Top Area Designers Cite eBay as a Source for the Annual DC Design House

By Meredith Barnett
May 3, 2011

For Washington, DC area design fans, one of the highlights of the year is the DC Design House. An annual attraction now in its fourth year, the show house event features the work of the area's top interior design talents, who are tasked to transform a room or space in only 30 days. This year, the chosen residence is a 1925 English Country Tudor house at 3134 Ellicott Street in NW, a home whose original owner was George N. Everett, an owner of the beloved-but-now-shuttered Woodward & Lothrop Department Stores. Ticket sales from the event benefit the Children's National Medical Center, as do a portion of the proceeds from a variety of boutiques that have been set up throughout the space. The DC Design House will remain open through May 8.

Though the DC Design House intrigues us, our interest was piqued when we heard that six of the 20 interior designers who set about to re-imagine this grand traditional home had used eBay online auctions in their creative processes.

Who: Jim Rill, along with architects Linda Gallegos and Richard Rossi of Rill Architects

What: front portico

eBay Search Terms: wood mailbox, decorative tin, decorative glass jar

Jim Rill

Rill Architects restored the original Tudor style of the exterior front portico of the DC Design House. For the glass table in the interior alcove, they searched eBay for decorative pieces, including a weathered wood mailbox and glass jars.

"Besides restoring the Tudor style of the exterior front portico of this year’s DC Design House by making color, trim and lighting adjustments, we were also tasked with finding a replacement for the outdated mailbox. To do this, we started by looking on eBay for ideas and inspiration.

"We knew we wanted an unconventional solution and eBay’s vast selection of weathered wood boxes and tins caught our eye. We also knew we wanted reflective accent pieces atop the glass table we added on one side of the portico. A few jars in varying heights as well as colored glass jars placed on the opposite side next to the Brown Jordan settee were the ideal accompaniments to the entry space.

Who: Nadia Subaran of Aidan Design

What: pool kitchen

eBay Search Terms: kitchen jars, vintage cookbook

Nadia Subaran

For the pool kitchen, Nadia Subaran replaced solid pine wall with a built-in wall cabinet with glass doors. She turned to eBay online auctions to search for items to place on the shelves, from cookbooks to glass jars.

"I added a new built-in wall cabinet with glass doors to replace the solid pine wall cabinet so the items inside would be visible. I selected items that inspire me, and many of them can be found on eBay.

"This cabinet holds a 12-piece place setting of Vietri dinnerware. I also included 40 cookbooks from my husband's collection along the bottom. Ever since he’s been collecting cookbooks, we turn to eBay for replacements if needed and also for ones that our moms used. I looked to eBay for inspiration for the glass jars on the counter and along the two steel shelves mounted on the painted brick wall."

Who: Lauren Liess of Lauren Liess Interiors

What: hideaway

eBay Search Terms: antique decor, Lily of the Vallet teapot

Lauren Liess

A built-in daybed makes this hideaway in the DC Design House both comfortable and functional. Designer Lauren Liess says this Lily of the Valley teapot, which her husband bought her from eBay online auctions, adds the little something "off" the space needs.

"I knew I wanted to incorporate my favorite color, green, as well as make the space a hideaway with a built-in daybed in the bank of windows. These windows overlook a garden redesigned by our team of landscape architects and what better way to accessorize my space than with the little Lily of the Valley teapot that my husband bought me on eBay?

"I go to eBay to look for interesting vintage and antique accessories to add to my rooms. It's a great source for finding that little 'something off' that I think makes rooms feel livable and real."

Cindy McClure Who: Cindy McClure of Grossmueller’s Design Consultants Inc.

What: hall bathroom

eBay Search Terms: antique silver tray, antique silver cup, antique egg basket, silver toothbrush, antique mirror

Cindy McClure

For the hall bathroom, Cindy McClure turned to eBay for a variety of accessories, from the antique egg basket that serves as a towel holder to the antique silver tray and cup.

"In transforming the hall bathroom of the DC Design House, or what we call the Cerulean Sanctuary, we purchased the antique egg basket that currently holds the extra towels [on eBay] as well as the antique silver tray and cup. We looked for an antique silver toothbrush on eBay and found it, but the bidding exceeded our budget. We also purchased an antique mirror that became the frame for the before picture of the bath."

Who: Matthew Moore of John Matthew Moore Fine Art & Home

What: art gallery in the main kitchen, part of the DC Design House Boutiques

eBay Search Terms: burlap, red wool mohair donghia, upholstery, mid-century antiques

Matthew Moore

To transform the main kitchen of the DC Design House into an art gallery, Matthew Moore bought fabric from eBay, including burlap to skirt the lower cabinets and a red wool mohair from Donghia to wrap a board to cover the stovetop.

"I purchased burlap from eBay to skirt the lower cabinets when transforming the main kitchen into my art gallery for the DC Design House. Also, I used a fabulous red wool mohair from Donghia that I purchased on eBay to wrap a board to cover the stovetop in this space. eBay is one of my first stops in searching for specific items for my work as an artist and gallery owner. I've purchased everything from designer fabrics to vintage and period antiques and lighting to supplies for my gallery."

Who: Rick Singleton

What: Singleton created the ceiling light for Matthew Moore’s art gallery and the floor lamp for Lauren Liess’ hideaway.

eBay Search Terms: reclaimed, vintage lighting, sand cast brass balls

Rick Singleton

Lighting by Rick Singleton in Matthew Moore's art gallery and Lauren Liess' hideaway.

"I bought a pair of sand cast brass balls on eBay for the floor lamp used by Lauren Liess in her hideaway bedroom. I had recently acquired a pair of sand cast brass balls from an estate sale and knew I would use them in my work. When Lauren contacted me about doing a floor lamp for her room, I knew I wanted to use them in the design. The design, however, required four, so I started looking for them. The original cast balls came off of vintage andirons so I searched eBay and found exact matches.

"My work is mostly from found objects and reclaimed materials. The challenge becomes finding multiples of things, especially when I am doing commercial spaces where I may be building 10 fixtures that are alike. eBay has been a great resource for that."