R•Home Nov/Dec 2010

Design

NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 2010

Therapist Come see Apartment Therapy co-founder Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan in Richmond and change your life.

NO-FUSS

COCKTAIL PARTIES WHERE

LINCOLN STOOD

WRAPLESS GIFT WRAP

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A HANDY GUIDE TO LOCAL ARCHITECTURE

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TGIF...

Thank goodness it’s fall

Picture what our designers can do for your yard.

Frequent triple-digit temperatures and drought-like conditions put a damper on most landscaping projects during the summer of 2010. Now, with fall planting season upon us, it is the perfect time for home owners to once again turn their attention to their outdoor spaces. Having helped Central Virginia “grow” since 1983, James River Nurseries has the expertise to help you get

Est. 1983

the best return on investment for your landscape dollar. We invite you to call us for a free consultation: (804) 798-2020.

Learn more about us at: www.JamesRiverNurseries.com • 13244 Ashland Road, Ashland, VA • (804) 798-2020

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S R E K N U L C R O F H S A C

K C A B IS

At James River Air

Send your old inefficient heating and cooling system where it belongs—the Dump! And get up to $3500 credit on a new energy efficient one from James River Air Conditioning. These are Green Comfort Systems that save many homeowners 30-50% on their fuel bills.

Plus these machines qualify for the $1500 Federal Tax Credit.

(Tax credits go away Dec 31, 2010.)

Offer ends November 15, 2010

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10/18/10 10:11:45 AM

DesignLine.Ad.7x10:.12DesignLine.Ad.7x10:.12-

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Move Move up…without up…without moving moving at at all. all.

Today, it just makes sense. And the design/build experts at DesignLine can Today, it just makes sense. And the design/build experts at DesignLine can make it happen…beautifully. From whole house renovations…to kitchen make it happen…beautifully. From whole house renovations…to kitchen and bath remodels…to additions and barrier-free conversions…DesignLine and bath remodels…to additions and barrier-free conversions…DesignLine can transform your home to impact the life you live. So make the move— can transform your home to impact the life you live. So make the move— and stay home. Call DesignLine. And love your house again. and stay home. Call DesignLine. And love your house again.

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[contents]

[nov/dec 2010]

features 36

Saving History The ongoing restoration of the house where Grant met Lincoln after Richmond fell is a labor of love for hat makers Ignatius Creegan and Rod Givens.

44

Design on Display

52

A “How-to” Guide to Richmond Architecture

58

Hungry for the Holidays Recipes and tips on

Richmond designers transform an estate along the James River into the Richmond Symphony Orchestra League’s 2010 Designer House.

Know your gables from your gambrels? Identify the city’s architectural styles with these pointers.

44

how to throw a stress-free cocktail party this season.

Plus: Resource Listings on page 70

up front

D E PA R TM E N T S

From the Editor

p. 8

28

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13 The Goods Holiday sparkle with pillows and throws

16 Repurpose This Wrapping gifts without gift wrap

20 Entertaining Which chef will reign supreme?

76

insights

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25 Gardening Charles Gillette, Richmond’s legendary landscape designer 28 My Style Stylist Richard Stone’s favorite things 30 Q & A Apartment Therapy’s Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan wants to transform your life.

C O V E R : j i m f r a n c o p ho t o ; t h i s p a g e : a b o v e : b a rr y f i t z g er a l d p ho t o ; b o t t om l e f t : b e t h f u r g u r s o n p ho t o ; b o t t om m i d d l e : a d a m e w i n g p ho t o ; b o t t om r i g h t : j ay p a u l p ho t o

happenings

76 Event Start a new tradition and make your own holiday wreaths at Deck the Halls, hosted by Pine Grove Farm.

78 Calendar Fine craft, fine homes 80 At Home ‘Tis the season to dream of a completely new life — via catalogs

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HOLIDAY SPARKLE from the publishers of richmond magazine 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 associate editor Bethany Emerson Contributing Writers Elizabeth Dogar Batty, Courtney Crane Dauer, Katherine H ORonky M E Haddad, & G A R D E N R I CMaureen H M OEgan, N DJessica Houstoun, Jonathan Janis, Harry Kollatz Jr., Megan Marconyak, Kris Spisak Contributing copy editor Mandy Loy

H O W

L I V E S

R I C H M O N D

CREATIVE Director Steve Hedberg

managing art Director V. Lee Aulick Contributing Photographers Ash Daniel, Kip Dawkins, Adam Ewing, Barry Fitzgerald, Beth Furgurson, Jay Paul Stylists Marcie Blough, Jonathan Janis Contributing illustrator Arnel Reynon Sales Director Rich Malkman SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Scott Bunce, Martha Hebert, Kelly McCauley AD PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Marisa Noroña AD GRAPHIC DESIGNER Rebecca Boarman

Marketing and circulation director Debbie McCaffrey

Vice President/Controller Elisa Malkman

4924 West Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia 23230 804.288.6515 www.ShadesofLight.com Open Monday-Thursday 10-5:30, Friday-Saturday 10-5

Decorating Outlet DISCOVER TREASURES!

Bring in this coupon for an additional 15% OFF our entire stock of outlet priced lighting & rugs. Use code OUT10HOME at checkout.

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bookkeeper Ellen Tishman office coordinator Devin Grimsley

Editorial & Advertising Offices 2201 W. Broad St., Suite 105 Richmond, Virginia 23220 Telephone 804-355-0111 Main Fax 804-355-5442 Editorial and Art Fax 804-355-8939 E-mail editor@rhomemag.com 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.

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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[ from the editor ]

MAKING HISTORY

Five years have gone by since R•Home arrived in your mailbox for the first time, and although that amount of time is a blink of the eye compared to the more than 250 years Richmond has been around, we thought we’d honor our anniversary by taking a look at some of the architectural history of our city.

On Page 52, you’ll find a primer of local architectural styles. From Queen Anne to Georgian Revival, we’ve given you some pointers on how to tell one style apart from another. Plus, we’ve included photos of some of our favorite examples of each.

Designers from all around transformed Rothesay, Joseph and Isobel Bryan’s 1913 Tudor Revival manor on the James, for this year’s Richmond Symphony Orchestra League Designer House. We’ve spotlighted some of the most striking rooms and talked to a few of the designers to get their take on what it was like to revamp this home. Rothesay’s grounds were designed by Charles Gillette, and resident Richmond magazine historian Harry Kollatz Jr. took a look back at the career of Richmond’s most notable landscape architect on Page 25.

After Richmond fell to the Union army in 1865, Gen. Ulysses S. Grant met President Lincoln at the Thomas Wallace house in Petersburg to discuss the fate of the city. The next day, Lincoln toured Richmond, and 11 days after his meeting with Grant, Lincoln was assassinated. The Thomas Wallace house, despite attempts to tear it down over the years, has survived, and Ignatius Creegan and Rod Givens are in the middle of a major restoration of the home. On Page 36, you can see the work that they’ve accomplished, as well as the way they’ve made the house beautiful and livable despite the ongoing construction.

We haven’t forgotten about the holidays — we spoke with Rachel Zell, restaurant veteran, caterer and now private chef, about what to prepare and how to ensure your holiday parties will be as stress-free as possible. She gave us five recipes that can be doubled or even tripled for easy finger food and two recipes for very different cocktails — one gingery with a hint of cinnamon, and the other is a sweet coffee punch — starting on Page 58.

BRANDON FOX brandonf@rhomemag.com

Microsoft Tags 101 Follow these simple instructions, and content marked with a Microsoft “Tag” can be viewed on your smartphone.

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3 Open the app and carefully scan the tag with your phone’s camera. Once the app recognizes the tag, it will take you to the bonus content.

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R•HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Design guru and Apartment Therapy co-founder Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan is coming to town for R•Home for the Holidays on Nov. 11 at La Différence. A foodand-wine-filled reception begins at 6 p.m., and the program starts at 7 p.m. Go to rhomemag.com for more information or call 355-0111.

Last year we sold out — don’t wait to buy your tickets!

THE PATTESON–SCHUTTE HOUSE is thought to be the oldest house in Richmond, although the precise year it was erected can’t be pin-pointed. The best guess is that it was built some time between 1725 and 1750. Now just off Forest Hill Avenue, it was originally part of an estate owned by William Byrd III (son of the founder of Richmond) and was built by his overseer, James Patteson. The structure, which is in remarkably good condition for a vernacular house of its age, was saved from demolition in 2006 by the Historic Richmond Foundation.

CORRECTION In the July/August issue of R•Home, we mistakenly used a photo of the old ARC building. The new building is pictured right.

R I G H T : A S H D A N I E L P H OTO

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NOW OPEN Laura Loe Paintings 2513 W. Main St. @ Robinson St. 10am–2pm Mon.–Sat. and by appointment 366-6327

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Join us to Celebrate our Grand Opening Friday, November 5th from 5–7pm

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Contributors Ash Daniel

Ash Daniel is a nationally recognized fine arts and advertising photographer who has won awards from the Virginia Press Association and the Virginia Newspaper Photographers Association.

He has twice been the recipient of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts fellowship in photography. For the last several years, he has photographed Richmond’s art, fashion, news, sports and personalities for a variety of publications and has had his work shown in local galleries.

Jessica Ronky Haddad In her 17-year career as a journalist, Jessica Ronky Haddad has covered everything from New York fashion week to Richmond’s arts scene, but the way people live in their own homes is what interests her the most. In this issue, she writes about the Richmond Symphony Orchestra League Designer House, where she spent a Sunday afternoon talking to local designers and taking notes on ideas that everyone can use to bring out the best in our homes.

