February 26, 2006|By MARIE GULLARD | MARIE GULLARD,SPECIAL TO THE SUN
Were it not for the distinctive smell of the home's new addition -- fresh paint, vinyl windows, even recently purchased furniture -- the bright pentagonal-shaped sunroom of Saro Dedeyan's and Kimmith Jones' villa in Homeland would fool the visitor into believing it part of the original 1928 structure, right down to the mullioned windows and coffered ceiling. This observation pleases the men, who moved in three years ago with the deepest respect for the house's original design.
"We spend a lot of time in this room," Dedeyan noted. "It was important to integrate the new [section] with the old so it would look part of the house."
The house, designed by Baltimore architects Edward L. Palmer and William D. Lamdin, is villa-like, almost miniature French country chateau. During the late 1920s and early '30s, Palmer and Lamdin designed, among other things, houses in Homeland and Guilford, Sherwood House in Cromwell Valley Park and St. Casimir's Catholic Church in Canton.
Typical of this particular French eclectic style in Homeland is the use of a variegated slate roof, Butler stone on the exterior, and wrought iron embellishments over mullioned windows.
Distinctive features inside include metal door latches instead of knobs, arches and angled door frames, built-in cabinets in tiny nooks, and cobblestone flooring juxtaposed with thin wood planking. The circular flow of the home's two stories is made even more interesting with multiple levels: two or three steps up and down from room to room.
Dedeyan and Jones paid $510,000 for their 3,500-square-foot chateau, which was featured in the Palmer and Lamdin 1928 publication, The Houses of Homeland. The previous owner, much to their relief, renovated the kitchen and repaired the plumbing and roof. Still, the men invested $140,000 on upgrades of their own, including the sunroom, lighting, a basement office, outdoor landscaping and a large stone backyard patio.
Great fans of rich color and multiple textures of fabric, Dedeyan and Jones have carefully chosen textiles, furnishings and accent pieces that please the eye while enhancing the home's design.
In the dining room, brick-red walls contrast with white molding and white Venetian blinds hanging on deep-set windows. Dining-room chairs with slippered upholstery in a worn-tapestry look of olive and taupe sidle up to a round mahogany table. Its four claw feet sit atop an Oriental rug in shades of dark red and blue. This delightful layering of textures complements an oil painting of a vase of orange and purple tulips against a gold backdrop.
A keen eye for intricate patterns can be seen in a sea grass rug, woven in herringbone design and custom fit for an L-shaped living room. Custom and unique as well are the ceramic tiles on the kitchen floor, which have been meticulously laid on a sharp angle.
In the home's great room on the second level, thick wooded beams support an 18-foot, cathedral ceiling from which hangs a large, circular chandelier. Here, wood, tile and stucco walls contrast with the soft tapestry of an occasional chair and the plush plumpness of a club sofa and loveseat upholstered in damask.
Dedeyan and Jones feel they have remained faithful to the designers' master plan throughout their villa.
"The house," said Dedeyan, "is an architectural gem."
EVENTS CALENDAR
TODAY
LUXURY HOME SHOW
More than 150 home-design exhibits with fine furnishings, new kitchens, stylish architecture and more, on view at the Howard Live Luxury Home Show, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today at Turf Valley Resort, 2700 Turf Valley Road, Ellicott City. Benefits the Maryland Alliance of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. $12. 443-512-0265 or howardlivehomeshow.com.
ART SHOW
The exhibit Introspection: Pottery-Drawings-Prints ends its run at the Resurgam Gallery, 910 S. Charles St., today. The exhibit features works by Ebby Malmgren, Rick Malmgren and Ken Warwick. Hours are noon to 3 p.m. today. 410-962-0513.
TOMORROW THROUGH WEDNESDAY
SEAT-WEAVING CLASS Learn to make woven seats from splint oak at a three-session class, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. tomorrow, Tuesday and Wednesday at the Carroll County Farm Museum, 500 S. Center St., Westminster. Cost $60. 410-386-3880 to register.
THROUGH MONDAY
PRINT SALE
Purchase posters and prints, including A. Aubrey Bodine's historic photos, Pride of Baltimore II posters by Bill McAllen, Fells Point watercolors by Martha Dougherty and more, at 20 percent off, at a print sale running through February at the Fells Point Maritime Museum, 1724 Thames St. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays through Mondays. 410-732-0278.
FRIDAY
PRUNING LECTURE
Learn pruning techniques from U.S. Botanic Garden's Shaun Abell, 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday at the conservatory's classroom, 100 Maryland Ave. S.W., Washington. Registration required. Free. 202-225-8333 or 202-226-4082.
FRIDAY-MARCH 5, AND MARCH 10-12
HOME AND CRAFT SHOW
