R•Home Nov/Dec 2011

RICHMOND MAGAZINE´S

nov-dec 2011

Ranch Revival

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Contents

34

nov/dec 2011 D E PA R T M E N T S

18

13

The Goods

16

Experts

34 42

BIG VIEW

Restructuring a ranch makes it all about the river view.

The Hunt

22

At Home

24

Favorites

MIDCENTURY MASH-UP

The Casatis celebrate the past as they restore their midcentury home.

50

FROM UNSEEMLY TO SEEMLY

Richmond magazine editor-in-chief Susan Winiecki puts her home on a diet and gives her rancher a face-lift.

30 70

56

SWEET HOLIDAY CHEER

Designer Annie Selke and how to fix up a ranch

18

28

features

Gifts for hostesses

74

Living on the river The trees that bind

Fraîche’s Vickie Blanchard’s fresh design

Event

The ASID White Elephant Sale at the newly restored Hippodrome

Gardening

Plants can be wicked.

Seasonal

The GardenFest of Lights at Lewis Ginter

Calendar

A few holiday events you shouldn’t miss

Carly Herring of The Empress shares baking secrets and sweet treats.

78

Q&A

Plus: Resource Listings on Page 64

80

Back Page

RICHM

OND

MAGA

ZINE´

A grab bag of websites, books and products

S

nov-de

Ranch REVIVAL

[ NEW

Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge

STYLE N OLD OR A LIFE F

c 2011

]

ABOUT THE COVER: Barry Fitzgerald photo Copeland Casati outside her classic, streamlined ranch in the Near West End. The Casatis tried to preserve and restore as many of the architectural details in their home as they could.

NAL S E A SO NGE + NG G N S PO N T S B E H AV I F DESI A NEY O ME S + PL E BO N S S G I FT H E H I PPO D RO G R AC H OS T E T ‹ M E ET LI DAY N T AT S + H O H I T E E LE PH A SW E ET W + THE B A D LY

Lef t: Adam Ew ing photo; rig ht: Beth Furg urson photo

rhomemag.com

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R I C H M O N D

H O W

H O M E

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G A R D E N

R I C H M O N D

L I V E S

$/7.4/7. s 3/54( 4( 342%%4 s 3(/24 05-0 s /,$ "2)#+ 2$ s s 777 ,!$)&& #/- from the publishers of richmond magazine

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President/Publisher Richard Malkman Editor-in-chief Susan Winiecki MANAGING editor Brandon Fox senior editors H O Andrews, W R I CTina HM OND LIVES Kate Eshleman contributing editor Carla Davis Contributing Writers Courtney Crane Dauer, Maureen Egan, Jackson, O M E & Jonathan G A R Janis, D E N R I Katherine C H M OHoustoun, N D HSara Megan Marconyak, Kris Spisak, Julie Young EDITORIAL INTERN Jessica Wunsch

H O W Director R I C H M O Hedberg N D L I V E S CREATIVE Steve managing art Director V. Lee Hawkins Contributing Photographers Guy Crittenden, Kip Dawkins, Adam Ewing, Barry Fitzgerald, Beth Furgurson, Jay Paul, Jeff Saxman, Sarah Walor CONTRIBUTING Stylists Marcie Blough, Courtney Crane Dauer, Wendy Umanoff Contributing illustrator Bob Scott Sales Director Rich Malkman SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Scott Bunce, Steve Coffield, Martha Hebert, Kelly McCauley AD PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Laura Ashley-Duszak AD GRAPHIC DESIGNER Millie Worthington

circulation and events director Devin Grimsley

Vice President/Controller Elisa Malkman bookkeeper Ellen Tishman office coordinator Mandy Abernathy

Editorial & Advertising Offices 2201 W. Broad St., Suite 105 Richmond, Virginia 23220 LaDiff.1\2v.RH1111.indd 1

10/11/11 12:58:13 PM

*RVA Film Premiere 7:30pm Nov. 9

Subscription Rate: $14 per one year (6 issues R•Home and 12 issues Richmond Magazine).

Single copy price is $3.95. Allow 4 to 6 weeks to begin delivery.

*At the Hippodrome *Tickets are $8 *Plus a pimento cheese-off and a people’s choice

award Fundraiser for the Historic Jackson Ward Association and Southern Foodways Alliance For tickets visit richmondmagazine.com/cheese 6

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Telephone 804-355-0111 Main Fax 804-355-5442 Editorial and Art Fax 804-355-8939 E-mail editor@rhomemag.com

10/14/11 7:24:11 PM

R•Home, published bimonthly; Richmond Magazine, published monthly; and Richmond Surroundings Magazine are products of Target Communications Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part of any text, photograph or illustration without written permission from the publisher is prohibited.

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Editor’s Letter

Remember the Ranch

M

EXTRAS

 R•Home Reader's y grandparents lived in a ranch house in Virginia Beach. When my cousin Valerie came to visit, she Favorites ballot and I would walk around the neighborhood and online now! Vote count how many other houses that we saw were exat rhomemag.com/ actly like theirs.

Ranchers, modern in the 1950s and 1960s, offer rhomesurvey one-level living with wide, horizontal windows. They were exciting when they first started popping up in developments after World War II (so new! so modern!), but they don’t seem all MODERN that interesting now. Admit it — when you think of your dream home, you usually MAGAZINE don’t think of a ranch.

If you own That’s all changing. New owners of ranch houses today are opening up and rea ranch configuring the traditionally claustrophobic rooms. Once a few walls are removed house, love and a little interior wood paneling is jettisoned, suddenly the space sheds its bormidcentury ing Beaver Cleaver upbringing and lets in the light of the 21st century. architecSherrie and Patrick Becker took a red rancher by the river that they nicknamed ture and the “Red Roof Inn” and maximized its spectacular view. They literally raised the roof furnishings and added a second floor, enclosed an or are just old sun porch to make a comfortable a fan of the family room, and tore out the walls surMad Men vibe, you need to check rounding the home's fireplace to create out Atomic Ranch (atomic-ranch. a wide-open space in the center of the com). They feature both vintage house. A serene palette of blues, taupe and contemporary takes on and white exorcised the last remnants midcentury design, and it’s easy of the past. to imagine running away from one of the creaking turn-of-the-century The Casatis took a different aphomes where so many of us live in proach to their Near West End ranchRichmond in order to take a step er. Instead of wiping the house clean back into the future instead. of the past, they chose to restore and enhance their home’s midcentury My parents charm. Wall-to-wall carpeting came MODERN SIGHTS Modern Richand me up, floors were refinished and paint mond is a group dedicated to showcasing Modernist architecwas stripped. The couple filled the ture and design in Richmond. house with furniture and accessories from the period, as well as treasures handed Sign up for one of their free down to them by both their families. With its unusual u shape and 400-squaremonthly tours and see foot master bedroom, the Casatis made a home for their family by ema part of Richmond bracing the house as it was. often overlooked in Also in this issue, Richmond magazine editor Susan Winiecki gives us Follow us a city steeped in the a first-person account of the renovation of her ranch house in Westover on Twitter past. Visit modernrich Hills. After walls came down and custom shelving went up, an unremark@RHOME mondtour.com to find able in-fill house on a street of brick Colonials, clapboard Cape Cods and a out more.

MAGAZINE charming Tudor visible from the front window was reborn. The “unseemly” house got a makeover, but with the sleek lines of contemporary furniture CORRECTION In Mauand fun, graphic prints, the midcentury flavor was preserved. reen Egan's column, At And before the holidays get too hectic, join us on Nov. 16 at R•Home Home, in the September/October for the Holidays. We’re thrilled to have Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge visit issue, James Taylor was mistakand share with us her design expertise. We’re structuring the event a little bit enly credited for writing the song, differently this year. Bonney will join us for lunch at Plant Zero, and prior to her "You've Got a Friend." Although appearance, we’ll offer design seminars from some of our own local designers. it became a No.1 hit for him in The seminars start at 10 a.m., and lunch begins at noon. Tickets are $27 for the 1971, Carole King actually wrote the song. lunch, talk and two late-morning seminars, or you can come for just the lunch and talk for $17. For more details and ticket information, visit rhomemag. com/homefortheholidays. We hope to Microsoft Tags 101 Follow these simple instructions, and content see you there! marked with a Microsoft “Tag” can be viewed on your smartphone. isamu noguchi 52

tasty remodel 42

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before & after 34

FALL 2011

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Holiday Open House and Book Signing

Come join us for a book signing with visionary designer Annie Selke. Annie is the founder of Pinecone Hill and Dash & Albert Rugs, two of our favorite lines. She will be signing her new book, Fresh American Spaces — what a great holiday gift.

Our store will be freshly decorated for the holidays, and we will be offering 15% off holiday merchandise the entire day.

Tuesday November 8th 3:00 – 7:30 HUGUENOT VILLAGE SHOPPING CENTER

Open Monday - Friday 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, Saturday 10:00 am to 4:00 pm | 804-320-1730 Join us on Facebook or our mailing list at williamsandsherrill.com

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Richmond’s Choice For Over 60 Years

Contributors

Julie Young is a Midlothian-based freelance writer who wrote for the Richmond Times-Dispatch Flair sections for the past 12 years.

She won a first-place award from the Virginia Press Association in April for her body of work in the paper’s now-defunct Home & Garden section. She loves writing about home makeovers, design trends, pop culture, local personalities and fashion. Julie’s career has included reporting for the Roanoke Times, the Charlottesville Daily Progress, her alma mater’s alumni magazine at the University of Virginia and Style Weekly.

Don Williamson is a Virginia landscape and nature photographer born and raised in the small town of Blackstone. He was drawn to art at an early age, and that passion now translates into the images he finds in the lens of his camera. He currently lives in Chester and has worked more than 30 years for the DuPont company. He can regularly be found looking through his lens at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens on any given day. Visit his website at donwilliamsonphotography.com.

Kris Spisak has taught

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writing at Virginia Commonwealth University, the University of Richmond, John Tyler Community College and J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College. She works as a freelance editor, copywriter and journalist, when not dabbling with her own fiction on the side. She can often be found with a book in hand or with travel plans in mind.