Valley Haggard Valley Haggard is a freelance writer, editor and creative writing teacher in the Richmond area. She moved 15 times around Virginia before living and traveling through Italy, New York, Colorado, Alaska and Arkansas. She now lives in the house she grew up in, with her dog, cat, husband and son. Visit her at valleyhaggard.com.Â

Arnel Reynon Arnel Reynon, a former Richmond magazine staffer, is a visual artist dabbling in several areas. By day, he’s a publishing director for Sport Graphics and art director for NCAA Champion magazine. By night, he transforms into a freelance illustrator, graphic designer and artist. Still, his best creations have little to do with art. He enjoys raising his four (and one-on-the-way) children with his wife, Cheryl.

Treasures from the past.

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

10/19/10 12:06:40 PM

In-store Secret Santa coupons in December!

Continuing our patio lunch indoors! Please order a day ahead.

Holiday Open House ~ Dec. 4th & 5th.

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elements The Goods

The Sparkle Season This season, fight off winter’s chill with captivating pillows and sensational throws in sophisticated shades of silvery sea foam and regal robin’s egg blue.  By Courtney Crane Dauer

(left to right, on back of sofa) Pleated ruffle throw, $20 by Cynthia Rowley from Marshalls, Campbell throw in Seamist, $65 by Bedford Cottage and Kennebunk Home from Janet Brown Interiors, Fringed plaid throw, $78 by A Soft Idea for Home from Papeterie (stacked, top to bottom) Herringbone-weave throw, $68 (plus $20 for three-letter monogram) by Sferra from Living, Damask throw in Aqua, $145 by Sabira Collection from V for the Home, Cotton matelasse throw, $56 from Cottage Lane

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The Sparkle Season cont’d

Backdrop throw in *teal and dark grey, $250 by Alashan from Yves Delorme

Embroidered linen pillow, $300 from Ruth & Ollie

{ Our selections provide the perfect complement – and some unexpected zing – to traditional holiday palettes. Experience textures from tapestry to cotton and linen to wool. It’s time to spruce up with serious seasonal style.

Fringed tapestry pillow with velvet backing by Gerry Nichol, $500 from Kellogg Collection

Bird pillow with rosette, $25 by Dwell Studio for Target

{ New Garden pillow in Sky and Ivory, $440 by Ankasa from Williams & Sherill

Coral-patterned pillow in Turquoise, $42 by Creative Home Furnishings from Leopard Park

Monogrammed linen pillow, $250 (with down insert) by Kuk May Hand Embroidery from Fraîche.

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elements

Repurpose This

A Different Kind of Box ďƒŠBy Wendy Umanoff

This year, turn giving into art and think beyond traditional wrapping to make this holiday season your most creative.

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CIGAR BOX Wrapped with burlap, garnished with a naturally aged architectural ornament and festively trimmed with hemlock greenery, this cigar box is a naturally inspiring way to give.

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A Different Kind of Box cont’d

LIBRARY CARD FILE Use familiar objects in unfamiliar ways, like a library card catalog box. Paired with a mix of adornments, both old (the ribbon, and key plate and key) and new (the wire spring, tartlet mold, jingle bell and bird), this recycled box quietly sings, “Happy Holidays.”

GLASS LANTERN I combined weathered acorns, painted leaves and a paper tape measure to create an unusual presentation for a small but special gift.

VINTAGE ALUMINUM RICE COOKER Both an antique rice cooker and the silvery potpourri ball next to it, filled with shredded paper and adorned with vintage ribbon, creatively hide holiday gifts.

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METAL BOX A perfectly weathered metal box, accented with a vintage Christmas ball, red upholstery trim, Scrabble-like letters, a box spring and a pinch of natural greenery, can be reused throughout the year with a change of accessories.

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elements

SIDE DISH ENTRY Doan Alexander’s mashed potatoes with coffee gravy were creamy and delicious.

APPETIZER ENTRY The coffee-stout bread by the writer included chocolate-covered coffee beans for a decorative touch.

Entertaining

A Jolt of Flavor

Cutthroat competition and delicious rewards at a different kind of girls’ night out By Kris Spisak

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DESSERT ENTRY Coffee added a delicate flavor to the frosting and filling of Emily O’Conner’s chocolate cake.

W

hat began as a game at a bacheloretteparty weekend has become a monthly tradition for us. We cook, but it’s not a simple potluck. We cook and then go in search of the night’s "Iron Chef."

Our evenings are based on the popular Iron Chef television show. A single secret ingredient is declared at the start of the show and must be incorporated in each dish. Then each competing chef has 60 minutes to create and finish a menu designed to impress the judges.

Although we give ourselves more than an hour and limit each competitor to only one dish, our Iron Chef parties are equally as cutthroat. We act as judges of one another’s entries. 

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A Jolt of Flavor cont’d

BLACK-BOTTOM CUPCAKES

By David Lebovitz (12 cupcakes) INGREDIENTS

Filling • 8 ounces of cream cheese, regular or reduced fat, at room temperature • 1/3 cup of granulated sugar • 1 large egg, at room temperature • 2 ounces of bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Cupcakes • 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour • 1 cup of firmly packed light brown sugar • 5 tablespoons of natural, unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process) • 1 teaspoon of baking soda • 1/4 teaspoon of teaspoon salt • 1 cup of water • 1/3 cup of unflavored vegetable oil • 1 tablespoon of white or cider vinegar • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS Adjust the rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

Butter a 12-cup muffin tin, or line the tin with paper muffin cups.

To make the filling, beat together the cream cheese, granulated sugar, and egg until smooth. Stir in the chopped chocolate pieces. Set aside.

To make the cupcake batter, in a medium bowl sift the flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, mix the water, oil, vinegar and vanilla.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients until just smooth. Stir any longer and you will overmix the batter and end up with less-thantender cupcakes.

Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Spoon a few tablespoons of the filling into the center of each cupcake, dividing the filling evenly. This will fill the cups almost completely, which is fine.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until the tops are slightly golden brown and the cupcakes feel springy when gently pressed.

These treats will keep well unrefrigerated for 2 to 3 days if stored in an airtight container.

ABOVE: On the front porch of Cara Clements’ Forest Hill home, competitors and friends enjoy a coffee-float cocktail, the entry from the hostess of the Iron Chef party.

Some dishes have been mouth-wateringly exquisite, such as the marinated shrimp with champagne beurre blanc at “Iron Chef: Wine” or the Latvian apple loaf of “Iron Chef: Apple.” Some recipes were politely tasted with held noses — at “Iron Chef: Bacon,” for instance, it was the bacon bourbon with pork-rind crumble rim.

At our last party, the secret ingredient was coffee. Entries included a coffee-stout whole-wheat bread, coffee meatballs, mashed potatoes with coffee gravy and BlackBottom Cupcakes, among others.

Giddy with caffeine, we tasted, we scored; and new “Iron Chef” Kim Mackey claimed the night with her cupcakes. She presented each in its own white coffee cup.

The cream-cheese filling was a surprising solution to traditionally dry cupcake batter, and the cupcakes were moist, chocolaty and delicious. “I could have eaten a dozen,” said competitor Morgan Santos. Too bad we were so stuffed from the night’s other entries — we would have been begging for more.

The group’s Iron Chef recipes and other culinary quests can be found at thedinnerclubrva.blogspot.com.

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ackey Kim M n of r e n in W aspoo a ½ te sso to added espre e. instant vitz’s recip o b e David L

Reprinted with permission from The Great Book of Chocolate: The Connoisseur’s Guide with Recipes by David Lebovitz, copyright © 2004. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House Inc.

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insight s

ABOVE: Gillette’s ability to combine the natural with the architectural is demonstrated by his work for Alexander and Virginia Weddell, his clients and friends, at Virginia House. BELOW: Charles F. Gillette

Gardening

The Gillette Touch

Richmond’s classic landscape designer  By Harry Kollatz Jr.

A

rchitectural landscaper Charles F. Gillette (1886-1969) arrived in Richmond by train on a cold and rainy day in November 1911 to assist in the planning of the new University of Richmond campus. The dreary conditions didn’t seem propitious, but Gillette grew where he was planted. His career spanned from the heyday of the Country House movement in the 1920s, resulting in the sumptuous gardens of Virginia House, to the landscaping of the Mad Men-era Reynolds Metals headquarters.

He was beloved by some colleagues while he exasperated

TO P : P H OTO C O U R T E SY V I R G I N I A H I S TO R I C A L S O C I E T Y ; B OT TO M : P H OTO C O U R T E SY VA L E N T I N E R I C H M O N D H I S TO RY C E N T E R

others, and his affection for the artistic aspect of the work outweighed practical business considerations. Gillette struggled with personal finances and his company’s payroll. His name was continued neither by children nor a business concern.

Not long after his death, his work was almost forgotten.

Fortunately for Gillette, George Longest, a Virginia Commonwealth University professor and writer, helped restore his place in Richmond history with the publication in 1992 of his book Genius in the Garden: Charles F. Gillette and Landscape Architecture in Virginia, a fully illustrated examination 

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The Gillette Touch cont'd LEFT: Gillette took more of a classic, symmetrical approach to the design of the grounds of the English Renaissance manor, Agecroft Hall.

of his life and work.

Gillette was born in Chippewa Falls, Wis., the youngest son of 10 children in the genteel farming family of Orlando and Katy Gillett. Their daughters insisted on adding the French-styled “e” to the end of their name because the emphasis sounded better to them.

In Richmond, Gillette conveyed a sense of university polish and referred obliquely to “education in Wisconsin,” but he hadn’t actually attended college.

He, like most of his class and generation, couldn’t afford it.

