Patron Member:

Kitchen Encounters

Kitchen Encounters is widely respected for its partnerships with homeowners, architects, interior designers, builders, and local trade professionals. Their Annapolis showroom offers an immersive design experience, showcasing custom cabinetry, fully appointed kitchen vignettes, and innovative features, including the Galley Workstation and Galley Tap products. [To read more, follow this link.]



To see their project portfolio and learn more about the Kitchen Encounter’s process and products, visit www.kitchenencounters.biz.

A Message of Thanks and Warm Holiday Wishes

As we approach the close of another year, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to each of our members. Your commitment, energy, and partnership are the foundation of the GADD community. Thank you for showing up—for your engagement, your ideas, your generosity, and your belief in our shared mission and values. As the holiday season begins, we wish you moments of rest, connection, and joy. May this time bring renewal, warmth, and the company of those who matter most. We look forward to all we will accomplish together in the coming year.

Happy Holidays, and thank you for being such an essential part of our community.

Board of Directors

Greater Annapolis Design District (GADD)

What a Night!

Our Annual Membership Drive & Networking Event on November 6th was a huge success! Over 120 attendees filled the Annapolis Market House for an unforgettable evening of great company, connections, and community. Guests enjoyed an open bar and delicious food (sponsored by The Home Depot Design Center), while current and prospective members came together for a night of networking, laughter, and celebration of all things design and build.

The excitement continued with fantastic raffle prizes, donated by many generous members, being distributed adding even more energy to an already buzzing room.

A huge thank-you to the Annapolis Market House for hosting this event! The food was incredible, the staff was attentive and welcoming, and the venue provided the perfect atmosphere for mingling and making connections. We’re so grateful for their partnership and hospitality.

A big thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make this event one to remember. Here’s to another amazing year of growth, collaboration, and inspiration with GADD!

It's Time To Renew

It's time to renew! Renewal statements have been sent via email as all memberships expire on December 31st.

Members are encouraged to pay online via a credit card through the website. However, if you prefer to pay by check, please ensure that you still complete the renewal process on the website and send your check to 202 Legion Ave., #7, Annapolis, MD 21401.

We hope you will continue to be a part of the Greater Annapolis Design District and enjoy the Core Values of our thriving community in 2026.

If you have any questions, please email denise@greaterannapolisdesigndistrict.com.

Thank You Renewing Members

Annapolis On The Level

Business Member

Brian Distad Photography

Affiliate Member

Bright Light Design Center

Patron Business Member

Delbert Adams Construction Group

Patron Business Member

Denali Tile & Stone

Business Member

Design House

Business Member

Fichtner Home Exteriors

Patron Business Member

Sherwin-Williams

Business Member

ShoreGate Partners

Business Member

SPIRE Architecture

Business Member

Sub-Zero Group Mid-Atlantic

Business Member

Thos. Somerville Co.

Business Member

Travis Gray - Engel & Volkers

Affiliate Member

Zeskind's Hardware & Millwork

Patron Business Member

Welcome New Members

Outdoor Solutions

Business Member

Rosso Commercial Real Estate Services

Affiliate Member

Thomas Park Construction

Business Member

How will the tariff era shape design aesthetics?

Nicolaus, F. (November 19, 2025) Business of Home

In 1721, the Parliament of Great Britain banned an import. Centuries later, we’re still seeing the consequences in The World of Interiors.

What do 18th century trade restrictions have to do with modern magazines? More than you’d think. In the early 1700s, Britain was obsessed with Indian printed cottons—lightweight, colorfast, endlessly patterned textiles that were cheaper and more fashionable than anything domestic mills could create. They were so popular, in fact, that they threatened the country’s wool and silk industries. Those workers protested, and in some cases, women wearing calico prints were attacked in the streets. Parliament responded to the outrage first by limiting imports of Indian cotton chintz, then eventually outlawing them altogether.

With Indian textiles suddenly off-limits, British printers scrambled to fill the void. They began experimenting with glazed cottons and printed linens designed to mimic the look of chintz. These domestic imitations were heavier and less vibrant, but they spread quickly, furnishing country houses with faded florals, bed hangings and draped interiors that would come to define the English look. A protectionist law meant to preserve an industry ended up creating an aesthetic.

Design history is full of these stories, where big geopolitical shifts, wars, depressions and economic booms leave a fingerprint on aesthetics. Several decades after the Calico Acts, the expansions and contractions of European trade with China led to chinoiserie; more recently, World War II–era rationing helped define midcentury modernism; and the OPEC oil embargo against the U.S. in the 1970s, which caused the cost of plastics to spike, pushed manufacturers toward other materials. So it follows that 2025’s wild tariff ride will have some effect as well. We’ve spent the past year speculating about how tariffs will influence how much our homes cost to build and furnish—it’s worth wondering how they’ll make our homes look too.