--- title: "Willard and Palmer Design — Interior Designers & Decorators | Houzz" canonical_html_url: https://www.houzz.com/professionals/interior-designers-and-decorators/willard-and-palmer-design-pfvwus-pf~880812321 markdown_url: https://www.houzz.com/md/professionals/pf~880812321.md entity_type: LocalBusiness business_name: "Willard and Palmer Design" category: ["Interior Designers & Decorators"] image: https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/62a3b16104cbd587_4299-w400-h400-b0-p0--.jpg address: "Chevy Chase, Maryland 20815, United States" latitude: 38.9693 longitude: -77.0789 phone: "(301) 502-5329" website: http://www.willardandpalmerdesign.com rating: 5 review_count: 10 best_of_houzz_awards: 2 followers: 58 last_updated: 2026-09-05 --- # Willard and Palmer Design Original Houzz profile: [Willard and Palmer Design](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/interior-designers-and-decorators/willard-and-palmer-design-pfvwus-pf~880812321) ## Professional summary - **Primary category:** Interior Designers & Decorators - **Location:** Chevy Chase, MD - **Serves:** Silver Spring, Gaithersburg, Rockville, Bethesda, Aspen Hill, Wheaton, North Bethesda, Potomac, Chillum, College Park, Fairland, Landover, North Potomac, Hyattsville, Langley Park, Beltsville, Calverton, Takoma Park, East Riverdale, Adelphi, Cloverly, Glenmont, White Oak, Kemp Mill, Colesville, Travilah, Chevy Chase, Bladensburg, Leisure World, Coral Hills, North Kensington, South Kensington, Rossmoor, Mount Rainier, Four Corners, Jefferson, Vienna, Alexandria, Arlington, Baileys Crossroads, DC (Washington), Dunn Loring, Fairfax, Falls Church, Idylwood, Lake Barcroft, Mclean, Seven Corners, Tysons Corner, Washington - **Houzz rating:** 5.0 out of 5 (10 reviews) - **Best of Houzz:** 2 awards (2017–2018), for Service. ## About ### Houzz Badges - Recommended on Houzz - 500 Ideabook Saves A native of South Carolina, Charlotte has been in the design field for 25 years. She received her Bachelor of Arts from the College of Charleston, concentrating in Architectural History and Italian language. Afterwards, living in Rome for several years, she further cultivated her love of classical art and design from which she continues to draw inspiration. Returning to South Carolina, she later received her BA in Interior Design. Charlotte Lekakos (née Willard Palmer) opened her eponymous studio in 1996, and past projects have included Washington area and South Carolina residences, as well as installations for Dumbarton House Museum, and Catholic University. Before her career in design, Charlotte worked as an Italian language interpreter and translator, and collaborated with the Save Venice Foundation and Kohler Co. Her designs reflect her love for mixing family heirlooms with new pieces to create warm and lively interiors that are uniquely suited to the individual client. For each project, her goal is to create a comfortable and original expression of her clients' own tastes and sensibilities. "Once I understand a client's vision for their space, I enjoy experimenting with layers of old and new, then using color, lighting, and fine details to make a comfortable and appropriate setting for their lifestyle." ### Services Provided - Interior Design - Kitchen Design - Bathroom Design - Living Room Design - Bedroom Design - Color Consulting - Space Planning - Furniture Selection - Kids Bedroom Design - Dining Room Design - Custom Cabinets - Custom Kitchen Cabinets - Lighting Design - Home Office Design & Construction - Custom Built-ins - Floor Plans - Playroom Design - Custom Furniture - Custom Bathroom Vanities - Laundry Room Design - Nursery Design - Custom Home Bars - House Plans - Closet Design - Universal Design - Basement Design - Custom Walk-in Closets - Sunroom Design & Construction - Home Theater Design - Sustainable Design - Wine Cellar Design - Custom Pantries - Home Staging - Feng Shui Design - Kitchen Remodeling ### Areas Served - Silver Spring - Gaithersburg - Rockville - Bethesda - Aspen Hill - Wheaton - North Bethesda - Potomac - Chillum - College Park - Fairland - Landover - North Potomac - Hyattsville - Langley Park - Beltsville - Calverton - Takoma Park - East Riverdale - Adelphi - Cloverly - Glenmont - White Oak - Kemp Mill - Colesville - Travilah - Chevy Chase - Bladensburg - Leisure World - Coral Hills - North Kensington - South Kensington - Rossmoor - Mount Rainier - Four Corners - Jefferson - Vienna - Alexandria - Arlington - Baileys Crossroads - DC (Washington) - Dunn Loring - Fairfax - Falls Church - Idylwood - Lake Barcroft - Mclean - Seven Corners - Tysons Corner - Washington ### Typical Job Cost $25,000 - 200,000 minimum contract $20,000.00 ## Business Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Business Name | Willard and Palmer Design | | Address | Chevy Chase, Maryland 20815, United States | | Phone | (301) 502-5329 | | Website | http://www.willardandpalmerdesign.com | | Followers on Houzz | 58 | ## Contact - **Houzz profile:** [Willard and Palmer Design](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/interior-designers-and-decorators/willard-and-palmer-design-pfvwus-pf~880812321) - **Website:** http://www.willardandpalmerdesign.com - **Phone:** (301) 502-5329 ## Credentials - **Best of Houzz:** 2 awards (2017–2018), for Service. ## Reviews **Overall rating: 5.0 out of 5 — 10 reviews** ### All 10 reviews **★★★★★ — Gioia Bonmartini Brophy, June 2017** > Brilliant!! Charlotte has done two of my houses-- We love the colors she picked, the fabrics, furniture, and even placement of our things, etc. She understands functional elegance which draws you into the space. Rooms are great for entertaining, but still have an element of fun and whimsy. She always brings fresh ideas to our homes. **★★★★★ — spentonio, July 2016** > I don't usually write a lot of reviews, but Charlotte Lekakos from Willard and Palmer Design was absolutely amazing to work with on our home. She was on-time, very professional and really helped us solve some design issues we were having with our space. For example, the color palette she put together for our daughter's nursery was spot on. The furniture, furniture placement and area rug she recommended is so beautiful that we feel like we live in a magazine. The nursery is functional, stylish and classic. Charlotte is innovative, fresh and smart. Her suggestions for our living room and family room completely transformed our spaces and we couldn't be happier. Her calm demeanor and reassuring attitude made what could have been a complicated process into a seamless one stop process with great results. We will be calling her again for our next project. **★★★★★ — gardengaldc, July 2016** > We have a house built in the 1930s and the living room fireplace is located in a very odd place making furniture placement extremely difficult. Charlotte brought her wonderful design sense to the situation and created a wonderful space for both gatherings and just reading a book. She listened to what we had to say, guided gracefully, and stayed within our budget. She was an absolute delight to work with. In addition to furniture purchases, we also had curtains and pillows made. The workmanship is outstanding. We always get compliments from people as they enjoy the space Charlotte created. **★★★★★ — lisaols, June 2016** > This company strikes the perfect balance between being edgy yet "conventional." The owner adds a whimsical and interesting touch which captures the imagination, while at the same time offering designs that are cozy and practical. Her additions will take you slightly outside the box and are sure to earn admiring compliments from guests. The whole point of hiring a professional is to take you places you would not have gone yourself. Willard and Palmer does that, in a subtle and delightful way, and I would highly recommend them. **★★★★★ — trixm511, May 2016** > Charlotte designed my office space. The space is small, and I needed lots of storage. I also needed my space to be kid-friendly and to work for conferences with parents and teachers. I have a beautiful office, with a beautiful loveseat, a child's chair, lots of storage - and it looks and functions very well! > Charlotte was easy to work with,and she was responsive to my ideas and needs. **★★★★★ — pamelgarlick, Aug. 2015** > Charlotte has exquisite taste. She is a wonderful collaborator and a veteran designer. Refined yet not stuffy. Flexible, a good listener, resourceful, and fun. I'm ready for the next project! **★★★★★ — sarewidav, July 2015** > I started working with Willard and Palmer over 20 years ago in decorating my home. I continue to use her to this day in helping me not only update my present home but decorate our weekend home on the river. Charlotte Lekakos has a wonderful sense of color and style. She has a remarkable ability to translate your vision of what you what your house to look like into reality. People who come to my home remark about how lovely and charming my house is and how much it looks like me. Charlotte is fun to work with and she has such wonderful ideas. Her designs are unique. They are always lovely and fresh and very inviting. I highly recommend her to anyone looking for design help. **★★★★★ — mckennafarms, July 2015** > I first met Charlotte in 2011 at the Washington Design Center's DreamHome exhibition. Charlotte had decorated a living room from my dreams, and the friends I was with at the show had to drag me out of it when the show was over. I was absolutely hooked on her effortlessly classic, but chic and fresh look. I first contacted Charlotte about my DC row home, but a few months into our planning my husband and I purchased a 220 year old farm house in Frederick, MD and decided to make the switch from the capital to the country. Thankfully, Charlotte was full of ideas on how to