With the help of interior designer Sherry Tyra, of Custom Home Interior Creations, a Clarendon man transformed his condo from cold contemporary to an Asian-inspired retreat.

Terry McManus found Tyra through the Designers Network, a company that matches  home owners with interior designers. The matches are made to fit the owners’ budget and lifestyle.

When McManus first purchased the condo it served as a second home.  His primary residence was in South Carolina.  After he decided to make a permanant Arlington move, McManus thought his condo could look a lot less sterile.

"We were trying to change his place from looking like an upscale hotel room into a home," Tyra said. "We wanted to give it more warmth so that when someone walked into his home it felt inviting."

Tyra chose Benjamin Moore's Montgomery White, a soft buttery off-white to coat the walls and add a sense of warmth.  A brilliant garnet-colored Petrie Apartment Sofa from Crate and Barrel is the centerpiece of the living room. Just opposite the sofa is a pair of soft gray microsuede swivel chairs. The chairs were held over from the time when the entire apartment was gray and white. 

Bold red cornices with leaf prints compliment the splendid red sofa.  Two cubes from the top of an Ascend Mahogany from Crate and Barrel modular shelving system serve as a base for a glass-top cocktail table. 

A custom-made ruby red rug that duplicates the pattern of leaves on the cornice anchors a home office.  The walls in the office are painted a soft army green. Two large U.S. maps are framed and hung in the office. A map lover, McManus had the posters attached to the wall before, but Tyra said adding the frames created a more finished look.

A solid-wood, chocolate-colored headboard of overlapping squares purchased from West Elm adds symmetry and harmony to the master bedroom.  Above the headboard is a pair of Zen-themed pictures that Tyra picked up at a Home Goods store. A designer for Home and Garden Television's "Designed to Sell," Tyra said she often combs retail shops for accents and accessories. 

Designers Network is growing in popularity with homeowners looking for the right designer. "We've conducted more than 150 interviews in the last two years and have matched over 100 homeowners," said Dawn Newman, President of Designers Network. "Our service is still free of charge."