| Both Tony Villa and his diverse portfolio of events and creative endeavors have often caught the media's attention. The following collection highlights a few of the articles featuring his accomplishments. |
METROWEEKLY "Environs" Tony Villa's Victorian condo in Columbia Heights By Todd Franson Published on 10/13/2005 BIG STYLE IN SMALL SPACE in this cozy Columbia Heights condo, perched atop a fabulous Victorian row house. Do more than you can imagine, whether entertaining on the relaxing deck or playing peek-a-boo with some distinctive bathroom windows. Starting over from scratch, Tony Villa took a bare-bones , 500-square-foot studio condo on the top floor and created his own ''luxury hotel suite''. Perfect for entertaining 100, or just relaxing with his hand-crafted fountain , his Seattle-inspired rooftop deck is an urban oasis. TONY: The story begins when my boyfriend and I decided to end our 10-year relationship. The criteria I had for purchasing a new home was that I didn't have a lot of money but I wanted to be on the top floor if at all possible. Knowing my budget would afford a studio, I was a little bit disheartened. But when I walked in this front door and saw that you would actually live on the top floor of this fantastic Victorian row house, I knew the possibilities could be endless. When I purchased this place there were no floors, the walls were all pushed through and there was no kitchen. I had to use a lot of imagination. Of course, Tony Villa can't have anything vanilla, right? Everything you see is sort of custom made -- a bit of glue, some broken glass, brackets and whatnot from Logan Hardware. I love their ''free bin.'' I'm always there asking, "What do you have in the scrap pile?'' That's how I created a lot of what you see. I love to throw a good party, so that was going to be a problem with the amount of space I had. I made really good friends with the foreman on the job, Maria. She had the ability to address any problem. I told her I needed more countertops, so she pushed the wall out, hid a new hot water heater underneath my kitchen counter, and made room for what is most important -- not the hot water tank, but the liquor cabinet. This is where I store a lot of my spirits -- my ''happy juice,'' as Mama used to call it. I had one bathroom and I needed to make it count. These two-way mirrors that divide the bathroom from the rest of the home have made and broken many famous individuals here in D.C., but it's been quite a party entertainer. It's fun to see people arrange themselves on the other side of the mirror knowing that they can't see you. Nonetheless, the two-way mirrors serve a very important function, making it appear much bigger because you can see out into the rest of the home. But it gives you privacy, given the correct light levels. One of the challenges of a studio bedroom is who wants their bed in view the entire time? Especially when I entertain as many as I do.. This Murphy bed was made by a very old gentleman. I think he's about 175 years old. He has a little company called ''Wallbeds by Wilding.'' It's solid alder with a cherry stain. This bed is fantastic -- strong, queen sized, with a pillow top mattress -- and it's how my living room becomes a bedroom. My home office is all about hinges. I have every kind of hinge that slides, pops, flips, snaps or connects throughout the place. This became like a game with me: How efficient can I make this unit, whether it's for my clothing storage or my home office? Every single drawer in my home has an organizational device. [On the deck] This is what sold me on my home. I can say with some confidence that I have never come across a studio that was within my budget that had a deck of this size. And it was crying out for some TLC. I had dreamed up a couple ideas that I always wanted to employ, especially those that my old boyfriend would never really allow: recessed lighting built into the fence and the planter box; gigantic planter boxes that would divide up the space; and, most importantly to me as a Seattle native, evergreen trees. When I'm on this deck, I'm back home in Seattle. I had a problem. I had never been to a lumberyard before and I was quite intimidated walking down there with the kind of fashions that I usually employ. So I cashed in several thousand airline miles to fly my dad here first class in exchange for having him walk into that lumber yard with me and make my dream come true. And that is exactly what happened. Every tree you see, every piece of wood, was hauled up five stories up the fire escape on the other side of this fence in the blazing heat of the summer. This is the reason why it is rare to see me out at a restaurant or a lounge -- this to me is the epitome of relaxation, style and the ability to let loose and connect with my friends. Plus, I think this is the hottest ticket in town. But, nevertheless, this has really been my home. I really value my time up here. |
| "the neighbors." |
| "the neighbors." |
| "the neighbors." |
| "A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something." - Frank Capra |
METROWEEKLY "Environs" Tony Villa's Victorian condo in Columbia Heights By Todd Franson Published on 10/13/2005 BIG STYLE IN SMALL SPACE in this cozy Columbia Heights condo, perched atop a fabulous Victorian row house. Do more than you can imagine, whether entertaining on the relaxing deck or playing peek-a-boo with some distinctive bathroom windows. Starting over from scratch, Tony Villa took a bare-bones 500-square-foot studio condo on the top floor and created his own ''luxury hotel suite''. Perfect for entertaining 100, or just relaxing with his hand-crafted fountain his Seattle-inspired rooftop deck is an urban oasis. TONY: The criteria I had for purchasing a new home was that I didn't have a lot of money but I wanted to be on the top floor if at all possible. Knowing my budget would afford a studio, I was a little bit disheartened. But when I walked in this front door and saw that you would actually live on the top floor of this fantastic Victorian row house, I knew the possibilities could be endless. When I purchased this place there were no floors, the walls were all pushed through and there was no kitchen. I had to use a lot of imagination. Of course, Tony Villa can't have anything vanilla, right? Everything you see is sort of custom made -- a bit of glue, some broken glass, brackets and whatnot from Logan Hardware. I love their ''free bin.'' I'm always there asking, "What do you have in the scrap pile?'' That's how I created a lot of what you see. I love to throw a good party, so that was going to be a problem