transition the work (and furniture) we had already started in one house to the other. > > I don’t consider myself an easy client. I’m always changing my mind, paralyzed by indecision, and constantly questioning the direction. Charlotte is a total dream to work with for someone like me because she is flexible, honest, and can change directions when she knows I’m flailing. Charlotte’s help with two of our most lived-in rooms (our formal living room and our bedroom), has really given us the confidence to tackle the rest of this historic home. My husband and I look forward to working with Charlotte for years to come. **★★★★★ — judithhedstrom, March 2015** > My relationship with Willard and Palmer began more than 13 years ago when I bid on--and won--3 hours of professional services that were donated at a charity auction. I had been recently remarried and was living with the same furnishings from my childhood bedroom and living room. > > We extended that three hour consultation into a complete redecoration of the living room, dining room, kitchen and office in our 1930s home. Since then Charlotte Lekaukas and I have had multiple large projects completed to my highest satisfaction; all done on time, as agreed and with extraordinary attention to customer service. > > I am a low/mid budget client; this would make my decorating choices somewhat challenging for a less creative and adaptive professional. Charlotte always listened to me, identified wonderful approaches and delivered more than I ever expected within budget. She is also a truly generous, respectful and lovely human being both to work with and as a friend. > > Charlotte specializes in providing upscale, comfortable, durable family-friendly solutions. She included my husband in key decisions (!) and made him feel like he had a vote. At all times, she assured we were optimizing bang for buck in small areas and focusing our resources on the 'special pieces' that would make our home feel unique and our own. She offered many extra touches: transforming my paned windows into mirrors; finding the last yard ever made of a particular fabric to create a valance in my bathroom to match the wallpaper... > > We have kids, dogs, cats--all of these complexities were accounted for in choosing colors, fabrics, furnishings. Our newest project is our daughter's bedroom--moving beyond bubble gum pink to a teenagers sophisticated palette. It is worth noting that Charlotte has a gift for listening to teenagers and for getting them to listen to her right back. > > Charlotte knows her trade, her craft and has her own unique voice to bring to any client setting. **★★★★★ — kirstenfischerhoward, March 2015** > I'm living in the second house that Charlotte has helped my husband and I decorate - and she's advised us on our beach property, as well. We could not have called these places our home without Charlotte's creative insight. Her ability to listen and respond to our desires is what stands her apart from her peers - we felt heard and she delivered beautiful work. Charlotte's experience, knowledge, contacts, and referrals have impressed us over the 10+ years we've worked together. She's proven to be reliable, accessible, and fiscally responsible while her designs have received countless complements in our home. We highly recommend Willard and Palmer as your interior design firm. ## Selected projects - [Chevy Chase, MD](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/chevy-chase-md-pj-vj~895337) - Location: Chevy Chase, MD - Photos: 14 - [Bergeson & Campbell](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/bergeson-and-campbell-pj-vj~899693) - Location: Washington, DC - Photos: 2 - [Bethesda, MD](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/bethesda-md-pj-vj~893465) - Location: Bethesda, MD - Photos: 10 - [McLean Virginia Guest Room](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/mclean-virginia-guest-room-pj-vj~952795) - Location: McLean, VA - Photos: 12 [See all 4 projects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/interior-designers-and-decorators/willard-and-palmer-design-pfvwus-pf~880812321) ## Community Q&A **Q: W❤️W!!! Your work is exciting, fun and pretty, all at once!** *(in Photo Questions)* Thanks, your work is an inspiration! A: Thank you Stacy - that's the greatest compliment! **Q: Wallpaper?** *(in Photo Questions)* Love the wallpaper! Could you provide the details? A: The wallpaper is Osborne & Little. **Q: Flooring?** *(in Photo Questions)* Hi - beautiful kitchen!! Can you share the manufacturer and colors of the flooring? Is it marmoleum? Thanks!! A: The exact colors are no longer available as they change them every 3 or 4 years but basically one ivory, 2 grays and one soft black. you can use the same formula to achieve the plaid look however in different colors like blue or green etc. Good luck! --- *Source: Houzz professional profile. Reflects the profile as of 2026-09-05.*