A painstaking interior renovation combines with whole-house automation and a/v systems to redefine an 1853 Georgetown brownstone for the 21st century.

Lured by the urban lifestyle of Georgetown, a married couple fell in love with this majestic home in the heart of Washington, D.C.’s historic district. The stately 1853 brick-row house offered three floors of living space that, while nicely proportioned, were slightly outmoded. The owners decided to transform the 10,000-square-foot residence with an extensive interior renovation to change it from dated to dynamic.

The homeowners of this 6,000-sq ft Pacific Northwest home collaborate with a design team to create an inviting, low-key technologically advanced environment that takes its cues from the great outdoors.

Sited at 1,200 feet on a sprawling hilltop property with direct views of Mount Hood, this majestic Craftsman-style home can easily be mistaken for a romantic vacation retreat in some rural forested area. Residing in the metro Portland area, the home serves as the primary residence for an active family of five.

A complete interior update of an Old-World estate satisfies the owners’ request for fresh, cutting-edge design and a choice of entertainment venues.

What is a sleek, contemporary interior design doing within a 1920s English manor home?

According to its owners, it’s doing very well, thank you. While the exterior of this home presents a stately and elegant first impression, the interiors have transformed this venerable estate home into the ultimate modern residence with 21st-century cool decor that’s fully compatible with the family’s active lifestyle.

Home theater impresario Jeffrey Smith collaborates with his artistic daughter in creating a romantic, rustic “sky lodge” theme for her downtown Denver loft.

Growing up in the bluegrass countryside of Kentucky, Ashley Harper Smith became obsessed with nature. “I was never happier than when I was in the woods, horseback riding with my sister,” she recalls.

With her busy schedule, she yearns for those idyllic days. “I’ve always had this dream of living in a tree house surrounded by woods and nature and horses,” she says.

With the help of her father, Ashley is living her dream.

Theater design luminary Jeff Smith collaborates with a style-savvy client in creating a glamorous home theater for a South Florida vacation home.

“Build a theater around this,” the wife said to First Impressions Theme Theaters’ founder and theater designer Jeff Smith, as she handed him a sample of animal-print carpeting.

“There was something about it that spoke to me,” she says. “I felt the tiger print motif would impart a sense of drama and elegance.”