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design
A pa ir Kin n of H a n s a lo O s it o u n g e c ls e n h a ir s p m id c p o s ite t w e a n d ntu r y so o aG fas c o ff rete J a c ee ta k b le .
Midcentury Rehab A 1960s home gets a 21st-century perspective By Valerie Hubbard Photos by Ansel Olson
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auren Bell and Joey Parent had been searching for just the right midcentury modern home south of the James River in Richmond for three years when a house on Croatan Road came up for sale. “I knew this was the one the moment I saw it,” Bell says. “We were almost too late because this is farther west than we had included in our search.” Designed and built in 1960 by local architect James Arvin for himself and his wife, the 1,960-square-foot house tucked in the woods a mile or so from the river had only one other owner before Bell and Parent snapped it up about a year and a half ago. “The house was not awesome when we moved in,” Parent recalls. He and Bell were committed to doing the necessary restoration work themselves, first tackling the exterior by removing over a dozen trees to clear the view. Inside, the pair opened the entryway by moving a laundry space down the main hall. All the old sheet paneling came out and was replaced with Sheetrock. Old
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carpeting and tile flooring came up and were replaced with Pennsylvania green slate in the home’s entryway, kitchen and central hall. Bell and Parent have preserved much of the home’s original details, including the trim and hardwood floors. “We wanted to stay true to the original design but also wanted to make it a little less sectioned off,” Bell explains. In the living room, which looks out onto the front yard, a huge expanse of bay windows required some reconfiguring. “We removed smaller, rectangular windows and replaced them with larger windows to open up the view and match the window bay across the hall in the den
at the back of the house,” Bell says. To lighten the space, Bell painted the brick fireplace a milky shade of white in homage to blond brick popular in the midcentury period. A cantilevered castconcrete hearth stretches the width of the wall separating the room from the hall and serves as a bench with storage for firewood underneath. The wall next to the fireplace is paneled with hemlock. The room’s vaulted fir ceiling and exposed beams draw the eye to the outside, reflective of designs by revered midcentury architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Arvin echoed Wright’s deep appreciation for incorporating the natural surroundings of homes into his designs and connecting
“We certainly are not professional contractors, but we have been willing to give it a shot and figure it out as we go.” —JOEY PARENT, HOMEOWNER
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the two wherever possible. Bell, a designer with her own firm, Hint Spaces, specializes in finding vintage, handmade and one-of-a-kind furnishings for homeowners. She began collecting midcentury pieces, specifically “golden age” Scandinavian furniture, long before finding her current home, which she and Parent lovingly call “the treehouse.” “All of this took a lot of work,” Parent says. “Lauren and I have taken on most of the projects in this house on our own. We certainly are not professional contractors, but we have been willing to give it a shot and figure it out as we go. We took what we knew and went from there. We made some mistakes along the way and learned a lot in the process.”
EXTERIOR Over a dozen trees were removed to open up the views from the 1960s James Arvin house.
DEN The rocking chair is by Ingmar Relling for Westnofa, the standing teak planter is by Kai Kristiansen for Salin Mobler, and the painting is by José Luis Cuevas.
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The "mahoga ny" maintained in excellent condition, fireplace mantel and surround were faux making the need for updates minipainted by by Marie mal. Revamping the on-premises Fedowitz and Diane Williams. kitchen and its equipment was a high priority along with minor cosmetic projects, priming the space for the final design. Rooted in the building’s original aesthetic, the tearoom is appointed with existing fixtures and furniture that have been refurbished to their former glory. Refinished wood parquet floors gleam alongside Turkish carpets, while crystal light fixtures paired with blown-glass sconces by Adam Childress illuminate the jewel-tone color palette. Furniture sourced from the VMFA Shop harmoniously commingles with plush chaise lounges upholstered in fabric dyed by Noelle McKown, an oak half-moon host stand by Jed Perago, art deco-style cast-brass curtain hardware by George Rhodes and wood vessels by Edward Alan Gross. A three-color lime wash applied to the ceiling by Fedowitz and Tony Brown creates the illusion of a soft cloud enveloping the room with a feeling of warmth and comfort. Intended as a place of welcoming for all, the tearoom has no dress code or regulations for guests. Gracefully straddling
Buyers and designers from around the world flocked to the High Point Market in October.
the line between upholding the conventions of tea service and redefining our understanding of it, Floris allows for a unique casual dining experience in a sumptuous setting. Classic tiered tea trays shun standard cucumber finger sandwiches in favor of petite versions of international dishes curated to reflect current exhibits in the museum as well as international holidays. Two mobile retail cabinets (also by Perago) display ceramics by The menu at Floris local artists for sale as well as a includes fresh selection of custom blended teas. ingredien ts from local vendors, freshly baked Floris at VMFA is open from breads and globally 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sunday inspired dishes. through Wednesday.
