Ode to the Capitals

Home and Design , Fall 2003, p.180

"You can't accuse June of understatement,"  says homeowner Brad Seltzer, speaking of the Caps-style home theater interior designer June Shea helped create.   The Seltzers had worked with June Shea for a number of years as they decorated the upper levels of their home. But the theater was different.  "One could say that it got way out of control," says Brad. "Or one could say that is was just a lot of fun."

Die-Hard fans of the Washington Capitols hockey team, the Seltzers began collecting memorabilia a couple of years ago after Brad took Tina, a lifelong sports fan, to a hockey game.  She was hooked.  First came partial season tickets, then full season tickets, then trips to games away.  This year when each team in the NHL picked its number-one fan in a contest for the Seventh Man Award ( a hockey team is composed of six players), the Seltzers were chosen by their home team. 

"I am very loyal," Tina explains.  "You have a team and you start rooting for them and you get involved and start collecting memorabilia."  The Seltzers collection includes a Peter Bondra jersey in the old colors, two signed jerseys and a wall of memorabilia dedicated to goalie Olie Kolzig. 

As they planned their space devoted to the Caps, Shea recalls saying, " I can see doing a replica of the ice rink in the carpet."  Permission was granted to use the team logo and the one of a kind carpet was created.  She designed a cabinet for hockey sticks using a sign maker's film to affix the eagle logo, giving it an etched glass look.  Even the air hockey game was custom painted in a Caps theme. "Hockey puck" ottomans roll across the carpet rink while the penalty box-the high table /bar realistically located behind the rink-conveys cheers. 

How could you have a game without a crowd, wondered Shea.  Caps photographer Mitchell Layton provided an arena photo and Shea sent it to a sign fabricator to be printed super sized. For a continuous pictorial of the stands, windows on either side of the plasma screen were camouflaged by removable, photo mural-covered Plexiglas panels. With the final touches in place, the space is now a complete Caps experience. 

Needless to say, the Seltzers never miss a game in their new home theatre.  "Not spectators, these are true fans whether the Caps are winning or losing," says Shea. "It rubbed off on me a bit.  I even read the sports pages once in a while."