ARLENE CRITZOS IS THE OWNER OF INTERIOR CON- CEPTS , INC ., A SUCCESSFUL INTERIOR DESIGN FIRM FOUNDED IN AN- NAPOLIS THAT ENJOYS AN ENVIABLE REPUTATION NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY FOR CREATIVE AND ARTISTIC FINE DÉCOR .
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ARLENE CRITZOS IS THE OWNER OF INTERIOR CON- CEPTS , INC ., A SUCCESSFUL INTERIOR DESIGN FIRM FOUNDED IN AN- NAPOLIS THAT ENJOYS AN ENVIABLE REPUTATION NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY FOR CREATIVE AND ARTISTIC FINE DÉCOR .
Arlene is graceful and elegant in a sort of Lauren Hutton or Lee Radziwill kind of way , in that she carries her success proudly but not pretentiously . She has decorated countless Annapolis area homes , but also embassies , royal residences and every manner of Washington mansions .
Arlene and her family enjoy travel to Europe , Florida and the Caribbean . They recently moved into a waterfront abode outside of Annapolis after their previous home on the same property was destroyed in a fire sparked by a lightning strike . Arlene lost several irreplaceable works of art sourced from her many trips around the world , besides countless more sentimental items collected over decades of work , travel , and motherhood .
GreenBook recently caught up with Arlene in her new home . Early morning sunlight shone off the water through a single floor-toceiling window , gently highlighting Arlene from behind , illuminating the sheen of the table where we sat ; it streamed to the hidden corners of a quiet and stately library . Anchored by sofas , occasional chairs , and a desk , the library is rendered dark-yet-warm , mysterious and fascinating with Belgian tapestries and flooring . The light revealed wall art that called for a closer and deeper look into the details of design .
Arlene ’ s sophisticated but eclectic mixing of contemporary upholstery with European and Asian art and antiques is evident in every room of her home . A slipcovered sofa in the family room accompanies a large planked coffee table set low to the ground — it was originally the solid wood bed of a monk Arlene met in Tibet . The passage from the library to the living room is a leaded silvered art glass doorway , 12-foot tall and 12- foot wide , that Arlene found at auction in France .
Wall art in her family dining room includes a floor to ceiling painting of running horses purposefully washed to a faint tint , fresco-like . The original was partly damaged in the fire . Half of the original painting was professionally replicated , but one would never know , not even with close inspection , so perfect is the artistry .
A long loggia runs the length of the home and serves as a hallway that connects a bedroom , the library , a richly accented sitting room and the formal dining room to the kitchen and family area . It is redolent of similar European designs — the sort of tall , beamed corridor that naturally leads to interesting places and stories .
Arlene ' s home was the perfect place to learn more about her career , Interior Concepts , Inc ., personal and professional challenges , and the future .
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GREENBOOK | FALL / WINTER 2016