At Home With Donnie and Pam Simpson
By Sherri Oliver, Homes of Color Magazine
For over 16 years, Donnie and Pam Simpson have viewed their home in the affluent Washington, D.C., suburb of Potomac, Md., as a place of warmth and a fortress of love for their family. This contemporary living space, and the first of two homes for the Simpsons, sits on a one-half acre of land and includes five bedrooms and four bathrooms.
“It was love at first sight,” says Donnie. “I was working on Video Soul at the time, and my accountant came to me and thought it might be a good idea for me to purchase a home.” With initially no interest in house hunting, the Simpsons took their accountant’s advice and began to look. It was the first house they saw, and the rest is history. “I loved the house,” says Pam reflecting on their home.
Natives of Detroit, Mich., both Donnie and Pam acknowledge that their upbringing in Detroit and their roots in the South have helped them to stay grounded and focused on family and home. Married for 28 years, the couple readily puts visitors at ease. With an open-door policy, and a welcoming smile, Donnie and Pam have made it a point to create a place that family, as well as friends, can enjoy. “You’re welcomed here,” says Donnie. “In our home you can come in and do your thing.”
A place of simple sophistication, the Simpsons’ Potomac home exudes comfort, peace and hospitality. “I want people to feel at home and hopefully have a good time,” says Pam, who did the decorating in their home and has managed to display their inviting feelings throughout the home’s décor.
The Simpson home is charming, and a place with a resort-like feel. Laid out in hues of peach, burgundy, mauve, aqua blues, soft grays, and pastel greens, the ambience of the home could lead you to believe you have entered a relaxing getaway in the tropics. The backyard houses a large swimming pool and Jacuzzi made of stone, with a waterfall connecting the two. The sound of cascading water resonates a sense of calm from the backyard patio area into the home, creating a sense of tranquility.
Accents in the home include magnificent floral arrangements made by Pam’s friend Mindy Tarzy, owner of a small decorating business in Rockville, Md., artwork from Kenya and Ghana, as well as Pam’s collection of ethnic Lladro porcelain. “I received my first piece 10 years ago, and I have collected them ever since,” says Pam. With precision in continuity, each valuable ceramic figurine was sculpted and hand-painted by more than one individual.
The most intriguing and alluring work of art in the Simpson home, however, is the “wall of photos” found in the couple’s mudroom, located off the garage entrance to the home. The room not only boasts a floor-to-ceiling montage of photographs chronicling the couple’s lives and the lives of their two adult children, Donnie Jr. (D.J.) 27 and Dawn, 23, but other relatives and friends are also included on the wall. As one takes a moment to look more closely at the pictures, you also see photographs of many notables. “We have pictures of everyone from Michael Jackson to Michael Jordan on that wall,” says Donnie. “Pam says it was my idea, but I really don’t remember—it’s fascinating. People get stuck back there for a half hour to 45 minutes looking at the pictures.”
For more than 25 years the “green-eyed bandit,” has enjoyed a successful career in radio and television. He currently hosts the morning radio show for Washington, D.C.-based WPGC 95.5 FM. Although career successes are important and have provided many comforts in life, Donnie remains focused on home and family. An avid golfer, he is quick to point out that he finds joy in a simple, unfettered outlook on life. “I don’t mind admitting that I am a ‘Bama,’” Simpson lovingly states. “That is part of me and part of my heritage.”
His “down-to-earth” outlook on life and the welcoming spirit of his wife, Pam, are captured in both Simpson homes in Potomac, Md., and West Palm Beach, Fla. The Simpsons are hospitable and gracious people, and their homes reflect the love the couple has for the truly important things in life.
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