Photo by Clay Blackmore

Bonnie McElveen-Hunter and her sister Tweed transform a Georgetown house into an elegant stage for bipartisan networking

By Deborah K. Dietsch

Photography by Clay Blackmore

The red door swings open and Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, chairwoman of the American Red Cross, graciously offers a tour of her house on O Street NW in Georgeown. “How many houses have a foyer big enough for an entire party?” McElveen-Hunter asks rhetorically, standing under the chandelier in the airy entrance hall. “This is where everybody congregates because they can see all the rooms from here.”

Since purchasing the 1927 home four years ago from man-about-town Robert Corby, she has turned it into an elegant setting for entertaining Washingtonians of nearly every stripe – philanthropists, business leaders, Bush loyalists, and Obama administration newcomers.

“I look at my home as a means of sharing and communicating with other people, whether they are related to politics, the Red Cross or the arts,” she says.

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At home with Chef Geoff and Norah O’Donnell.

By Deborah K. Dietsch
Photography Bob Narod

Nearly every day for seven years, Norah O’Donnell and Geoff Tracy drove past a cheerful yellow cottage in Wesley Heights on their way to work from their tiny Georgetown row house. “We always thought it was such nice house,” Tracy recalls, “It’s well situated next to a park, near a community garden and close to our jobs.”

When the 1932 dwelling was put on the market in 2005, the couple quickly bought it and spent the next six months overhauling its outdated rooms. It is remarkable that they found the time to take on this project given their consuming careers. O’Donnell is MSNBC’s chief Washington correspondent and Tracy is Chef Geoff, the owner of two eponymous restaurants and the recently opened Lia’s in Chevy Chase. This May, a year after moving into their renovated home, the busy couple became parents of twins, Grace and Henry.
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Russian Ambassador Yuri Ushakov and his wife Svetlana continue the Russian tradition of summer escapes and family bonding on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

By Deborah K. Dietsch
Photography Gary Landsman

"A dacha is not just about entertaining," Ushakova says. "It's about uniting people in a very spiritual way, because you are in nature."

Russians cherish the dacha, a word meaning summer house or cottage. During summers and weekends, millions of them leave the stress of congested city life for the solace of a cabin or house in the countryside. “It’s a Russian tradition,” explains Yuri Ushakov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation. “You will find Moscow empty on Saturdays and Sundays, even in winter. A dacha is a good place to spend time outdoors with family and friends.”

Since arriving in Washington eight years ago, the Russian ambassador and his wife Svetlana Ushakova have kept up this tradition on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. They spend nearly every weekend and longer stretches during the summer at the embassy’s three-story brick dacha fronting the Chester River. While the 1920s Georgian-style house doesn’t exactly look Russian, it offers the couple the same pleasures as their dacha outside of Moscow – spending time with their 10-year-old grandson Misha, grilling shashlik (Russian shish kebob), with friends, or relaxing in the bania, Russian for steam room.

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Café Milano meets Forest Hills.

By Deborah K. Dietsch
Photography Jonah Koch

Topped by a slate room, the 1904 stone house is entered from a circular driveway.

Cafe Milano has been called Washington’s version of Rick’s Cafe, the hang-out in the movie Casablanca. The popular Georgetown restaurant, which celebrates its 14th anniversary this month is similarly frequented by politicians, diplomats, celebrities – and the folks who like watching them.

Behind Cafe Milano’s longevity and success is its very own Rick, Italian-born owner Franco Nuschese, who looks more like Napoleon Bonaparte than Humphrey Bogart. Nuschese’s welcoming charm, applied equally to celebrities and less famous guests alike, is part of what keeps people coming back to the crowded eatery night after night.
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In Adams-Morgan, lawyer Julian Epstein makes the case for loft-style living.

By Deborah K. Dietsch
Photography Gary Landsman

Julian Epstein relaxes on a modern chaise longue in the open living space of his PN Hoffman-built loft.

Sprawled on a white chaise in his Adams-Morgan loft, lawyer Julian Epstein makes his case for the simple life. “I’m not a collector. I don’t want a lot of stuff,” he says. “I can’t stand clutter.”

Almost monastic in its minimalism, his bachelor pad is furnished with clean-lined sofas, cubic ottomans and glass and chrome coffee table, all arranged in straight lines on bare bamboo floors. Overhead, the concrete ceiling is left exposed and the floor-to-ceiling windows are unshielded by curtains.
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Human Genome Doctor William Haseltine opens his Georgetown Doors.

By Deborah Dietsch

Even Dr. Haseltine's poolside reflects his eclectic taste.

Scientist, inventor, entrepreneur, Dr. William Haseltine hardly seems the type of homeowner who spends time fussing over paint colors and furnishings. But, on a recent tour of his remodeled 1870s Georgetown house, this leader in genetic research makes it clear that he has done all the decorating himself.

“I enjoy it,” Haseltine says, pointing out the subtle blend of pink, golden and cream tones in his high-ceilinged, front parlor. “It’s relaxing for me. I’ve tried to make the home a warm and calming place.”

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