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Q&A
Building Blocks How architectural preservation can spark neighborhood revitalization By Taylor Peterson
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ince its founding nearly 300 years ago, Richmond has been the backdrop of many complex stories, all of which are woven together to make up the city as we know it today. Remnants of these stories are perhaps most apparent in the city’s architecture, with each neighborhood, street and building offering different perspectives from different eras. Cyane Crump, executive director of Historic Richmond, explains how these architectural stories are preserved and why doing so is important for our future. INTERVIEW R•Home: Can you define the difference between historic preservation, historic restoration and rehabilitation/adaptive reuse of buildings? Cyane Crump: We think of “preservation” as maintaining a historic building as it is. This is about the building being a snapshot of a particular point in time or preserving the building as it is now as a snapshot of today by retaining the most historic fabric, making the fewest changes and following the highest standards. A great example is the John Marshall House, which has been maintained
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largely as it was during Marshall’s lifetime. We think of “restoration” as restoring a building to what it was at a particular period of time. For example, we are restoring Monumental Church to as close as possible to its original appearance in 1814. This involved returning to the original paint color scheme and removing stained-glass windows and other features added in the Victorian era. We often use another term — “rehabilitation” — to mean the updating of a historic building to meet continuing or new uses while retaining the building’s historic
character. For example, a rehabilitation of a historic house often involves updating bathrooms and kitchens for more modern uses while still retaining the building’s historic character. Rehabilitation often happens in tandem with an “adaptive reuse.” This is when a building is adapted for a different use than the one for which it was originally built. The classic Richmond example of adaptive reuse is the conversion of a tobacco factory into apartments or offices. R•Home: Why should historic preservation be important to everyone? Crump: Preservation is good for people, the environment and the pocketbook! Not only does the hands-on work of maintaining, repairing, restoring and reusing historic buildings provide all types of jobs to boost the local economy, but it saves the places that help tell the story of our community. These stories help us understand who we are, where we came from and how we can move forward. More than that,
preservation provides housing opportunities. Our historic buildings provide a lot of housing and conserving and reusing them supports housing affordability and an array of housing choices. Preservation also conserves resources by sending fewer dump trucks to the landfill, and that is good for the environment. R•Home: What is Historic Richmond’s role in preservation? Crump: Historic Richmond is a nonprofit focused on preservation of historic buildings and places, sparking neighborhood revitalization. Over the years, we have rolled up our sleeves and have taken an active role in saving countless structures including Old City Hall, the National Theater, commercial buildings in Shockoe Bottom, the 200 block of West Franklin Street and the Linden Row Inn. These structures reflect a broad cross-section of our civic and cultural history. We focus a little bit on history, a little bit on housing and a lot on people and places.
Courtesy Historic Richmond
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A Moment in Time
MAIN ENTRYWAY
Bunky Bowles moved the staircase back to its original location in the front hall. The faux marble baseboards were hand-painted by Elaine Tucker-Haviland.
The 1808 Hancock-Wirt-Caskie House stands as a testament to Richmond’s early American style stor y by MICHAEL S. PHILLIPS
p h o to s by KIP DAWKINS
sty l i n g by LAUREN HEALY-FLORA
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5TH & MAIN
A Dutch door separates the basement dining area from the couple’s shop that fronts East Main Street
Upon Jane’s death in early 2023, the torch of stewardship was passed to Southall and his wife, Katherine, who currently reside in the house’s English basement. The two are carrying on Bunky and Jane’s legacy of preservation and restoration. “When I work on the house, I always ask myself how my father would do it,” Southall says. “I like to think that we are making him proud as we continue the legacy he set the foundation for.” Recent projects have included continued restoration of original materials, including reglazing windows, painting and brick repointing. Bunky’s law office, which was located in the English basement, has been turned into a comfortable living room where period antiques meet more personal objects, and the downstairs kitchen was renovated. The couple recently opened a boutique called 5th & Main in part of the English basement in an effort to financially support the continued restoration of the house. The shop reflects Katherine’s unique style and taste: classic with a modern twist and a splash of fun. This is not dissimilar from the house itself, with its mix of austere classical details and a bit of whimsy. “We love to see the reaction of people who come into the shop,” Katherine says. “People are always curious to come inside and experience a piece of the house. We feel like Bunky and Jane would be so proud that we have continued to keep up with this special place and share it with others.” The warm, comfortable English basement now stands in contrast to the more formal rooms upstairs, including the octagonal parlor and dining room with elaborate French hand-painted wallpaper by Joseph Dufour et Cie depicting Psyche and Cupid, providing a window into yet another place and time.
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KITCHEN
The kitchen is outfitted with a Bosch appliance suite. The concrete column is original to the space and the old Maxwell House Coffee warehouse. August’s bowls sit on a Moroccan throw rug from Flourish Spaces.