“There’s a Gatsby-esque quality to Gillette’s story,” says biographer Longest.

“He excelled at social appearances and the public surfaces. He was personally charming and moved freely among people who weren’t his peers.”

Gillette, in 1909, apprenticed with eminent Boston landscape designer Warren H. Manning. Manning, a disciple of Frederick Law Olmsted, had worked with Olmsted on the grounds of Biltmore in Asheville, N.C, the Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition and the Jamestown 300th Anniversary Exposition.

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Gillette impressed Manning with his handling of the extensive renovations and additions at Chelmsford, a Greenwich, Conn. estate. There he established his capacity to ingratiate himself with clients.

Owners Elon and Blanche Hooker liked his work enough to reward him with a grand tour of Europe. He and the Hookers remained friends the rest of his life.

While at Chelmsford, he met school-

“He was personally charming and moved freely among people who weren’t his peers.”

—Biographer George Longest teacher Ellen Cogswell. They married in 1912. She developed a talent for sculpture and ornamental plaques, and they adorned her husband’s projects.

Gillette envisioned hundreds of gardens and outdoor spaces for residences, churches, schools and businesses, but he

never once drew up a plan. He’d walk a property, indicate what he thought should go where, and a dutiful employee would create blueprints from his recommendations.

He integrated landscape and architecture in a way that others couldn’t match. “Eyeballing plants and trees into location was his natural gift,” Gillette’s nurseryman Robert W. Askew told Longest. Gillette drew from his 18th-century predecessors, but he also enjoyed juxtapositions, placing the rounded nearby the linear, the vertical by the horizontal.

He was forceful but diplomatic with clients and demanding of his employees. Gillette once told a bricklayer to rip out a set of steps because they didn’t seem right. When the workman objected, Gillette said, “Materials and patterns have neither rhyme nor reason.”

Soon after settling in Richmond, the Gillettes built a splendid Mediterraneanstyle house a few doors down from friend Jonathan Bryan’s house Rothesay (and for whom Gillette designed Rothesay’s grounds), but they lived there a mere two years before the house was forced to auction in 1918. They then purchased the derelict Fox Farm at 2221 Grove Ave. and overhauled the place. A colleague, Meade Palmer, described the house as the epitome of “elegance and civilization — fine appointments, good books and a restful, Edenic garden.”

But that, too, proved unaffordable.

Longest says, “He always lived beyond his means. He drove a big black Packard; he had a butler, maid and cook. They entertained all the time.” Gillette ended up remaking the basement of his offices at 105 E. Cary St., where he and Ellen resided in miniature elegance.

In 1969, his cremated remains, instead of going to a Richmond funerary shrine that he might have created, went to Ellen’s family cemetery in Connecticut.

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insights

My Style

Modern Country Living

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“I often remind people not to get too hung up on furniture's original, intended use because you could be seeing right past its potential.”

—STYLIST RICHARD STONE 2

Some of stylist Richard Stone’s favorite things

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By Megan Marconyak

R

ichard Stone’s condo was built in the 1960s, and when he moved in, it had lots of long, white walls — blank canvases for his own sense of style. His inspiration started with his favorite interior designer, Celerie Kemble. “She’s known for putting a modern spin on classic interiors.” He also pulled from the colors and feeling of Coles Point in Virginia’s Northern Neck, where his partner’s family has a home on the Potomac River. “The scenery is beautiful,” he says.

“There are marshlands, sky, greens, old blues and whites.” To this relaxed look, he added sleeker pieces that suggest modern boats you might see on the river. The result combines the contemporary with a hint of country living.

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1970s-era mirror.

Stone de-glitzed the frame with a wash of chartreuse green so that it wouldn’t match the Espana chest below too closely. Stone likes that the frame is plastic so that it can easily be repainted any time.

Thibaut’s Zig Zag, a woven fabric from the Cypress collection at Dunkum Upholstery in New Kent. It’s his go-to spot for quality workmanship. “I’m a big fan of Thibaut fabrics and wall coverings because their patterns and colors are always classic — yet modern and fresh.”

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Baccarat wall sconce

Stone loves French brass-and-crystal wall sconces, like this one he found at Ralph’s Warehouse. “Ralph’s is an indispensable source for art, mirrors and just about anything else for the home.”

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Watercolor Paintings

Stone got them from The Patch and Co. in Amherst, during his mid-teens, and they were one of his first home-décor purchases. “They were painted in 1926, yet the color palette remains timeless.”

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Vintage faux bamboo chairs covered in Thibaut fabrics Stone had these chairs covered in

West Elm desk

Stone chose this particular finish because the white lacquer reminds him of the glossy boats that dot the waters of the Potomac. The desk can also function as a buffet, hall table or dining table. “I often remind people not to get too hung up on furniture’s original intended use because you could be seeing right past its potential.”

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Espana chest by Dorothy Draper

“It’s my pride and joy.” Stone found it in Lynchburg for $150. “I spotted it and immediately knew it was the real deal, even though the top was covered with duck decoys.”

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9/14/10 12:49:17 PM

insights

R•HOME: How did you develop your holistic approach to home improvement?

Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan: I was a schoolteacher for seven years before I started Apartment Therapy. During that time, I visited children at home every year, and their homes were very, very different. The kids that came from “cared for” homes often did better in class. I wanted to help people make their home not just a pretty place but a healthy place, a comfortable place that supports them in everything they do. The goal of Apartment Therapy is to help people make their homes beautiful, organized and healthy.

R•HOME: What prescription do you think most people could use?

Gillingham-Ryan: The key to a good home is one that’s well used. This really means three things: cleaning it, cooking in it and, at some point, entertaining in it — having people home.

Q&A

Design Your Life Apartment Therapy’s Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan wants to change your house and change your life  By Jonathan Janis

D

esigner Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan is as passionate about life as he is about wall color — probably more so. He is co-creator, with his brother Oliver, and CEO of ApartmentTherapy.com, one of Time magazine’s “Best Blogs of 2010,” a site that is read by 4.3 million people each month. His holistic design prescriptions include ways to amp up the energy flow of a room with a little rearranging, green cleaning supplies and deliciously healthy recipes to make at home. He’s set to speak at LaDifférence on Nov. 11 to share both his practical advice and design philosophy and to sign copies of his new book, Apartment Therapy’s Big Book of Small Cool Spaces.

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R•HOME: You make the provocative observation that money is not nearly as critical to home/life improvement as the concept of “letting go.” Why do you think we have such difficulty in editing?

Gillingham-Ryan: Because we have been taught to consume; we haven’t been taught to edit. There is the caveman metaphor: When you live in a world of scarcity, the more you can drag home to your cave, the longer you’ll live. When I talk to clients about considering letting something go, they say, “No, no, no. I might need it.” What’s behind those words is almost this feeling of “I might be in a position where I might really need it, I might die without it.” Where some want to live so lightly because their lives are so full of work and stress, most of us find balance the other way around, by acquiring a lot of stuff.

R•HOME: One of the most noteworthy projects you’ve worked on was your own 265-square-foot apartment for you, your wife and baby. What lessons did you take away from that experience?

Gillingham-Ryan: The biggest lesson about that space was that it wasn’t the footprint that was  J I M F R A N C O P H OTO S

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insights Design Your Life cont’d dragging me down so much as the emotional energy of the space. Every time I renovated it, I didn’t change the footprint at all, but it felt bigger and it felt fresh. I thought, “Boy, I’ve just given myself the new apartment I was looking for, and I didn’t have to move.” I realized a lot of people are moving, and they say it’s for space, but it’s actually for new energy. You only need more space when there are more people.

R•Home: In your most recent book, Apartment Therapy’s Big Book of Small Cool Spaces, you expand the discussion from small homes to small rooms. How might a traditional homeowner be able to utilize your coaching?

Gillingham-Ryan: Even if you live in a suburban house, I think you want to make the most of your rooms. To give a larger house a freshness and a vitality can be a challenge. If you look at any of the rooms in the book, regardless of size, and apply the good things you might be drawn to [for] your home, they are easily translatable.

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Gillingham-Ryan: People often put their bed in the wrong place. Your bed should really put your head against a wall and your feet towards the door.

Another thing people do is they don’t use enough lighting. I always recommend people have at least three light fixtures in each room, and that they turn them on. If anyone tells me their home feels small or doesn’t feel inviting, I tell them to check their lighting.

The last thing I’ll mention is that people hang their pictures too high. In general there’s a 57-inch rule. The idea behind it is that pictures or paintings should have a relationship to your furnishings — and they don’t have that if they’re too far away from them.

R•Home: What should we be on the lookout for from you and Apartment Therapy?

Full Service Landscape Design/Build 32

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Gillingham-Ryan: Boy, I wish I knew. We make it up all the time! The biggest thing we’re working on right now is in January — we are going to relaunch our site with a whole new look and feel. Just like in a house, you need to clean up after a while. Our site has grown, and we need to clean it up. It’s going to be stripped down, sharpened and refreshed. The same design approach I would bring to a home, we’re bringing to our site.

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The parlor has a 13-foot ceiling and the original 1855 plaster molding still intact.

Furnishings and decorations were found at antique stores, and arts and crafts shows locally and around the country. The stocking hanging on the fireplace to the left is the one Givens had when he was a child.

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SAVING HISTORY IGNATIUS CREEGAN AND ROD GIVENS’ ONGOING RESTORATION OF THE HOUSE WHERE LINCOLN MET GRANT

BY VALLEY HAGGARD / PHOTOS BY ADAM EWING STYLED BY JONATHAN JANIS

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E

verything that Ignatius Creegan and Rod Givens knew about the historic Petersburg house they moved into on Market Street, they learned from the plaque next to the front door.

