Conversations with designer Barbara Crocker are peppered with almost audible exclamation points as she focuses on her favorite things: creating inviting spaces, bountiful cooking, stylish entertaining, and Georgetown University. As a graduate of the school, a parent of three alums, and a university board member, Crocker commuted from Florida for years to participate in Georgetown’s activities. In 2005, however, she moved to D.C. permanently and began renovating a small house located in the town’s West Village for herself and student-daughter Sarah.
“Owning this little house reinforced my love affair with historic Georgetown,” says Crocker. She was drawn to the 1798 two-bedroom structure for its original wide-plank wood floors and deep garden. Finding it, though, was serendipitous, since the designer wasn’t in the market for a house. “A realtor-friend showed me the home even though I wasn’t looking. I had thought I would eventually make the move and look for a one-floor apartment with a parking garage and concierge service. This is the exact opposite: a four-story, 19th-century house with lots of steps and no parking. I loved it so much that I made an offer on a cocktail napkin two days later.”
The white-painted brick-and-frame townhouse, situated in a row of four identical buildings on Wisconsin Avenue’s east side, emphasizes the architectural integrity synonymous with Georgetown. Outside, a large bay window dominates the façade. Four iron steps and a railing continue the vernacular up to the high-gloss-black front door, illuminated by an old-style lantern.
Inside, Crocker refined spaces to create a personalized backdrop for her ebullient lifestyle. Airy rooms welcome her three Manhattan-resident children and a coterie of friends. From top to bottom, the designer unleashed her imagination, maximizing the impact of light and ensuring coziness with comfy seating and luscious bedrooms. Amazingly, Crocker’s dream house was move-in ready in two months.
“I do things very quickly,” says the designer. “I also think houses should reflect their owners, so I guide clients to realize personal goals, as well as out-of-the-box possibilities. Then I try to insinuate something personal with a fun family connection. My own example is my grandfather’s bronze bull, which I loved as a child. Now it lives in my hall and is hung with my sunglasses collection. It illustrates that there are lots of creative ways to display things.”
Throughout the house, a serene Swedish influence of grays and pale blues prevails, enlivened with punches of color. “I’m not one for the stark-white minimalist look,” says Crocker. Talented decorative painter Lenore Winters artfully added the notion of age to matching armoires, while Crocker’ s collection of antiques coexists happily with new pieces. “I love the Gustavian influence because it’s so soothing,” she says. “You can mix soft shades with coral or red items—including Asian pieces—to create an effective pop.”
Lofty ceilings in the master bath and kitchen illustrate the designer’s penchant for adding surprises, such as silver wallpaper or grass cloth, above a room. “Ceilings offer an opportunity to put whimsy up high where it’s not expected,” she says.
When Crocker entertains at home, she keeps it interesting by varying venues seasonally. Cozy winter dinners are enjoyed before a crackling fire in the dining room on her favorite Swedish oval table. Here, the tableau often includes Simon Pearce glassware mixed with her grandmother’s vintage wine goblets from Russia. In milder weather, casual parties segue into the garden, which becomes a coveted extra room.
“It’s a great house in the best location,” Crocker says. “I frequent Georgetown’s galleries, boutiques, and restaurants, and I love to walk and run on the C&O Canal towpath. I take advantage of everything this amazing microcosm has to offer.” For Crocker, this house within Georgetown’s unique villagelike atmosphere has evolved into the centerpiece of her busy life.
