As we approach the end of 2024, now is the time to start planning your home transformation for the new year. If you have a large renovation project or decorating project, we would love to hear from you and are dedicated to bringing your vision to life with our bespoke interior design services. From initial consultation to final reveal, we ensure your experience is enjoyable. 

Whether you’re looking to add a touch of autumnal charm to your decor or refresh your living spaces, there are a few items that can instantly bring the season indoors. Think plush throw blankets, rich-hued cushions, or a beautiful centerpiece. We’ve curated a list of our fall must-haves to help inspire your seasonal joy at home. 

Every client comes to us with expectations. Some crave a little more space, while others want to completely transform their homes. Some have Pinterest boards and spend hours browsing Instagram, while others prepare wishlists and budgets. I’m sharing two client case studies so you can see the spark that ignites our work.

Quite often on Patina’s design visits, we encounter homes with a great amount of space, but the clients share they feel they are lacking storage. As we familiarize ourselves with the home, we notice doors and drawers full of stuff (aka junk!). Not every room in your house needs to have junk drawers or closets. We recommend organizing your home first before moving on to design support.

My friend Michele of Meant To Be Calligraphy and I have been sitting on a big secret for over a year.  Last year about this time – actually, it was the day of Doggie Trick or Treat! – we closed Penny Post for the day and Michele taught a private brush lettering class for Love Is Blind’s (now favorite) couple, Taylor and Garrett. You can see it all unfold in Episode 10 (around the 21 min. mark) of this season!

Normally, I use this space to talk about Art, but today I’m excited to introduce you to our framing studios and my business partner, fellow rock band member, and talented artist, Jeff Erickson. Together, we own Erickson & Ripper Framing and Del Ray Picture Framing. We also have some exciting news to share!

Tricycles and bicycles are a staple on most holiday wish lists, so we wanted to make sure you got yours well in advance. This weekend, we are having a Banwood trunk show. We will have examples of everything they have and all the colors they offer so you can see them in person. They will be here well in advance of the holidays so you can delight your little people this season!

For many of us, autumn is a time of transition, and that shift can bring even the most composed home into a time of chaos! Here are some tips to help you ease into the transition.

Welcome to this rare, semi-detached townhome that defines luxury and convenience in historic Alexandria. Spanning four sun-filled levels, this spacious property is among the largest townhomes in the area, featuring the ultimate in modern living with elevator access to every floor.

Patina is delighted to share that we now carry Trudon. The company became known for their highly regarded candles, providing candles for well-known cathedrals and churches throughout Paris, boasting both long-lasting burn time, and flames which didn’t smoke. Since 1737, Trudon has been the largest and most respected wax manufacture in France and their know-how has evolved through the years, always keeping its strong historic traditions and values.

Last fall, I was commissioned to create a large landscape for a client’s home on the Eastern Shore, inspired by a small 18” x 18” study I had completed the year before. I was beyond excited. Not only was this client someone I’ve known for many years, but the study had always lingered in the back of my mind, almost whispering that it was destined for something greater.

The closest to reality TV I get is The Great British Bake Show. I love me some Pru and Paul. The Britts are just so nice to each other when competing. We can use more of that, don’t you think?!  Love is Blind is not something I would normally gravitate to, but since they are in D.C., we thought — what the hell let’s have some fun with it and play BINGO!

Do you know what excites me about fall and October? Apart from celebrating my parents’ birthdays, football, crunchy leaves and golden hues, it is the perfect balance of ‘cooler weather, I can still do things outside without fear of getting the Zika or ‘humidity exhaustion’ (I bet that’s a thing) - AND it is permission to do none of that and stay inside with a warm cup of cider or ‘a nice calming indoor activity’.

Window treatments can do so much more than just provide privacy. In bustling spaces like kitchens or rooms filled with hard surfaces—think cabinetry, tile, and stone—softening the space is key to enhancing comfort. The absence of upholstered items and rugs can make these areas feel stark and noisy. In one of our recent projects in Villamay, we transformed a cozy kitchen nook with a custom flat Roman shade crafted from a stunning artisan textile.

I tend to be a strictly no kitsch girl when it comes to holidays, with the exception of Halloween.  Halloween is the holiday where I break out all of the skeletons, giant spiders, and tombstones. My love of Halloween décor doesn’t stop at home, and each year our collection of spooky floral décor grows at Helen Olivia. Here’s what’s new and frightfully exciting for the season ahead:

When it comes to modernizing a traditional home, it often requires a delicate balance between preserving its original charm and incorporating contemporary elements. This 1940s home in Beverley Hills, Alexandria, underwent a remarkable transformation thanks to the collaborative efforts of Convene Architecture and Marks-Woods.

At our upcoming Patina Tag Sale, we will present everyone in line with a marking system for the items they wish to purchase. We recommend that everyone bring their own packing material, bags, bubble wrap, etc. This will be a credit card/check event only, no cash. This is a one-day sale. All the final details will be shared on Friday, September 27, the day before the sale.

I LOVE October. It’s the perfect temperature, I can wear sweatshirts with sandals, mellow creme pumpkins hit the candy shelves, the leaves are peak color, and Halloween. Those are all good reasons to love the month, am I right?! I’ve never been one to dress up for Halloween as an adult, but I revel in the joy it brings to children.

At Boxwood, I adore this time of year, September kicks off fall and holiday season planning. We conquered our summer entertaining with vibrant shades of pink, blue and yellow, with picnic baskets and acrylic champagne glasses and beautiful linen napkins. Now we welcome with open arms – the oranges, reds and browns.

I recently had the pleasure of completing two charcoal portraits and displaying them in my studio window. It was such a joy to overhear passersby exclaim, “Oh, I know who they are!” as they recognized the subjects. Children, in particular, are the ultimate judges of how well you’ve captured someone’s likeness—always brutally honest and refreshingly direct.