The imposing, 7,000 squarefoot Thomas Wallace house, built in the Italianate style with a Greek Revival façade, was a study in history — but badly in need of repair.

After living in one space in Richmond and working in another, Creegan and Givens were in search of a home where they could combine the two. The 13-foot ceilings, the 16 fireplaces — half of which are marble — and the expansive rooms were irresistible. The overall dilapidation didn’t deter the two, nor did the lack of central heat and air or a roof that streamed rain the first time they saw it. The elegance of the house, built in 1855, and its affordability were too attractive. Zoning laws that combined residential and business uses sealed the deal in 2003.

“I used to live in Oregon Hill, so I’m used to living in a mess that has potential,” says Creegan. “It’s really a rich person’s house, though. It really should be owned by somebody who can main-

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Whenever you own a historic house, you’re just a caretaker, really. tain it.” But Creegan and Givens are modest. Working together since 1995, they make and sell Ignatius Hats. Their handmade hats have been featured in various fine-arts and craft shows around the country, including the Smithsonian Craft Show; Ignatius Hats has also provided custom-made hats for numerous movies and television shows, including Iron Jawed Angels and Parenthood. Their craftsmanship and attention to detail translates into the work they’ve done on their home.

“Every time we want to make a repair, we have to go through architectural review with the Historic Petersburg Foundation and the Historic Richmond Foundation,” says Givens, who is thankful that most of what they’ve wanted to do has been well within the guidelines.

“Whenever you own a historic house, you’re just a caretaker, really,” he says.

LEFT: The Christmas tree decorations are a mix of new and old. Some came from antique markets; others were crafted by friends. The toys underneath are either from Givens’ childhood or were picked up at an antique market. RIGHT: Creegan and Givens store all of the hats they sell in an unfinished second parlor on the first floor.

The upstairs guest bedroom was originally part of double master suites built as mirror images of each other. Creegan made the round pillow in the chair. The painting above the fireplace is by a Richmond artist, Jack Lawrence.

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It’s said that Lincoln and Grant met in this room to discuss Richmond after its fall to the North.

The swag is made of magnolia, seeded eucalyptus, juniper and hypernicum berries. The chair and footstool came from Theatre Virginia when the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts sold its set dressing and props. The curio cabinet to the left holds Givens’ collection of soapstone monkey carvings.

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THE ELEGANCE OF THE HOUSE, BUILT IN 1855, AND ITS AFFORDABILITY WERE TOO ATTRACTIVE. “We’re trying to be good caretakers by keeping the integrity of the historic nature of the house.”

But in order to maintain the integrity of the house, Creegan and Givens had to attend to the big picture first. “As soon as we moved in, we started working on it,” says Givens. “Whatever needed the most attention.” After hauling to the dump multiple loads of refuse that had been crammed into every corner of the house, Creegan and Givens added central heat to make the house inhabitable for the upcoming winter. They then carved out two separate studios spacious enough to house hundreds of antique hat blocks and at least a dozen 19th-century sewing machines designed

for milliners. They’re not only collections, but the tools Creegan uses every day to create his hats.

“Twenty percent of our time is working on the house, and the rest is making hats,” says Creegan, who has spent much of the day — and much of the last three years — on the roof with carpenter and craftsman Alain Joyaux.

“We’ve been good for this house,” he concedes, learning carpentry as he goes from Joyaux. After Creegan replaced the built-in gutters, Joyaux led the way with the repair of the soffits, as well as the renovation of the columns and the repair of the original front porch. All of the decorative wrought iron pieces over the windows have been sandblasted and

TOP: The laurel wreath on the mantel bust in the fully restored dining room is from the HBO movie Iron Jawed Angels, and was fabricated by Creegan and Givens.

The gilt mirror was left in the house by the previous owner, and the Christmas tree reflected in it was a prop at Dillard’s. The china is Haviland, Wedgwood and Villeroy & Boch. BOTTOM: Givens always wanted a live monkey as a child, but was given this one instead. “I loved it but was also a little afraid of it.”

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web extra: Check out a video of owner Rod Givens talking about the Thomas Wallace house at rhomemagazine.com

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painted. The original lead paint on the interior walls has been stripped, and the dining room walls have been taken down to the studs. The chimneys are the next major repair on the docket.

Creegan and Givens have done an exceptional job furnishing the inhabitable parts of their home with an eclectic mix of folk art and old and new furniture, gathered largely from the shows

where they sell their hats. However, “working on a house and living in it at the same time is not fun,” says Givens, who is constantly thinking about what needs to be done next. And no, they haven’t seen any ghosts, but they’d like to. “This house just has a really good feeling about it. I don’t know why, exactly, it just does. It’s a really grand space to live.” 

HISTORIC Thomas Wallace House Made famous on April 3, 1865, when President Lincoln visited General Ulysses S. Grant to map their strategy after the fall of Richmond, and 10 days before Lincoln’s assassination, the Thomas Wallace House has been mentioned in everything from history books to novelist Gore Vidal’s Lincoln.

Built in 1855 by Thomas Wallace, an attorney and member of the Whig Party, it was next the residence of the Seward family, owners of the national luggage company. It is said that in 1909 President Taft dropped by to see the landmark and drank a cup of water from a tin cup that was later preserved in the cupboard by Mrs. Seward.

In the last century, the Thomas Wallace House has both changed hands many times and been the focal point of plans either to tear it down or preserve it. In the 1970s, a neighborhood church unsuccessfully petitioned the city of Petersburg to demolish the house to build a parking lot. In 1996, 35 students and teachers from Cornell’s graduate program in historic planning donated three days of their time to repair the house. Now 155 years old, by all appearances the Thomas Wallace House will withstand this generation as well.

ABOVE: Ignatius Creegan (left) and Rod Givens on the porch of the Thomas Wallace House

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The desk in this guest bedroom and office was made by a company that also made pianos. The painting behind the desk is also by Richmond artist Jack Lawrence.

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Dining Room Jennifer Stoner knows how Richmonders love red dining rooms. At Rothesay, she offers an update by using a soft geranium hue as a captivating accent color. The room’s shimmery, metallic botanical wall treatment was hand-stenciled by artist Chris Lombard, who also painted the abstract work above the fireplace.

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Richmond designers transform a historic home into the Richmond Symphony Orchestra League’s 2010 Designer House / by jessica haddad / photos by barry fitzgerald

design on display

DAVID HICKS ROOM For the servants’ quarters on Rothesay’s third floor, Kat and Mike Liebschwager of Ruth & Ollie imagined a love nest for the fictional pairing of 1960s British design icon David Hicks and the queen of modern glamour, Kelly Wearstler. Hicks’ room features high-gloss black walls and a wall draped with a bold geometric fabric, which disguises an awkwardly placed electrical box. A plush mohair daybed, antelope-hide patterned carpeting and bold accessories complete the room. MORNING HALL Karen Farrow and Jonathan Williams of The Wallpaper Place/La Maison designed the opulent morning hall. A crystal chandelier, gilt mirror and metallic accents amplify the natural light that streams in through the windows.

hen Randy Trainor was young and just figuring out that she wanted to become an interior designer someday, she would fantasize about redecorating Rothesay, her grandparents’ 1913 Tudor estate. With the 2010 Richmond Symphony Orchestra League Designer House & Garden Tour, Trainor finally got her chance to apply her design talents to her family’s home.

More than 30 top designers from Richmond and afar — Trainor is based in New Hampshire — transformed and updated the grand rooms that comprise the three floors and 10,000 square feet of Rothesay. For the first time in Designer House history, nearly a dozen landscape designers were also invited by the Richmond Symphony Orchestra League to showcase their talents on grounds originally conceived by renowned Virginia landscape architect Charles Gillette.

Trainor helped persuade her father, George An-

KITCHEN Rather than gut the kitchen and start from scratch, John George of John K. George & Co. used restored, vintage and salvaged materials combined with water-based distressed paint finishes and the latest technology to create a one-of-a-kind kitchen.

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SUNROOM Designers Kathy Morgan and Kevin Malone of Williams & Sherrill were awed by the sunroom’s intricate, Asian-inspired fretwork, which they repainted in colors inspired by Asian porcelain. The crisp blue-and-white color scheme is accented with energetic shots of red and yellow. “Rothesay is such a beautiful, elegant house,” Malone says. “We wanted to keep the furniture traditional, but we updated it. It is really very Richmond — with a twist.”

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MAPLE COURT Chuck Bateman of Bateman Landscape Design wanted a garden that reflected the era in which Rothesay was built. Asian art was influential for the Arts and Crafts movement at the time. Bateman used exotic plants framed by the existing Japanese maples to create lush living space next to the front door.

derson, and his wife, Anne, to temporarily vacate Rothesay and hand over the keys to the design community to benefit the Richmond Symphony.

Anne Anderson says her husband agreed once he was convinced that his mother, Isabel Walker Scott Anderson, a founder and patron of the Richmond Symphony, would approve of the cause.

From the traditional black-and-white marble foyer to the third-floor servants’ quarters reimagined as a high-style pied-à-terre, the 2010 Symphony Designer House provided a wealth of inspiration. Each designer offered ideas that can be adapted to fit most any living space. Here are a few of the most inspirational take-aways from Rothesay.

Respect the Architecture In most conversations with designers, talk would inevitably turn to Rothesay’s “great bones.” The traditional dining room features a marble fireplace, six layers of crown molding and beautiful wainscoting. “In a house like this, you can imagine the parties and the people they’ve entertained here,” says designer Jennifer Stoner.

