Mint juleps at sundown

Traditional square-front houses built around the turn of the last century have a lot of character. They are also likely to have large hallways and spacious rooms. But the interiors were not always quite as refined as the exterior architecture would suggest a factor that has been addressed in this remodeling project.

Designer-builder Brad Cruickshank says the owners wanted to remodel the interior to better reflect their personal taste, the gracious look of the exterior, and the home's picturesque woodland setting.

"They also requested some minor modifications to the exterior, notably a wider porte cochére, new matching balustrading above an existing porch on the opposite side of the house, and a new library addition."

It was the interior, however, that received most of the attention starting with the grand hallway.

"As the hallway is very long, we wanted to punctuate it in some way, and give it some architectural character," says Cruickshank. "Consequently, the hallway was broken up into distinct sections, which are almost like rooms. We chose to vary the look of these spaces. For example, the central area has new white-painted wainscoting, and the walls are painted in different pastel shades. We also applied moldings and paneled jambs to the arched openings for a more refined look."

The owners say their love of color and their preference for a bright, airy interior helped inspired the palette.

"The house had been remodeled previously, but the entire interior was beige. The warm pastel shades that now feature throughout have long been favorite colors they were originally inspired by a collection of lithographs by Jonna White."

Interior designer Norellen Stokley says the soft blue-green color at the entrance of the hallway matches a shade in the upholstered damask bench seats. It is also book matched by the same color appearing in the family room at the opposite end of the passage.

Elsewhere, it is a soft buttery yellow and a salmon pink that dominate. For a variation on the theme, the yellow walls in the living room feature a brown glaze, which provides a dramatic backdrop to the embossed, silk-taffeta drapes and antique furniture.

"There is a lot of detail in the drapes throughout the house," says Stokley. "We wanted the interior to convey the look of a traditional Southern home."

The fireplace in the living room also reflects this attention to detail. The embossed metal surround is glazed in copper and gold leaf, which contrasts the black granite hearth and mantel.

As with the living room, the dining room features a mix of fabrics, including a custom-made embroidered silk, which was used to create the drapes. The dusky peach-colored walls were stencilled with blades of wheat. A mirrored oval in the ceiling provides further visual drama.

To link the house to the new library addition, a transverse hallway was created. A new elevator and a spiral mahogany staircase were positioned on opposite sides near the library.

Architect Norman Askins, who designed the two-story addition, says the octagonal shape of the library was inspired by a room in the renowned Sleeper-McCann Beauport summer house in New England, which was built around the same time as this house.

"One of the owners, who has a passion for books, wanted a quiet place to read, as well as a library for her books," Askins says. "The space needed to be quite intimate, but it also had to have plenty of natural light."

As the windows take up much of the wall space, Askins designed low book shelves, and added a second story for additional book storage. An oculus in the center provides a visual link between the two spaces, and allows a view from the ground floor right up to the peak of the gabled octagonal ceiling.

"The entire room is paneled with mahogany, so it is almost like being inside a wooden box," says Askins.

Wood also makes an appearance in the re-designed family room and kitchen. Formerly separated by a small wall, these spaces are now one room, which is defined by new wooden beams that create a coffered ceiling. The base of each beam is hand-painted with a design that picks up the colors of the furnishings in the room.

"While this may not be a typical Southern feature, there is a long tradition of hand-painted wooden beams in Europe," says Stokley. "The decoration helps to visually lighten the room."

Several columns and the large fireplace in the family room are also hand-painted. A new column at one end of the granite bar top helps to visually anchor the corner of the kitchen.

Improved functionality was another key requirement, says Cruickshank.

"The remodeling program has created a much more open interior, one that provides an easy flow between rooms. This even extends to the open-plan master suite, which incorporates a transition space that is both light and spacious."

The suite also has a breakfast bar that helps enhance a sense of retreat.

Story by: Colleen Hawkes