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This Mediterranean Revival home, designed by architect Otis K. Asbury in 1925, made its debut with gardens landscaped by Charles Gillette.
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A light-filled room, lined with arched French doors, overlooks the swimming pool and garden.
“I still can’t believe we’re living here.”
So says Robin Moncol, who moved in April 2019 with her husband, Larry, and their two daughters, May and Siddalee, into a home on Rothesay Circle that they’d admired for years.
Living less than 2 miles away in the Carillon neighborhood, the Moncols were familiar with the Windsor Farms hills, nestled above the James River and Powhite Parkway. “We would walk up here or take Sunday drives and be in awe of all the homes here,” Robin says. “Truly, I’ve known about this house for so very long. It’s hard not to know about this house if you’re in this area.”
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Homeowner Robin Moncol arranging flowers for a dinner party under the pergola
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Bright prints from Natural Curiosities, a vintage bench and large Dracaena Tarzan plants welcome guests in Mediterranean-inspired style.
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Reputed to be the second oldest private swimming pool in Richmond, the pool is original to the house.
The Mediterranean-style home was designed by noted architect Otis K. Asbury in 1925, and it originally boasted gardens designed by Charles Gillette. While only shadows of the gardens remain, the house itself appears virtually unchanged, thanks to careful upkeep and a picture-perfect rear two-story expansion that enlarged the kitchen, created an open family living space and provided an upstairs great room.
Initially, Moncol says, she was overwhelmed as the family transitioned from its Carillon cottage to a home with grand and historic proportions. “[This house] was a much bigger space than we were used to, and the furniture we had didn’t work and wasn’t right,” she says. “But we could tell all the owners have really loved this house and taken really good care of it. The bones are strong and fantastic.”
Working with interior designer Lesley Glotzl, Moncol’s immediate priority was to make the house feel like home. She began with the upstairs bedrooms, the family room and the mudroom, essential for a household with school-age children and two dogs. As the family settled in, Moncol and Glotzl advanced through the house over the next two years, changing paint, wallpaper and window treatments to suit their tastes, while finding the right furniture and decor to create an atmosphere both glamorous and welcoming.
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A glass sculpture by Richmond glass artist Kiara Pelissier climbs the wall over the mantelpiece.
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May and Siddalee’s art room retains the original wallpaper and carpeting, which Robin loved for its quirkiness.
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Britt Van Deusen's portraits of May and Siddalee informed the bright color palette in the foyer.
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Moncol says she kept this little parlor pink, because it's “kitschy and fun,” then leaned in by adding “funky” pink chairs.
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To lighten the dining room, Glotzl replaced dark green striped wallpaper with an Osborne & Little palm-patterned paper that also emphasizes the curved shape of the space.
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Glotzl filled a pair of arched niches in the dining room with a collection of oyster plates, sourced locally from West End Antiques, as well as antique sites online.
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The light-filled dining area is a favorite spot for the family and their dogs, Scooter and Birdie (not shown).
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Robin, Larry, Siddalee and May Moncol, and their dog Birdie, gathered by the pool
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Robin Moncol, a co-owner of the Pure Barre studios in Midlothian and Short Pump, has a bird's-eye view of the pool from her home office.
The same approach was taken with the outdoor spaces, where the echoes of the original Gillette garden are found in a sunken brick gathering place, now referred to as the “Cigar-den” by Larry Moncol and friends who gather around a fire pit there, stogies in hand. The Moncols added a pergola-topped dining area and had a replica striped awning made for the pool-adjacent patio, creating another gathering spot.
Each space feels like an adventure, like you’re going on vacation ...
—Robin Moncol
The point, Moncol says, is to enjoy everything the house and property have to offer. “I needed the house to feel fun, with nothing off-limits,” she says. “We have a perfect flow of how the rooms go together but have their own unique character. All the spaces are relaxed, but they are special and full of love and fun.
“Each space feels like an adventure, like you’re going on vacation,” she adds. “It’s easy to live here, and I don’t take any of it for granted. This house feels like an invitation to a party. We intend to enjoy it.”