She used the owners’ antique triple-pedestal Duncan Phyfe dining table and a set of French dining chairs that she transformed with paint

and upholstery. To play up the scale of the room, she hung two crystal chandeliers topped with silk shades. Rather than paint accent walls the traditional Richmond red, Stoner offered an update by using a soft geranium hue.

Mix and Match In the large master bedroom, David Allan Ballas created separate areas for sleeping, chatting by the fire, composing a letter and gazing out onto the spectacular river view.

Ballas chose a mix of furniture pieces from different styles and periods. “I wanted it to have the look of [belonging to] someone who has traveled and collected and put pieces together over time,” he explains. “It gives it a more lived-in look.” He also incorporates two of his trademarks into the design — small groupings of mercury-glass Christmas ornaments used as year-round accessories Design on Display cont’d on p. 68

LADY’S Dressing Room Striking hand-painted wallpaper sets the stage for Oliver Design’s lady’s dressing room. Kate Oliver’s glamorous design was inspired by former homeowner Isabel Walker Scott Anderson, a patron and founder of the Richmond Symphony and mother of George Anderson, who currently lives at Rothesay. Master Bedroom “I loved the scale of this bedroom and the lovely view,” says designer David Allan Ballas. As inspiration for a soothing color palette of chocolate, cream and blue, he looked to the traditional toile draperies. He painted the ceiling with a trompe l’oeil architectural border that echoes the semi-circular motif found throughout Rothesay.

Office For the cozy home office, Ellen Norris of Caryatid Interiors was inspired by art. �I feel like work is art, no matter what you do,� she says. Decorative painters Marianne Caminiti and Katie Davis created an exquisite Matisse-inspired ceiling mural. Retro accessories and a painterly rug from Bill Hirsch in Carytown create a stimulating work environment.

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A “HOW-TO” GUI DE

TO RICHMOND ARCHITECTURE Italianate (1840-1885)

Georgian Revival

Cottage

East Grace Street

East Clay Street

East Clay Street

These urban row houses, commonly three or four stories in height and boasting tall, narrow windows, represent a resurgence in formal Renaissance architecture during the mid- to late 19th century.

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Where you’ll see them: Jackson Ward, Fan District, Church Hill How to spot them: Most Italianate townhouses feature low-pitched or flat roofs with widely overhanging eaves supported by large decorative brackets and outer walls of roughcast brick, smooth masonry or stucco. Quoins are a common decoration on exterior corners, and windows are often topped with elaborated crowns. Keep an eye out for cast-iron ornamentation on porches, balconies, railings and fences, as well as a cupola or widow’s walk on the roof.

Spotting historic architectural styles

By Katherine Houstoun Photos by Ash Daniel

Mediterranean Revival (1890-1930)

Richmond’s urban and suburban residential landscape reveals an astounding array of architectural styles, from a 12th-century Tudor home shipped over in pieces from England and rebuilt in Windsor Farms (Agecroft Hall) to a simple vernacular bungalow erected in Oregon Hill. The wide variety reveals the progression of the city’s development, giving each neighborhood its own time stamp and character. Here we feature a smattering of the most common architectural styles you’ll find in the city and its environs, as well as the easiest ways to spot them.

Queen Anne

Tudor

“

RICHMOND IS ALL ABOUT HISTORY. WE CARE ABOUT IT, HONOR IT AND CAN’T LET GO OF IT – IN A GOOD WAY.” — Amy Swartz, the director of preservation services at the Historic Richmond Foundation.

Westover Road

Monument Avenue

Evelyn Byrd Avenue

A Mediterranean Revival house emulates traditional Spanish or Italian architecture — or a combination of both — and usually boasts a smooth stucco or masonry facade, tiled roof and prominent chimneys.

Spanish-inspired styles are often asymmetrical and eclectic, while those inspired by the Italian Renaissance tend to be simple, symmetrical and cubic.

Where you’ll see them: Ginter Park, Byrd Park, Monument Avenue, Fan District How to spot them: Mediterranean homes are easy to spot due to their solid stone exteriors, typically rendered with a smooth layer of stucco, and low-pitched roofs of varying types of tile. Often times, the groundlevel façade carries the dominant decorative treatment, and it is not unusual to find the upper-story windows to be shorter than those on the first floor. The prolific use of arched windows, openings and doorways is also common.

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ARCHITECTURAL TERMS

Italianate

QUOINS: rectangular bricks or stones used in vertical series as decoration on corners of buildings

PILASTER: a flattened column, usually projecting from a wall, used as ornamentation

Georgian Revival

Cottage

(1895-1940)

Georgian Revival forms the backbone of the Colonial Revival in the United States, which focused on the rebirth of early English and Dutch architectural styles on the Eastern Seaboard. Constructed of brick or wood clapboard, the homes are strictly rectangular with somewhat austere façades.

Where you’ll see them: Downtown, Monument Avenue, Church Hill, Windsor Farms How to spot them: Georgian Revival homes are identifiable by their symmetrical façades and centered front doors, which are normally accentuated with a decorative crown or oversized entry porch. Some houses feature fullwidth or wraparound porches, while others boast one-story side wings at one or both ends. Windows typically do not have shutters, and roofs are hipped or gambrel. You’ll often see classical wooden pilasters or quoins at the corners of the façade.

Wilton, in Windsor Farms, an authentic Georgian manor

Monument Avenue Sulgrave Road

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CUPOLA: a small, dome-like structure on top of a building

GABLE: the triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof

Mediterranean Revival

GABLED ROOF: a sloping roof that forms an ‘A’ shape

HIPPED ROOF: a roof with slopes on all four sides, often pyramidal in shape

Queen Anne (1870-1900)

GAMBREL ROOF: a roof on which each side has two distinct slopes, sometimes called “barn-shaped”

Tudor

Hermitage Road

Grove Avenue

West 32nd Street

Representing a culmination of Victorian styles, these large, freestanding homes often feature steeply pitched roofs, “gingerbread” trim and wraparound porches.

Where you’ll see them: Brookland Park, Forest Hill, Woodland Heights, Bon Air, Barton Heights, Fan District How to spot them: Queen Anne homes are frequently asymmetrical, with wings, bays and towers protruding in all directions. Porches typically stretch across the front of the house and around one or both sides. A defining feature is their decorative detailing, including ornately carved trim, appliqué ornamentation, colored-glass windows and an exuberant use of color on the exterior.

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NAMES TO KNOW

Italianate

NOLAND AND BASKERVILL ARCHITECTS Originally established in 1897 as a partnership between architect William Churchill Noland and electrical engineer Henry Baskervill, this firm (now known simply as Baskervill) put its stamp on Richmond’s architectural evolution through substantial commercial and residential projects, including Maymont’s out buildings and several of the homes of prominent Richmonders now owned by VCU on Franklin Street. You can see their designs in the Fan, Ginter Park, West End, Westhampton and Windsor Farms neighborhoods.

Georgian Revival

Cottage (Early 19th Century -1930)

Westwood Avenue

Chevy Chase Street

South Pine Street

These cottage-like dwellings, featuring low and simple lines with wide, projecting roofs, were the dominant style for many smaller suburban houses from the early 19th to the early 20th centuries.

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Where you’ll see them: Ginter Park, Bon Air, Forest Hill, Woodland Heights, Bellevue, Oregon Hill How to spot them: Cottages tend to be small, cozy and fronted by fullor partial-width porches and front stoops. Rarely more than one-anda-half stories high, most feature a set-back entrance, as well as low-pitched hipped or gabled roofs with wide, overhanging eaves. Many also have exposed beams or braces under the roof gables for structural or decorative purposes.

WILLIAM LAWRENCE BOTTOMLEY (1883-1951) A leading practitioner of the domestic Georgian Revival style in Virginia during the first half of the 20th century, Bottomley designed many homes for Richmond’s upper crust in Windsor Farms and along Monument Avenue. The New York-born architect also designed a loggia for Virginia House in the mid-1940s.

CHARLES M. ROBINSON (1867-1932) While Robinson may be best known for designing buildings for educational institutions — he created designs for more than 40 public schools, including Fox and Chimborazo, as well as the University of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University and the College of William & Mary — he also designed a number of residences in the Fan and Ginter Park neighborhoods.

Tudor Mediterranean Revival

Queen Anne

(1890-1940)

New Kent Road

These large, asymmetrical houses are comprised of dramatically high-pitched side-gabled roofs, decorative half-timbering and long rows of casement windows. Smaller gatehouse styles, common on the North Side, were popular during the 1920s and 1930s.

Where you’ll see them: Ginter Park, Laburnum Park, Bellevue, Westover Hills, Forest Hill, Windsor Farms, Fan How to spot them: Tudors are most recognizable by their halftimbering, in which the actual timber framework of the building is left exposed in the stucco exterior. By and large, Tudor façades are dominated by one or more prominent cross gables, and the second floor often overhangs the first floor. Massive ornate chimneys, usually capped by terra cotta pots, are also common. 

Palmyra Avenue

Amherst Avenue

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Hungry for the

Holidays Chef Rachel Zell shares filling, festive and low-fuss recipes for your next party

By Brandon Fox photography by kip dawkins styled by marcie blough

MENU FOR 10 59 Fromage Fort 60 Caprese Skewers 60 Pickled Shrimp 63 Ginger Holiday Cocktail 63 Coffee Punch 64 Cocktail Lamb Chops with Papaya Honey Mustard 66 Rum Buttons 58

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Fromage Fort ingredients • 2 pounds of assorted cheeses (sharp cheddar, Gouda and Mahon make a good combination, but any variety, including smoked, will work; steer clear of ammoniated brie rinds and any blue cheeses, though) • 1/4 pound of cream cheese • 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter • 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced • 1 to 2 tablespoons of white wine (go easy)

reak out the cocktail glasses and warm up the fireplace: It’s time to blast a little holiday cheer in the direction of your friends and family. Cooking a full dinner for guests is too overwhelming this time of year, but most appetizers can’t knock the edge off an appetite unless you plant yourself next to the crab dip and bring your own supply of crackers.