Susan Winiecki, editor in chief, began her love affair with old houses in Clarksville, where she was a state desk reporter for the Richmond Times-Dispatch in the early 1990s. She rented an entire 1891 Victorian on Main Street for $200 a month and dreamed of the day when she would own one herself. Three house renovations later, she eventually did get that Victorian on Forest Hill Avenue. But she and her husband traded it in for the ugliest house on New Kent Road. Read about that home’s makeover on Page 50.

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The Goods



Spectrum handblown hourglass

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available in five colors, $19.50 from Tinker’s

Bring on Hostess Happiness ’ T i s t h e s e a s o n fo r pa rt i es, a n d co n s eq u en t ly, t h e fr eq u en t n eed fo r h o st es s g i f ts. W h at b e tt er way to t h a n k a h o st es s fo r t h ei r h o s pi ta lit y t h a n w it h o n e o f t h es e m em o r a b le it em s ?

Je f f S a x m a n p h o t o

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The Goods

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1) Set of 10 chevron postcards, handmade locally by Amanda Rose, $12.50 from Dawn Correspondence, hello@dawncorrespon dence.com 2) Floral bottle stopper by Artenica, $18 from Thistles 3) Personalized oilcloth luggage tag by HomeLush, $11 from The Ivy Trellis 4) Wrapping paper, $1 for a 24-by-36-inch sheet from Mongrel 5) Handmade chocolates by Chocolot Artisan Confections, $2 apiece from Sweet Spot 6) Set of four Shabby Frames coasters, handmade locally by Burlap and Blue, $14 from burlapandblue.etsy.com

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The Expert

INTERVIEW

R•HOME: For this project, you used many elements of modern design: white walls, furniture with clean lines and expansive glass. How else did you incorporate style cues of the house’s era?

Ranch House Liberation M I D - C E N T U R Y D E S I G N I D E A L S, U P D AT E D  By Jonathan Janis

While you may not know Annie Selke by name, you probably know her products.

Selke is the mastermind behind the indoor/outdoor chic of Dash & Albert Rug Co., the bedding and sleepwear of Pine Cone Hill, and fabric and furniture lines with Calico Corners and Vanguard Furniture. And if that weren’t enough, she has now penned her fi rst book, Fresh American Spaces. We were intrigued when we learned that she had recently renovated her 1960s ranch-style home.

Annie Selke: One of the things I learned about building into the mid-century style was peeling back layers. There’s an integrity to the style that was very specific to the midcentury, though it had been [cluttered] with Mexican tile floors, colonial shutters and all these things that were just so wrong. It needed to get stripped back, and so that’s what I did. I knocked down a bunch of walls; I gave it an open floor plan and left a central fireplace. It’s the center of the space, but the whole upstairs is open, which is wonderful because you can see everything at all times.

R•HOME: “Happy” is an adjective often used to describe your rooms. What things did you do to your house that kept up the pep?

Selke: Using shapes that were fun, like the cowhide chairs I designed that have swoop-y arms. The artwork in the house is really colorful; there are colorful pillows. It’s a neutral base with a lot of color layered into it. I can’t be full-on serious.

I always have to put some things in my rooms that are a little silly.

Want to meet Annie Selke? She’ll be signing copies of her book and catching up with her friends at Williams and Sherrill on Nov. 8 from 3 to 7 p.m. Call 320-1730 for more details.

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

The open fireplace in Selke’s living room also can be enjoyed in the dining room and kitchen.

R•HOME: In your book you say, “I can’t imagine any room that could not benefit from a beautifully carved, gilded antique mirror or a vase bursting with lush roses or peonies.”

Does this thought hold true in a ’60s rancher as well?

Selke: Yes, [laughs] it certainly does. My bedroom is (photographed) in the book in the Refined Romantic section. I do use roses in my room. It’s sitting on a McCobb credenza piece, so it’s a very mid-century space. Yes, it’s a nod to another century, but I think the two can happily live together.

You can be romantic in the mid-century. It’s not like they flushed that all down the toilet — it’s just the way you choose to use it. It’s just getting to the most simple expression of whatever it is, whether it’s a bed or a chair, window treatments or a fireplace. There’s not a lot of excess decoration.

R•HOME: What has been the biggest lesson that you learned when downsizing from a 5,400 square-foot house from 1887 (Selke’s former house) to a 1960s rancher just under 1,800 square feet?

Selke: That you don’t need all that stuff — you really don’t.

And you don’t miss it, which is interesting. I actually like living with less. There’s a discipline to it — and I’m not saying it’s an unpleasant discipline. Once you get used to living with less, it’s pretty liberating.

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The Hunt



Ken and Ellen Wolf in their Stratford Hills home. BELOW LEFT Ken Wolf keeps his telescope ready for a glimpse of hawks that fly by the house at eye level.

A Place for Living THE WOLFS ’ LIVING ROOM IN STRATFORD HILLS  By Kris Spisak

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E

llen and Ken Wolf’s Stratford Hills home was built in 1960 by Richmond architect Joe Ciucci. Influenced by midcentury design ideals and perhaps best known for his construction of institutional properties, Ciucci lived in the home until 1995.

The Wolfs, who moved there in 1998, are only the third owners of the distinctive house.

“My living room is just that: a room for living. It’s not a great room, a family room or a vestigial parlor used only on special occasions,” says Ellen Wolf. “It’s our favorite space in the house.”

“We’ve made it as comfortable and as suited to the way we live as we can,” she says. A built-in bookcase covers one wall of the living room, 

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The Hunt

Living cont’d with favorite titles tucked between sculptures and special pieces of art. Prints by VCU typography and graphic design professor Rob Carter add variety to the shelves, as does a collection of ceramics.

It’s important to the Wolfs to be surrounded by meaningful objects.

“One of the ways we really made the room our own is that we filled it with objects Editor’s Note: that we really like to Sadly, this will be look at,” says Ellen. the last of the Hunt Light pours into columns — but for a the room from the very happy reason. full wall of winOur columnist, Kris dows, showing off Spisak, is expecting lush greenery in the her first child in Febsummertime and a ruary. We’re so grateglimpse of the James ful for her hard work River after the leaves tracking down lovely have fallen. The rooms for us, and we sounds of the river wish her all the best! fill the living room Next month, look for when the windows our new column by are open, and when blogger Karen Guard the chilly weather of Darling Octopus arrives, the warmth and get inspired by a of a crackling fire little imaginative DIY. adds a cozy feel to the room. The chairs that flank the tall whitebrick fireplace are the Wolfs’ two favorite spots.

The Wolfs’ house is built on a hill, so hawks fly by at eye level, and a telescope is ever at the ready to capture these glimpses of the natural world.

“It’s just incredible in here. We’ll have a stout or a barley wine at the end of the day with a fire and a book,” says Ellen. “It’s perfect.”

Between bird watching, the warm fire, comfortable chairs and peaceful company, the family cat, Cleo, often finds herself curled up in the living room, too.

“When we entertain, of course we use the living room — but really it’s our room,” she says. “It’s about what we do in the house. It’s not meant for anybody but us.”

ABOVE LEFT The Wolfs’ library, with shelves that span the entire wall, makes a handsome addition to the room. ABOVE right This old family chest, with its detailed painting on the front, was once Ellen’s grandmother’s.

CLOCKWISE FROM below LEFT Many of the pieces in the room are locally made, such as this bowl by Richmond potter Lee Hazelgrove.

• The Wolfs worked with Kevin Lipnicki of Mathews County to design and build a sofa table to their specifications. • A painting by local artist Keith M. Ramsey hangs on the living room’s largest wall.

“My living room is just that: a room for living ... it’s our favorite space in the house.”  ellen wolf

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Beth Furg urson photos

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10/7/11 10:48:45 AM

At Home

Neighborhood Roots The trees may fall, but the neighborhood remains the same.  By Maureen Egan

T

hough we moved into this wooded neck of the woods on Halloween, and owls screech, bats flutter and deer appear like ghosts in our cars’ headlights on the mostly unlit streets, we’ve never felt a spooky bone in this road’s body. It felt right from the start. On our first night years ago, tired from the moving chores, my husband and I took our two kids, then 4 and 8, out for a quick trick-or-treat. With no streetlight at our end and no neighborhood kids to run around with, it could have been a gloomy occasion, but the night brightened once we saw what our new neighbors had done for us.

They were so excited to welcome children on the street after a long lull without any that they’d decorated just for us with orange lights, spiderwebs, sound effects and other perfectly creepy touches. Then, as we said our hellos and thank-yous, they insisted that we take all of their candy. It was the sweetest welcome ever, and I’m not talking about the chocolate.

As more people with children have moved in, an annual gathering before, during and after trick-or-treating has become a must-do. Walking along, my favorite stop was always at the home of one particular neighbor, who, well into her 80s, rigged herself and her front window so that the kids were sure — and the adults suspicious — that a ghost was floating across her living room just as we approached for trick-or-treating. That Emily was a tad out of breath when she handed out the candy was the only clue that our host was the ghost.

We’ve seen it with our own eyes — this street has a hold on people. Our next-door neighbors hopscotched from a house on one side of the street to a house on the other side long ago — and longevity is a matter of course. Living on the street 40-plus years isn’t a bit unusual. Over the years, neighbors who have moved away (it happens even here) return for our picnics, and Halloween or Christmas parties.

sooner or later, a tree will whack your house but good.

But a good ol’ tree-smashing is our answer to the country barn-raising. We offer help and sympathy and chat a while. It’s how we bond. Then our resident tree guy cleans up the mess. Add to that our share of feralcat frenzies and rabid-raccoon dramas, not to mention the cat-, dog-, fish- and baby-sitting that my children did growing up, and it’s a fully functional eco-and economic system in these parts.

The trees add seasonal color, but it’s the neighbors who give our street local color. There’s been heartache both shared and silent. There have been heroes and heels.

Having a mix of generations on the street puts things in perspective. Now that my children live elsewhere, I love quick glimpses of cute kids that I have no responsibility for. And the older crowd continues to inspire.

Louise led the charge to clean the James and keep an expressway from along the river. Jim remembers the flu epidemic of 1918, but post-Isabel, he wasn’t inclined to let a tree blocking the road in front of his house stop him from getting out. He drove his Buick on top of a retaining wall in front of his house and showed us young-uns how to roll. Older and wiser at 99, he was the first one off the street after Irene. We should have asked him to get us ice.

