California Chic meets Capitol Style

The May 2009 issue of Elle Decor features the beautiful home of actress Alexandra Wentworth and her news-anchor husband, George Stephanopolous. Wentworth recounts the various interior design incarnations she has lived with in her homes over the years. "I have moved six times. Each relocation has resulted in a complete reinvention of my surroundings, from neutral linens and bohemian block prints in Los Angeles to nailhead furniture and bold colors like eggplant in Manhattan." A few years ago, the family finally settled in the Georgetown section of Washington, D.C., where most homes are extremely traditional. Picture "paintings of fox hunts amid an explosion of chintz". Wentworth decided she wanted something completely different and called on San Francisco-based interior designer and longtime friend, Elizabeth Martin to help design her home. The result is a home that is at once beautiful and graceful as well as cozy and inviting.

Martin began by selecting the colors which would be used int their "Georgian Revival", the first of which was fuchsia, an homage to the couple's young daughters, Elliott and Harper.

Wentworth has collected seashells and coral since childhood and knew that she wanted to incorporate them into the new house. Upon moving to Washington, her collection doubled in size when she inherited specimens left to Harvard University by her grandmother "who explored the Far East in the 1920s for the National Geographic Society." Martin decided to paint the walls a gorgeous greyhound color with lavender undertones (it's much prettier than these scanned images would have you believe) and they turned a wall of the living room into "a museum of natural history".

The living room features chairs by Baker and fuchsia John Derian Moroccan-style poufs. The silk gunmetal-colored curtains are by the Silk Trading Co. The foyer features a Lucian Freud drawing, a chandelier by Ironies, and a table by Gregorius Pineo. The walls feature grass-cloth wallcovering by Donghia.

The massive family room was divided into more manageable areas. This area features sofas and a wool rug from ABC Carpet & Home. The pillows are Ankasa. The deep chocolate color walls have inspired the family to call it "The Godiva Room".

The dining room is anything but "typical Georgetown". Remember, the hunting images and chintz? Instead, RJones chairs are paired with an antique dining table from Liza Sherman Antiques. The focal point of the room is a tangerine African featherdress, which actually plays into the home's coral theme quite well. The zebra-skin rug adds another bold element. The second half of the family room features Lee Industries chairs upholstered in Brunschwig & Fils fabric and an ottoman from ABC Carpet & Home. I'm not sure if you can tell in this small image, but the interior part of the bookshelves is painted in the perfect shade of orange, creating a rich color combination.

The office is dressed in "Winter Solstice" paint (an icy greyish-blue hue) by Benjamin Moore. The mirror was purchased at the Brimfield Antiques Fair and both chairs are vintage. I'm all for letting things show their age to an extent in order to add character, but do you think they've taken it a bit too far with the club chair? It's falling apart!

The foyer features a faux-python console table purchased on eBay. The powder room features wallpaper by LuLu DK.

The master bedroom features lush, pecan-colored carpet and a café au lait color scheme. The leopard spot curtains are made of Nancy Corzine fabric and the armchair is upholstered in a fabric from Raoul Textiles.

All images via Elle Decor.