Shepperd house, The

Southern Living, Aug 1997 by Nesmith, Lynn

Evocative of timeless Virginia architechture, our Idea House in Fredericksburg deftly blends principles of the past with a livable floor plan and lively interiors.

Central Virginia reveres its history, its heritage, and its architecture. Homes were built to be passed from one generation to the next. This respect for the past and aspiration for the future inspired our Idea House in Fredericksburg.

Residential designer William Poole took as his model the Shepperd House, an 1817 Federal structure downtown. "I looked for a house that has an expression, a house that lifts the spirit," says William. "Then I modified the plan for the present."

Our updated version, called The Shepperd House, is nestled in the 2,800-acre community of Fawn Lake.

In the living room, a mingling of timeless architectural details and contemporary touches instills a fresh, energetic quality. Richmond designers Deborah Valentine and Janie Molster started with a furniture arrangement that plays off the rooms fireplace and symmetrical bookcases. A square ottoman grounds the seating arrangement, including a pair of matching love seats.

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Rather than fill all the shelves with weighty tomes, Janie and Deborah took a novel approach. They mounted four velvet panels to resemble old-fashioned portieres (heavy curtains hung across a doorway) which break up the walls of shelves and soften hard edges.

Amid this neutral room, a Wolf Kahn painting over the mantel adds color.

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Old Meets New Our Idea House reflects the grace, grandeur, and presence of a stately old home while offering a comfortable, contemporary floor plan. William started with a typical Federal floor plan and updated the layout with a sense of openness and flow between rooms. "Federal architecture is a very precise historical style," he explains, "but even the most rigorous styles can be adapted for the way a family lives today."

At the heart of the house, the family room (above) is filled with rich colors and deep tones. A few big pieces of furniture with interesting shapes fill the space.

A large framed opening onto the kitchen takes advantage of the family room's natural light. Maple cabinets provide an upbeat background for commercial-style appliances and concrete countertops.

A counter separates the cooking area from the spacious breakfast area, where an antique tile-topped table sits comfortably in a light-filled bay. Galvanized tin lanterns enhance the room's play of old and new.

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Not every window requires draperies. The bay in the breakfast area opens onto a private backyard, so the designers opted to showcase the view.

JENN-AIR

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Dining Room

Family meals and formal dinners have changed over the years, and our dining room offers a refreshing twist on tradition. "We wanted the dining room to be a foil to the living room," says Deborah Valentine. "And we love the drama that comes from combining formal elements with the unexpected."

The dining room was the stage for Deborah and Janie to have a little fun. They started with a crystal chandelier and elegant silk draperies hung at the crown molding to accentuate the room's 10-foot height. An Irish, pine pub table on the diagonal introduces the surprise.

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Elegant does not necessarily mean fragile. Important window treatments should be timeless. Use either solid or tone-on-tone quality fabrics that can be adapted to future changes in the decor.

Instead of a traditional tablecloth, we dressed the pine table with a cinnamon-colored, lined, silk throw. An arrangement of assorted fruits and vegetables and a tall cluster of roses add the finishing touch.

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