Though our little road is barely more than a half-mile long, it confounds both GPS and UPS, which only increases my admiration for it. My husband always wanted to live on Maple Street or something along those sylvan lines. Our street has the trees, in this rolling, river-y area, so 16 years ago, when we found this one-owner, well-loved house with low mileage and high-impact trees, we put down our Richmond roots. How lucky for us that we’ve matured alongside the people planted here. It will take more than a hurricane or two to uproot us.

The trees add seasonal color, but it’s the neighbors who give our street local color.

Perhaps there’s something in the water; there’s definitely something in the trees. Like so many streets in Stratford Hills, ours is shaded by a mix of outsized oaks, tulip poplars and loblolly pines. Even without hurricanes wreaking havoc, our houses and street have been smashed by trees more times than insurance companies want to remember. It’s a baptism by tree — a local rite of passage. Move onto this street and

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10/17/11 10:45:06 AM

Favorites

BL ANCHARD’S FAVES

New w Classic Style

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CHIMNEY CHAIR

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ANDRAS BALITY PAINTING

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COFFEE TABLE

Blanchard brought the small chair back from a trip to England: “I love children’s furniture.”

VICKIE BLANCHARD OF FRAÎCHE KEEPS IT FUN.  By Megan Marconyak

As a co-owner of home-décor boutique Fraîche, Vickie Blan-chard says her favorite part of the job is forming relationships. “I get to meet young girls who are getting married, and then moms with new babies … and on the other end of the spectrum, there are people in transition who are downsizing,” she says. “Meeting all these people has been great.” 

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“It looks like a kid on a playground hoping to be asked to play.” She liked the piece so much that she designed her living room around its colors.

The coffee table’s frame was made out of an old iron fence. Blanchard found it during a trip to High Point, N.C.

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

Vickie Blanchard of Fraîche

“I get to meet young girls who are getting married, and then moms with new babies. ... Meeting all these people has been great.”  VICKIE BLANCHARD

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S a r a h Wa l o r p h o t o s

RichmondMag_NYT11_11.1:RichmondTimesDis_517_2.19

10/13/11

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FEEL AT HOME WITH OUR COMPLIMENTARY DESIGN SERVICE.

PARKER CHAIR RICHMOND 12000 WEST BROAD STREET JUST WEST OF SHORT PUMP TOWN CENTER 804.360.1530 ethanallen.com ©2011 Ethan Allen Global, Inc.

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Favorites

Classic Style



SHARON SHAPIRO PAINTING Blanchard saw the painting, part of a series called “It’s Not the Heat, It’s the Humidity,” at a show in Charlottesville. It makes this sunny room feel like summer all year round.

cont’d

SILHOUETTE MADE FROM BUTTERFLY WINGS When

HOT-AIR BALLOON ART Intrigued by

Blanchard’s brother-in-law, Buck, was in the Peace Corps, he brought this piece back from Togo.

their shared last name, Blanchard acquired two etchings of Sophie Blanchard, a pioneering female balloonist, and she has continued to collect similar art over time. The pieces hang together as a group on the wall in her den.

 Similarly, in her Windsor Farms home, Blanchard’s favorite items have sentimental value. Blanchard calls her style “traditional with a little twist.” She focuses on creating a classic look, but one that’s fun, too. And above all, the pieces have to be comfortable and functional.

ANTIQUE CHINESE PAINTING BOX

Knowing Blanchard’s passion for art, one of her parents’ neighbors gave her the box as a gift.

HEREND STATUETTES “People have given them to me as gifts,” she says. “Some have meaning, some are just pretty.” The golden retriever is Blanchard’s favorite because it reminds her of the dogs she had when her children were growing up.

CHINESE GINGER-JAR TOPS

Blanchard likes the designs on the intricately carved jar tops and decided to display them in her living room.

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ANTIQUE ICE-FISHING DECOYS

CHINESE CAMPAIGN CHEST

“They don’t really go with the style of my home, but I love them anyway,” Blanchard says.

Blanchard uses this chest to store Christmas decorations. It adds to the Asian flair in her living room.

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10/14/11 5:38:23 PM

Event



The ASID Designer White Elephant Sale was held at the newly restored Hippodrome Theater.

Dazzling Bids T h e H i s to r i c H i p p o d r o m e T h e at e r s e t s t h e s ta g e w i t h f u n d r a i s i n g f l a i r.  By Courtney Crane Dauer

More than 300 people mingled, bid, bought and ate on Aug. 18 at the ASID Designer White Elephant Sale under a gigantic, dazzling tiered chandelier, a showstopper in the newly renovated Hippodrome Theater, a polished black-andgold-bedecked Art Deco theater on North Second Street. In the 1930s and 1940s, stars such as Bill “Bojangles” Robinson and Ella Fitzgerald performed there, and later, Ray Charles and James Brown also had shows at the Hippodrome.

Hosted by the Virginia Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers, the sale featured a silent auction filled with home furnishings, jewelry, art, dining and spa items — all in all, products and services valued at close to $100,000, donated by local businesses, sales reps and Habitat Re-Store.

“The night’s about building partnerships, connections and houses in the community in which we live, work and play,” said Jim Bohn, statewide manager of Carilion Design Group and director-at-large for the board of ASID’s Virginia chapter.

In an industry like interior design, which strives to improve spaces to live and work, it’s fitting that the Designer White Elephant Sale benefited Richmond Metropolitan Habitat for Humanity, an organization dedicated to building and renovating homes and broadening access to affordable housing in Richmond and its surrounding areas. The event raised nearly $30,000 for Habitat.

Bidders at the auction battled: “For designers and architects, this is like candy,” Bohn explained. “Even designers can’t get items like these for the prices found here.”

Attendees devoured foods prepared by three Jackson Ward restaurants, Nate’s Taco Truck Stop, Ettamae’s Café and Thai Corner, and then they voted for their favorite. The three eateries, all located near the historic Hippodrome, competed for neighborhood bragging rights, with Thai Corner taking the prize.

“We far exceeded our expected total attendance,” says Lauren Cunningham, community relations coordinator for Richmond Metropolitan Habitat for Humanity.

Top left Gary and Beth (seated) Dickerson bought these chairs for their son’s new apartment in New York. Middle left A diverse collection of items were up for auction. Bottom left Jody Taylor, Lorie Flythe Joyner, Gale R. Jones and Sarah Thomas

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Ja y P a u l p h o t o s

THE RICHMOND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA LEAGUE PRESENTS A PREMIER FUNDRAISER FOR THE RICHMOND SYMPHONY

WIN ONE OF SIX CUSTOMIZED HOLIDAY TREES WITH CLOSE TO $5,000 IN GIFTS UNDER EACH TREE $5 raffle tickets sold online at www.richmondsymphonyoftrees.com and at various locations, including Hilton Garden Inn from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily

NOVEMBER 25, 2011 – DECEMBER 4, 2011

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10/14/11 10:24:25 AM

Gardening

Plants Behaving Badly A M Y S T E W A R T E X P LO R E S T H E D A R K S I D E O F F LO R A  By Sara Jackson

I

n the darkly funny Wicked Plants: The Weed that Killed Lincoln’s Mother & Other Botanical Atrocities, author Amy Stewart reveals that plants, both in the garden and in the wild, aren’t gentle, benign beauties — they’re assassins and pitiless, stealthy attackers.

“Plants have to defend themselves to not get eaten,” Stewart says. “They can’t run and hide; they can’t fight back. But they can infl ict pain and suffering on anyone who comes in contact with them or tries to eat them.

It should be no surprise that most of what we grow in our flower gardens or houses aren’t breakfast foods.”

Stewart brought her sinister stories to Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden on Oct. 20, along with her newest book, Wicked Plants’ companion volume, Wicked Bugs: The Louse That Conquered Napoleon’s Army & Other Diabolical Insects.

She has a bit of a shocker for Virginia’s avid gardeners — many of their most beloved plants and shrubs actually have a nasty reputation. Azalea and rhododendron bushes contain the poison grayanotoxin in their leaves, flowers, nectar and pollen, which can cause heart problems, vomiting, dizziness and extreme weakness. Any part of the old-fashioned favorite foxglove can create severe stomach upset, delirum, tremors, convulsions and more if ingested. And Stewart warns that the hydrangea, often used as a wedding-

1

Betel Nut

A mild stimulant, the nuts and leaves are addictive and can cause fibrosis and cancer of the mouth.

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2

cake topper, can cause headaches and muscle weakness.

But you don’t have to eat a plant to feel its ill effects. Dozens of Stewart’s entries, from the humble sweet pea to the ever-popular tulip, have chemicals on or in them that can produce nasty rashes and skin reactions.

Houseplants, too, contain hidden dangers, like the ever-popular philodendron, which can induce severe abdominal pain if ingested, and resulted in more than 1,600 calls to poisoncontrol centers in just one year.

Even plants we’re supposed to eat can do damage. Rhubarb contains oxalic acid and can cause weakness, difficulty breathing and even death.

Stewart recounts a 1917 Times of London story about a minister who died after eating a dish made from rhubarb leaves. Cashew nuts belong to the same plant family as poison ivy, and while the nut is safe to eat, if any part of the nutmeat has come into contact with the leaves or shell, it can cause a nasty rash.

Castor Bean

According to the 2007 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records, this plant is the most poisonous in the world.

3

Bryony

Wicked Plants is fi lled with stories throughout history of plants run amok, such as Eupatorium rugosum, or white snakeroot, which is blamed for the death of Abraham Lincoln’s mother. She drank milk from a cow that had grazed on white snakeroot. Once ingested, the plant’s toxin, tremetol, passed into its milk, causing vomiting, lethargy, coma and death.

Stewart’s historical bent has captured the imagination of botanicalgarden curators across the United States. San Francisco’s Conservatory of Flowers debuted an entire exhibit this spring based on Wicked Plants, complete with a faux Victorian garden full of frightening flora. The North Carolina Arboretum, in Asheville, has created a 3,000-square-foot traveling exhibit of “botanical atrocities” that will begin touring the country this summer.

One last menacing note: Stewart’s book is by no means an exhaustive reference of poisonous or dangerous plants — there are plenty more out there. Her primary recommendation to gardeners? Don’t stay out of nature, just wear gloves when you’re handling it.

“You can hike for miles and never encounter the coyotillo shrub, whose berries cause a slow but deadly paralysis,” she writes in Wicked Plants’ introduction. “But someday, the plant kingdom’s dark side may make itself known to you. When it does, you should be prepared.”

