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In the living room, the smoked oak and travertine coffee table is by Studio Kali. The Mini Papilio chairs by B&B Italia are covered in a Sandra Jordan wool fabric, and the sofa covered in an Anzea velvet fabric is from Century. In the dining area, the chairs are by Maiden Home, and the table is by Ethnicraft.
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KDW Home stained the wine bar cabinetry to match the existing ceiling beams. The wine bar has an LED backlit Cristallo quartzite countertop and a brass backsplash. The wine fridge is from Sub-Zero. The bar stools are by Sossego, and the pendant lights are from Arteriors.
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The sofa had to be modular to fit into to the tight stairwell to the third floor, Ivey says. The lounge chair and ottoman covered in a James Dunlap velvet and the sectional sofa are from Rene Cazares, the pendant light is from Arteriors, and the coffee table is from Four Hands.
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In the primary bedroom, a Vanguard bed is covered in a custom JAB fabric, and the custom nightstands are from Skram in white oak and brass. The sconces are from Visual Comfort, and the reading lamp is by FLOS.
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Ivey says her client fell in love with the Hug armchair by Giorgetti (covered in a Rose Tarlow fabric) in the foreground when he saw it pictured in her concept presentation. She says it is, to her, “the world’s sexiest lounge chair.”
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The owner, who relocated to Richmond from New York, keeps the signed jersey from New York Giants defensive great and NFL Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor as a reminder of his roots. The wall unit and desk are by Huppe, and the lounge chair and ottoman are by Thayer Coggin. The office chair is by Geiger (from MOI), the custom-cut carpet is from Prestige Mills, and the drapery fabric is from Fabricut.
When Jamie Ivey, owner and creative director of Ivey Design Group, was asked to design a wine bar for a client who had recently bought a unique home on Richmond’s Libbie Avenue, she knew it was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up. “I typically don’t take projects that small in scale,” she says, “but the home was very modern and something unusual for Richmond, so I thought, ‘What the heck?’”
With east-west walls set at an unusual 12.5-degree angle, floor-to-ceiling windows and clean lines throughout, the home is undeniably modern — though traditional finishes, an emphasis on natural wood accents and a rich color palette add an unexpected sense of rustic warmth not commonly associated with contemporary architecture.
“The bones of the house are modern, which we leaned into, but it’s a little industrial and a little gothic, with a hint of traditional Richmond thrown in,” Ivey says. “You can tell that the original architect’s vision was a modern, unique space, but I think it probably got finished later by a contractor who may have been more of a traditional Richmond builder, which you can see with some of the trimwork.”
While the client originally wanted an under-the-stairs wine bar, the tricky floor plan didn’t allow for it. After scanning the space and playing around with 3D models, Ivey convinced her client to move the bar to an underused corner of the kitchen, where it would be much more accessible.
Designing the bar to match the home's modern aesthetic, they landed on a finish that also mimics that of the dark oak beams in the ceiling. Ivey and her client enlisted the help of KDW Home to bring to life a stylish and functional wine bar that seamlessly marries the space’s contrasting elements. “The wood flooring and kitchen cabinetry feel more rustic, but then there’s a little bit of glam and elegance with all the crystal lighting and bright brass,” says Ivey, who also extended her services to the rest of the home.
The main living area is highlighted by a collection of carefully curated luxury furniture pieces by brands including B&B Italia and Giorgetti, along with a custom-made coffee table from Turkey. “The client is worldly and sophisticated and appreciates the finer things in life but didn’t want over-the-top indulgence,” Ivey says, adding that she jumped at the opportunity to source “sexy Italian furniture” in Richmond. “We landed on a simple sofa with ottoman, two small swivel chairs that can act as dining chairs when needed, and a showstopper lounge chair that looks good from all angles.”
Since the living room was designed to entertain groups of all sizes, Ivey strategically chose smaller pieces to avoid overwhelming the space or impeding foot traffic. She also notes the importance of not confusing modern with trendy when it comes to furniture, instead selecting items that will stand the test of time. “Right now, everything is curved, white boucle, which is fine, but I don’t think that fits this house, and I don’t think that’s something this client is going to like in five years,” she says.
The contrast between the warm and cool tones in the main living area’s gray stone walls and wood floors served as inspiration for the color palette for the rest of the house, which features shades of charcoal, cinnamon and cream offset by dark bronze and black accents. “I wanted it to be a little masculine and a little sexy, so we pulled a darker palette,” Ivey says.
The primary bedroom is enveloped in rich tones of taupe and cream to create a more muted version of the main living area. “The room originally had a very high-contrast palette with almost too much texture between the wooden wall panels, the dark gray walls with crisp white trim and the textured wallpaper in the ceiling cove,” Ivey says. “It still has tons of texture and interest, but now it’s more appropriate for a relaxing bedroom environment.”
With a mocha-colored boucle bed, twin oak and brass nightstands, and floor-to-ceiling window sheers and drapes, the room is sleek and sophisticated, yet welcoming. “I like to show people that modern can be warm,” Ivey says. “When people who are used to traditional design think of modern, they think of their dentist’s office or a corporate boardroom, but a modern home can still feel inviting.”
