Timeless Beauty, Modern Comfort: From big city to brick Cape, a Charlottesville couple starts anew.
After relocating from New York City in 2018, a young family with ties to the Charlottesville area found their vision of home in a charming 1930s brick Cape in the Venable Rugby neighborhood, just steps from the University of Virginia grounds. They had the good fortune of finding a house that had been beautifully renovated by the previous owners, but they had hopes of turning it into a layered, collected space, brimming with family, friends, and their beloved French antiques.
The center hallway features grasscloth from Phillip Jeffries with a pendant light from Jamb. Betty, the Cavalier King Charles spaniel, snuggles under a chair inspired by Jean Royere sourced through 1stDibs. Photography by Stacy Zarin Goldberg
The clients’ inherited sideboard and prized equestrian painting are on display, highlighted by a small picture light by Soane Britain.
After living in New York City for a decade, the couple made their way back to Virginia to welcome their first child. As their family grew, so did their square footage—they were thrilled to find more space to live among their antique collection and inherited treasures, with pieces dating back generations in Virginia and beyond. But, with two young children, their goal wasn’t to create a museum of vignettes, but rather a living, breathing space filled with gorgeous and functional items. The couple brought in Anne Pulliam of the Richmond-based Anne Pulliam Interiors to bring this merging of old and new to life.
For this young family, the goal was to make sure the house felt storied and happy. Pulliam let that youthful notion guide the design by laying a foundation of fresh neutrals then adding in vibrant color, pattern, and art. “Contrast and juxtaposition are the two most important elements in every room,” she says.
“The client was excited to use their collected and inherited antiques in functional ways,” adds Pulliam, who worked to seamlessly incorporate two families’ worth of stunning pieces.
A Love of Fun & Games
“After 10 years of shoebox apartments where we could rarely entertain friends, we fell in love with this space,” says the homeowner, who loves to host dinner parties, mahjong, and backgammon.
That fondness of fun, games, and gathering helped guide the design for an intimidatingly large living room floor plan—an incomprehensible challenge after the family’s time in the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn. Within the space, there had to be separate areas that felt both distinct and connected.
The long and narrow floor plan was a tricky arrangement that involved creating three distinct areas, including a clever and custom L-shaped banquette. Designed with Oliver Street Designs in Fermoie fabric, the banquette occupies a distant corner of the room, turning the nook into a lively game space. A modern hexagonal pedestal table is contrasted with antique chairs from the wife’s great-grandmother, originally purchased on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.
“The banquette corner is used for anything from an intimate fireside dinner table, to morning mahjong and coffee, to a cozy ‘gossip’ corner during a cocktail party,” explains the homeowner.
A Shin toaster chair from George Smith covered in a Holland & Sherry wool and a leather club fender around the fireplace add an eclectic and nostalgic element to fireside seating, giving a nod to parties of decades past. A tall, 18th-century Swedish clock sourced from Marston & Luce in Georgetown embodies both the current and historic, with sweeping lines that feel almost modern along with a finish that gives away its mature provenance. Meanwhile, marble and iron black nesting coffee tables from 1stDibs add a stark, sleek element to the sumptuous fabrics and rich woods that fill the room.
“The wider spaces between the sofa and the fireplace, and the chairs and the sofa allow for our children and dogs to play during family nights,” says the homeowner. “The showstopper is the lacquered ceiling. It is subtle enough with the tone on tone but the reflection when the fire is going is magical.”
“With the upholstery and art, the idea was to bring in pops of rust, blue, and green,” says Pulliam. “I wanted to make sure the antiques in the room were balanced well with color and texture, including the lacquered ceiling, to make the room feel young and fun. This is super important when layering in antiques so the home doesn’t feel too old-fashioned.” The room is painted a warm off-white, Farrow & Ball Wimborne White, and the fireplace surround was replaced in a warmer marble with peach undertones to play off the palette.
Durable Dining Room
Durable materials and fabrics played a key role in the design, thanks to two busy children. A set of Queen Anne dining chairs, from the client’s childhood home, were originally purchased from Pug Moore, a North Carolina furniture maker. They were refinished and reupholstered with Moore & Giles leather. They’re now suited for the loving wear and tear of family life and are accompanied by an antique table from Helen Storey Antiques in Charlottesville, along with inherited pieces from a family farm, which also include a sideboard and a 19th-century French bronze sculpture by Pierre-Jules Mene.
“A big reason we chose Charlottesville was to be closer to family and access to the beauty
of Albemarle County,” the homeowner says. “We wanted the art to bring those elements into the home. The English oil painting by John Nost Sartorius over the sideboard in the living room is an heirloom piece from my husband’s family’s sporting art collection and a nod to the equestrian farm where he grew up.”
On the walls, a calming neutral mural from Schumacher adds a soft but dynamic background to the room, and three lights from Arteriors above the table add movement. A technicolor folk art–inspired landscape by Lexington-based artist Sarah Gayle Carter is a whimsical moment amidst the formality. “The contrast of unexpected colors and textures paired with antiques is what not only makes a room interesting and beautiful but also helps set a fun tone,” says Pulliam.
Bridging the Old and New
Since settling into their spacious home and adapting to the comfort of life in Charlottesville, the family now has room for their history, their present, and their future. And, whether it’s in a bedroom, living room, dining room, or in the foyer, every space is layered with inherited furniture, one-of-a-kind antique finds, beloved original art, specialty lighting, and pieces that work for the lifestyle of this vibrant, bustling family.
“My mother and grandmother always told me stories about antiques in their homes, the loved ones that left imperfections, and the memories they stored,” the homeowner says. “I love continuing that tradition, and none are too precious for more imperfections to be created with our own memories.”
The primary bedroom features an antique-inspired bed with Roman shades and throw pillows by Lewis & Wood. Polished nickel sconces from Visual Comfort flank the bed.
A William McLure painting hangs in the center hallway flanked by antique French lamps sourced by the client in Charleston.
Designer Anne Pulliam and her assistant set the game table for an afternoon of backgammon and cocktails. The custom L-shaped banquette, covered in a Fermoie fabric, creates a cozy and inviting spot in an otherwise formal living space. Sconces sourced by Urban Electric light up this comfortable corner.
This article originally appeared in the October 2024 issue.
