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By Kathleen Stanley
Thursday, June 15, 2000; Page H03

Sometimes, the urge to open a shop comes not from inspiration but exasperation.

Deborah Kalkstein, an architect and interior designer, got tired of traveling to and from New York, where all the showrooms of her favorite contemporary Italian furniture designers were located.

"There was nothing here," says Kalkstein, the owner of Contemporaria, a new store in the heart of bustling Bethesda. "I had plenty of interested clients, but when it came to fine contemporary furniture, there was just a big empty hole here."

She wanted a store that offered interior design services, that was friendly to mothers with kids, that encouraged people to shop and browse through catalogues and design books without any pressure. And she wanted to be in Bethesda.

"There's a lot of energy here, and a great sense of community," says the Peruvian-born designer, who found a space that had formerly housed a printing plant, an architect's office and a used furniture store. The shop features skylights, a concrete floor and plenty of white painted brick--a natural foil for sleek styles from Italian furniture-makers such as Minotti, Halifax, Casa Milano and Bontempi, normally available only through designers.

Kalkstein also sells high-style paper rugs from Finland, sculptural lighting by David D'Imperio of Miami, colorful oil paintings by Mexican artists and by local painter Deborah Wilton, and an ingenious closet system from the Italian company Tissetanta.

She offers free in-store design services and house visits for a flat fee of $350, which is deductible from any purchase.

"Good design doesn't have to be intimidating," says Kalkstein. "It should be accessible to everyone, not just architects and designers."

4926 Del Ray Ave., Bethesda; Open Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, noon to 7 p.m. Closed Sunday and Monday. 301-913-9602. Web site under construction: www.contemporaria.com.

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