The island is wrapped in oak with burnished steel accents to give it a Midcentury vibe. Supersized pendant lights combine vintage style with modern flair.
When interior designer Heather Drew’s Church Hill home began closing in on her growing family, she and her husband, Jason, had the same talk she has had with many of her clients: We’re either moving or adding on.
But the couple did not want to leave their beloved neighborhood or the home they bought in 2007, so instead they relied on her design expertise to expand their early 20th-century Italianate house.
Designer Heather Drew (Photo by Lindsay Mears)
“As I do with all clients, especially those seeking to add square footage, I design from the inside out,” says Drew, principal of Bella Designs Studio. This means analyzing every inch of the existing space and how it is used. “You’re adding to something that is already living. Is that pattern going to change? If so, you need to make it better.”
In this case, they added “a house to a house,” as Drew says, expanding the kitchen by 20 feet to make way for her dream kitchen and family room, a master suite above, and a host of modern conveniences like a laundry room, and a trunk room and storage for bikes and other outdoor gear.
While creating more space, Drew knew that the addition also needed to honor the structure’s historic roots both aesthetically and practically, since plans had to be submitted to the city’s architectural review boards for approval. While regulations call for clear delineation between old and new, Drew decided that modern was the way to go for the addition. Knowing that her design needed to relate to the old structure, she spent countless hours researching the complexities of marrying historic and new construction.
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A wall in the kitchen dedicated to Drew’s sons’ artwork is an important component of the design.
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The Drews’ collection of contemporary art, displayed throughout the house, includes pieces by noted Richmond artists such as Hamilton Glass, Kate Rivers and Frankie Slaughter.
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The Shaker-style cabinets are “sliced in half” and stacked for a more modern translation.
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A light stucco complements and relates to the front of the house, while a powder-coated steel overhang on a side entrance pays tribute to a previous side porch.
The kitchen, where Drew began designing, is a testament to this guiding principle. The pendants over the island were a crucial component, Drew says; they’re an ode to the old in their shape and style, but supersized to give them a modern vibe. The generous island below is wrapped in oak with burnished steel elements for a Midcentury feel. Perimeter cabinets, their Shaker style connecting to history, are “sliced in half” and stacked for a more modern translation. A wall dedicated to her boys’ art was another critical feature; indeed, their art is featured throughout the home, alongside work by noted artists Hamilton Glass, Kate Rivers, Frankie Slaughter, Sarah Trundle and others.
“We wanted to pull the house to modern times but bring architectural elements of the past with it.” —Heather Drew
Though the kitchen and adjacent family room are indeed the heart of the home, Drew says the family uses every inch of the house. The dining room hosts family dinner every night at a table that has been in her family for ages. The living room, a cozy spot for a phone call or drinks with friends, features an elevated style that’s anything but formal, with an eclectic mix of furnishings, accessories and art, including one of the first pieces the Drews acquired at local festival Arts in the Park.
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The living room features an eclectic mix of furnishings and art from the Drews’ collection.
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The designer’s family gathers for dinner each night at a round pedestal table that’s been in her family for years.
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A cozy reading nook and book shelves crafted from salvaged joists
The master suite above is a true getaway, Drew says. Furnishings are a mix of new and antique, with a Carson Overstreet landscape above the fireplace. The master bath, with sleek, modern fixtures and finishes, features rustic wood shelving made from joists salvaged during demolition. A ledge of the same material holds bath salts and a painting of Drew’s boys, while hiding a strip of LED lighting for reading in the tub.
If Drew designs from the inside out, she also designs from the outside in, considering how the addition’s exterior will relate to existing architecture, taking into account viewpoints, sightlines, natural light and the like. “The front of our home has a quiet elegance we wanted to translate to the back,” Drew says. “We wanted to pull the house to modern times but bring architectural elements from the past with it.” A light stucco complements and relates to the front of the house, while a powder-coated steel overhang on a side entrance pays tribute to a previous side porch.
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In the master bath, a painting of the Drew boys is displayed on a rustic wood ledge that also hides a strip of LED lighting for reading in the tub.
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The sleek, modern fixtures and finishes are juxtaposed with rustic wooden shelving made from joists salvaged during demolition.
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The master bedroom, with its mix of old and new furnishings and Carson Overstreet landscape over the fireplace, is a true retreat, says Drew.
Though her affinity for modern design is evident, Drew isn’t a purist when it comes to any one aesthetic. For all her love of simplicity and clean lines, she’s a sucker for an object with a story — whether it’s a small piece of art or a chair passed down from a grandparent. In her own house and her clients’ homes, she believes such cherished objects tell the stories of the people who live there. She says, “I love creating spaces that are intuitive to the users in function that also reflect who they are — their passions, their aesthetic.”