with the amount of space I had. I made really good friends with the foreman on the job, Maria. She had the ability to address any problem. I told her I needed more countertops, so she pushed the wall out, hid a new hot water heater underneath my kitchen counter, and made room for what is most important -- not the hot water tank, but the "entertaining" cabinet. This is where I store several of my finest spirits and sundries. I had one bathroom and I needed to make it count. These two-way mirrors that divide the bathroom from the rest of the home have made and broken many famous individuals here in D.C., but it's been quite a party entertainer. It's fun to see people arrange themselves on the other side of the mirror knowing that they can't see you. Nonetheless, the two-way mirrors serve a very important function, making it appear much bigger because you can see out into the rest of the home. But it gives you privacy, given the correct light levels. One of the challenges of a studio bedroom is who wants their bed in view the entire time? Especially when I entertain as many as I do.. This Murphy bed was made by a very old gentleman. I think he's about 175 years old. He has a little company called ''Wallbeds by Wilding.'' It's solid alder with a cherry stain. This bed is fantastic -- strong, queen sized, with a pillow top mattress -- and it's how my living room becomes a bedroom. My home office is all about hinges. I have every kind of hinge that slides, pops, flips, snaps or connects throughout the place. This became like a game with me: How efficient can I make this unit, whether it's for my clothing storage or my home office? Every single drawer in my home has an organizational device. [On the deck] This is what sold me on my home. I can say with some confidence that I have never come across a studio that was within my budget that had a deck of this size. And it was crying out for some TLC. I had dreamed up a couple ideas that I always wanted to employ: recessed lighting built into the fence and the planter box; gigantic planter boxes that would divide up the space; and, most importantly to me as a Seattle native, evergreen trees. When I'm on this deck, I'm back home in Seattle. I had a problem. I had never been to a lumberyard before and I was quite intimidated walking down there with the kind of fashions that I usually employ. So I cashed in several thousand airline miles to fly my dad here first class in exchange for having him walk into that lumber yard with me and make my dream come true. And that is exactly what happened. Every tree you see, every piece of wood, was hauled up five stories up the fire escape on the other side of this fence in the blazing heat of the summer. This is the reason why it is rare to see me out at a restaurant or a lounge -- this to me is the epitome of relaxation, style and the ability to let loose and connect with my friends. Plus, I think this is the hottest ticket in town. But, nevertheless, this has really been my home. I really value my time up here. |
| WASHINGTON BLADE Laurel Lundstrom July 9, 2004 Page 1 IF SIPPING COCKTAILS ON... a Sunday evening in a make shift arctic tundra with other chic, party goers in D.C. sounds appealing, Excursion, which its 30-year-old creator describes as "the event with attitude," might be for you. Stylish ambiance is central to a successful Excursion party, explains Tony Villa, an event designer and producer who hosts the gatherings. He says that at the Blue Room in Adams Morgan, the venue will "freeze over" at 6 p.m. Sunday, when Excursions takes you to a terrain of ice and gorgeous dancers in "tundra couture" who do their thing while encased in giant icebergs. Nearby, New York DJ June Joseph will be spinning on two floors. Morgan Rose, a dancer from the Washington Ballet, has agreed to pose and perform movements in a costume that Villa describes as, "a mix of tundra, Dior, and snow. " Excursions, which is open to everyone, ends around 11 p.m. Villa's hope is that guests will "become a part of the event instead of just being observers." EXCURSION PARTIES take place once or twice a month inside local venues that feature stylish décor and an outdoor private deck for cocktails and conversation. At Villa's first party, "Cherry Flight 5204," which took place at Lizard Lounge earlier this year, in conjunction with Cherry 9, he designed a first-class airline cabin on a fictitious plane. Flight attendants served cocktails and boarding announcements could be heard amid the spinning beats. Promotional materials for Excursion feature the torso of a well-cut male. But Villa is quick to point out that this is not meant to deter anyone else from attending the party, though his target audience is the "chic" crowd. Crowds at Excursion events usually are mixed. Most guests range in age from their late 20s to early 30s. "The party attracts a broad cross-section of stylish D.C. locals, many of whom are only drawn out by this party alone," Villa, who owns Tony Villa Creative Inc. and has been hosting Excursion parties for the past six months, has helped produce special events in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York and Miami. Turning 30 prompted Villa to create a different sort of party. "This has been a dream of mine," he says. Excursion IV is scheduled to take place Aug. 1, but other details are still pending. At Excursion parties, Tony Villa tries to create a sense that party-goers are headed somewhere very unique. |
| READERS CHOICE AWARD WASHINGTON BLADE 2004 Best Party Excursion Tea The Excursion Tea, held on select Sundays at the Blue Room in Adams Morgan, is an amazing event that launched this summer. Designer, Tony Villa, has created a faux airline cabin or transformed the venue to look like a frozen wasteland (ala designer chic, of course) for the theme of his events. According to Villa, the party aims to be a stylish alternative on Sunday nights for a sophisticated crowd, and it seems to be just that. Excursion Select Sundays 2321 18th St., NW |
| "the neighbor s." |
| "the neighbor s." |
| "the neighbor s." |
| BIG STYLE IN SMALL SPACE in this cozy Columbia Heights condo, perched atop a fabulous Victorian row house. Do more than you can imagine, whether entertaining on the relaxing deck or playing peek-a-boo with some distinctive bathroom windows. |
| Both Tony Villa and his diverse portfolio of events and creative endeavors have often caught the media's attention. The following collection highlights a few of the articles featuring his accomplishments. |
| event marketing management design |
| tony villa |
| ph 206.321.2240 inquire@tonyvilla.com |