When a home is surrounded by beautiful views and an inherent sense of place, how do you create a space that feels personal and interesting on its own? How do you untether it from the expected? That was the challenge put in front of Richmond interior designer Sara Hillery, principal designer of Sara Hillery Interior Design, when she took on a historic farmhouse project in Hanover County.
Hillbrook Farm has all the trappings of a horse country estate. The 98-acre property is hidden on a winding road in Hanover County. It’s surrounded by sweeping fields and meadows. There are stables, training rings, and the facilities you’d expect from a couple who have dedicated their lives to horses and been incredibly successful in their equestrian pursuits.
Standing at the end of a stately, tree-lined drive is the white clapboard farmhouse that anchors the property. It’s seen multiple centuries, multiple owners, and multiple identities. From a 19th-century schoolhouse to a 21st-century farmhouse, it has transformed and evolved.
In 1992, Louis and Paula Rogers became its modern-day stewards after winning the property at an auction. For several years, they lived there, raising their daughters. They gradually updated the home while entertaining a rotating cast of dogs, cats, pygmy goats, and even Barbados sheep. Then, in 2022, with a growing family of grandchildren running around Hillbrook Farm, they decided it was time for a larger remodel.
Paula had a vision. “I wanted a more serene, monochromatic palette—something soft and calming, filled with warmth and subtle pastel hues that would let the original hardwood floors really sing.”
This may not be the look that typically comes to mind for a late 18th-century home or a working Virginia horse farm. But Paula wasn’t in the market for a dark, masculine hunt country home. She wanted Hillbrook Farm to feel like a respite from her days in the barn.
And that was the challenge given to Hillery. Make this farm feel like a bright, current escape in the midst of a Virginia meadow filled with beloved horses.
Like many of its historic peers, the home has been added onto again and again throughout its nearly two century history, creating a jigsaw puzzle of ceiling heights and spaces. In Hillery’s words, “Every space in the home has a different set of parameters to design around. You never know what you’re going to get in the next room.”
Add to that the juxtaposition of place and style, and this home was an opportunity for Hillery to experiment, finding the right way to bridge the timeworn and contemporary while making it tell the story of the vibrant couple that resides there.
“Paula and Louis have lived all over, and we wanted to merge a clean, crisp, coastal California vibe with a Virginia farm,” recalls Hillery.
The Ultimate Edit
Throughout the home, Hillery achieved the breezy feeling despite the low historic ceilings through clever use of texture and editing. Paula requested a predominantly blue and white palette. Hillery often uses blocks of color to create an elegant look where the colors become neutral, and this gives the home a bright, airy foundation. She explains, “Because we were restrained in the color palette, it became the ultimate edit. Paula doesn’t like clutter, and we focused on lots of breathing room.”
Hillery added just a few hints of color to the blue and white boundaries, infusing just enough to give movement and interest from room to room. To find inspiration, she looked just outside the windows of the home. A gorgeous piece of open farmland in Hanover County with expansive grass and a large pond, the setting practically demanded a nature-driven green. Subtle touches of light green in the office and living room echo the glimmer of the land when the light hits the grass, and, next to the blue and white, it brings to mind the verdant fields against the vast sky.
Nearly every room has wallpaper, which doesn’t always have a reputation for creating visually expansive spaces. But Hillery intentionally selected papers like vertical stripes that draw the eye upward and monochromatic grasscloth that creates softness and interest, even in a predominantly white room.
A bridle slung on the front hall’s newel post signals the property’s equestrian heritage.
The Rogers’ kitchen welcomes hungry riders with its soft marble stone tile and marble countertops.
Schumacher’s Fern Tree wallpaper in sky is featured in the dining room.
Soothing Spaces
In each space, the goal was to create a sense of soothing calm that would allow the couple to decompress after their busy days riding, working, and competing. Hillery took cues from traditional design, giving the home a feeling of comfort in a way that doesn’t feel busy or overly stuffy.
The entryway greets guests with a fresh blue and white Thibaut stripe wallpaper above a white chair rail, extending the visual presence of the room and making the ceiling appear taller than it is. A light blue Colleen & Co. lantern lengthens the sight line even further, while the entry table with cabriole legs adds movement and energy.
Just beyond the entry is the original schoolhouse room turned bedroom turned office. This is where editing played a key role. The trim and fireplace remained, but these traditional elements had to be balanced with more minimal decor. A delicate blue and white wallpaper, a simple yet elevated Shagreen desk, and light upholstery from Kravet create a subdued backdrop, while a few quiet details in pink—pillows, sconce shades—are a reference to the warmth of the brick hearth. Above the mantel, there’s a whimsical Weimaraner that bears a striking resemblance to Paula and Louis’ dog, Gunner.
Off to the other side, the living room blends cozy with a light, elegant air. A duo of pale blue upholstered chairs speaks to a pair of light blue ottomans, which take center stage thanks to a lucite coffee table that fades away. A Horn and Hair side table could be seen as a nod to the farm’s equestrian side.
Just a few steps away, the dining room fought an uphill battle both against the low ceiling height and the lack of a single window within the room, yet came out on top thanks to Hillery’s savvy design. From the cloud-like chandelier adding reflectivity to the stripe effect of the wallpaper drawing the eye up, the entire space is designed to trick the eye into thinking the ceiling is higher and the light is brighter. Even the framing of the watercolor from Reynolds Gallery by Brooklyn-based artist Elizabeth Gilfilen adds to the effect—it’s framed under glass to reflect more light. “This was where we could create a jewel box moment tucked within the middle of the home,” says Hillery, who added touches of lavender throughout the room to complement the blue and white palette.
In the bedroom, the relaxing blue and white colors stand alone, enveloping the space with a sense of peace that feels decidedly elegant, perhaps thanks to the iconic Leontine Linens bedding. Flanking the bed are two vintage chests, which were repainted to complement the color palette.
An Equine Passion
While most horse farms may lean into their starring motif, one immediately notices that Paula’s focus is truly creating a retreat from the horses that run most of her days. They’re her livelihood and her passion, but that doesn’t mean she needs to be surrounded by them in her home—beyond what’s already baked into her lifestyle.
“There are reminders of the horses everywhere, from boots to gear.” explains Sara. “We could pull in bits and pieces, but we didn’t need to lean into the hunt country vibes. They’re already there.”
Small clues—like a monochromatic relief painting of horses over the living room mantel or horse bit details—acknowledge that the home is a horse farm without turning it into a thematic design. Instead, they’re gentle references to the land and life around the home.
A Farm for the Generations
Paula and Louis have raised a family of skilled horsepeople. Everyone rides, from their adult children to their growing gaggle of grandchildren. The home, while beautiful in its pristine light color palette and curated décor, needs to accommodate dogs and grandkids at every turn.
Performance fabrics, comfortable, inviting upholstery, and an approachable, clean design are the foundation of Hillbrook Farm’s design, and they’re what make it a place that’s not just beautiful, but liveable. It’s a historic home that’s not striving to be a time capsule. It feels unique to its owners and updated for modern living. It makes sense within the context of its landscape without being too literal. It’s both a horse farm and a haven. It’s a place where memories are made over both riding lessons and family holidays.
“The design suits the way we truly live. We now have four grandchildren who adore visiting, riding ponies, and experiencing the same outdoor magic their mothers enjoyed,” says Paula. “The house has evolved with us, but it continues to carry the same spirit of ease, joy, and connection that first drew us here more than three decades ago.”
And, as Hillery says looking back on the project and its connection to the family, “There’s such a desire to make a bold statement these days. But it’s one thing to look at a home. It’s another to live in it.”
This article originally appeared in the April 2026 issue.
