Inside Homes with Andre Wells

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6IPE\IH )PIKERGI Event designer Andre Wells and wife Robyn create a Gold Coast oasis far from the madding crowd.

BY ANNE KIM-DANNIBALE PHOTOS BY TONY BROWN

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s you walk into the cozy Gold Coast home that event designer Andre Wells shares with his wife Robyn, an attorney, and their 8-year-old son, Christopher, you are struck by how down-to-earth it all is. Decorated in creamy neutrals with pops of vibrant color, it’s a much less formal setting than the extravagantly glamorous Hollywood affairs and society weddings which he plans through Events by Andre Wells, one of Washington’s top special events firms.

When you have spent 11 years designing more than 4,000 gatherings for such high-profile clients as Black Entertainment Television, Walt Disney, Aretha Franklin and President Barack Obama, not to mention racking up airline miles traveling from Washington to Los Angeles and New York, it’s no wonder that the first thing Andre wants to do when he comes home is relax with his family.

When they do entertain, more often than not it’s casual get-togethers centered around the couple’s dining room table — a sentimental piece, purchased shortly after they married in 1997. Rare nights out often end with different groups of friends migrating back to the Wells’ home for late-night pizza and jockeying over who gets to cuddle up on the loveseat in the sunroom — a universally favored spot.

“A formal thing is afternoon brunch, with no real theme,” Robyn says. “Then we’ll sit at the table. Andre takes care of those planning duties at home.”

“I just make it look pretty, she makes it taste good,” Andre says with a smile. “She’s fast. I’m really slow so you don’t want me to cook.”

The couple met in Washington through mutual college friends and bought a house in LeDroit Park soon after they were married. After Christopher was born they realized they needed a more “kid-friendly” space. They came upon the Federal Colonial with a sprawling magnolia tree anchored in front while driving by one afternoon seven years ago. They loved the exterior, but the interior — a

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PREVIOUS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: A bright and sunny foyer with original black and white floor tiles welcomes visitors to the Wells home. Just above the still life, the Wells’ framed wedding stationery reminds guests of the couple’s traditional roots. Andre, Robyn and son Christopher enjoy unwinding in the popular sunroom where many dinner guests have fallen asleep.

Christopher’s room is a riot of basketball paraphernalia.

THIS PAGE, TOP: The living room exudes casual yet elegant style with a mix of old and new furnishings from area shops.

An overall neutral color palette shows off the couple’s African American art collection. The player piano makes entertaining for this events guru easy while neat stacks of art books and magazines in every room provide ready inspiration.

The yellow buffet found at an antique shop in Bethany Beach is multifunctional, adding a visual anchor to the formal dining room and storing Christopher’s many games.

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1980s color scheme of peach and sky blue — had to go.

The worn wall-to-wall carpets were pulled up to reveal impeccable hardwood floors and the walls were painted a more cohesive palette of beige, soft mocha and eggshell, with a touch of glamorous gold rippling through the wall treatment in the dining room. “We didn’t have to do much, just cosmetic stuff,” Andre remembers.

Andre and Robyn took on the task of decorating themselves, using a mix of old and new. Antique store finds and contemporary pieces from local shops like AndBeige and Miss Pixies commingle in harmony like well-behaved guests at an intimate dinner party. A glossy black grand player piano in the corner entertains with Big Band hits, while colorful pieces from Harlem Renaissance artist William H. Johnson and Charles Gibb brighten the space along with the couple’s framed wedding stationery and family photos.

The second floor is a much more grounded affair.

Christopher’s exuberant drawings greet guests at the top of the stairs, setting the stage for his room — a riot of basketball tchotchkes for the budding hoops player. Next door, Andre and Robyn’s master bedroom is a study in understatement, a calm corner in an otherwise bustling household. “It’s important to us to be comfortable,” Andre says as he tidies up. “We also want to be stylish, but not like ‘you can’t touch that.’ I like neat, which is hard because many times you don’t come home until late. The three of us live very active lives.”

Busy schedules aside, they are also considering adding another project to their already-full to-do list. The kitchen — though tidy and functional — is overdue for an update.

When they do find the time, their ideal kitchen will likely express the ease and comfort of a beachside cottage with

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clean lines and a black-and-white color scheme. The footprint will remain the same — no bulldozing into the dining room for these traditionalists who have what Andre calls “old-school values.”

“I really like having a formal dining room,” Robyn notes.

“Most people don’t have formal dining rooms anymore.They have that ‘great’ room with the kitchen. If you’re entertaining, you do not want to sit and see the dirty dishes.”

You’d expect no less from a couple that insisted on a black-tie, seven o’clock formal wedding and lists Carolina Herrera, Oscar de la Renta and Ina Garten as dream dinner guests — giants in the world of style and entertaining. But you can be sure that after all that elegance, by evening’s end, ties will be loosened and happy guests will be jockeying for space on that sunroom couch.

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