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Interior designer Jamie Ivey, creative director of Ivey Design Group, worked with Michael E.F. Foltz of McAllister + Foltz Architects PC on the architectural design of the house, and with Chris Snowden of Christian Snowden Design on the exterior architectural material selections. Whiting Turner was the contractor for the project, and Dave Gerstenmaier designed the landscape.
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Double-height two-story windows look toward the verdant landscape. The handcrafted 12-foot walnut dining table and coffee table were custom-made for the space by Richmond furniture maker Daniel Rickey, and the sofa console was handmade by Richmond-based craftsman David Bohnhoff. The sofa and ombre rug were also custom-designed for the project.
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The 15-foot island is topped with Dalmata book-matched marble with a waterfall edge. The kitchen cabinetry was custom-crafted by KDW Home. The appliances are by Wolf and Sub-Zero, and the sink and faucets are from The Galley.
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The designer used a microtopping concrete for the walls and shower that creates a unique texture. The wood paneling is made of teak. The sconces are by Luke Lamp, the black tub is by Badeloft, and the faucets and tub spout are by Newport Brass.
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The marble backsplash and matching countertop create a stunning focal point in the powder room. The floating vanity is made of walnut. The lighting at the mirror is by Juniper Design, and the faucet is by Brizo.
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The bowling alley has Armstrong acoustical ceiling panels in fun, undulating shapes that absorb sound and also provide a backdrop for special lighting. The stools are by Kartell, and the sectional sofa is by Verellen. The lighting throughout the house was designed by Sarah Richter of Sarah Richter Design.
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A custom mural by Area Environments, installed by Barden’s Decorating, encases the game room walls and ceiling. The Lite-Brite-inspired installation next to the slide is by Lite Wall, and the wood flooring is by Du Chateau.
Finding the home of your dreams can be about the style of the house or its size. Maybe it has that standout feature, like a big porch or a sprawling yard and an inviting pool. For one family in Powhatan, it was all about location.
Privacy in a rural setting was the family’s No. 1 priority. The perfect location required a new build, which enabled them to create their dream house from the ground up.
And, being in a remote area, the second most important feature of their perfect home was creating spaces both inside and out that would make it fun for children and adults.
“The house is not near anything,” Richmond-based interior designer Jamie Ivey of Ivey Design Group explains, “so it was like, we had to bring the entertainment and keep it at the house.”
The entertainment transcends a mere theater room or pool table: There’s a two-lane bowling alley, complete with electronic scoreboard and bar; a golf simulation room; two game rooms, including a cargo-net climbing gym; a craft room; and a spiral sliding board connecting the adventurous between the second and first floors.
That’s just inside.
Outside, an infinity pool overlooks a lake, horse stables and the surrounding woods beyond. An outdoor kitchen with a bar and lounge areas dot the expansive terrace.
“It’s a fun house for kids and adults,” Ivey says. “You walk in there and see all of these things. I mean, how could you not have fun?”
Ivey worked with the family from the project’s outset, designing interior architectural features, space planning, and selecting all furniture and decor.
The client wanted the contemporary, 9,000-square-foot rural retreat to feel at once sophisticated and kid-friendly. Amid an exterior clad in natural wood tones and black brick, expansive floor-to-ceiling glass panes dominate the north-facing rear of the house, enabling views of the pool and lake.
“Throughout the whole process, the client led the way, with our team serving as guides. She had very specific ideas about the design and the types of materials and color palette,” Ivey says. “She loves cool-toned, minimal design, so in the main living spaces it’s all shades of magentas and blues and purples strategically applied against soft gray tile flooring.”
A soaring two-story main living area includes spaces for dining and lounging. Resting on a pale blue ombre rug, a custom magenta sofa and midcentury modern Lawson Fenning lounge chairs in a pale gray patterned fabric share space with a bespoke wood coffee table made by Richmond-based furniture artisan Daniel Rickey. A fireplace with a two-story surround provides the focal point. Spherical Bocci lights are suspended from the ceiling, lending a magical touch at night in the open area between the first and second floors, where a bridge connecting wings of the house overlooks the scene below.
The dining area adjoining the main living space features a 12-foot-long custom walnut table, also by Rickey. Thayer Coggin dining chairs with cushions covered in taupe leather echo the home’s cohesive contemporary design.
Minimalist leanings define the kitchen, tucked next to the living and dining areas. In stark contrast to the colors of the living areas around it, the kitchen is dominated by a black focal wall, interrupted only by a narrow rectangular window over a 5-foot-wide sink and black marble counters. A 15-foot island clad in a black-and-white book-matched Dalmata marble waterfall countertop provides seating for six with wood-and-leather Sossego stools. Blond cabinetry covers the only other adjoining kitchen wall, offering warmth to the space.
A first-floor powder room near the stairs features a similar design treatment. A dramatic black-and-white marble peppered with green, blue and taupe veins on the vanity and wall above creates an exotic experience. Highlighting the mood is a mirror layered with asymmetrical rectangular lighting. The primary bathroom is also dressed in a complementary contemporary design, with a black soaking tub, black double vanity and textured black wall treatment set against warm wood panels that flank the tub.
“The client really likes outside-the-box design. It’s not something I get to do every day, so it made it fun,” Ivey says.
The basement is an explosion of color. The bowling alley packs the biggest punch, with its ceiling of foam insulative material installed in undulating waves with embedded programmable multicolored lights. “It’s definitely like a party zone,” Ivey says.
Kid-friendly spaces are found throughout the house. A large-screen TV and ping-pong table are strategically placed in a room just off the main living area on the first floor. A custom-made sectional sofa covered in deep blue performance fabric shares the space, along with a high-top table and chairs.
“The house is sophisticated and super fun; there’s little moments of fun everywhere” Ivey says. “You can’t go in the house and not smile. ... It’s like, I would never want to leave.”
