“My job is to create a design experience for my clients they couldn’t have imagined for themselves.”
Daniel J. Moore is an award-winning designer who brings the elements of artistry, functionality, authenticity and aspiration to everything he touches. Domestic Aspirations is the shop that flows from his design business and houses a carefully edited collection of American and European antiques as well as fine reproductions, contemporary accents, designer lighting, found objects, limited upholstery and fine art.
“My interior design philosophy brings together the elements of your lifestyle, taste and budget along with location, geography and the architectural character of your home,” Moore said. “I am a detective gathering clues and funneling them through the context of these ideas to create a cohesive aesthetic with a feeling of masterful restraint.”
This philosophy coupled with his design experience and perspective dictates the inventory of Domestic Aspirations and makes the shop a must-visit on any jaunt through Northern Virginia. The shop is more than 2,500 square feet of showroom filled with all of Moore’s favorite things.
“I buy what I love,” Moore noted. “Everything I bring in and everything I design looks easy and effortless, but it is not. I am intensely invested in every decision, and I lose sleep over the design decisions I make for my clients.”
Moore understands that people pay him to see things no one else sees – to see beyond the possibilities. And he takes that responsibility seriously.
“I do what I do, and I am who I am and that is not necessarily for everyone,” he laughed. “But I always say, ‘it doesn’t have to be perfect; it just has to be exactly the way I want it.’”
It is this level of precision that creates the very intentional yet effortless feel of his work.
I want people to walk in and feel that big sigh of contentment and release – that the inventory brings feelings of cohesion and joy.
“I bring this idea of ease and comfort to the shop,” he said.
The shop carries everything from high-end sofas, furniture and lighting fixtures to small items, including napkin rings, tableware, stemware, vases, candles and custom-made pillows.
In addition to his design business and Domestic Aspirations, Moore also owns The Rooms Up There, which provides boutique lodging on same campus as the shop. The structure has been expanding since 1805 and features the type of character only found in a rural setting. From the charm of the rake of the old porch roof which is now the main hall of the guest suites, to the hidden original storehouse with its two-foot-thick stone walls and the log construction of the two-story 1820s retail shop, it has all the charm and history you’d expect during a rural weekend retreat.
Domestic Aspirations is open from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday and any time by appointment.
To learn more about any of the services, please call 504-364-2738.
By Elizabeth Denham
