RSOL designer house favs

My recent volunteer adventures at the Richmond Symphony Orchestra League's 2010 Designer House gave me a free peek inside this huge house that showcased the work of many talented designers, artists, and craftspeople.

While Kelly Brown's garden room was most definitely my favorite space in the house, two adjacent rooms were also high up there for me. These spaces, and a few other details that caught my eye, are featured below...

Butler's Pantry by Leslie Stephens: A pretty traditional space, which I don't typically go for. But this one featured some innovative ideas and updated materials -- and a gorgeous and soothing color palette that I completely flipped for. (Unfortunately, the photos don't accurately depict the colors.) And what pottery lover wouldn't love a butler's pantry of her own? What completely sold me, though, were the roman blinds made from burlap. I had just recently bought many yards of the stuff myself to make some curtains for our spare room upstairs, so of course I thought this was a brilliant idea on Leslie's part!

Kitchen by John Goerge: I was only able to dig up one photo of this space online (courtesy of Kandrac & Kole Interior Designs), and unfortunately it doesn't do it justice. (But hey, it's way better than what I have, which is nothing!) This warm and personality-filled kitchen was a fabulous blend of old and new, incorporating salvaged fixtures and materials from other settings (courtesy of Caravati's Architectural Salvage -- a fun place to spend an afternoon!) while also using clever approaches for updating the existing cabinetry.

Other Details: I was quite keen on this Fromental "Willow" wallpaper that served as an Art Deco inspired backdrop for the lady's dressing room designed by Kate Oliver. (For those of us who are not fans of the pink family, it also comes in a variety of other great color schemes.) I also fell for the painted ceiling in the home office designed by Ellen Norris. And Alyson Stinson and Carmela Wengraitis designed a gentleman's bath that incorporated some Asian-inspired elements I really enjoyed, but unfortunately I can't find a single photo online.

Kelly Brown garden room

Now that the Richmond Symphony Orchestra League's 2010 Designer House tours are over, it's possible to dig up photos of the spaces online. Here are a few shots of my favorite room -- a "garden room" just off the kitchen, designed by Kelly Brown. (Photos courtesy of Kelly's Facebook page.)

Yes, that's a living wall installation flanking the door into the kitchen. And the gorgeous table was designed and hand crafted by Christopher Hildebrand of Tektonics Design Group -- a really nice guy who I had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with in this very room. He told me all about the huge old tree from which the table was made, how the design was inspired by the traditional picnic table form, and how the bronze legs were made from recycled plumbing fittings.

Monday field trip

Here's where I'm spending much of my day today...

Yes, it's a more traditional look than what typically shows up on this blog, but it's for a good cause! I'm volunteering today at the 2010 Richmond Symphony Orchestra League's Designer House. This biennial event is the largest fund raiser for the league. This year, "Rothesay" is the featured house. The home of George and Anne Anderson, it is a large Tudor sited on eight acres overlooking the James River. Both the house and garden have been transformed by notable designers from across the country. The tours have been running since mid-September and will continue through October 11.

As a volunteer, I'll be assigned to one room to share information, manage visitor traffic flow, etc. Not sure I'll have a whole lot to do on a rainy Monday, but it'll be interesting to be involved nonetheless. I'm told I'll also get a chance to tour the house myself afterward. No photos are allowed, though, so I'm afraid I can't share any images here. But I'm sure I'll still have some interesting things to report back...

featured architect: Tina Govan

I was poking around online recently, looking for photos of meditation spaces, and I came across this familiar image:

I recognized it from a magazine article I had read a number of years ago about a new home designed for a retired couple in North Carolina. I remember being really impressed with the sophisticated efficiency of the home, which seemed to borrow from Japanese design both in its aesthetics and in the way the home makes so much of each small space.

This one photo led me to the website of Raleigh, NC, architect Tina Govan, who designed this and a number of other equally compelling new and renovated homes.

Poke through her online portfolio yourself, and you'll discover homes in a variety of different styles that speak well to the personalities of her clients and the unique features of the building sites and existing structures. As varied as the homes are, though, all of them feature efficient and thoughtful use of space, interesting interior sight lines, and great indoor-outdoor connections, including pleasing outdoor living spaces. Many of the homes also incorporate environmentally friendly materials and design elements, as well as subtle -- or not so subtle -- Japanese design touches.

My favorite out of all her designs is the Eich Residence in Tennessee. On the exterior, I love the barn-like collection of structures sited to create a sheltered courtyard, as well as the colors, the handsome metal roof, and the Japanese elements such as the rain chains and the decorative slatted walls along the garage. Inside, I love the open plan, the floor-to-ceiling windows, and all the warm wood tones.

Here are a few more great photos from other projects in Govan's portfolio. To see more images, or to read about these and other projects, click on over to her website.