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Text by Betsy Mcdonald Moore •
Styling by Kathy Curotto •
Photography by Gordon Beall
When Ben and Deb Waterman Johns decided to leave their “vertical living”
lifestyle for more space, they were drawn to a mid-1800s, Federal-style
structure on two acres. “It was so dilapidated—the previous tenants had been a
bunch of single guys, right out of college,” Deb recalls. “And the house’s old
age and Georgetown location meant that we had to deal with historic and national
easements.”
But the Johnses weren’t intimidated. “The place had great bones
and integrity of design,” Deb says. Even better, it had 13 rooms spread over
5,700 square feet—enough space to raise their four children and showcase their
creative spirit. “We’re an imaginative family, less conservative about color and
design than most of Washington, D.C.,” explains Deb, a former assistant editor
at Vogue. “We wanted our home to reflect who we are. We believe in combining
function with a little bit of irreverence and whimsy.”
“We’d rather have kid art on the walls than
anything else.” (a) Floral
barkcloth and leopard-print fabric brighten the living
room’s vintage
bamboo furniture. The Steinway baby grand is a family
heirloom. (b) Collectibles from Mexico.
“Buy what speaks to you.” (c) The secretary, by famed Milanese designer
Piero Fornasetti, has an architectural motif. “The outside resembles the
exterior of a building, and when you open the doors, the inside is decorated to
look like the building’s interior.” The wrought-iron chair was originally white
with an orange Naugahyde seat.
(d) Candlesticks with chandelier
treatments from India via Selfridges in London. (e) In the living room, Deb
and Ben mix old with new and salvaged furniture with good pieces. (f) Daughter
Gussie’s self-portrait (circa third grade) eyes a flea-market étagère
embellished by craftsman Paul Erlenborn. “He painted it with black lacquer and
inscribed important family dates, like birthdays and weddings, in gold leaf. By
reinventing and personalizing old castoffs, we create instant heirlooms for our
kids.” (g) A contemporary cabinet hosts books and an array of fabulous finds from Deb’s
buying trips. Black-and-white portraits capture the smiles of the four Johns
children.
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