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Ma Cong and husband Thomas Landrum found this painting for their home’s entryway in a gallery in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The blue foo dog, a guardian lion, is protector of the house, its closed mouth keeping the good spirits in.
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Ma and Landrum purchased the oil paintings that hang in the dining room while traveling in Shanghai and brought the unstretched canvases back in their backpacks.
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In Chinese culture, the color orange conveys warmth, vitality and joy and is a symbol of good luck. Ma balances the boldness with creamy neutrals in the living room.
Richmond Ballet Artistic Director Ma Cong and his husband, family lawyer Thomas Landrum, moved to Richmond from Tulsa, Oklahoma, at the end of 2021. After a brief experiment in condo living, the couple — who are fathers to 7-year-old twin boys — realized they needed a more traditional family home. In 2023, after touring a handful of properties, they discovered a house that gives them the space to nest as a family and to entertain friends. Drawing inspiration from their twins and a towering magnolia in the backyard, Ma and Landrum christened their home “Twins Magnolia.”
Ever the dancer at heart, Ma composes an intentional flow through the main floor of the home, blending his native Eastern and adopted Western cultures in the choice of furniture and its placement. “It needs to feel right and not bug your eye,” he explains. “That’s part of the choreography for me.”
Ma and Landrum with their twins, Thomson and Mason. The poster behind them is a blow-up of a TulsaPeople magazine cover featuring Ma, then the resident choreographer at Tulsa Ballet.
In designing the home, Ma prioritized an inviting atmosphere for the family’s frequent visitors. “I was born in China, so to host a big meal and invite friends over is big,” he says. “Thomas, born and raised in Oklahoma, shares a very similar tradition, so we both love to entertain people, and we love to make our friends and family happy and make them feel like part of our story.”
The intuitive layout invites guests to linger at the kitchen island for a cocktail before meandering to the cozy dining room and eventually spilling over into the living room for after-dinner conversation. “Ma, being an artist, is all about how our guests feel when they come to our home,” Landrum says. “Our favorite thing is when people kick off their shoes whenever they come over for dinner. It’s like the greatest compliment ever, because they’re just relaxing and having a good time.”
One of Ma’s first design moves was to introduce neutral paint colors — a smoky gray in the dining room and sandy beige in the living room — to establish a slightly more masculine energy and provide a calm backdrop for the collection of bold abstract art that the couple amassed during their travels and their time in Tulsa.
Landrum says he came to appreciate just how much of Ma’s spirit makes the home the way it is.
“He plays peaceful piano in the mornings. Whenever he makes his tea, you can smell it, or he has a candle going. It all surrounds you,” Landrum says. “I guess it’s not special about this house, but that’s what’s special about living with Ma. There’s a special story to tell, like a production, but very genuine. That’s what makes living in an artist’s home special — everything is very intentional.”
