Neha and Anuj Vohra kept it simple when they built their custom home in Falls Church’s Merrill Park in 2018—white walls, white oak floors, black accents. But after a year in the house, they wanted more warmth in the way of soft furnishings and finishes. They called on Cindy Eyl of Jefferson Street Designs to redo their primary bedroom and dining room.
An existing area rug became the launch point for the dining room, where the millwork felt crisp and clean, but a little cold. “She wanted a bit of a bohemian feel and he wanted a chair with a pattern on it,” says the Arlington designer.
“They had three little kids at the time, so a practical solution was to put wood chairs on the sides and upholstered chairs on either end of the dining table”—specifically, a live-edge walnut table made in Pennsylvania to fit the room’s dimensions.
“We have a lot of big dinner parties, and we wanted a table that could seat 10 people,” Neha explains. “We couldn’t find what we wanted in retail, so we went custom.”
The indigo pattern on the upholstered end chairs (Lee Jofa’s “Indian Zag”) references the owners’ Indian heritage. A light fixture by Detroit-based Regina Andrew is a nod to Neha’s home state and the couple’s alma mater (both are University of Michigan alumni). “We wanted something modern and not too chandelier-y,” Neha says. “We loved that the company is based in Michigan and is African American owned.”
The cream walls are an easy-to-clean vinyl grass cloth, while the recessed tray ceiling finds texture in a sumptuous woven raffia. Floor-to-ceiling drapes frame the oversize windows.
The project was 99% done in 2019, but one wall sat empty until the right piece of art came along. Eyl was poking around Verdigris Vintage in Alexandria (now closed) when she stumbled on the stunning and statement-making West African batik that now completes the room. “I sent my client a picture of it, and she said, ‘Yes, 100%.’”