MC Design Team Past (2004)

Date: September 8, 2004

Montgomery College Students Showcase Talents at 2004 National Symphony Orchestra Decorators’ Show House
Students Transform Powder Room into “Ooh là là, le Vin!” Wine Room

Montgomery College’s interior design team is the only student team participating in this year’s National Symphony Orchestra Decorators’ Show House, which will be open to the public from October 3-31, at Château Peyrenc de Moras, 9121 River Road in Potomac, Maryland. The team was invited to participate by the Women’s Committee for the National Symphony Orchestra, organizers of the prestigious annual event celebrating interior design.

The students transformed a first floor powder room into a wine room, entitled “Ooh la la, le Vin!” Because the room was at the end of a hallway close to the dining room, kitchen, and butler’s pantry, they felt it needed a different purpose and a new, inviting look. The students kept with the home’s French theme, but stayed away from a classic look and instead combined painting, sculpture, and wine for an unexpected touch of art.

“The Montgomery College interior design students continue to amaze me each year with their energy, creativity and dedication to the NSO Decorators’ Show House,” said Jill Irey, Montgomery College professor and the interior design team’s faculty advisor. “They complete these projects as a team of future designers, with no funding but with a great deal of ingenuity in design and problem solving.”

Nine students worked on the NSO Decorators’ Show House design this year, contributing time, talents, and creativity – Amy Pasek, interior design team chair and Montgomery Village resident; Elysa Stahl, design co-chair, Bethesda resident, and owner of EMS Design; Lisa Tilley, design co-chair and Potomac resident; Robin Belle, Washington, D.C. resident; Carol Lee Bloom, owner of ADIAN, Design Antics and Silver Spring resident; Rohn Brown, Potomac resident; Ping Lin, Gaithersburg, Maryland resident; Narges Mohammadi, Potomac resident; and Ieva Sidaraite, Potomac resident.

This year’s Show House is especially poignant for all the students on the interior design team and at Montgomery College because Professor Bhramara Heid, who had overseen the College’s interior design program and the student design team for several years, passed away on July 30, 2004. She died the night before the first official team meeting at this year’s Show House. The students decided to dedicate their work in remembrance of Professor Heid. A sign honoring Professor Heid will be displayed on a table inside the room. In addition, a special page of this year’s NSO Deorators’ Show House program honors Professor Heid.

The focal point of the wine room is the mural on the back wall, which can be seen from the hallway. The painting features a vineyard scene with a partial image of the Show House, Château Peyrenc de Moras. A wrought iron “window” frames the mural, giving the illusion that one is looking outside. Draped solid-colored fabrics in colors of gold and blue-gray surround the “window.” An upholstered barstool, wine table, a Bacchus sculpture and suspended wire wine holders complete the focal wall. The room’s remaining walls are covered in a colorful Matisse-inspired fabric. The floor has been changed to blue-green tiles inspired by the color of water.

“We wanted a whimsical place where visitors would enjoy decanting a favorite Bordeaux while savoring the rich fruit of the artists,” said Amy Pasek, Montgomery College student and chairperson of the interior design team. “We hope that one taste of French wine in this space will have visitors saying ‘Ooh là là, le Vin!’”

The room’s mural was donated and painted by Cathy Rinn, who specializes in murals, mural glazing, faux finishes, and painted furniture. The focal wall fabric was donated by Lillian Interior Company. The Bacchus sculpture was donated by DEO Designs. The Matisse-inspired fabric was donated by ADIAN, Design Antics by Carol Lee Bloom. Other room donations came from: ADIAN, Design Antics by Carol Lee Bloom; Paul Friedman Plumbing (Andrew Simpson); and Schencks Hardware. Jeweled embellishments were contributed by Belle Chaleur. Copper sculptures were created by Drew Pasek.

For more information about the NSO Decorators’ Show House, contact 202-416-8149 or log on to: http://www.kennedy-center.org/nso/support/auxiliary/showhouse/. For more information on Montgomery College’s interior design program, contact Professor Pamela Gragg, program coordinator, at 301-251-7597.