Art Is Everywhere in This Maryland Home

Educator by day, artist by night, Rachel Crouch has a unique style that shines through in her Hyattsville, Maryland home. As principal of a preparatory school, and owner — along with her twin sister, Rebecca — of RDC Art Gallery, Rachel knows the importance of art to education and personal expression. Her four-story home is also part gallery space with an ever-growing collection of art that can be experienced in each and every room.

Rachel's home was an undeniable find. Her four-level townhouse features four bedrooms, and each bedroom has its own private bathroom. It's a dream for families and houseguests alike, but it wasn’t always a marvel. "I bought this house as-is, so the previous owner walked away without doing any repairs," she recalls. The process of rehabilitation took years, and included everything from replacing faucets to building a bar. Three years after taking over, however, Rachel feels the moment of completion is in sight. "I only have a few more spaces to hang paintings before I'm completely out of space," she says.

One surefire path to great design is to lean into your strengths. For Rachel, it wasn't hard to figure out what the main focus of her living room would be. "The living room was the easiest area to design," she remembers. "I knew the paintings would take over the space so I chose furniture that added to the space but didn't take away from the paintings." This clarity of focus let Rachel remain understated in her furniture choices while the art says everything. "After that, the room pretty much designed itself," she says.

Art runs in the Crouch family. Rachel and her twin sister were both introduced to painting by their mother, Diane. While both went on to become educators and principals of different schools, their passion for art has created a large catalog of respective works.