There is a bit of a trend going on with condos using interior designers to decorate their model units in an effort to show buyers the best potential of their living spaces. 22West, the new, glass-and-steel condo across from the Ritz-Carlton in the West End, has pulled out all the stops. The first model units were designed through Vastu and Contemporaria. Next came a unit outfitted by Baker Furniture. And now, designer Vivian Braunohler of Braunohler Design Associates in DC has completed another model unit.
Eastbanc, who manages sales for 22West, asked Vivian to create a space “that would appeal to a market segment having a design taste that might be drawn to a more eclectic approach” than the other models, according to Matt Hagan, a spokesman for 22West.
Vivian responded with “an in-town retreat … using tailored and classic furnishings — new, vintage and antique.”
Vivian used a soft palette throughout of taupes, ivory, camel, and accents of soft mauves and lavender — all of which gave her a blank canvas against which she could showcase the furnishings and art.
As an aside, Vivian reports that she got this assignment at the beginning of the year, and had just 45 days to complete it. “Only key furniture pieces that were readily available could be considered. All fabrics had to be in stock, and to top it all off, all of the selections had to be made during the major snows we had in February!” she writes. “The Design Center was closed for a few days, and for a few days we had no power in the office. It was a creative challenge, to say the least.”
To give you an idea of the design mix Vivian’s work joins at 22West, I’ll leave you with images of model units from the other designers.
