Herndon Designer Creates Enchanting Hideaway

Inspired by the romantic landscape surrounding an English Tudor mansion built in 1925, Herndon-based Interior Designer Lauren Liess captured the warmth and whimsy of nature in an enchanting room called “The Hideaway.”

Liess is one of 20 designers selected to participate in the fourth annual Washington DC Design House. The Design House opens to the public today and the public can view it through May 8. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at www.dcdesignhouse.com. Proceeds from the event benefit the Children’s National Medical Center.

The DC Design House highlights the metro area’s top interior designers, with each getting a room to showcase their talent. Liess created a room to inspire and spark the imagination.

“I was inspired by the house itself and the grounds of the home,” said Liess. “It's surrounded by beautiful gardens and the Tudor has a sort of fairytale-feel. I wanted to bring that mood into my room.”

Liess incorporated elements from famed fairytales, such as a princess-and-the-pea layering of mattresses on the window seat. Wing chairs with very exaggerated backs reminiscent of the mad hatter's tea party, are upholstered in a Michael Smith floral on the back and in brown-green velvet on the seat. Old fairytale books along with natural elements such as grasscloth walls, a seagrass carpet and natural linens and florals compliment the black and white ikat curtains from Liess newest fabric collection.

“I think it's really important to have some type of personal place to retreat to in your home,” said Liess. “I envisioned the hideaway not only as cozy little place to hang out, but also as a place to go to daydream and get inspired.”

Of course most people live in homes a bit smaller than a 12,000-square-feet Tudor estate. “Even if you don't have a mansion, you can create some type of hideaway in your home," suggests Liess. "It can be something as simple as adding a window seat in a hallway, a wing chair in your bedroom or even a bathtub. The important part of the hideaway is that it's a place you can go to daydream, think on your own and let your mind wander. In my own home, I have my little 'hideaway' spots and they're my back patio and a chair in my living room with a great ottoman.”

The Hideaway reflects Liess's personal style, something she calls Pure Style and blogs about at thepurestyle.com. “Pure style is about personal, comfortable and natural living. I incorporated many of my own personal favorite design elements such as pairing traditional with modern, over scaled artwork and gallery walls, natural materials and a casual mix of patterns to create a warm and relaxed feeling. I love blurring the lines between the indoors and the outdoors.”

“My house is full of new and old pieces, and has a very collected feel. I'm always bringing in things from our yard such as branches, flowers and leaves to create that sense of indoor-outdoor living.”