Thank you and your clients for letting us have a peak. Truly inspiring!
xo
Your clients' home really feels collected over time… as if each object has a story. It's just lovely!
Thank you and your clients for letting us have a peak. Truly inspiring!
xo
Loi, Where to begin? This home is beautiful. I love the mix of textures with the white walls. They really make all the truly unique pieces stand out. I'm in love with that carved wall plaque and the round table with the gilt. Their kitchen is so fresh and simple. The bedroom is just perfect too, with the prettiest pieces. She was so fortunate to have you as a friend and advisor! I wish I was so lucky. And I agree, her study is wonderful just as it was! Thanks so much for sharing this gem!
xKim
Attractive vignettes … and they tell a story! As usual Loi, a lovely post. What a warm and composed abode!
Absolutely gorgeous Loi. What a beautiful grand tour to accompany my lunch break today. I am particularly enamoured by that lovely Swedish cabinet just inside the family room and the marble basin with wall faucets in the powder room. I have so missed reading and visiting your blog of late and am glad to find it as mesmerising and tempting as ever.
Paul.
Beautiful home telling the story of their lives.
I am so in love with old homes, and this one is no exception! It is stunning, and your pieces are icing on the cake! Thank you all so much for the exquisite tour!
XOXO,
The Glam Pad
Charlet has a wonderful eye for placement. The artwork, maps and prints all superbly grouped, the tones all working together beautifully. I see touches of Loi here :-). Obviously she has learnt from the Master.
Di
xoxo
An eye for beauty, all of you! I adore this post Loi as I do all of yours. Charlet and Steve have a home they love, you can see it in everything they do. You obviously played a big part in that, you are all lucky to have found each other. Before I go Loi…I want to thank you for your kind comment on my recent post and the IG photos along the way. So glad we are following along, until we meet one day. I have a feeling we will..
Sending you warm wishes from Saigon…Jeanne xx
PS..and Ms. Feng Feng! I had to laugh, all personality and Diva to the max!
WOW! Absolutely stunning! Love the Louis Philippe mirror, that ornate coffee and that powder room sink!!! This reall is a collected home! Thanks for sharing, book piles and all! 🙂
such wonderful colors…love the rock collection!
Lovely home. I especially like the study–so glad you convinced her not to straighten up. It's delightful as is. And to forgo a formal dining room… who would want to leave that kitchen to eat elsewhere, anyway?
So well edited and interesting absolutely love it! I also loved London Loi!! Eat at 34 Grosvenor Square is you already haven't it was fabulous!!!
I especially love the table in the study piled with books–so glad you didn't let her tidy it up. My favorite parts about visiting real homes are the little "moments" that I get to glimpse. They are the slices of life that are the most charming. Beautiful home!
Stunning and what amazing details! I am in love with the kitchen! I can envision lots of great conversation and food making happen there!!
Hello, dearest Loi!
Thank you for sharing your friends' gorgeous home!
What an elegant, yet cozy balance in every room…and I love your phrase of "layering life's moments"…this is what a home should be indeed.
Charlet's father makes beautiful art!
Have a cozy, relaxing weekend…
Much love,
– Irina
Such a lovely home, Loi. I really like its "collected" feel and love the pieces from your shop especially the Swedish cabinets. Also loved the Chinese altar table. Unfortunately, in my home someone would place their cell phone or keys atop it – Philistines!
xo,
b
A nice house.
Thank you. Love love, Andrew. Bye.
LOI! Welcome home my friend! How kind of you to visit me upon your arrival home! Well, we too have not yet experienced any sign of spring; we had snow two nights ago, and today it's melting but really, we have a long way to go until I can see my boxwoods again! They are buried under mounds of snow.
Thank you so much for coming to visit. You are such a special friend, and I enjoy your presence both HERE and at my post. I hope you had a wonderful journey, maybe fixing up the second home up in Maine? New antiques to share? Much love to you and happy first day of spring! Anita
Holy smokes when I got to that kitchen I died a small death. It is perfection as is the rest of that lovely home:)
Your post give such a good information about best Home furniture Wayfair Coupons
Beautiful home – thanks for the tour!
what a beautiful , peaceful, elegant home. I loved it! Do you know what color their white wall paint is? It's so pretty and calming.