Channel Your Inner Design Star At This So-Cool Decor Showcase

Confession time: HGTV's Design Star is our guilty pleasure. (Team Britany, all the way!) So, we're pretty pumped that we've got our own take on the reality-TV competition happening right here in D.C. The eight interior designers involved in the DC Design Center's 2012 DreamHome were tasked with choosing an item from the Renwick Gallery's 40 Under 40: Craft Futures exhibit, which opens on Friday, and designing a room around it. Granted, there's no crazy time limit and no camera challenge, but the results — showcased in a faux home built inside the Design Center — are nothing short of inspiring.

With their chosen items top-of-mind, the designers have used lighting, color, and texture to create wholly unique environments. And this isn't just fluff and feathers: The opulent bedroom looks fit for a princess, but upon closer inspection, it makes a subtle statement about the notion of femininity itself. We love the no-limits approach to decorating, but these designers are also showcasing smart, useful ideas that you can apply to your own space. So, while those of us with IKEA budgets might not be able to take home the gorgeous R. Jones sofa from the Modern Study, we can still make plenty of mental notes.

When: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Open through November 30.
Where: Washington Design Center, 5th Floor, 300 D Street SW; 202-646-6100.