Elle Decor May 2008 Editor's Page

The idea of spring-cleaning is magical to me. Since I’m by nature a tosser, not a hoarder, this season never fails to inspire a whirlwind purge of overpacked closets, musty magazines, and stacks of books that have managed to accumulate over the winter. I know I sleep better when my home is shipshape—who doesn’t?

There is something so deeply appealing about fresh, uncluttered rooms. Take, for example, this month’s cover story—the rural Virginia weekend home of Washington, D.C.–based designer Darryl Carter—which strikes the perfect balance between lived-in and luxurious. There’s just enough of what you need and nothing more in this rambling 1840s farmhouse, where the snow-white interiors are furnished with a seriously chic selection of antique and vintage pieces paired with sofas and chairs covered in humble, low-key linen and leather. I’m crazy for the breakfast room, which has an overscale rustic farm table and open shelves stacked with porcelain tableware within easy reach. Darryl also created bedrooms and baths that are somehow spare and sensual at the same time.

This is an honest, straightforward, pragmatic house. And though its color palette is quiet and the rooms unabashedly restrained, the feeling throughout is still surprisingly soulful. Even if you prefer a decorating style with more colors, patterns, and objects, there’s something to be said for editing out the superfluous in our lives and settling on what truly matters. So please excuse me; I’ve still got some cleaning to do.

Margaret Russell, Editor in Chief
elledecor@hfmus.com

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