blogging with Penno Interiors: Design Library: New WDC Design Center!

For those that are not aware the Washington DC design community has a love/hate relationship with our WDC Design Center. Currently located next to the Federal Center SW metro station the Design Center is the mecca for our area's interior designers with seven floors of fabric and furniture showrooms sold "to the trade". That's the love part. What's the hate? The D & 3rd Street area is not very exciting. Surrounded by government offices, the building is older than old with no windows (ok maybe 5) no places to grab a bite to eat after you've spent your $14 on parking. Did I mention it's uuuuugly? Least to say I am excited to pick up and move to the hustle and bustle of 14th & K. That's more like it - right?

On Wednesday the showrooms who are making the move (more on that later) hosted an open house at the new location for a tour of what's to come. With floor plans in hand and on easels for easy viewing, we mingled and got the inside scoop on what each showroom was doing to prepare for their move in the Spring...or Summer...depending on who you talk to.

The shared atrium is filled with natural light - a huge change to the current conditions on D Street. Natural light? What's that?

Although most of the showrooms we are already familiar and acquainted with from the current location, I am excited for two new showrooms to join the DC community. Madeline Mitchell who we know from her years at other showrooms in the Design Center, is now the Design Director at the newest location of Doris Leslie Blau . Romo fabrics who has a entire family of fabric lines, will also make their debut.

Here I am with Madeline, displaying beautiful rugs from DLB.

The new Design Center is going from 7 to 3 floors of showrooms. Some of the best are sticking together but unfortunately others have decided to move on to other locations in the DC area. One of the floors was open for us to walk around and use our designer's skills of imagination while in bare bones.