This poisonous plant can still be found in some herbal preparations for things like coughs or rheumatism.

4

Yew

The seeds themselves are extremely poisonous to both humans and animals but can be eaten by birds with no effect.

Copper etching i l lustrations by Briony MorrowC r i b b s fo r t h e b o o k W i c k e t P l a n t s b y A m y S t e w a r t

for the

HOLIDAYS Wednesday, Nov. 16 — 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Join Virginia native Grace Bonney, founder of one of the most influential design blogs, Design*Sponge, and other Richmond designers for a morning of DIY and home design know-how at Plant Zero.

Bonney doesn’t think design should have to come with a degree or a high price. She began her blog in 2004 and along with her new book, Design*Sponge at Home, she wants to give all of us the design fundamentals we need to make our homes beautiful.

Sign up for two out of a choice of four seminars before Bonney’s talk, with subjects ranging from the Design Process, and Do-It-Yourself Redos, to Working with Color, and Holiday Floral Design, and then stay for a lunch and book signing! Or just come for Bonney’s talk and lunch.

Net proceeds to benefit the School of Richmond Ballet’s need-based scholarship fund.

Tickets $17 (for lunch and talk) to $27 (for seminars, lunch and talk)

Visit www.richmondmagazine.com/grace for tickets • Reservations are limited • Call 355-0111 with questions. presented by

LaDIFFÉRENCE international furnishings

community sponsors:

West End Antiques Mall

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10/14/11 4:35:02 PM

As this year draws to a close, we wish you warmth, peace & comfort!

Holiday Open House ~ Dec. 3th & 4th.

3-6 P.M. Continuing our patio lunch indoors! Please order a day ahead.

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10/17/11 11:03:12 AM

WHETSTONE Custom Upholstery & Interiors Your Home Couture Workroom 804-355-8505 | 1122 N. Boulevard whetstoneupholsteryandinteriors.com

THE THIRD ANNUAL CHAIR AFFAIR This chair will be auctioned off to raise money for the Furniture Bank

to benefit The Caratas Furniture Bank Thursday November 3rd 2011 6:30 P.M. at Celebrations located on the Swift Creek reservoir

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ď&#x192;Ł

The room at the entryway is one-half of the downstairs space that surrounds the homeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s central fireplace.

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big view Sherrie and Patrick Becker maximize the view of their Riverside Drive home.

BY JULIE YOUNG

PHOTOS BY ADAM EWING

Sherrie Becker (above) is perched on a brown wicker love seat under a gently whirring patio ceiling fan, embraced by the wings of her renovated Westover Hills home, when a train crossing the nearby James River interrupts her mid-sentence.

“I hope you can hear me,” she says, glancing through the massive trees along Riverside Drive at the string of northbound freight cars rolling across the railway bridge. “This is what we wanted. We wanted to be closer to the river.”

rhomemag.com

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

The Beckers took out the walls that ran along each side of the fireplace to create a large, open space that replaces two small, cramped rooms.

T

FIRST FLOOR

KITCHEN

GARAGE

GARAGE garage

OFFICE ROOM

office room

OFFICE ROOM

KITCHEN kitchen

BED ROOM

BED ROOM bedroom

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FAMILY ROOM FAMILY ROOM

LIVING ROOM

ENTRYWAY ROOM

living room

entryway ENTRYWAY ROOM room

LIVING ROOM

bedroom BED ROOM BED ROOM

he winding road where the house sits was a favorite running spot for Sherrie, owner of a Bon Air marketing business for real-estate developers and builders, and Patrick, a selfemployed structural engineer, during the 15 years that they lived on nearby Devonshire Road. Their exercise route took them past the diverse architecture along the bluff, including an uninspiring 1950s brick rancher. family The bricks were red. room The shingles were red. The shutters and trim were red. “We called it the Red Roof Inn,” says Sherrie, laughing. “One day, we saw the for-sale sign. We called a real-estate agent, and as soon as we saw the view, we bought it.”

That was 2008. The bedroom Beckers spent the next year and a half transforming the midcentury modern rambler into a new-century California cottage. They moved in last December. Their collective expertise allowed them to serve as their own BED ROOM BED ROOM

architect and general contractor. “[Patrick] and I did the planning together, which was great because we could get exactly what we wanted,” says Sherrie, thumbing through an album of “before” pictures. “We tried to keep the midcentury look … but get away from the traditional ranch.” They accomplished their goal by preserving the home’s footprint while incorporating midcentury hallmarks such as large windows and open spaces.

The house no longer recedes into the steep hillside. With its bricks painted a soft taupe/gray and its trim chocolate brown, the house presents a clean, fresh façade. The interior is bright, airy and washed in soothing tones of fawn, soft gray, pale blue, cream and white.

When the Beckers restored their previous home, they lived amid the construction work; this time, they swore off that sacrifice. Instead, from the confines of the Devonshire house, Sherrie sketched a second story on a snapshot of the Riverside Drive rancher and studied glossy images of cabinetry and other architectural features that she had torn out of Southern Accents,

Floor plan by Chris Arias



Although in the future it might become a sitting room, this space has yet to receive a designation.

| Scan it

To see more photos of the Beckers’ home, scan this tag with your smartphone after downloading the free app at gettag.mobi.

Elle Décor and House Beautiful. Patrick was charged with resetting the bones — moving walls, raising ceilings and relocating staircases.

Expanding rooms and building a more steeply pitched roof opened up the choppy postwar layout. A second story added above the home’s central core gave the couple a spacious master suite; a roomy bath with dual vanities and a zero-entry shower; his-and-hers walk-in closets; and a laundry nook.

The Beckers kept the original whiteoak floors but installed large casement windows with roll-up screens. “We really tried to maximize the views with as many long windows and French doors as we could,” Sherrie says.

The home looks deceptively small from Riverside Drive, but it actually has 3,600 square feet that includes a full basement. An attached two-car garage and a wide expanse of roof dominate the rear view. “When you come in the back, all you see is roof,” Patrick says. “We wanted to do something nice because we have to look at it every time we come in.” The choice was an attractive, eco-friendly, faux-slate roofing material made from recycled rubber.

‘‘

We tried to keep the midcentury look … but get away from the traditional ranch.”

—SHERRIE BECKER

Above left These bubbled-glass prisms shaped like oyster shells — from one of a pair of chandeliers downstairs — can be lifted off their hooks and run through the dishwasher.

Above right Ceramic pears from Quirk Gallery line the inside of a wooden trencher.

rhomemag.com

37

SECOND FLOOR

MASTER MASTER BEDROOM BEDROOM MASTERBATH BATH MASTER

DN

CLOSET CLOSET

LAUNDRY LAUNDRY W

CLOSET CLOSET

D

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT

The laundry room is adjacent to both the master bedroom and the couple’s walk-in closet. • The roomy master bath has dual vanities and a marble-lined, zero-entry shower. • A framed opening between the bathroom and the closet creates a modern laundry chute.

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Floor plan by Chris Arias

A second story added above the homeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s central core gave the couple a spacious master suite and a roomy bath.

ď&#x192;Ł

The roof was raised and redesigned with a steeper pitch in order to create a master bedroom suite.

ď&#x192;Ł

A long, dramatic soapstone island below two striking lighting fixtures from Crate & Barrel dominates the kitchen.

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‘‘

This is where we hope to spend the next 40 or 50 years.”

—SHERRIE BECKER

The fi rst floor’s showpiece is the kitchen/family room/entertainment wing. The long corridor kitchen is bisected by a 9-foot soapstone island equipped with a wide pull-out shelf for dishes and a microwave drawer.

Calcutta marble countertops anchor quarter-sawn cabinets and drawers.

By design, there are no upper cabinets.

Patrick becomes animated demonstrating the kitchen features. “He’s the chef,” notes Sherrie. “He even makes homemade pizza dough and bread.”

The adjacent family room, formerly an old jalousied sun porch, has builtin shelves, expansive windows facing the river and collar ties (beams with up-lighting) that support the vaulted ceiling and add an eye-catching architectural element.

The space between the two first-floor wings wraps around a central fireplace.

The spot is awaiting designation as a dining room, perhaps a living room or maybe just “other.” Paintings by

Patrick’s parents rest against walls on tabletops, not yet assigned permanent hanging sites. The room is illuminated by two striking chandeliers made of bubbled-glass prisms shaped like oyster shells that can be lifted off their hooks and run through the dishwasher.

In the other wing of the first floor are two guest rooms, two full baths and a second master suite “for when we get too old to climb the stairs,” says Patrick. A drop zone between the foyer and garage serves as the couple’s office.

From all of the numerous vistas that the Beckers built into their home, they can crank open the windows, listen to the river and stargaze at night.

“This is where we hope to spend the next 40 or 50 years,” Sherrie says.  ABOVE RIGHT The Beckers deliberately avoided overhead cabinetry, opting instead for below-counter quarter-sawn cabinets and drawers, a wide pull-out shelf for dishes and a microwave drawer. BELOW LEFT The Beckers’ house before renovation BELOW RIGHT After renovation: “We really tried to maximize the views with as many long windows and French doors as we could,” Sherrie says.

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The large wooden wall piece came from the old CSX building. When a Fortune 500 company purchased the building, they were going to get rid of it, but Christoph Casati asked if he could keep it. They gave the piece to him for free.

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When Christoph Casati showed his wife, Copeland, a photo of the 1951 ranch house for sale on Park Avenue in the Near West End, she immediately balked. While German-born Christoph saw potential in the location, the dimensions and the Frank Lloyd Wrightesque feel of the brick structure, Copeland could envision only low ceilings and a cramped layout. ď&#x192; rhomemag.com

43

BELOW LEFT The Casatis’ dog, Khan, lounges on a rug found at a yard sale and in front of an antique credenza topped with a pair of midcentury “exotic” lamps.

BELOW RIGHT The Casatis’ china cabinet, purchased from Oyster House Antiques in Charlottesville, was originally used to hold Chinese burial urns.

“I grew up in Richmond,” says Copeland, founder of Copeland Casati Media, a new-media marketing company. “I love very modern or very traditional architecture. My husband showed me a blurry picture on the Internet of this brick rancher, and I said, ‘Sweetie, I know you’re from Europe, but this is not what you want.’ ” He convinced her to walk inside. The previous owners, who were the only owners prior to the Casatis, added an extra half-foot to the traditional ceiling height when they built the house — a seemingly small change that effectively gave the home an open and airy feel. The Casatis were intrigued by the house’s u shape, which created

44

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an easy flow throughout the living areas, as well as the abundance of windows that allowed for ample sunlight.

