Reader Pick
Architect
DeFalco Home Design
Tripp DeFalco is a one-man show, and his clients like it that way. “The advantage,” he says, “is that I’m available to be hands-on. When [clients] tell me something, I take it from their mouth to the drawings and then to the field.” DeFalco is a registered architect, but the fact that he knows the construction side—he ran a design-build firm, Tradition Homes, with his brother Steve for 13 years—has made him a stronger architect since he’s seen the homebuilding process from start to finish. “I don’t design things that can’t be built,” he says. Listening, he adds, is another important skill in the toolbox. “I think a successful project is one that reflects the client, sometimes in ways they don’t realize. There’s no cookie-cutter solution. You have to figure out what the problem is before you can solve it.” –Rina Rapuano
Other top vote-getters:
Architectural Design Studio, AV Architects + Builders, Ballard + Mensua, Moser Architects, Renz Architecture, VanderPoel Architecture
Editor Pick
Rug Shop
Manoukian Brothers Oriental Rugs
When five brothers fled the Armenian genocide during World War I, landed in D.C. and opened a rug store in 1922, they likely didn’t envision that their shop would one day become a concert venue—during a pandemic, no less. But that’s what happened in 2020, when Mikael Manoukian, a great-nephew of one of the original owners, made room in the family’s 3,500-square-foot showroom on Columbia Pike to stage and livestream 20 “Rug Shop Concerts” featuring local musicians. “We were talking about…getting artists together who weren’t performing and reaching the community and using the store space in a way that was kind of novel,” Manoukian says. The shows imparted a unique sort of homeyness during Covid’s darkest days, but they are on hiatus now that business has picked up. The store, whose fine floorcoverings have graced landmarks no less than the U.S. Capitol and the Kennedy Center, has cleaned and sold thousands of hand knotted rugs this year. –Stephanie Kanowitz
Reader Pick
Landscape Designer
Groff Landscape Design
If Rob Groff kept a kudos file, it would be stuffed with praise for his team’s exceptional communication, as well as the beauty and functionality of their landscape designs. Clients appreciate that his Clarendon-based firm is comprehensive, orchestrating everything from pavers and stonework to lighting, electrical and plumbing. But satisfied customers aren’t his sole focus. Groff says he’s well aware that his clients won’t be happy if his 20 employees aren’t. So he strives to be not just a great landscaper, but a great employer, making sure staff are prepared to walk all kinds of clients through all kinds of design projects. “Some people are very visual,” he explains, whereas others “don’t really know what they like until they’re in the space. Sometimes you really have to walk people through the process carefully to make them feel comfortable with their decisions. That’s a huge skill.” –Rina Rapuano
Other top vote-getters:
Andy’s Lawn & Landscape, Artscapes, Joseph Richardson Landscape Architecture, Land Art Design, Merrifield Garden Center, Wheat’s Landscape
Reader Pick
Real Estate Agent
Natalie Roy
You can take Natalie Roy out of a 30-year career in environmentalism, but you can’t take environmentalism out of Natalie Roy. The founder of Bicycling Realty Group switched professions more than eight years ago, carrying her passion for eco-stewardship into the present by offering home buyers the option of neighborhood tours by bike or on foot, sometimes with an assist from Metro (or yes, by vehicle, if they prefer). The car-free approach has been well-received by house-hunters, she says, because bike- and pedestrian-friendly areas are in high demand. “It’s a really good way to see a [neighborhood]—walking or biking,” Roy says. “It’s not just buying a house; you’re buying into a community.” –Stephanie Kanowitz
Other top vote-getters:
Patty Couto, Coral Gundlach, Lauren Heisey, Keri O’Sullivan, Lauren Reardon, Michelle Sagatov, Katie Wethman, Dawn Wilson, Steve Wydler
Reader Pick
Downsizing Service
Simply Downsized
A small venture launched a year before the pandemic might seem doomed, but business is booming for Anna Novak. Her Falls Church-based firm creates customized plans for people who are looking to move out of one home and into a smaller one. That includes coordinating home repairs, packing and unpacking, and prepping new digs for occupancy. “Downsizing has become more in demand because a lot more people want to simplify their lives,” Novak says. The trickiest part is determining what to do with all the stuff—typically about 80%—that doesn’t make the move, including decisions about what to donate, sell, pass down or toss. “It becomes a logistical challenge,” she says. “So basically I do project management. I see them through, door to door.” –Stephanie Kanowitz
Other top vote-getters:
Cocozza Organizing & Design, Simplify You
Editor Pick
Furniture Rehab
The Back Dorr
Joni Foerter’s family business is part antique store, part workshop. Instead of rehabbing a piece of furniture completely, they’ll leave it as close to the “as found” condition as possible, which keeps prices lower and leaves room for customization. “I have a bunch of brown wood furniture that you can choose from, and then you work with me to decide the vibe you want it to ultimately have,” says Foerter, a Falls Church resident of 42 years, whose store, formerly known as Front Porch Furniture Rescue, was located in The Little City until the spring of 2021, when it moved to Fairfax. (It was briefly located on Dorr Avenue before settling closer to Fairfax Circle.) The Back Dorr also offers DIY workshops and a robust furniture repair service manned by Foerter’s husband, Dave, a master carpenter, and son, James, who handles refinishing, painting and staining. Foerter says they fix a lot of broken chair legs, modify dressers into bathroom vanities and repair puppy damage. “We’ve gotten things in tote bags, like chairs or dressers that are just pieces, where we have to figure out how they went together,” she says. “Dave rebuilds it and repairs where it’s broken.” –Rina Rapuano
Reader Pick
Remodeler
TriVistaUSA Design + Build
Other top vote-getters:
Alair Homes Arlington, BOWA, Bowers Design Build, Case Architects & Remodelers, C.E. Rivers Residential, CIMA Design & Build, Madison Creek Homes, Marks-Woods Construction Services, Merrill Contracting & Remodeling, Sagatov Design + Build
Reader Pick
Interior Designer
Manlove and Co. Interiors
Other top vote-getters:
BraePark Design, Erica Peale Design, J&L Interiors, KPH Studio, Samara Interiors, Susan Sutter Interiors, Whittington Design Studio
Reader Pick
Kitchen & Bath Designer
Bowers Design Build
Other top vote-getters:
Braemar Cabinetry, Cameo Kitchens, Case Architects & Remodelers, SKill Construction & Design, TriVistaUSA Design + Build
Reader Pick
Tree Care
Bartlett Tree Experts
Other top vote-getters:
Arlington Tree Care, The Davey Tree Expert Co., Growing Earth Tree Care, JL Tree Service, SavATree
Reader Pick
HVAC Service & Repair
Chandler’s Plumbing & Heating
Other top vote-getters:
Arlington Heating & Air Conditioning, Condon-Reed, CroppMetcalfe, John Nugent & Sons, Richards Heating & Air Conditioning