Chef Rachel Zell understands the tricky line you need to walk when throwing a cocktail party.

You want finger food that’s also real food. And you probably don’t have a lot of time to spend making it. A French Culinary School graduate and a restaurant veteran and caterer in New York, San Francisco and Richmond, Zell now works as a private chef, creating dishes with big flavor but without a lot of prep work. Most of her recipes can be made ahead of time; those that can’t take only a few minutes to prepare.

And the luxury of time — the time to enjoy your own party — is probably the loveliest gift you can give yourself this holiday season.

directions Cut or grate assorted cheeses into small, uniform pieces. Then place in a food processor with the cream cheese, butter and garlic. With the food processor running, slowly add wine. Be careful — if there’s too much wine, the taste will be overpowering. Blend until creamy. Form the cheese into a log (or place in a small bowl as a spread). Chill until ready to serve.

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Cocktail party

Pickled Shrimp Serves 10 (best prepared three days in advance) ingredients

Caprese Skewers Makes 10 skewers

For the vinaigrette

For the skewers

directions

ingredients

ingredients

• 1/2 cup of loosely packed basil leaves • 1 clove of garlic • 1/4 cup of red-wine vinegar • 3/4 cup of extra-virgin olive oil • Salt and pepper to taste

• 2 cups of fresh mozzarella ciligene (grape-sized balls) • 1 pint of cherry tomatoes • 1/2 cup of sliced, roasted red peppers • 1 cup of freshly stemmed basil leaves • 8-inch wooden skewers

In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients except for the shrimp. Steam the shrimp until pink (approximately five minutes) and add to the pickling mixture. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours, but preferably three days.

directions Combine the basil, garlic and vinegar in a food processor.

With the food processor running, slowly pour in the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

60

• 1/2 cup of Sauer’s pickling spice • 1/2 cup of white vinegar • 3/4 cup of canola oil • 3 tablespoons of capers • 1/2 of a red onion, thinly sliced • 3 stalks of celery, thinly sliced • 1 pound of peeled, raw medium shrimp (tail on)

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directions In a bowl, toss the mozzarella in the basil vinaigrette. To assemble the skewers, alternate the tomato, mozzarella and red pepper with a basil leaf in between.

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Cocktail party

Ginger Holiday Cocktail Serves one ingredients

• 1 teaspoon of finely grated ginger • Juice from 1/2 of an orange (approximately 2 tablespoons) • 1 tablespoon of honey • 1 1/2 ounces of dark rum • 1 tablespoon each of cinnamon and sugar

directions Mix the cinnamon and sugar together on a small plate. Moisten the rim of a martini glass using the squeezed orange. Turn your glass upside down and dip the rim into the cinnamon sugar. Place the rest of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker, stir to dissolve honey, fill with ice, shake and strain into the glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

Coffee Punch Serves 10 to 12

ingredients

directions

• 1 pint of coffee ice cream • 12 cups of strong brewed coffee, chilled • 1/2 cup of sweetened condensed milk • 1 cup of coffee liqueur (optional) • 4 cups of whipped cream • Dark chocolate (for garnish)

Mix the sweetened condensed milk, the optional liqueur and coffee together in a punch bowl. Add ice cream and break it into quarters with a spoon or knife. Heap whipped cream in the center. Finely grate or shave the dark chocolate on top of the whipped cream.

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Cocktail party

Chef Zell’s Tips for a Successful Party

1

Assign serving dishes and utensils a few days before the party.

That way you’ll know if you need anything, and you won’t be scrambling at the last minute.

2

Clear out your refrigerator ahead of time to make room for all of the extra food.

3 Cocktail Lamb Chops With Papaya Honey Mustard Serves 10 (two lamb chops each) For the lamb ingredients • 20 single, French-cut lamb chops • 1/4 cup of olive oil • Salt and pepper to taste

directions Preheat the grill. Brush the lamb with the oil and season generously with salt and pepper.

Grill medium-rare, about two minutes each side. Brush on the sauce (recipe below) while lamb is still hot from the grill.

For the papaya honey-mustard sauce ingredients • 4 tablespoons of Dijon mustard

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• 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar • Juice of one lime • 1/2 cup of honey • 1 cup of seeded and cubed ripe papaya (mango can be substituted) • Salt to taste

directions

In a bowl, combine the mustard, vinegar and lime juice.

Bring the honey to a simmer in a small saucepan and cook on low until the color darkens (approximately 10 minutes). Add the papaya to the honey, stir and continue cooking another 10 minutes. Finally, add the honey-papaya mixture to the mustard mixture and blend well.

Think like your guests: Is there a place to set down drinks or trash? Will the food you plan to make be too difficult to eat and/or serve? Are there options for meat lovers and vegetarians alike?

4

Separate the food and the bar to encourage mingling.

5 6 7

Chill the wine!

Don’t forget music!

Remember that the host sets the tone, so be relaxed at your own party. If you have fun, the guests will, too. I can’t stress this enough.

THURSDAY, NOV. 11 — 6 TO 9 P.M. La Différence • TICKETS $15 (or 2 for $25) Ticket price includes a reception from 6 to 7 p.m.

Visit rhomefortheholidays.eventbrite.com for tickets — Reservations are limited Call 355-0111 with questions.

Apartment Therapy’s co-founder, Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan, wants to make your home beautiful, organized and healthy.

CEO of one of Time magazine’s Best Blogs of 2010, as well as Real Simple’s pick as one of their Best Blogs, Apartment Therapy’s design guru and author of Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces wants you to be passionate about your home — no matter what the size. See why 4.3 million readers per month turn to his site for inspiration and advice. Plus, bid on wreaths made by 10 top local designers and watch a holiday décor demonstration before the talk. Net proceeds benefit the School of Richmond Ballet’s need-based scholarship fund.

Presented by

Media Sponsor:

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Cocktail party

Rum Buttons Makes two dozen For the buttons: ingredients • 2/3 cup of unbleached, all-purpose flour • 1/2 cup of sugar • 1 teaspoon of baking powder • A pinch of salt • 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter (cut into cubes) • 1/2 package of vanilla instant-pudding mix • 1 large egg • 1/4 cup of milk • 1/4 cup of vegetable oil • 1/4 cup of vanilla rum (light rum can be substituted) • Nonstick cooking spray

directions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat two mini-muffin pans with nonstick cooking spray. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix on low and add butter, turning the mixer up to medium-high.

Continue mixing until the mixture resembles gravel. Add the pudding mix and egg, then turn mixer up another notch.

Add the liquids and mix until smooth, with no lumps.

Pour into prepared pans. Bake for 20 minutes or until the tops turn slightly brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

Dip in syrup (recipe on right ).

While the buttons bake, prepare the syrup: ingredients • 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter • 2 tablespoons of water • 1/4 cup of sugar • 1/4 cup of the same rum you used for the buttons

directions Melt the butter with the water and

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sugar. Bring to a low boil and simmer until the sugar is dissolved. Take the syrup off the heat; add the rum, and stir.

While the buttons are still warm, dunk each into the syrup using a fork and allow to cool on plate. Remove the buttons with a small spatula to a serving platter. 

Min. purchase $1,000. Cannot be combined with other off ers. Expires 12.31.10. Š2010 California Closet Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Franchises independently owned and operated.

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46TH ANNUAL

Design on Display cont’d from p. 51

and a period art deco chair that has made numerous appearances in Symphony Designer Houses.

Color Changes Everything Rothesay’s sunroom personifies the importance of color. The room’s intricate, Asian-inspired fretwork was the point of departure for Kathy Morgan and Kevin Malone of Williams & Sherrill. Before they arrived, the fretwork and walls were painted the same light green. “We felt like the lattice needed to be highlighted with two tones so you could see the work that went into it,” Malone says. “We kind of wanted [the room] to feel like you’re sitting inside a porcelain jar,” he explains.

Reuse and Recycle

benefiting the Visual Arts Center of Richmond

More info at visarts.org

NOVEMBER 20 21, 2010

At the Science Museum of Virginia

Sponsored by

ceramics - fiber - glass - jewelry - mixed media - wood

When John George of John K. George & Co. tackled Rothesay’s kitchen, he wanted to create an affordable, environmentally aware, one-of-a-kind design. Rather than gut the kitchen and start from scratch, George added perimeter molding to the 1950s plywood cabinet doors and crown molding to their boxes. A two-layer painted finish and faux-slate baseboards completed the miraculous transformation.

The one original 1913 cabinet was painted red as a focal point.

George removed three layers of linoleum to reveal a top-quality heart pine floor. He found a 100-year-old farmhouse sink from Caravati’s and used old porch columns both to highlight the stove niche and echo the house’s Tudor Revival architecture.

George urges owners of older homes to consider a similar remodel by combining restored and salvaged materials with stateof-the-art lighting and energy-efficient appliances. “This type of remodel has more character,” George says. “It cannot be duplicated.”

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For a complete list of newsstand locations, visit richmondmagazine.com

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One of the most striking things about the Designer House was the singular vision by each designer on display. You don’t have to be a pro to let your personal style show through.