Copeland immediately fell for the large yard, perfect for a garden for her growing family, which now includes Jacob, 9, and Lila, 7.

“It was an oasis in the middle of the city,” she says. The 400-square-foot master bedroom sealed the deal.

“You’re talking to a girl who lived in New York City with three [roommates] and a Dalmatian in an apartment half the size of this bedroom,” says Copeland. “That’s when I said, ‘Put in a bid.’ ” Once the house was theirs, they set about

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BELOW Copeland Casati relaxes in her 400-square-foot bedroom. The tribal mask above the window was an anniversary gift from her husband. Both the 19th-century brown horsehair armchair and the lamp from the ’20s on the dresser are family pieces passed down to her. RIGHT Howard Smith is an African-American artist who gained international fame with his designs for Finnish ceramics maker Arabia. The white bird is from his Parvi collection. FAR RIGHT The tile floor in the dining area, originally buried under wall-to-wall carpeting, makes indoor art projects possible year-round.

restoring it to its original state. Since 1951, the home had acquired carpeting in every room and layers of paint over the natural tile and wood surfaces. They decided to turn back the clock.

“We regard the house the same way we look at our furniture,” explains Cristoph, a software engineer with PAETEC. “When we buy something, we refinish it and restore it. It’s a different attitude than taking it and gutting it.”

For six weeks, Christoph went to the new house from 6 p.m. until 2 a.m. pulling up carpet, refinishing floors, stripping paint and patching

46

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walls. While the couple strives to live as sustainably as possible, they first considered the house’s aesthetic roots when making design decisions.

“We made the decision not to replace the windows because they’re a feature that’s inherent to the architecture of that day,” says Copeland, who founded Green Modern Kits, a company that sells energy-efficient, passive-solar prefab homes. “They’re irreplaceable. We sealed them up more to make them more energy efficient instead. You have to balance function and efficiency with staying true to the vision.”

“Furniture, for me, is similar to the way you treat your clothing. It’s a way that you express yourself.”

—Christoph Casati

Though they had been living in a turn-of-thecentury North Side farmhouse, their furnishings and décor perfectly suited the new house. The Casatis began acquiring mid-century furnishings shortly after getting married in 1996, starting with a Knoll couch acquired for $70 at an antique store. The collection grew from there.

“Furniture, for me, is similar to the way you treat your clothing,” says Cristoph, who designed a line of furniture that was mass-produced under his name in Germany in the 1980s.

“It’s a way that you express yourself.”

The couple’s décor is intensely personal, representing a mish-mash of family pieces, thrift-shop finds and “rescues,” including a huge wooden wall sculpture that was salvaged during the renovation of the old CSX building and now adorns a living room wall. Among the family relics scattered throughout the house are an oil painting that Christoph’s grandfather cut from its frame as the family escaped the Russians during World War II and a model of a merchant vessel that his great-grandfather, a German engineer, designed prior to the war.

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DINING ROOM

MASTER BEDROOM

FLOOR PLAN

LIVING ROOM OFFICE

KITCHEN

SITTING ROOM

MASTER BATH

BEDROOM

While the Casatis have enjoyed adding familiar names to their midcentury collection — Copeland particularly prizes ceramics by Howard Smith, an African-American artist from New Jersey who designed for Arabia, a giant of Finnish design — they don’t shy away from pieces without known provenance.

“A lot of times it’s falling in love with something unrecognizable that calls to you,” says Copeland.

Each piece seems to come with an anecdote: a canvas hanging over the living room couch that was found in the garage, a marble-based

Floor plan by Chris Arias

BEDROOM

FAR LEFT The glass table, left by the home’s previous owners, is topped by china inherited from Copeland’s grandmother and surrounded by Piretti Xylon chairs.

BELOW LEFT The model boats mounted on the wall were built by Christoph, who sailed them growing up in Hamburg, Germany. The glass case holds a model of a merchant vessel designed by his great-grandfather.

BELOW RIGHT Below the Marimekko screenprint hang the family’s stockings. Copeland’s is the original, made by her mother, while the rest were made by Copeland for her family.

coffee table that was given to Cristoph on one of his scouting trips to Diversity Thrift, a set of vintage dishes that only comes out on the first snowfall of the year.

“That’s the fun thing about buying furniture like this: Every piece has a story to it,” says Cristoph. “You relate to how you found it, who you met, what you know about the previous owner.”

“We could walk into any store and buy something, but where’s the fun in that?” adds Copeland. “Where’s the story? Where’s the history?

Why not celebrate reuse?” 

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BEFORE: DECEMBER 2008

AFTER: OCTOBER 2011

 

FROM

Unseemly TO

SEEMLY (Well, at least, we think so.)

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GUY CRITTENDEN STYLING BY WENDY UMANOFF

A WESTOVER HILLS RANCH UNDERGOES A TRANSFORMATION ON A FIVE-YEAR PLAN BY SUSAN WINIECKI

Andrew and I knew that the house we were purchasing on New Kent Road wasn’t a looker, but an off-the-cuff comment by one of my husband’s co-workers — who knew of the house, but didn’t know we had a contract on it — put it in an entirely different light: “That house should be knocked down and replaced with something more seemly.”

Ouch. 

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ď&#x192;Ł

The wall between the kitchen and family room came down, and Steve Matthews of Ivy Falls Construction feathered the hardwoods to make a seamless transition. He installed the maple cabinets and fabricated the mantel and open shelving.



Shelving surrounds a Corian desktop under the window and a sleeper sofa in Andrew’s office. Sconces spotlight a collection of presidential photographs from Andrew’s travels as a White House correspondent and his father’s work for the U.S. Postal Service.

FLOOR PLAN

STUDIO WORKSHOP

LAUNDRY ROOM LAUNDRY ROOM

KITCHEN KITCHEN

DINNING ROOM DINING ROOM

LIVING ROOM LIVING ROOM

OFFICE OFFICE

SITTING AREA SITTING AREA

OFFICE OFFICE

MASTER BEDROOM MASTER BEDROOM

GUEST BEDROOM

GUEST BEDROOM

TOP RIGHT: The family room, which flows into the kitchen, used to be covered in sheet paneling and had a swirl-patterned ceiling. Floor lamps, new exterior doors and Benjamin Moore Cloud White walls help illuminate what was a very dark space. BOTTOM RIGHT: An Eames sideboard provides extra storage for kitchen items. I found the nine-box frame at a consignment store and removed its glass panes and paper prints to make this shadow box.

Two events led us to the “unseemly” house in fall 2008. My husband’s disabled father was ailing, and we thought he might need to move in with us, necessitating a one-story floor plan with room for an in-law suite. We also knew a couple who wanted to buy our rambling Forest Hill Avenue Victorian.

We love the neighborhoods of Forest Hill and Westover Hills, so when Realtor Dan Hunt came up with this listing, we jumped on it, despite its inherent flaws from 1965: hollowcore doors, chopped-up rooms, sheet paneling, a bowling-alley hallway and a nondescript exterior. What we saw was a big corner lot, a threecar garage and a sunny living room with a postcard view of the charming English Tudor across the street.

Sure, she didn’t have a pretty face, but, oh, the wonders of a little properly applied makeup. We were up for the challenge.

INSIDE REFEREE We tackled the outside first, putting on a roof, installing a new HVAC system, and enclosing a 20-by-30-foot

Floor plan by Chris Arias

A POSTCARD VIEW OF THE CHARMING ENGLISH TUDOR ACROSS THE STREET.

WHAT WE SAW WAS A BIG CORNER LOT, A THREE-CAR GARAGE AND A SUNNY LIVING ROOM WITH

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| Scan it

To see more photos of Susan's home, scan this tag with your smartphone after downloading the free app at gettag.mobi.

carport attached to the main house. We called in Steve Matthews of Ivy Falls Construction to work on the carport.

However, Christmas 2008 was nearing, and two sets of in-laws were on their way for holiday visits, so we needed to get to work on the inside, splash some paint on the walls and figure out a way to corral all of our books. I needed help, so I called in frequent R·Home stylist and lighting designer Wendy Umanoff.

She met with Andrew and me and asked us what we wanted out of the house. Andrew, a less-is-more guy, wanted a place of calm — along with our Stickley dining room set somewhere in the mix. I, a more-is-better gal, wanted a way to work in all of my favorite redpatterned fabrics and large pieces of art.

Under Wendy’s watch, the living room became a library, a place to kick back and read on a sunny Sunday morning or do a little letter writing. Steve installed shelving that runs the length of the picture-window wall, and we purchased a sofa table that doubles as a desk.

The almost-square dining room has become a mix of old and new. A Heywood-Wakefield sideboard from Forest Hill Antiques, a contemporary light fixture and a huge Art Deco mirror surround our Stickley pieces now.

A piece of self-discovery: I now totally entrust Wendy to make the final call on paint colors. It saves us time and money. Andrew and I initially chose a green for the dining room, which made Unseemly cont’d on P.62 

READ ON A SUNNY SUNDAY MORNING OR DO A LITTLE LETTER WRITING.

UNDER WENDY'S WATCH, THE LIVING ROOM BECAME A LIBRARY, A PLACE TO KICK BACK AND

ABOVE: The master bedroom has a tranquil, beachy feel. Blue bed linens complement the custom driftwood lamp by Wendy Umanoff and driftwood-trimmed bedside tables from West Elm. BOTTOM: The living room is divided into two spaces — a study area behind the couch and a conversation area in front of the fireplace. The added shelving gives the entire room that library feel.

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Above: The inspiration for the guest room was the blownglass pendant fixture from Anthropologie.

And the yellow, vinyl-clad wing chair screamed to be in that room. Left: The Stickley dining room set pairs well with the Heywood-Wakefield server. My mom at age 11 smiles upon us. Right: The barrier-free, wet-room bathroom has both a rain showerhead and a hand-held shower. The circular soap dish is also an ADA grab bar.

o Potat t e e Sw uffins M es 12 Mak

INGREDIENTS  1 stick (8 ounces) unsalted butter  1/2 cup (6 ounces) brown sugar, packed  2 eggs  1/4 cup molasses  1/4 cup honey  1/2 teaspoon salt  1/2 teaspoon ground ginger  1/2 teaspoon cinnamon  1/4 teaspoon nutmeg  1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder  1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda  3 1/2 cups (1 pound) bread flour, dipand-scoop method (see p. 61*)  1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract  1/2 cup milk  1/4 cup sour cream  3/4 cup mashed, cooked sweet potato (or canned pumpkin)

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 400 F. With a mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, molasses and honey.

