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Gary Kalar and Jasmin Vassileva began collecting vintage midcentury modern furniture about 20 years ago when living in Chicago. The painting on the mantel is of an installation the Bulgarian artist Christo did in Japan.
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The vintage yellow stool was originally used as as a prop on the BBC show “Top of the Pops,” Vassileva says. The couple purchased it through a friend in London when the studio was refitted.
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Vassileva, who found the antique Chinese cabinet on eBay when living in Chicago, says that they were amazed when it was delivered to their third-floor walk-up apartment without any problems by a man who had strapped it on his back and carried it up the stairs in hot August weather.
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A photograph of Kalar’s grandparents watches over his upstairs studio, where he composes and records music and his quirky collectibles mingle with electronic keyboards and other components.
On the outskirts of Woodland Heights, musician Gary Kalar’s historic 1925 home sits just south of Forest Hill Park, an asset he doesn’t take for granted.
“I love living so close to such a beautiful park,” Kalar says. “We got really lucky getting in here when we did.”
Kalar and his wife, Jasmin Vassileva, a research scientist at Virginia Commonwealth University, have called Richmond home since relocating from Chicago nearly a decade ago. Since then, the couple have split their time between Richmond and Vassileva’s native Bulgaria.
A talented multi-instrumentalist with a lengthy music career, Kalar has performed with a diverse lineup of musicians from all over the world and is known for his avant-garde, improvisational work on the guitar. Richmonders can currently catch him performing with local ensembles Miramar and Zarove.
While Kalar enjoys experimenting with many different sounds, he fell in love with Bulgarian and Turkish music as a teen after checking out a world music record from the local library. “It was like Cupid with an arrow,” he says.
On the subject of Cupid, Kalar’s familiarity with Bulgarian music and culture also helped him score some first-impression points when first meeting Jasmin. “It was a really convenient icebreaker,” he says with a laugh. Bulgaria has also been a major source of design inspiration for the couple, who have embraced the cultural tradition of using saturated hues and ornately patterned textiles in their home while blending traditional elements with modern aesthetics.
“Bulgarian people generally have a very keen eye for design, and they’re very open to bold, loud, modern designs, especially in the city,” Kalar says. “So, on one hand, you have kind of this ultra-modern sensibility with colors and shapes, but it’s also an ancient country full of ancient things made from natural materials like wool and ceramics. That part of Bulgaria is definitely part of the style of our house.”
Nods to the Old World throughout the couple’s home include a collection of handpainted reproductions of medieval icons, a mobile crafted from a piece of old wood found in Quebec, and antique Bulgarian cow and sheep bells. “We also have some ceramic pieces done in this kind of specific Bulgarian style that’s really beautiful and almost psychedelic looking,” Kalar says.
While most of his acoustic instrument collection — including a drum set, a variety of guitars, and several stringed Bulgarian and Turkish instruments — is displayed on the main floor, Kalar keeps his electronic gear in the upstairs studio he playfully refers to as his “laboratory.”
“I do a lot of electronic stuff with synthesizers and effects and that kind of thing,” he says. “I have a little workbench where I do a lot of audio stuff with computer recording, or writing and arranging more classical style stuff with software.”
