darryl carter ~ vision and patience

He loves old doors, shutters, bricks, and stones…in his capable hands, these found objects, with a past and a story, become art…to re-invent a humble throw away as sculpture is as comfortable for him as breathing in and out…the visionary? The one and only Darryl Carter…he pushes the boundaries of design in ways that wake up the senses and inspire new thinking…it seems fitting then that he would look to a crumbling building in the Shaw neighborhood of Northwest Washington DC to further his vision…it is the site for his new store and studio…a forlorn 19th century structure with missing windows and no working plumbing would scare most people away but for Darryl, it embodied the magic he was looking for…he encouraged the crew to, “do the opposite of what everyone else is doing…leave the nails in the boards!” The interior is being restored with a collection of salvaged materials, including granite blocks from Baltimore’s Druid Hill and arched glass doors from Georgetown’s Dumbarton House…the flooring is being milled from reclaimed timbers from the former embassy of the Central African Republic…slated for completion this fall, the shop will sell antiques, curiosities and accessories as well as furniture designed by Darryl himself…he envisions “a neighborhood gathering place” where customers can sip a latte from the espresso bar while shopping for unique finds…how wonderful! He’s giving this building new life, and to think, he’s using found objects to do it! I’ll keep you posted with the progress and if all goes as planned, I’ll be heading down to photograph the grand opening of this extraordinary re-birth in person!

above ~ Darryl Carter’s living room (notice the glorious wooden shutters)

below ~ a work in progress

top photo from Darryl Carter, all other photos from The Washington Post

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