I loved working with JD Ireland, and they made our house look amazing. They do a lot of mid-century modern, which may not be your thing, but the color palette sounds right. They also are creative, design a lot of gorgeous custom furniture, and love to have clients who will let them be a bit more creative than your average DC customer. Plus, they seem to have happy clients with very different styles, so they are very good at adapting.

Thank you guys. You are totally getting what I want.

Lori Graham is really talented I think although sometimes I think that she veers toward a bit to glam/glitz. But maybe I can steer her a bit.
Raji RM is great. I get a little bit thrown by all the giant murals sometimes, but that is really close.

Will take a look at the others lsted as well.

Look at Lori Graham design and see if you like her work.

Www.districtdesign.com though maybe they do more on the architecture front

I feel like none really is getting what the OP is asking for. I just used a designer on Decorist and love what they came up with, which is very Elle Decor. There is also at least one designer on Houzz - Raji RM & Assoc. I think that is what you're getting at.

Scott Hixson Design.
http://www.scotthixsondesign.com/

Do you look at the Thursday makeovers in the Post, OP? That might help steer you towards a designer whose sensibilities mesh with yours. Or the DC Design Houses? It seems as though you have something very clear in your minds' eye, but your description is . . . not painting a picture with words.

Maybe this?
http://www.coleprevost.com/

I will add that most designers can work in a range of styles; there are probably a lot in DC who would rather do something sleek but whose clients like traditional.

What is your budget for how much you want to spend on decorating? I can give you my decorator friend, she works for people that have Ikea, and CB2 in the mix, not the whole recipe so if you are really on a tight budget skip the decorator and just scour the internet for basic advice and then shop!

You also start a Pintrest board or two to best explain the looks that you love.

Visit new construction open houses at all price ranges. If you like the interiors (colors, counter tops, light fixtures, etc.), look up the builder's website. Most builders will have information about their team, which includes interior designers. If the builders don't have this info, call and ask.

More like Elle Decor and House Beautiful. I have a million photos, but I'm looking for the right person who has ideas. There are great DC designers, but they are mostly traditional and that is not my style at all.

Anonymous wrote:More like a NYC apartment if I had to compare.

So, like tiny, old, and over-priced?

I seriously don't know what a NYC apartment means. Can you look on Houzz and find some photos you like and see what style they are marked as, look for any key words? I have found photos and examples to be the best way to communicate when it comes to design rather than words.

ISO a decorator that is modern but not cold, sexy but not miami lucite, and not traditional DC. It's shockingly hard to find here. I don't really want too much color, I want a soft palette. (some color ok but not all this mustard, red, green, etc.). More interested in layering textures. Someone creative. Don't want it to look like a hotel. More like a NYC apartment if I had to compare. Help! Thanks. All recs welcome.