Add the egg mixture to the butter mixture and beat until combined.

Sift together the dry ingredients. In another bowl, whisk the vanilla, milk, sour cream and sweet potato together.

Then, with the mixer on low, alternately add the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined.

Spray two muffin tins with nonstick spray, and scoop 1/4 cup of the batter into half of the cups (only fill every other cup, so that the tops don’t stick together when they rise).

Bake for 35 minutes.

SWEET

Holiday CHEER Baking with Carly Herring of The Empress

BY BRANDON FOX PHOTOS BY KIP DAWKINS

ON THE MENU

p. 56 SWEET POTATO MUFFINS

p. 58 SPRITZ COOKIES

p. 59 GINGERBREAD COOKIES

p. 60 WHISKEY PECAN PIE

p. 61 PEPPERMINT CHEESECAKE rhomemag.com

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I

f you’re not careful, the

holidays can propel you right into a sugar-induced coma. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing — the key is to make those sweet treats worth your while.

We asked Carly Herring, chef and co-owner of The Empress on Broad Street, to show us how to make some of her favorites. The former executive pastry chef at the now-closed Verbena, Herring has been cooking for most of her life. She came to Richmond from

SPRITZ COOKIES — Makes 6 dozen INGREDIENTS  1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) unsalted butter, softened  1 cup (5 ounces) powdered sugar, dip-and-scoop method (see p. 61*)

 3 egg yolks  1 teaspoon almond extract  3 cups (14 ounces) bread flour, dip-and-scoop method (see p. 61*)  Raspberry jam

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 375 F. Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer on high speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. With the mixer on low, add the yolks one at a time. Add the extract, and then slowly add the flour. Mix until just combined.

Scoop the batter into a pastry (or Ziploc) bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe the batter into a figure-eight shape (an “s” shape with the ends touching the middle). With a wet fingertip, make a dent in the nook of each end. Fill the dent with jam.

Bake for about 15 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges.

Hampton to attend VCU but discovered college wasn’t for her. “During that time, I was working in restaurants, and decided I liked that better.” Herring enrolled in J. Sargeant Reynolds’ culinary arts associate of applied science degree program. To fi ll in some free time, she decided to take pastry classes, too.

“I think that’s where I developed my affi nity for sweet and savory. I was always going between the two while I was in school,” she says. She came out of the program ready to cook, and over the years she's done stints

58

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Ging erbr Cook ead ies Make s app rox. 2

doze

n

INGREDIENTS  6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter  3/4 cup (7 ounces) sugar  1 egg  1/2 cup molasses  1 tablespoon baking soda

 2 cups (9 ounces) bread flour, dipand-scoop method (see p. 61*)  1 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger  1/2 teaspoon cinnamon  1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low, and then add the egg and molasses.

In another bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and, a little at a time, add to the butter mixture.

Mix until just combined. Scoop a tablespoon full of dough, roll it into a ball and flatten slightly.

Repeat until all of the dough is used up. Refrigerate until firm (or freeze the dough for fresh cookies whenever you like). Bake for 10 minutes, until flattened and the tops are crackly looking.

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key s i h W e n Pi a c e P s8 Serve

INGREDIENTS  4 eggs  3/4 cup (6 1/2 ounces) brown sugar, packed  1/3 cup (3 ounces) rice syrup  1/3 cup molasses  1/2 teaspoon salt  1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract  1/4 cup whiskey  3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) butter, melted  1 1/2-1 1/2 cup (10 ounces) pecans, partially crushed

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350 F. Whisk all of the ingredients together, and pour into a prepared 9-inch pie shell (recipe follows).

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the middle is no longer wiggly, the pie looks puffed and the edges are starting to firm.

For the pie crust: INGREDIENTS  3 1/2 cups (1 pound) all-purpose flour, dipand-scoop (see p. 61*)  1 stick (1/4 pound) butter, softened  1/4 cup (2 ounces) sugar  1/2 to 3/4 cup (4 to 6 ounces) ice water

DIRECTIONS Combine the flour, butter and sugar, and mix well.

Add ice water (start with the lowest amount and add more by tablespoonfuls, if needed) until a sticky, floury ball of dough forms. Let rest about 10 minutes.

Turn dough out onto a well-floured counter and sprinkle with flour. Roll flat, turning frequently to maintain the shape. Add flour as needed, and when it starts to get rubbery (roll it out and you’ll see it spring or pull back), put a towel over it and let it rest for 5 minutes.

Line a 9-inch pie pan with the dough, cutting off the extra. Crimp the edges.

*THE DIPAND-SCOOP METHOD is exactly what it sounds like: Dip the dry measure cup into the flour, and then level it off with a knife.

in the kitchens of the Berkeley Hotel and Europa, as well as Verbena. Herring opened The Empress, along with partner Melissa Barlow, a year and a half ago.

Baking, according to Herring, is more like chemistry: “I’m big on science.” You need to measure precisely and use the ingredients that are listed in the recipe. All-purpose flour has a different protein content than bread flour, for instance, and you won’t get the same results if you substitute one for the other.

Weighing things like flour and sugar, as opposed to measuring them with a measuring cup, is also crucial.

“In Virginia,” she says, “two cups of flour could weigh anything, depending on the weather.” Humidity can dramatically increase the weight of flour and throw off your recipe, according to Herring. You’re safer with a scale.

But don’t be afraid to make Herring’s muffins, cookies and cheesecake if that new kitchen scale you want is going to be under the tree instead of being on the counter right now when you need it. We’ve listed both the dry

PEPPERMINT CHEESECAKE INGREDIENTS For the filling:  2 packages (1 pound) cream cheese, left at room temperature until very soft  1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream  1 cup (4 ounces) powdered sugar  4 teaspoons cornstarch  1 egg

— Serves 8  4 egg yolks  1 teaspoon vanilla extract  1/4 to 1/2 cup crushed candy canes or peppermint candies For the graham cracker crust:  1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs  1/4 cup (2 ounces) sugar  2 tablespoons (1 ounce) butter

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat the cream cheese and sour cream with the powdered sugar and cornstarch until very smooth. In a mixer, add the egg, egg yolks and vanilla.

Mix on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Add to cream cheese mixture and stir in the candy pieces.

Line an 8-inch springform or cake pan with plastic wrap.

Combine the crust ingredients and pack tightly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Pour the cheese mixture on top. Tap lightly to remove any air bubbles.

Place the cake pan in a water bath (add one inch of hot water to another, larger pan, and place the cheesecake pan in that). Cover the entire pan with foil, leaving a corner open to vent. Bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until the middle is no longer wiggly. Remove carefully from the oven and allow to cool, still covered, until the water is room temperature. Place the cake uncovered in the refrigerator until cool and set. Once the cake is completely cooled, it can be removed from the pan (undo the spring and lift the plastic at the edges) or covered and stored until ready to serve.

measure and the weight of ingredients in the following recipes. 

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 Unseemly cont’d from P.55

47 ANNUAL TH

everyone sitting around the table look a little that way around the edges themselves. I picked a lime green that literally glows in my 6-by-7-foot office, and the yellow I selected for the guest room is bright enough to keep you awake. Those two rooms will be repainted or maybe even wallpapered.

19-20, 2011

Demolition Time By early 2010, we were ready to rip out the wall between the kitchen and family room and gut the piney kitchen.

Steve Matthews arrived again and removed the non-load-bearing kitchen wall. We ordered Kraftmaid maple lower cabinets and went with quartz for the countertops. I devised a wheeled island with deep pot drawers that could be put into service as a bar or as a sideboard in another room.

Steve crafted open kitchen shelving and a fireplace mantel to match.

Since we moved from a 3,000square-foot Victorian into 1,900 square feet, some of our rooms were overstuffed with furniture, especially bookcases. My husband’s office, which can be seen from the family room, was brimming with mismatched pieces.

Andrew’s office needed to go on a diet. Steve built maple bookshelves along two walls and installed a Corian desktop under the room's 48inch-wide window.

Down the hall, the main bath also got an overhaul. Our bath was a challenging 5-by-9-foot space, so creating a wet room was the way to go. Our contractor Steve also built a wall-length mirrored medicine chest to open up the room, and he retooled a $149 Lowe’s vanity set, melding its narrow-profile porcelain sink top to a custom cabinet below.

SATURDAY 10AM-6PM SUNDAY 11AM-5PM 2500 W. Broad St. Free Parking!

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brick be gone A Stratford Hills ranch that was painted a deep gray with a yellow door gave me inspiration for our exterior, which we finally tackled this spring.

Some folks are adverse to painting brick, but I assure you there was absolutely nothing special about our weirdly orange masonry that Barden's Decorating brushed over.

D.E. Nunnally and his sons extended the roofline on the gable and crafted a tapered Craftsman column that replaced rusty ironwork on the front porch.

Amid the color change, the carpentry changes and a few simple window boxes, I no longer wince when I pull up to our home. We have a ways to go on the landscaping — but that’s in the five-year plan. 

N OW D I S T R I B U T I N G

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Resource Listings BIG VIEW Pages 34-41

Page 34 & 36 Chandelier, ABC Lighting, (212) 290-1994. Floor mirror, West Elm, westelm.com.

Lamp, Pier 1 Imports, pier1.com. Dresser table, Green Front Furniture, greenfront.com. Armchairs, Williams & Sherrill, williamsandsherrill.com. Chair, Williams & Sherrill, williamsandsherrill.com. Rug, Pottery Barn, potterybarn.com. Painting, Carol Becker, carolbeckerart.com. Page 37 Sofa, Crate & Barrel, crateandbarrel.com. Starfish pillow, Williams and Sherrill, williamsandsherrill.com. Rug, Pottery Barn, potterybarn.com. Chandelier, ABC Lighting, (212) 290-1994. Ceramic pears, Quirk Gallery, quirkgallery.com. Page 38 Rug, Dash & Albert, dashandalbert.com. Bamboo window shades, Lowes, lowes.com. Jewelry stand, Urban Outfitters, urbanoutfitters.com. Dresser, Green Front Furniture, greenfront.com. Calcutta Gold marble, The Tile Shop, tileshop.com. Rug, Dash & Albert, dashandalbert.com. White Calcutta marble counter, Fleet Imports, fleet-imports.com.