“I tell my clients you should be doing something that makes your stomach flutter a little bit,” Kat Liebschwager of Ruth & Olllie says. “Don’t be afraid. … Do what you want to do, and your personal style will show through. It will give your home more of a lived-in look than a decorated look.”  See Resource Listings on Pages 70 and 72.

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Design on Display Pages 44-51

Pages 44-45 Dining Hall designer, Jennifer Stoner Interiors, Jennifer Stoner, IFDA, 622-0605, jenniferstonerinteriors.com; Walls, hand-painted by Chris Lombard; Light fixtures, Luna Bella, lunabella.com; Wall color, Liquid Silver by Benjamin Moore, Virginia Paint Co., 359-5088; with Modern Masters metallic paints, modernmastersinc.com; China, Schwarzschild Jewelers, schwarzschild.com; Cutlery, Schwarzschild Jewelers, schwarzschild.com; Table runner, custom-made, covered in Rose Cummings faux fur, dessinfournir.com; Chairs, personal collection of Jennifer Stoner, painted

by Jennifer Stoner, upholstered by All About Upholstery, 519-3180, chair skirts, Soft Home Interiors, 651-1981; Sconces, Niermann Weeks, niermannweeks.com; Flowers, Jennifer Stoner and Amanda Fogg.

Page 46 David Hicks Room designer, Ruth & Ollie, Kat and Mike Liebschwager, ruthandollie.com, 288-3360; Walls, Sherwin Williams, Black, high gloss finish; Daybed, custom made, covered in Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams camel mohair, antique brass nailheads; Throw, Loverboy in Tawny; Accent table, Twig, brass finish with white marble top; Desk, acrylic console table; Ceiling light fixture, Spryo lantern; Artwork, designer’s personal collection; Desk chair, carved wood in vintage gray finish and custom cushion; Desk lamp, Hicks table lamp; all items available at Ruth & Ollie, 288-3360.

Page 46 Morning Hall designer, The Wallpaper Place/ La Maison (Karen K. Farrow, Jonathan Williams), 320-3125; Chest, Italian, hand-carved piece; Wall color, York wallcovering; Pillow, light fixture, ceiling sculpture, rug runner, all from The Wallpaper Place 320-3125.

Page 47 Kitchen designer, John K. George & Co., John George, 560-1717; Cabinets, recycled plate glass, 4-D Discoveries, 897-6340; Cabinet hardware and switchplates, Emtek solid bronze, Pleasants Hardware, 359-9381; Cabinets and doors, Siewers Lumber, 3582103; Flooring, original pine, finished with soybean polyurethane, Costen Floors, 527-2929; Kitchen sink, Cavarti’s, 232-4175; Columns, Cavarti’s, 232-4175; Woodwork for columns, Chuck Nilles, 916-0070; Ceiling, antique salvaged wood, E.T. Moore Co., 2311823; Table, fabricated from wormy pine beams and hobnailed iron banding, Cavarti’s, 232-4175; Hanging lighting fixture, fabricated from vintage church lighting and hand-forged iron, Caravati’s, 232-4175; Appliances, Whirlpool Energy-Star Stainless Appliances, Cline Contract Sales, 379-9600; Countertops, watermarked slate, fabricated by Parkstone, 387-4330, and Virginia Slate Co., 745-4100; Wall color, Natura by Benjamin Moore, Virginia Paint Co., 359-5088.

Pages 48-49 Sunroom designer, Williams &

Bill Bevins

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Resource Listings

7/2/10 2:36:35 PM

Sherrill, Kathy Morgan and Kevin Malone, 320-1730, williamsandsherrill.com; Donut lamp, Robert Abbey, robertabbey.com; Tablecloth, Williams & Sherrill, 320-1730; Hanging light fixture, Visual Comfort, visualcomfortlightinglight.com; Wall color, Buckland Blue by Benjamin Moore, Virginia Paint Co., 359-5088; Curtains, Williams & Sherrill, 320-1730; Ottoman, Lee Industries, leeindustries.com; Couch, Vanguard Furniture, vanguardfurniture.com; Pillows, Charles Faudree, charlesfaudree.com; Cowtan & Tout, cowtan.com; Bailey & Griffin, baileygriffin.com; Thibaut, thibautdesign.com; Vervain, vervain.com; F. Schumacher, fschumacher.com; Brunschwig & Fils, brunschwig.com; Rug, Chandra, chandrarugs.com; 

WHAT’S YOUR STYLE? Colonial, Provincial, Classic, Contemporary . . . more furniture than any one store can properly display.

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WHAT’S YOUR PLEASURE? Come browse, take your time – you may need it.

If you like, experienced specialists are here to show and advise. There’s so much to see; furniture, carpets, gifts, and accessories, representing more than 400 leading names.

WHAT’S IT WORTH? This is custom furniture of unique quality, but you still get 30% to 60% off the suggested price.

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Resource Listings Chair, Drexel Heritage, drexelheritage.com; Artwork, Arteriors, arteriorshome.com; Lamp behind sofa, Ginger Levit atelier, gingerlevit.com, Table, Henredon, henredon. com; Chair, Lee Industries in cream, leeindustries.com; Lamp, Bradburn Gallery in coral, bradburngallery.com; Side table, Sarried, sarried.com; Parrot sculpture and stand, Chelsea House, chelseahouseinc.com.

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Page 49 Garden Designer, Chuck Bateman, Chuck Bateman Landscape Design, 370-0939; Chairs, Wave Hill Chair, fabricated by Russell Dabney, Swift Creek Garden Furniture, 652-0402; Pots, fabricated by Russell Daney, Swift Creek Garden Furniture, 652-0402.

Page 50 Lady’s Dressing Room designer, Kate

Come see the board certified physicians at VeinSolutions and see how a personalized treatment plan can bring ease and affordability to your treatment decision.

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Oliver, Oliver Design LLC; Wallpaper, custom, Fromental, fromental.co.uk; Window treatments, fabricated by Specialty Drapery, specialtydrapery.com; Chest, Olympia two-drawer commode by Diane Watts, dianewatts.com; Vase, Baker Furniture showroom, Washington Design Center, dcdesigncenter.com; Bust, Baker Furniture showroom, Washington Design Center, dcdesigncenter.com.

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Only valid through 11/30/10

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Page 50 Master Bedroom designer, David Allan Ballas, David Allan Ballas Interior Design, 2805 E. Marshall St., davidballas.com, 355-9658; Curtains, toile fabric

by Thibaut and fabric, stripe by Robert Allen Fabric; Loveseat, fabric by F. Schumacher Co.; Floor lamp, private collection of the homeowners; Table lamp, antique Italian Campodimonte hand-painted lamp from private collection of David Allan Ballas Interior Design; Black chair, period art deco chair with Belgian black fabric with gold, copper and silver musical instruments from private collection of David Allan Ballas Interior Design; Slipper chairs fabric, cream and robin’s egg blue, Brunschwig & Fils; Hanging light fixture, vintage Regency style chandelier from private collection of David Allan Ballas Interior Design; Lamp on nightstand, antique, white French porcelain urn lamps from private collection of David Allan Ballas Interior Design; Bed, hand carved, gilded Louis XVI-style from Niermann Weeks; Bedding, custom toile shams, bolster and coverlet fabric by Thibaut; Custom square pillows, fabric by Robert Allen; Artwork, reproduction prints 1960s album covers by Harvey Schmidt, custom framing by Frame Nation; Rug, handmade Indian tabriz, Haji Jalihi, from W. Hirsch Oriental Rugs; Bench, Antique hand-painted Louis XVI-style bench from the private collection of the homeowners; Table, antique Victorian mahogany from the collection of the owners; Walls, hand-stenciled Venetian plaster by Melanie Palma Designs.

Page 51 Home Office designer, Ellen Norris, Caryatid Interiors, 357-3596, caryatidinteriors.com; Hanging light fixture, thrift store shade, repurposed by Ellen Norris; Shades, textured leather Beachwood and Everglade, Mann Kidwell, 288-2819; Window panels, Bongo from Mann Kidwell, 288-2819; Ceiling, Henri Maitesse-inspired (OcĂŠanie, le Ciel, 1946), painted by Marianne Caminiti and Katie Davis; Walls, plaster faux finish, Marianne Caminiti and Katie Davis; Desk, BDI Sequel in walnut, La Difference, ladiff.com; Desk Chair, Mr. Impossible acrylic, La Difference, ladiff.com; Rug, W. Hirsch Oriental Rugs, 359-5463; Desk lamp, black metal vintage (1950); Clock, 1960s Bulova clock; both Maurice Beane Art and Design Studios, 644-4746; Shelf, BDI Eileen leaning shelf in walnut, La Difference, ladiff.com; Miniature twig furniture, Janan Hilali, chair Osvaldo Borsani Techno, ashtray; Artwork, The Harbour, by Denise Lemaire, Woman of France by Marc Bellew; Magazine rack, floor light, end table, Maurice Beane Art and Design Studios, 644-4746. ď Ž

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9/10/10 12:48:23 PM

Richmond Magazine Salutes

48th Fan District association

Holiday House Tour December 11th & 12th f 1-5 Pm m

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before was two weeks d all through Christmas, an ns were the land, patro n. heart of the Fa e th to g in m strea all ss ro ac read wide With smiles sp as they ed gh lau ey th , of their faces rical places. toured the histo the eyes, tour, a feast for Yes, a holiday for a in s eryone wa but this year ev rose out n fu d an sic mu surprise: Live ue cars Park, And antiq from Meadow rk. da til un ts ee lined the str ss you gem of a tour pa So don’t let this tch wa d an , ay tod kets by. Buy your tic . fly ts your spiri

Moore Cadillac and the 2010 Cadillac Cup Benefiting 3 Outstanding Richmond-based charities The International Hospital for Children Heartbeat for Hope The Virginia Home for Boys and Girls Special Thanks To Their Many Sponsors & Supporters

Experience a storybook Fan Christmas.