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UNDERGROUND KITCHEN SITTING AREA The cabinet is a hybrid — the carved front piece is from an ancient Indonesian Buddhist temple backed by new teak wood. The chair and ottoman (not shown) are from Reynolds Metals’ midcentury headquarters building in Henrico.
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BATHROOM
“We could have gone out and bought very expensive tile like a lot of people do, but we ended up going to Floor & Decor and finding something we loved, keeping it simple while working with Ferguson on their top-of-the-line bathroom fixtures,” Sparks says.
BEDROOM
The Sputnik chandelier is vintage 1960s, the photographs are by Richmond photographer Joseph Johnson, the Moroccan pillows are from Flourish Spaces, and the 19th-century carved chest is from Indonesia.
both out of another converted warehouse. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Sparks had to rethink both business models. His UGK business partner pointed out that the space housing his design studio and collection of midcentury furniture in the old Cauthorne Paper Factory office building might offer a safe place to gather while UGK’s traveling pop-up events were on hiatus. Sparks reconfigured the space with a small wine and gourmet food shop up front and a large dining table and seating area for pop-up events. During the pandemic, UGK launched a nonprofit arm, UGK Community First, that supports food-insecure children, families and older adults and provides employment for restaurant workers. Sparks added a small kitchen to the event space where UGK-CF hosts virtual cooking classes and nutrition education. As with his home, Sparks looked to keep some of the original features as a reminder of the building’s history, such as the exposed brick and open ceilings. Sparks also brought Watts, the woodworker, in to refurbish wood panels from an old elevator and create a series of decorative ceiling fixtures. The space is furnished with refurbished sideboards, vintage midcentury modern couches, and a teak bookshelf from a Buddhist temple in Indonesia. Sparks says living and working in refurbished spaces at the center of the communities he serves through UGK has created a natural flow of ideas and a deep sense of connection to the history of Richmond. “A conversation might start at our home, over good food and good wine,” he says. “Then we can come downstairs to the studio [to meet with partners] over more good food and wine and figure out how to support the community with from-scratch meals, all while surrounded by the artists that we support and the people that we employ.”
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trades
Restorers Locally based pros skilled in the historic building trades By Susan W. Morgan | Illustration by Abby Guiseppe
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onstruction techniques, tools and materials have changed dramatically since Richmond was founded in 1737. The buildings in our historic residential and commercial districts stand testament to that — many have stood for more than 100 years. But even solidly built places need a little TLC from time to time. Here’s a partial list of tradespeople well versed in historic construction practices, whose skills can help to keep your place standing for another hundred years.
KARNAGE CONSTRUCTION LLC General Contractor, karnageconstruction.com
DEANDRE FRIEND Plaster Artisan, d.e.friend@hotmail.com
Mo Karnage, owner of a Class A-licensed construction company that does all types of work, old and new, specializes in the old stuff, historic tax credit projects and those falling under the auspices of an architectural review board. A professed fourth-generation old house fan — her great-grandfather founded Caravati’s architectural salvage — she offers a range of practical approaches to ensure that the client is really going to get what they want, whether they’re rebuilding a historic front porch or planning a whole-house renovation.
A third-generation master plasterer, DeAndre Friend was trained in the art of plastering by his father, Wesley Friend Jr., a master artisan who learned from his father. A craftsman with a passion for his art, Friend continually seeks to broaden his knowledge of historic plastering techniques. He has built and repaired plaster walls and cornices in historic homes such as the McIlwaine and Battersea houses in Petersburg and the midcentury 5100 Monument Ave. building in Richmond, as well as in private homes from Central Virginia to Baltimore.
DUGWOOD TURNERS Wood Turner, dugwoodturners.com Dug Campbell, proprietor of the oneman wood-turning shop Dugwood Turners, got his start turning woodwork for The Tobacco Company Restaurant in the late 1970s. Local contractors and lumber companies such as Siewers Lumber & Millwork rely on him for wooden elements ranging from porch balustrades to newel posts, finials and chair spindles. His work can be found on porches and staircases from Monument Avenue to Oregon Hill, Church Hill and the Governor’s Mansion.
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OLD HOUSE AUTHORITY Window Restorer dixon@oldhouseauthority.com
OLD HOUSE AUTHORITY Storm Window Consultant walter@oldhouseauthority.com
Like the vintage buildings themselves, their original windows were built to last. They’re also key to projects seeking historic tax credits. Dixon Kerr restores, rebuilds and reglazes historic windows — sashes, glass, frames, pulleys, ropes and hardware — using labor-intensive age-old techniques and reusing all of the original parts, including the historic glass. He maintains a storehouse of old glass as well and can often provide old glass to replace broken or missing panes.
Contemporary storm windows generally look out of place on historic buildings, but the right storm windows not only provide more modern thermal protection and protection from the elements, they also blend in with the building’s facade. Walter Dotts represents companies offering a variety of low-profile and flush-mounted secondary glazing systems approved for use in historic districts and historic buildings and can help you find the right storm windows for your project.
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