Sink faucet, 90 Degree by Moen, moen.com.

Mirror, Target, target.com. Wall light, Possini Euro for Lamps Plus, lampsplus.com. Origami White wall paint, Sherwin Williams, sherwin-williams. com. Page 39 Fleur de Sel wall paint, Sherwin Williams, sherwin-williams.com. Duvet cover and pillow, West Elm, westelm.com. Armchair, Pottery Barn, potterybarn.com. Rug, Dash & Albert, dashandalbert.com. Lee Industries bed, Williams & Sherrill, williamsandsherrill.com. Page 40 Soapstone island countertop, Fleet Imports, fleet-imports. com. Light fixtures, Crate & Barrel, crateandbarrel. com. Bill Chill wall paint, Sherwin Williams, sherwinwilliams.com. Fleur de Sel wall paint, Sherwin Williams, sherwin-williams.com. Armchair fabric, Williams and Sherrill, williamsandsherrill.com. Pillows, Crate & Barrel, crateandbarrel.com. Sofa, Crate & Barrel, crateandbarrel.com. Armchair, Green Front Furniture, greenfront.com. Pillow fabric, Williams and Sherrill, williamsandsherrill.com.

Ottoman, Williams and Sherrill, williamsandsherrill. com. Lamp, Pier 1 Imports, pier1.com. Floor lamp, Pier 1 Imports, pier1.com. Curtains, West Elm, westelm.com. Page 41 Painting, Carol Becker, carolbeckerart.com. White Calcutta marble counter, Fleet Imports, fleet-imports.com.

Cabinets, Prestige Custom Cabinets & Countertops, prestigecabinetsva.com. Lamp, TJ Maxx, tjmaxx. com. Dishes, Target, target.com. Bowl, West Elm, westelm.com. Bill Chill wall paint, Sherwin Williams, sherwin-williams.com.

MIDCENTURY MASH-UP Pages 42-49

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Page 42 Table and orange table lamp, Diversity Thrift, diversitythrift.com. Silver cooler, family antique. Page 44 Art deco wooden table, Lane Furniture, lanefurniture.com. China cabinet, Oyster House Antiques, oysterhouse.com. Page 45 Chairs, La DiffĂŠrence, ladiff.com. Martini glasses, Diversity Thrift diversitythrift.org. 1920s martini shaker, family antique. Page 46 Dark brown armchair, Horsehair chair from 1800s, family antique. Beige armchair, Diversity Thrift, 353-8890 or diversitythrift.com. Tribal mask, Charlottesville thrift store. 1960s table lamp (between chairs), Diversity Thrift, diversitythrift.com.

Page 47 Bird sculpture, Parvi Bird by Howard Smith for Arabia Finland. Dishes, Taylor Smith Taylorstone Cathay, ebay, ebay.com. Page 48 Dishes, ď&#x192;

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Herend, herendusa.com. Candlestick holders, Tiffany & Co., tiffany.com. Chairs, Piretti Xylon chair, ki.com. George Kovacs Ceiling Lamp, Diversity Thrift, diversitythrift.com. Page 49 Silver Christmas tree, thrift store find. Screen print, Marimekko, marimekko.com. Coffee table, Diversity Thrift, diversitythrift.com. Vase (on coffee table), Alvar Aalto Iittala vase, iittala.com. Bertoia Diamond Lounge chair, knoll.com.

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Page 51 Cabinets, Kraftmaid Malibu Natural Light, Loweâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, lowes.com. Quartz Countertops, DuPont Zodiaq Mystic Black, Loweâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, lowes.com.

Shelving and mantel, fabricated by Ivy Falls Construction, 240-0023. Kitchen rug, Williams and Sherrill, williamsandsherrill.com. Ceramic bowl and platter, Quirk Gallery, quirkgallery.com.

Bird plates, Pier One, pierone.com. Plate holders and glove molds, Sheppard Street Antiques, sheppardstreetantiques.com. Fireplace screen, West End Antiques Mall, westendantiquesmall. com; and fitted by Small Axe Forge, 9169918. Candlesticks, Crate & Barrel Outlet, crateandbarrel.com. Page 52 Sofa bed, La DiffĂŠrence, ladiff.com. Shelving, fabricated by Ivy Falls Construction, 240-0023. Rug, The Decorating Outlet, shadesoflight.com. Polka dot fabric and pillow construction, UFab, ufabstore.com. Wall sconces, Loweâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, lowes.com. Ottoman, Love of Jesus Thrift Shop, 230-4144; and recovered

by UFab, ufabstore.com. Wiring, Davis and Green, dgelectrical.com. Letter C, Bohland and Graham, 859-1577. Page 53 Sofa, side tables and arc lamp, La DiffĂŠrence, ladiff.com. Floor lamp, Shades of Light, shadesoflight.com. Rug, Williams and Sherrill, williamsandsherrill.com. Red floral fabric, Thomas Paul at Williams and Sherrill, williamsandsherrill.com. Pillow fabrication, UFab, ufabstore.com. Heart pillow, Urban Outfitters, urbanoutfitters.com. Shelving, CB2, cb2.com.

Eames sideboard, private sale. Vases, GDG Studios, gdgstudios.com. Tray, Antiques in Manchester, aimrva.com. Photograph, Jay Paul, jaypaulphoto.com. Small painting, Carol Anna Meese, carolmeese.com. Page 54 Painting, Carol Anna Meese, carolmeese.com. Driftwood floor lamp, Wendy Umanoff, wendyumanoff. com. Chair, West End Antiques Mall, westendantiquesmall.com. Bedding, Inhabit Living, inhabitliving.com. Sofa, Virginia Wayside Furniture, vawayside.net. Chairs, Wild Orchid Antiques, 2671788. Floor lamp and rug, Williams and Sherrill, williamsandsherrill.com. Page 55 Light fixture, Anthropologie, anthropologie.com. Bedspread, Dwell for Target, target.com. Lamps, V for the Home, vforthehome.com. Chair, Verve Home Furnishings, vervehomefurnishings.com. Bedside tables, Pottery Barn, potterybarn.com. Sketches, Sheppard Street Antiques, sheppardstreetanitques. com. Stickley dining room set, Virginia Wayside Furniture,vawayside.net. Pindler and Pindler chair fabric, Williams and Sherrill, williamsandsherrill.com.

Sideboard, Forest Hill Antiques, foresthillantiques. com; and painted by H.J. Holtz and Son, hjholtzandson.com. Bathroom light fixture, The Decorating Outlet, shadesoflight.com. Bathroom floor tile, Emil Ergon Elegance from Morris Tile, morristile.com. Shower glass supplier and installer, Glen Allen Glass & Mirror, glenallenglassllc.com.

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Seasonal

Season’s Shine a h o li day t r a d i t i o n at le w i s g i n t er  By Brandon Fox

Don Wi l liamson photos

A

half-million twinkling lights burn throughout the holiday season at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden’s GardenFest of Lights.

In years past, there wasn’t a lot of traffic through the garden during the winter, so, according to Beth Monroe, Lewis Ginter’s director of public relations and marketing, “executive director Frank Robinson and others knew if they could find something holiday-

themed, people might come … Frank says we started with 10,000 lights [in 1995], and it just grew from there.”

Now, other than the springtime, it’s the garden’s most visited time of year.

“It takes about two months to actually put up the lights,” says Monroe. “Operations staff and scores of volunteers do the work.” This comes on top of all the events that the garden hosts, as well as the care and maintenance of other exhibits.

“We’re a very busy place, with a 

rhomemag.com

71

Seasonal

Shine cont’d

lot of different activities going on,” Monroe says. “For instance, [operations manager] Danny Fleming has to wait until after the last wedding of the season to put up some of the lights. The other challenge is Mother Nature — we have to wait until leaves have fallen and bulbs have been planted before some of the lights can be put into place.”

Fleming also designs the GardenFest display, and it’s different each year. “GardenFest has turned into a year-round event for us,” says Monroe. “We are always thinking about ways to make it even better.” Fleming welcomes input from the volunteers and staff. Last year, volunteers cre-

ated larger-than-life vegetable forms covered with lights for the children’s garden. “These were a big hit,” says Monroe, “and they’re making more for this year.”

Dinners with Santa, caroling with barbershop quartets and nights designated for leashed pets are some of the special events offered among the twinkling holiday lights.

“GardenFest has allowed us to reach out to new audiences,” says Monroe, “especially people who otherwise might not consider visiting a botanical garden.” And as long as Richmonders keep coming, this holiday tradition looks like it’s here to stay.

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden’s GardenFest of Lights takes place nightly from Nov. 25 to Jan. 9, 2012 (closed Dec. 24 and 25). Admission is $11 for adults; $10 for seniors; $7 for children ages 3 to 12. Children under 3 are free.

Garden members pay $5; children ages 3 to 18 with a family membership pay $4; the show is free to members on member nights. A laser light show on Friday, Nov. 25, will kick off the event. Doors open at 5 p.m., with the illumination ceremony set for 5:30 p.m., followed by the laser light show (until 6 p.m.). For more information, call 262-9887 or visit lewisginter.org.

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Don Wi l liamson photos

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Calendar

12.11



Church Hill Historic Holiday House Tour

Holly, Houses & Holidays

Richmond’s oldest neighborhood is on the fast track again, as more and more restaurants move into the area. Check it out during Church Hill’s holiday weekend. Visitors to the house tour, taking place on Sunday, will be serenaded by carolers in period costume.

Noon to 5 p.m. $15. Visit churchhillrichmond.com for more details.

OUR PICKS FOR NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER  By Brandon Fox

11.18 VCU’s 19th Annual Symposium on Architectural History

and the Decorative Arts Held at the Virginia Historical Society, the sym-

posium will feature four sessions: the Doric order from antiquity to the colonial revival, forgotten mansions of the 18th and 19th centuries, 19th-century American “art tile” and the metamorphoses of the classical tradition in Richmond’s Fan District. 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. $10; free to students.

