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A prized piece from the owners’ collection of contemporary American folk art is their first folk art purchase: a chicken and egg by an unknown maker. The lamps are made from English Victorian roof tiles, and the pine table with scalloped apron was crafted by a rural North Carolina maker, circa 1800-1825.
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An Essex, Massachusetts, Queen Anne highboy, circa 1745, anchors the room. The Philadelphia Chippendale piecrust mahogany tea table, circa 1770, has a single board top.
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A portrait of actress Sarah Bernhardt in costume by artist John Henry Witt, circa 1898, hangs over a Boston Chippendale oxbow chest in mahogany, circa 1770.
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“An Afternoon at Hampton Court” by English artist W.G. Margetson, circa 1892, hangs over a Sheraton mahogany sideboard made in Norfolk, circa 1820.
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The “Lethe” handpainted sign was made for the owners’ previous home in Goochland. An Adam and Eve group carved by P. Duffy in New York, circa 1978, sits on a pine table made in Virginia, circa 1800-1820.
One might say Karen Berkness and Sandy Graham’s West End home is equal parts whimsical and historical. The house was built circa 1987, but its decor expresses the couple’s eclectic, timeless taste.
Fine Federal sideboards bump up against primitive Virginia tables. Rare Bermuda furnishings ground impressionist paintings from Europe, America and Russia. Ornate chandeliers are balanced by folk art from the Shenandoah Valley and beyond.
What is the common thread of this expansive collection? “Wood,” Graham says, noting that he gravitates toward Federal furniture for its intricate inlay detailing and lighter construction than Chippendale or Queen Anne. “It is the first truly American style,” Berkness says of the Federal style — and her favorite architectural style as well.
The couple appreciates the material in all its treatments; elaborate wooden folk art sculptures of Noah’s Ark, trembling birds and George Washington eating pie contrast the serious furniture.
Berkness underscores that Graham is the big collector. “He has pieces I don’t know about!” she says. “Hidden under beds,” he agrees. But the pair have remarkably compatible taste.
Sandy Graham and Karen Berkness sit on their English Chippendale sofa, circa 1760-1770. Above them is “Connecticut Clouds,” an oil painting by Tom Yost, circa 2023.
One of their favorite artworks in their collection is a McClelland Barclay seascape. Each of them independently spotted and fell for the painting, but Graham says it was too expensive at the time. After it failed to sell at auction, he secured the artwork at a discount. Now they own multiple Barclay paintings.
That nose for a deal is part of Graham’s collecting strategy. Although he focuses on buying what he likes, he displays a keen awareness of investment value. “I know when something is overvalued or undervalued,” he says.
Graham’s design education started early, with his interior decorator parents taking him on shopping trips. To keep him entertained, they encouraged Graham to look for stamps, and he became an avid collector; his study is filled with at least 165 volumes of stamp albums.
Berkness’ career reflects her interests. She worked in Sotheby’s paintings department before becoming a real estate agent specializing in historic properties.
The pair are always seeking new items, regularly driving up and down the East Coast and scouring local shops, including West End Antiques. Good timing has allowed them to secure distinctive furnishings and many of their over 100 paintings. “If you see it, buy it,” Graham says.
Each piece has a story, from how they acquired a Pennsylvania folk cabinet to the post-purchase discovery that a painting of a Peterburg majorette is locally famous, having been reproduced on school programs for years. The result is a home that represents their distinct taste.
This, as much as the works themselves, seems to epitomize their collecting ethos. Graham and Berkness love the thrill of the hunt, finding items that speak to them and putting them in dialogue with the other pieces in their home.
“We move things around all the time,” Graham says. He points to a rare empty wall still awaiting the right artwork. If the rest of the house is any indication, the space won’t be available for long.
