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A painting by Karolina Swidecka sets the palette in the front parlor, where a sensuous blue-velvet chaise by Lexington is the focal point. The chandelier is original to the house. The rug is from Surya, and the white chair is by John Richard.
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Alison Barber’s Ginter Park home was built in 1907.
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The feminine dressing room was wallpapered by Barden’s Decorating in a Candice Olson for York abstract floral pattern. The blue rug is from Jaunty Rugs.
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Various shades of blue combine in the master bedroom, where Phillip Jeffries wallpaper with oversized watercolor flowers makes a bold statement. The Art Deco-style bed is from Bernhardt Furniture. The bedding is a mix of custom and Amity Home. Homeowner Alison Barber is pictured with son Aubrey, 3, and daughter Ella, 5.
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In the formal living room, a subtle plaster wall treatment by Diane Williams of Art to Di For complements the green Art Nouveau-inspired rug and purple sofa from Arhaus. The coffee table is by Arteriors Home.
A rich color palette highlights the architectural details in Alison Barber’s historic 1907 Ginter Park home. Crystal chandeliers, thick crown molding, stately columns and stained-glass windows are highlighted by dramatic teal, regal purple and soothing blues.
Moving from room to room in the three-story Colonial Revival, there’s a range of cool colors that present an ombré effect — green to purple, purple to blue, blue to teal — that connect each room to the next. And against the mosaic backdrop, Art Deco- and Art Nouveau-inspired furnishings and motifs pay homage to the home’s heyday.
Born and raised in Richmond, Barber grew up in the West End, attended Douglas S. Freeman High School, and stuck around to get her degree in fashion merchandising at Virginia Commonwealth University.
While an undergrad, Barber’s part-time job at Taboo Lingerie turned into an exciting entrepreneurial opportunity. The store went out of business and Barber took over the lease, opening her own adult shop called Taboo, which had a focus on toys and DVDs. Since launching Taboo 15 years ago, Barber has expanded the original Broad Street store twice and opened two other locations.
Recently, things started expanding on the home front, too, as she needed room for her family to grow. Barber, along with her two children Ella, 5, and Aubrey, 3, moved into the historic 1907 dwelling three years ago, leaving behind a cozy home in the Fan.
The house was in great shape, and Barber only needed to make cosmetic changes. She started decorating the front parlor, painting the walls green and adding plush purple seating, but after completing the project realized it just didn’t feel right. “I thought I could do it myself,” she says, “and quickly realized it wasn’t going to be as awesome as I wanted it to be.”
“I tend to go big and bold in most aspects of life.” —Alison Barber
She wanted glamour and bold colors, while highlighting the house’s unique architectural characteristics, but didn’t quite know how to execute her vision and recruited interior
decorator Jennifer Stoner to help. Taking cues from the front parlor that Barber already had decorated herself, Stoner started infusing the other rooms with cool colors and Art Nouveau and Art Deco touches.
“I’ve always been into things with history — specific pieces and styles — but when you go too traditional, things feel stuffy and boring,” Barber says. “I find Art Nouveau and Art Deco give a nod to the house’s history, while also keeping things playful and fun.”
First, Stoner toned down the green walls in the parlor, bringing in Richmond artist Diane Williams to give them a metallic plaster finish. “You need a more neutral backdrop to give your eye a place to rest and let the furnishings stand out,” Stoner explains.
Next, Stoner created a color trail from one room the next, “so you have a thread that runs through the house.” Taking inspiration from the lavender in the front parlor, she painted the foyer walls a deep regal purple, while adding Ronald Redding by York metallic wallpaper to the ceiling, and grounding the room with a purple-print area rug.
The adjacent front parlor is infused with cerulean hues from the navy velvet chaise to the soft blue ceiling. “The molding is so spectacular, you need to do something on the ceilings to set it off and let it stand out,” Stoner says.
The room also draws in shades of purple from the other two spaces, which can be found in the lavender love seat, eggplant draperies and ikat-patterned valance. “I think if I didn’t have Jennifer, I would be in danger of overdoing things,” Barber says of balancing colors and patterns.
The family room, where Barber and her children spend most of their time, is filled with books, toys and the kids’ coloring desks. The room is cozy yet vibrant with dark teal walls. Wingback chairs upholstered in teal-and-navy fabric are juxtaposed with a vintage Empire velvet sofa.
“I tend to go big and bold in most aspects of life,” Barber says. “While I definitely believe in making a statement, Jennifer helped me understand that creating a flow is just as important, and that less can sometimes be more.”
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Teal walls complement a stained-glass window and other accents in the living room. An antique sofa, recovered in camel velvet, and wing chairs from CR Laine provide comfortable seating. The coffee table is by Lexington Furniture, the drapery fabric is from Robert Allen and the lamps are from Arteriors.
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Stoner dressed the foyer ceiling in Ronald Redding by York metallic wallpaper, hung by Barden’s Decorating. The rug is from Surya.
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In the dining room, white wainscoting is paired with a neutral wallpaper embellished with purple flowers from Harlequin. “You have all the dark furniture, so you want to keep it lighter on the walls,” Stoner says. The centerpiece is from Global Views.
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The upstairs hall bathroom retains the architectural character of the 1907 home.
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In the kitchen, wood cabinets and granite countertops are set off by seafoam-green walls and glossy black molding. “You get more pop when you contrast the cabinets with a cool color,” Stoner says.
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In the mudroom, metallic wallpaper, an Art Deco nod, is juxtaposed with jade-green doors and black trim. Barber created a quirky gallery wall here with an array of portraits that were painted by family members or purchased locally and on Etsy.
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In the sun room, window muntins were painted black, adding definition and drama, while also tying into the existing black-and-white floors and black ceiling. A CR Laine sectional provides a cozy spot to relax on a sunny day.
Living With Color
Interior decorator Jennifer Stoner shares her top tips for using color in the home:
1. Use two to three colors in a space to create an organized palette that feels polished.
Don’t feel limited to using the same colors in all rooms of your house, though.
2. Pull color through your home like a thread.
As you move from one room to the next, pick up one color to continue into the next space. This helps your color scheme flow instead of creating a jarring Crayola effect.
3. Think about lighting.
Rooms with northern exposure get less natural light, therefore warmer colors work well to soften shadows. Always choose your paint color at the time of day that the room will be used most often.
4. Balance colors vertically.
Begin with the deepest shades of your primary color starting at the floor with rugs and then lighting as you move up to the upholstery, walls, windows and eventually the ceiling.
5. Always choose your paint color last.
It’s easier to adjust the paint color of a room than the color of your new sofa.
6. Never forget the fifth wall, the ceiling.
Allow your crown molding to pop against a contrasting color or wallpaper. Stoner’s go-to is a soft pale blue (favorites are Sherwin-Williams Topsail 6217 or Glimmer 6476).