Post-conference reception is an additional $15. Virginia Historical Society, 428 N. Boulevard. For more details or to register, call 828-2784 or email Courtney Culbreth at cculbreth@vcu.edu.

12.10 and 12.11 The Fan Distict Association’s 49th Annual Holiday House Tour

The venerable holiday house tour will feature two blocks this year: the 1500 block of Park and Hanover avenues and the 2700 block of Monument Avenue. 1 to 5 p.m. $25 in advance; $30 day of the tour. For more details, visit fandistrict.org.

Wilton House Museum Holiday Open House 11.27 Celebrate Christmas Colonial-style at Wilton House, an authentic Georgian mansion built circa 1753. Hot cider and a bevy of vendors will welcome in the holiday season. 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Free. Donations welcomed. 215 S. Wilton Road. Call 282-5936 ext. 4 for more information.

12.4 5th Annual Deck the Halls A benefit for Hilliard House featuring music from

Susan Greenbaum, hot cider, cookies and, above all, a holiday decorating tradition at Pine Grove Farm. Make wreaths, garlands or centerpieces out of greenery cut from the historic farms of Hanover County. Experts from area garden clubs will be available for hands-on instruction, and when you’re done, shop in the Country Store for holiday gifts.

12:30 to 5 p.m. $25. Pine Grove Farm, 12438 Elmont Road, Ashland. For more details, visit hilliardhouse.org/events/deck-the-halls.php.

74

n o v - d e c 2 011

T o p : W i l l We a v e r p h o t o

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11.3 Museum Stores of Richmond Holiday Shoppers Fair This year, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts will host this annual shopping tradition, along with 15 other Richmond area museum stores. Support area non-profits and find one-of-akind items museum stores specialize in â&#x20AC;&#x201D; all in one place. Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Special members-only preview (members save an additional 10% off purchases) on Thursday, from 5 to 9 p.m. Free. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, 200 N. Boulevard. For more details, call 340-1525.

11.19 and 11.20 2011 Craft

FeedMore holiday tribute cards nurture the giving spirit while feeding neighbors in need. Give your co-workers, friends, and loved ones a simple gift with a big impact.

12.1 to 12.4 Bizarre Bazaar

Order at feedmore.org/holidaycards or by phone at 804.549.5669.

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+ Design Show For the 47th year, the Visual Arts Center of Richmond presents its annual craft show at the Science Museum of Virginia. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. $15; $12 members and students; $20 weekend pass. Patrons Preview (for patron-level VisArts members only) on Friday, Nov. 18, from 7 to 9 p.m.

Science Museum of Virginia, 2500 W. Broad St. For more details, call 3530094 or visit visarts.org.

10/17/11 9:27:30 AM

For 36 years, vendors have packed the Richmond Raceway Complex with a plethora of gift items, from handmade ornaments to jellies and jam. Early bird/stroller-free shopping starts at 8 a.m., Thursday and Friday, $12 in advance, $12.50 at the door, $1.00 advance childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tickets, $1.50 childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tickets at the door; Thursday, Friday, Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. $6.50 in advance, $7 at the door, $1.00 childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s advance tickets, $1.50 childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tickets at the door. Richmond International Raceway, 600 E. Laburnum Ave. Call 673-7015 or visit thebizarrebazaar. com for more details.

HOLIDAY HOUSES YOUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;RE SURE TO ADORE

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10/14/11 1:34:21 PM

10/17/11 10:09:00 AM

Q&A



Design*Sponge founder Grace Bonney

INTERVIEW

R•Home: Design*Sponge is known as an arbiter of style.

What criteria must be met to be featured on the site?

Grace Bonney: It’s really about creating something that elicits some sort of emotion. I’m really not looking for a specific style so much as I am a piece that makes me smile, or makes me have a question, or am in awe of how it was made.

Make It Yourself R•Home for the Holidays guest s p e a k e r Gr a c e B o n n e y o f Design*Sponge talks design.  By Jonathan Janis

Grace Bonney founded Design*Sponge in 2004 and updates the site with six to eight posts daily, ensuring fresh, timely content. She’s also just released her first book, Design*Sponge at Home. Both are chockablock with home tours, DIY projects and transformational before-and-afters.

While she is now Brooklyn-based, Bonney is a Virginia native who got so homesick during college in New York City that she resorted to watching the TV show Designing Women in her dorm room, “just to get a dose of Southern accents,” she says.

R•Home: How would you describe your personal design style in one sentence?

Bonney: Oh, man! I would say “urban preppy with a dash of vintage.”

R•Home: Top three go-to stores when shopping for your home?

Bonney: I really don’t shop in stores that much. I think I hit IKEA every now and then for small things, but for most things I try to upcycle. I love the Brooklyn Flea, and I get a huge chunk of things at the Brimfield Antique show in Massachusetts every year.

R•Home: So do you make a lot of your own things, then?

Bonney: I do a lot more staple-gun upholstery than anything else, because it’s such an inexpensive, easy way to change things. I really love to buy things that just need a little bit of love, and then I can sort of take it the extra step myself.

Want to find out more? Grace Bonney is the guest speaker at this year’s R•Home for the Holidays event on Nov. 16 at Plant Zero. Tickets are $27 for lunch, a talk and two late-morning seminars with local designers, or $17 for the lunch and talk only. Details can be found at rhomemag.com/fortheholidays. * Net proceeds to benefit the School of Richmond Ballet’s scholarship fund.

R•Home: You have written hundreds of posts about how people live — what trends surprise you most?

Bonney: Upcycling — the idea of buying something from a flea market and then either stripping it down, or painting it or adding some sort of decorative detail is really what we’re all about right now. I think it’s partly because of the economy and partly because we just love putting our own stamp on things. That mix of old and new is really the only thing that holds our aesthetic together.

R•Home: Any common design mistakes you’ve noticed?

Bonney: Painting everything white. I just wish people would move away from that as a go-to step. If people thought about stripping paint off of things rather than actually painting things, they’d get a lot more texture and warmth in their home. You really strip a lot of character out of the piece when you just automatically slap white paint on it.

R•Home: Where do you see Design*Sponge and yourself in five years?

Bonney: The way the blog world works, it’s impossible to plan that far ahead. For me, I’d love to see us start doing more video work, an online series where we really get to bring things to light, because that final step that’s missing from blogs is being able to see people do things in action and get to meet the designers and the people behind the homes that we all love.

R•Home: Final question: Flats or heels?

Bonney: Flats, no shoes if possible!

78

n o v - d e c 2 011

I m a g e s c o u r t e s y Ja m i e B e c k

We call it The Lodge.

You’ll call it The Life.

Seems almost real, doesn’t it?

The opportunity already is. As the expansion of Covenant Woods draws closer, many people have plans in place to make their new home in the expansion's centerpiece, The Lodge. What a life it will be!

Beautiful apartments, a community center, a new restaurant and a classic pub – all under one roof. Join friends outside on the terrace or go anywhere in this community without going out.

While apartment choices are still good and pre-construction pricing is available, call and hear The Life story.

804.569.8716

www.richmondcovwoods.com

L O C K I N T O D A Y ’ S E N T R A N C E F E E S S T A R T I N G A T $ 2 4 7,2 3 2.

We are pledged to the letter and spirit of federal and state policies for the achievement of equal housing opportunity. We encourage and support an affirmative advertising and marketing program in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, or national origin. The continuing care retirement facilities and services offered herein are offered solely by Covenant Woods, a Virginia corporation, which is not affiliated with any outside continuing care retirement facility or provider.

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10/17/11 5:46:32 PM

Back Page

NEW BOOKS

This Is Not a Trunk T R O M P E L’ O E I L F U R N I T U R E , P O R K G O O D N E S S , P L U S NEW BOOKS & WEBSITES YOU SHOULDN’T MISS  By Brandon Fox

 Richard’s

LOST COMMUNITIES OF VIRGINIA

by Terri Fisher and Kirsten Sparenborg. University of Virginia Press, 2011 ($50). Filled with beautiful, haunting photos of small towns in Virginia, this book explores both the past and present of 30 communities struggling to survive.

Trunk Collection

by Restoration Hardware

Artisan Timothy Oulton has created a line of chests of drawers, tables and desks inspired by a steamer trunk with the name “Richard” engraved upon its brass nameplate. Made of leather, wood and waxed canvas, the pieces are dead ringers for stacks of trunks. There’s even a closable secretary on wheels, kitted out with loads of little drawers ($1,700 to $4,300). restorationhardware.com

BABYCAKES COVERS THE CLASSICS: GLUTEN-FREE VEGAN RECIPES FROM DONUTS TO SNICKERDOODLES by Erin McKenna. Clarkson Potter, 2011 ($25). Not everyone can enjoy the treats we feature starting on Page 56, but for those with food allergies, Erin McKenna has got your back. Recipes, including madeleines, chocolate cake and this NYC bakery’s famous doughnuts, are deliciously free of gluten, dairy, eggs or refined sugar.

+ Umbra Dandisleeve cup holder Get a grip

on that coffee cup — a firmer grip. This rubber cup sleeve transforms a to-go cup into both a more manageable mug and a lovely object to contemplate while sipping java at your desk ($5). umbra.com

+

S. Wallace Edwards & Sons’ Surry Farms Jowciale Italians prize pork cheeks and turn them into a cured product called guanciale. With a more intense taste than pancetta, it’s used to amp up the flavor in any number of dishes, including spaghetti carbonara. Cheeks are also called jowls, of course, and by infusing a deep, smoky flavor, Surry Farms injects the South into this traditional Italian delicacy ($24). virginiatraditions.com WEBSITES TO CHECK OUT

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Modern Findings Inspiring and informative, the scope of this eclectic blog ranges from architectural pottery or midcentury furniture to quick bios of Modernist designers and architects. modern findings.com

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Food 52 Cooks everywhere submit and talk about the recipes they love on this collaborative website. Weekly contests determine the best recipes, which are now compiled in a new cookbook, The Food52 Cookbook: 140 Winning Recipes from Exceptional Home Cooks. food52.com

3

Fab.com Even if you’re burned out by too many daily Web sales appearing in your inbox, you might want to give this invite-only site a second look (all you have to do is request an invitation). The choices are carefully curated, the aesthetic is clean and bold, and the prices are great. fab.com

Let Us Create

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Now featuring Mora Medly, our fashion-perfect new porcelain collection in four color blends.

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