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The custom wallpaper in the primary bedroom is by de Gournay, the Future Perfect chaise lounge is upholstered in a Kravet fabric, and the floor lamp is by Hines & Co.
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The powder room sconces are by Allied Maker, the vanity is a custom design by Hanover Avenue x Marc Cohen, and the mirror is from The AP Shop.
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In the foyer, the custom Magnolia chandelier is by Cox London, the entry table was custom designed by Hanover Avenue x Daniel Rickey Furniture, and the stools were found on 1st Dibbs.
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The chain pendant light in the billiard room is by Trueing, the Dooq bar stools are covered in a Jim Thompson fabric, and the rug is from Elko Rugs.
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In the den/library, the Wesley Hall armchair is covered in a Cowtan & Tout fabric, the accent chair is from Highland House Furniture, the coffee table is from Overstock, the drapery fabric is by Cowtan & Tout, and the rug is from J&D Oriental Rugs Co.
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The dining room chandelier is from Multiforme, the buffet lamps are by Architectural Anarchy with Couture Shades, and the head chairs are from Baker Furniture.
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The walls in the back bedroom bath are painted Farrow & Ball Blackened, the custom-designed vanity is by Hanover Avenue x Marc Cohen, the mirror is from Etsy, and the sconces are from Rejuvenation.
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The wallpaper in the middle bedroom is by Coordonné, the sconces are from Visual Comfort with shades by Sorella Glenn - V, and the pillow fabric is by Voutsa.
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The pendant light in the mudroom/cutting room is by Hector Finch, and the cabinet hardware is from Gaston & Wyatt.
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In the back bedroom, the Wesley Hall armchair is upholstered in Perennials Fabrics and trim from Schumacher. The drapery fabric is from Romo, and the trim is from Fringe Market. The bedding is from Matouk, the Euro pillow fabric is from John Roselli and Associates, and the wallpaper is from Nobils.
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In the living room, armchairs from Wesley Hall and Lief are upholstered in fabric from Rue IV, and an Acquisitions Ltd. accent chair is upholstered in a Jim Thompson fabric. The chandelier is from In Common With, the picture lights are by Olympia, and the rug is from J&D Oriental Rugs Co. The walls are painted Benjamin Moore’s Grandma’s China.
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Hanover Avenue designed a custom range hood, which was fabricated by Doug McDonald Welding. The brass pendant lights are by RW Guild, and the counter stools are by Palecek.
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On the pool house deck, swivel chairs by Lee Industries with Cowtan & Tout cushions are paired with Janus et Cie ottomans with Pierre Frey cushions. The console is from RT Facts, and the drinks table is from Summer Classics.
When empty nesters Mark and Jane Cooke decided to downsize and make a new start by building their dream home in the Libbie Avenue corridor of Richmond’s Near West End, they turned to Anne Hulcher Tollett, principal and owner of interior design firm Hanover Avenue, and architect Byron Knowlson of Menlo Architecture.
“Jane and Mark wanted a sturdy brick house that would last,” Tollett says. “And for the interiors, our only marching orders from Jane were, ‘I don’t want this house to look like anything I’ve seen in Richmond.’”
Further informing the design was an effort to balance Mark’s desire for 90-degree angles and symmetry with Jane’s love of curves and unexpected elements. Knowlson formulated a transitional style that incorporates a dramatic curve in the front exterior along with symmetrical boundaries.
The lot size and the proximity to Libbie Avenue’s heavy traffic flow also influenced Knowlson’s plans for the house. “The tightness of the lot and the busy street exposure dictated the front-facing plans. We tucked the front door into a side-facing bluestone porch. And then as we oriented the interior spaces, the natural placement of the two-story grand staircase was in the front with living spaces set to the back, away from public view,” he explains.
Tollett’s mission was to ensure that the couple’s creativity and fun-loving, well-traveled lifestyle drove the design process. Working closely with Jane, she mixed family favorites with eclectic furnishings and art sourced at vendors and antique markets in the U.S. and Europe. Color and pattern play starring roles throughout, starting in the deep turquoise-painted den with a bespoke mossy brown Baker sofa joined by chairs dressed in striped and floral fabrics that Tollett had collected, waiting for just the right space.
In the foyer, a dramatic floating staircase with handmade iron railing wraps around a custom metal light fixture that drops from the vaulted white oak ceiling down to the first floor. Made in London, the fixture features magnolia leaves, an homage to the Cookes’ love of the Grateful Dead and one of the band’s most well-known songs, “Sugar Magnolia.”
Channeling Jane’s love of whimsy, Tollett worked with local artisan Daniel Rickey to create a table that she says “packs a punch” in the home’s dramatic entry. Rickey inlaid the family’s zodiac signs and the home’s longitude and latitude coordinates in brass and wood in a round mahogany table. “In every house we work on, we try to do something that’s just so bespoke to the family,” says Tollett, who also sourced the velvet and fringe stools that flank the table.
A multitude of birds can be found in almost every space, inspired by Jane’s nickname since childhood, “Birdie.” Exquisite wallpaper by venerable French design house de Gournay covers the walls in the primary bedroom upstairs, and a Lala Curio paper envelops the first-floor powder room. Small, white spherical lights mounted in corners of the powder room mimic fireflies on a summer night, bringing nature center stage.
To the left of the foyer is a billiard room, where Tollett had Mark’s treasured billiard table re-felted in a darker shade of green to match the room’s moody vibe, underscored by walls painted in Sherwin-Williams’ Black Fox. A beloved wing chair has been reupholstered in Lee Jofa’s Mille Fleur Sable fabric. From the white lacquered ceiling, a custom light fixture with black chain and white globes hangs over the billiard table, creating a dramatic focal point.
The living room, kitchen and dining room occupy the entire back half of the home’s first floor and provide ample space to entertain. A custom-made sectional sofa wraps around the right side of the space with a focus on the fireplace. Cheery floral fabrics with pops of yellow, Jane’s favorite color, add bright counterpoints to the neutral tones of the cream-colored sofa. A wall of folding glass panels spanning the back of the living room opens to an expansive rear terrace, courtyard and pool, as well as a two-story garage and privacy wall.
The family’s cherished sideboard and dining table preside in the dining room. Head chairs covered in a neutral fabric from Wells Textiles and antique side chairs upholstered in a blue-and-green floral print surround the table.
On the left side of the space is a wet bar and the family’s kitchen, designed with clever features such as a quartzite backsplash with two sliding panels. “On the left-hand side is Jane’s TV that she likes to watch while she’s cooking. And on the right side are her spices,” Tollett says. A prep kitchen is tucked behind the main kitchen.
The odes to nature and the Cookes’ treasured possessions, including beds and rugs brought from their former home, continue through the second floor. The primary suite occupies the right wing, and four bedrooms and two bathrooms to accommodate visiting children and guests fill the left wing.
Tollett says, “The house is a great reflection of our clients, because we used some of their pieces that are sacred, so they still feel like it’s theirs. We just tapped into a different, more whimsical aesthetic that they just never explored themselves.”
