“Choices are overwhelming for me,” said Darnell Parr, 41. So when the busy mother of three moved to her Laytonsville home 13 years ago she was afraid to decorate. “I didn’t know where to begin or how to put it all together.”
A three-level, nearly 5,000-square-foot house with soaring common areas inside and extensive outside entertainment spaces, which include a patio, a grassy expanse, an in-ground pool and soaring evergreens, can give pause to even the most experienced decorator.
Though her husband — popular syndicated Washington, D.C., radio personality Russ Parr — is the other adult in the house, Darnell knew better than to involve him in the design process. Russ owns up to a design sensibility that favors the Jetsons.
“If everything were space age with clean lines, that’s for me. I care about the basement,” he said.
For real design help, Darnell relies on designer Dennese Rojas, who from the beginning helped her learn how to discover what she liked. Darnell immersed herself in a few tried-and-true first-step style exercises that included perusing lots of home magazines, cutting out images that resonated and visiting retail stores. “I got used to seeing what was out there,” Darnell said. “And it worked.”
After a while Darnell noticed a pattern and realized she was drawn to the rustic looks and earthy tones of the Spanish style that is reflected in her choices of vases, bowls and art pieces and wall color that dominate the home. She is fond of crosses both as a wearable art accessory and as floor and table-top sculptures found throughout.
Her selection of accessories also reveals a penchant for pendants that include stylish lighting fixtures and an unusual fan that drops down in the high-ceiling entryway.
For art, family photos dominate in creative frames on the walls and accent tables. One standout group is the exquisitely styled trio of booties and infant outfits worn by each of her children, who are now 15, 14 and 11 years of age.
While Darnell admits that making choices still remains a challenge, she is now confident about what she likes.
