Where Traditional and Comforting Combine

Interview with DuVäl Reynolds
Photography by MW Ideas

Interior dressmaker DuVäl Reynolds explains how he grew to turn into a apartment exact into a apartment for a family in Alexandria, Virginia.

How did your develop hump delivery?

I in actuality went to university for neurology but left college and labored in Unique York for a piece before appealing to the DC apartment. I obtained a job at the develop company California Closets, the place I learned that I had great extra of a knack and ardour for develop than I had realized. So, whereas preserving a beefy-time job, I went help to university beefy-time at evening to acquire my bachelor’s stage in inner develop. I opened my private company in 2017.

Loads of your customers are attorneys. How did that happen?

My company is within the DC metro apartment, so it was once roughly inevitable, but to boot they attach finding us. On our online online page, we focus on our route of, not how the final consequence watch, which attorneys cherish. I also judge quite love an attorney—I inquire of a thousand questions, am very detailed and streamlined about all the things, and live up for effectively. That’s arresting to customers, especially attorneys, who’re very busy, very hands-off, and attain not love having to micromanage to acquire the job executed.

Let’s focus on the Alexandria apartment, which you dubbed The Meaning of Dwelling. How did it attain about?

One among the customers learned us on Instagram—funnily ample, neither he nor his better half is an attorney. He acknowledged one among the things they cherished about our work was once that we consist of before photos on our online online page for every mission, which we attain to train customers the work we attach in and the place we can rob their properties.

The main procedure for this mission was once to combine the couple’s aesthetics. He may perhaps be very outmoded, loves color, bling, and “wow” elements, and enjoys having fun. She favors a as a lot as the moment farmhouse vibe that also specializes in comfort, especially for their younger people.

The develop is pretty, correct from the home’s entrance. Would you demonstrate your suggestions for this apartment?

Within the foyer, the place the heart beat of the home begins, our first procedure was once to acquire attain. It desired to be excessive influence but also classic ample that it didn’t must be redone in a pair of years. A dusky-and-white checkered ground achieved correct that. As effectively as, the stair runner is wool, which is durable but elated, softens the apartment, and is welcoming. For the chandelier, I obviously wished it to be spectacular but gave the section a silhouette so it wasn’t distracting.

In actuality, there’s never in actuality a celebrity or focal level in any room I develop; everything stands on its private. On this foyer, the bottom is impactful, but so are the walls—which would be clad with molding and heavy part work—and, needless to exclaim, the chandelier. Even the table by the banister, despite the indisputable truth that it has a chaotic floral scheme, holds its private weight reasonably than drawing your entire consideration within the room.

The adjoining place of job is a lot darker and extra outmoded. Dispute us about your inspiration for it:

It’s the husband’s place of job, so I needed it to feel love his apartment. For a masculine contact, we painted the walls a deep blue that was once darker than the room’s new color of blue, added molding on every single wall correct as a lot as the constructed-ins, and peppered in leather-based mostly tones, immense hardware, and even whiskey glasses—in rapid, a classic smoking-room vibe. Since he’s also an avid reader, I added a Chesterfield sofa for a scholastic contact.

Would you focus on your identify on of colours within the home?

We entirely bask in twiddling with color. Each mission we attain on the general has a baseline of three colors that speed all the procedure in which by. On this one, there are mostly shades of greens, blues, and browns. One room is entirely blue, whereas the next has accents of blue. And one other room has shades of grey with green or blue touches. I needed every apartment to love a serious color influence but restful thread the hues collectively in ways that aligned with our new foundational elegant.

To illustrate, the better half wished an improbable kitchen on story of she’s in there so on the general; I leaned into comforting as a lot as the moment-farmhouse colors for her. Nonetheless there are also a pair of objects that raise in a in actuality outmoded feel for him, equivalent to the antique-brass handles and knobs. So it was once very great a blended kitchen.

Would you demonstrate what wallpaper provides to a mission equivalent to this?

Wallpaper brings a sense of depth and motion that paint can’t. All of it the time creates storylines that spark the creativeness, immersing you within the room—you merely can’t acquire faraway from it, which I in actuality love.

What were a pair of of the most gratifying aspects of this mission?

Positively the dining room. Because it was once broad, I made a decision to shorten it by about four toes, despite the better half’s nervousness. She wished it to be broken-down loads, despite the indisputable truth that, so I instantaneous a saloon style that feels relatable and accessible for all people. I believe love we correct nailed this room, presumably extra than any diversified one I’ve ever designed, on story of there were so many things we were attempting to entire. Even the final window treatment I learned, which aspects racy cranes, felt so correct.

The easier half also acknowledged she wished a “girl’s room,” which grew to turn into the lounge. When we introduced the purple sofa and flowery wallpaper for the apartment, the husband wasn’t ecstatic, but he relied on us. He then grew to turn into hooked in to that room! He was once disquieted at how great of a masculine undertone it had, which we achieved by a pair of of the furnishings silhouettes and color profile choices mixed in with the feminine touches that are blanketed and layered in. I’m cosy it labored for every of them.

As effectively as, I in actuality love the family room with its heavy outmoded parts love the coffered ceilings, the grey-patterned rug, and the white fire we created along with the snug, rounded sofa that brings a sense of family comfort.

What’s the meaning at the help of the title The Meaning of Dwelling?

I don’t judge the customers ever cherished their apartment or felt elated in it, but they were adamant about making it a popularity the place they may perhaps also create memories with their younger people. So I was once in actuality attempting to emphasise how in a executed home, there’s no distress about anything else desiring to be labored on correct away—as a substitute, you’re keen family over and the kids are having sleepovers. Here is what the meaning of home is. Dwelling isn’t correct about the pretty stuff in it; it’s about the memories that delivery being made as presently as the mission is executed and playing the shock of family.

For additional records, take a look at with duvalreynolds.com