The 2011 Cadillac Cup will be held in the Autumn of 2011 – Look for information soon!

H O W

10/18/10Untitled-19 5:59:35 PM1

R I C H M O N D

L I V E S

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LUNCH PORTER

THE

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$25 advance tickets are available at retail locations throughout the city, or online at www.fantourrichmond.com

“The area’s most popular show, The Bizarre Bazaar® is a unique shopping experience.

Gather your friends and make a day of it!”

-Christmas in Williamsburg

at

BRINGING

GREAT FOOD

TO YOUR DOOR

mark your calendars...

VISIT US IN MANCHESTER

ON THE CORNER OF PORTER & WEST 7TH

The 35 Christmas Collection December 2-5, 2010 th

{CORRUGATED BOX BUILDING}

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The 19th Spring Market April 1-3, 2011 RICHMOND RACEWAY COMPLEX 600 E. Laburnum Avenue, Richmond, VA 23222

THE BIZARRE BAZAAR®

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elebrating 35 years of shopping fun!

LOCAL.COFFEE LUNCH.SNACKS WWW.SAVORCOMPANY.COM

P.O. Box 8330, Richmond, Virginia 23226 Telephone: (804) 673-7015 Fax: (804) 673-7017

or check out our website: thebizarrebazaar.com

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Helping drivers get back on the road for over 30 years

Volunteers made plates of cookies for attendees.

Musician and Theresa Pollak Prize winner Susan Greenbaum sang holiday favorites to the crowd at Pine Grove Farm.

“The most wonderful thing — beyond that fact that people come to give back to people in need — is that everybody leaves with a smile.”

—Carolyn Peart

Everyone went home with at least one decorative holiday item that they had made.

Lots of different greens were available; some were clipped at Pine Grove Farm but much of it came from neighbors, including historic Hickory Hill, Winterberry and Maplewood.

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happenings

Event

Deck the Halls Make your own holiday décor, serve a good cause, have a ball By Elizabeth Cogar Batty

P

erhaps there’s someone in your life who thinks it would be wonderful if you spent some time doing something fun together over the holidays. Often, the chosen activity is not all that, um, enticing. But here’s a tip: This year, if your mother or cousin or best friend suggests that the two of you make holiday decorations together at the Deck the Halls event in Ashland — go.

Deck the Halls is a holiday greenery workshop held by Carolyn Peart at Pine Grove Farm to benefit Hilliard House. On a crisp December afternoon, friends, couples, mothers, daughters and grandmothers will gather around tables piled high with fresh aromatic greens. The $25 entrance fee includes the use of clippers and all the greenery you’ll need to make an unlimited number of wreaths, centerpieces and swags.

At last year’s gathering, there was laughter and chatter at every table; some participants worried that they weren’t creative enough, but with a little help from the friendly experts of the Hanover Garden Club and plenty of hot drinks and plates of cookies baked by volunteers, everyone walked away with decorations.

Deck the Halls, Dec. 5, noon to 4:30 p.m. $25. Pine Grove Farm, 12348 Elmont Road, Ashland. Call Carolyn Peart at 798-9131 for reservations. Space is limited.

J AY PA U L P H O TO S

For more photos from Deck the Halls, visit rhomemag.com R

H O M E

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happenings

Calendar

Seasonal Standouts

A few of our favorite things to do around town in November and December  By Sabrina Barekzai

11/5

and 11/6 2010 Holiday Shoppers Fair at Virginia Historical Society Fifteen different museums will get together and sell an array of great finds for the holidays. This year’s highlight is the addition of the newly renovated Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Shop — they’ll have plenty of gift ideas for family and friends. 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free. Special members-only shopping preview on Thursday, Nov. 4, from 5 to 9 p.m. 428 N. Boulevard. Call 342-9671 or visit vahistorical.org.

12/2

to 12/5 The Bizarre Bazaar Packed into four different buildings at the Richmond Raceway Complex, more than 95 different vendors selling both beautiful and wacky items exclusive to the Bazaar will celebrate the 35th year of this holiday shopping tradition.

Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. $6.50 advance tickets; $7 at the door; $1.50 children ages 2 to 12. Richmond International Raceway, 600 E. Laburnum Ave. Call 6736280 or visit thebizarrebazaar.com.

12/11 11/21 2010 Craft + Design 11/20 and Show

The Visual Arts Center presents its 46th annual crafts show. More than 70 designers from 17 different states will be in attendance with exceptional crafts from decorative pieces to jewelry. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. $12 per person; $10 members; $15 weekend pass. Patrons Preview (for patronlevel VisArts members only) on Friday, Nov. 19, from 6 to 9 p.m. Science Museum of Virginia, 2500 W. Broad St. Call 353-0094 or visit visarts.org.

and 12/12 The Fan District Association’s 48th Annual Holiday House Tour You can spend less time in the cold and more time gawking at houses this year: The eight homes on the tour will be located around Meadow Park, within easy walking distance of each other. Retreat Doctors’ Hospital’s parking deck will be available to tour goers, along with a free shuttle and two hospitality centers. 1 to 5 p.m. $25 advance tickets; $30 the days of the tour. For more information, contact Rose Brinson at 353-9160 or rosebrinson@ gmail.com.

11/18

Deck the Halls Silent Auction The third annual silent auction of holiday wares at Maymont boasts designs by local artisans. Give in to the temptation of wonderfully crafted holiday-décor items, including wreaths, tabletop arrangements and centerpieces exclusive to this holiday event. Reservations required by Nov. 17. 10 a.m. to noon. $15 per person; $10 members. Call 358-7166, ext. 310, or visit maymont.org.

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www.McCabesGrant.com 9/14/10 4:12:28 PM

[back page]

At Home

Catalog Envy Dreaming of Perfection By Maureen L. Egan

I

f I could stop drooling over the latest Crate and Barrel fall catalog, I might look in the mirror that isn’t a set of tiny and useless yet oddly appealing “Rory Mirrors, beveled iron with antiqued copper patina frames” (P. 48) across the page from the handsome Kavari Storage Bench lounging with a Jasmine Pillow that’s a “Textural pattern of Ikat motifs printed in rich reds, greens, and deep blue on dark cream slub-weave cotton” (P. 44). Perhaps then I would see that I should have brushed my hair and cleaned the mirror and furniture I do own rather than pine (or plantation-grown acacia or solid-sustainable mango, P. 51) for that which I don’t.

It’s so much easier to envy, though. For me, coveting catalog wares is as natural as “Lush New Zealand and fine Indian wools” (P. 59). Retailers conspire against me during this time of year, filling mailboxes, both virtual and real, with catalogs that show what the best-dressed homes should wear during the holidays. I’m as susceptible to “Must have this, and this, turn page, and this — now!” as I am skeptical of the siren song of consumerism. So I just feel guilty about what I covet. And that’s no fun.

Somehow companies have pegged my style as modern yet vintage, sleek yet cozy, classic yet soulful, ethnic yet boring, learned yet free-spirited. They know me better than I know myself.

If I followed Crate and Barrel on Twitter (@CrateandBarrel — but don’t do it!), it would be harder to resist a Cruz Pillow, given how its “Midcentury-inspired jacquard weave of cotton, fl ax, polyester, rayon” speaks to me (P. 58).

It helps that at $69.95, that killer pillow is never crossing my threshold. Still, I am sorely tempted. What kind of weird voodoo is going on to make me desire dish towels? If they cooked and did the dishes maybe. A photo of rugs makes me want to dive to the ground with several silk and wool pillows to cushion my landing. It’s only my allergy to wool that keeps me upright.

How do these companies’ product development and marketing people get control of my very neurons? Sometimes it’s a little

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too close to home. It’s almost as if these companies are targeting me personally. Pottery Barn and Williams-Sonoma have taken to naming things after members of my family: The ubiquitous CME is my sister’s monogram, and Pottery Barn has bedding named after my daughter, Deirdre. Do they do that to you, too?

It’s clear that Crate and Barrel has my number — and not just my credit-card number. I get a visceral reaction to their colors and sheens and fabrics. Those colors! Jewel tones or earth tones or jewel tones mixed with earth tones. These catalogs ruthlessly flaunt their good looks. There are ceramic bowls “glazed in delicious fall colors” that couldn’t possibly taste as good come spring. So I’ll yearn for those colors, too. It’s as if they shoot the hues directly into my bloodstream, and I crave more. Some combinations of blues and greens conjure up the sea in Rhode Island and go straight to my core; paint is unblemished, wood floors shine, counters gleam and dishes have no dried egg on them. Damn them!

Thank goodness, every once in a while, there’s a photo spread of something truly heinous (see the red table and purple chairs on Pages 38 and 39) that no amount of personality transplant is going to change, but that’s the exception. I swear the only things I want for Christmas every year are beautifully mounted family photos on the walls in handsome cognac-stained wooden frames. I’m just waiting for my family to look as glamorous, wistful and fun-loving as the people in catalog photo collections.

I think I’m addicted less to the actual merchandise (which I mostly don’t order) and more to the idea of the possible — the extremely unlikely, implausible, impossible possibility that my home will have only beautiful, appealing and useful objects in it that never need dusting. And maybe there’s still time for my husband and me to become the hip, well-dressed, invisible people who live on Page 28. Urbane, witty people who make it a point to lay eyes rather than feet on their coffee tables — or at least put air in the tires of the bike that’s in our living room.

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