Washington is a city about secrets. Everyone has one. Well, we are letting one of them out of the bag – We are the District of Creativity

By Michael Clements

iStrategyLabs' Peter Corbett in Dupont Circle. (Photo by Anchyi Wei)

Washington secrets aren’t just hidden in the delete boxes of Hill staffers. They are right in front of you each day: the artist whose opening you passed while heading to dinner; the interior designer who selected the oh-so- hip light glowing above the table; the cast of the performance you have tickets for tonight; the writer of the review that got you to buy the tickets in the first place; and the event planner who is putting together the party after the show.

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Perspectives on power and music, plus diplomatic comings and goings.

By Gail Scott

Benny Goodman performs for a young audience in Red Square. Moscow, Soviet Union, 1962 (Courtesy of the Irving S. Gilmore Music Library, Benny Goodman Papers, Yale University)

What’s Power on Embassy Row?
To many, power on Embassy Row means getting instant return calls from the White House. Others count the number of Cabinet secretaries and Supreme Court justices they can attract to a dinner. Some count their Sunday morning talk show appearances as badges of power.

But on the fifth anniversary of the American occupation of his country, Iraqi Ambassador Sameer Shaker Sumaidaie wishes he had less “power.”“I don’t see myself as ‘powerful,’ he said recently. “In the old days, when communication was so different, ambassadors wielded the influence of their nation in the host country. The British ambassador in a small country projected the power of the whole empire. Today, communication is much more direct between heads of state.”

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Three years and 20 million dollars later, a fabled residence reopens.

By Gail Scott
Photography Gary Landsman

The turquoise and yellow drawing room is now light and airy with silk and linen calm-yellow sheer drapery that let sunlight flood the room. The light also highlights the exquisite antique Serves vase collection - a main reason why turquoise has become "the new neutral" for the mansion. Note also the Ambassador's antique silver collection crafted by Turkish silversmiths in Istanbul.

These are magical times for Turkish Ambassador Nabi Sensoy and his new wife and longtime friend, Gülgün. A new marriage and a totally refurbished and remodeled residence is ready after more than three years of major architectural restoration and extensive rehabilitation by well-known Washington restoration architect Belinda Reeder and noted embassy interior designer Aniko Gaal Schott.

“We thought we were moving in as early as last August,” said Ambassador Sensoy who, with his new bride, has been living out of packing boxes for some weeks. “But this work of great architectural beauty, one of the historic landmarks of Embassy Row,” jumped in petite Gülgün, “is also a very precious residence now, really a work of art … it’s a great responsibility for us to make use of this historic property in the best way possible for Turkey.”

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