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Visual Comfort brass and glass pendant lights have a traditional vibe that can err on the side of a clean, modern aesthetic, says designer Lindsey Frank.
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Avid outdoors people, the Caudles stow their fishing gear in the mudroom. The brick floor was chosen to stand up to wet, muddy boots.
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The designers gave the family room fireplace more presence by bumping it out and reshaping the chimney. A durable black granite fireplace surround adds dimension.
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A symbolic grouping of elements — vintage French church votives, natural touches like leaves and feathers, selenite healing wands and clay beads — was created to infuse the home with positive energy.
When longtime Fan District residents Rob and Letitia Caudle decided to make the move to a home on the James River just outside city limits, they called Lindsey Frank and Shonda Humphrey of Lindsey Frank Design to help create the riverside haven they desired. The Caudles loved the work the duo had done to transform their neighbor’s newly renovated kitchen and wanted to infuse their new home with a similar aesthetic. The six-month renovation is the firm’s most extensive project to date, Frank says, transforming the home from an indistinct ranch to an idyllic retreat.
The new interior plan features an abundance of natural light, which, according to Frank, was essential to the homeowners. The original interiors were disjointed and rather dark, and the house had most likely been remodeled a few times through the years. A large addition from a prior renovation provided much-needed family space but had cut off the flow of natural light into several rooms. One of the team’s first decisions was to raise the ceiling in the addition and add windows and glass doors where previously there were none, increasing views of the river and outdoors.
Rob, it is rumored, likes to go fishing before heading off to work. So, starting from the outside in, a mudroom with the maximum amount of storage space for equipment that doesn’t belong all the way inside the house was essential. The mudroom cabinets match the color of the kitchen island, and a whitened brick floor contributes to a cottage-y look, creating an intuitive transition from the exterior to the interior, foreshadowing the pattern of the kitchen floor.
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The oversized herringbone pattern of the parquet floor was inspired by a beautiful floor Frank saw in a house in Charleston, South Carolina, years ago.
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Farrow & Ball’s Hornbeam wallpaper provides a tranquil background in the Caudles’ home office.
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The family portrait on the top shelf was painted by the Caudles’ teenage daughter.
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New French doors connect an existing slate patio with the kitchen.
Frank gave a lot of thought to the flow of spaces — the movement from room to room, how the eyes glide from surface to surface, and where the eyes might settle when looking through a doorway. She actively directed the gaze to land on softened, sometimes newly rounded edges in the new floor plan. The reimagined kitchen features a wide island surrounded by comfortable leather stools. The honed quartz counters and large island more than doubled the usable counter space of the original. A herringbone wood parquet floor replaced tile. To gain space, the range wall is set back into an alcove with softly curved elements, a decorative nook and drawers for the homemade spice blends the couple prepares for their catch of the day.
The kitchen was enlarged by pushing the wall back into the dining room, which was relocated. In the remaining portion of the former dining room, the designers fashioned a serene home office for the couple, papered in a soft gray Farrow & Ball print. Wraparound desks with traditional styling, sleek lamps and modern office chairs add to the welcoming ambiance. New pocket doors can be closed for privacy or opened when the occupant wants to be a part of the action. In the new dining room, charcoal grasscloth on the walls and natural wood floors create a serene backdrop for the homeowners’ traditional Chippendale-style dining chairs and double pedestal table.
The remodeled living room is open to the kitchen and provides an inviting glimpse into the new dining room. The living room fireplace was refaced and its presence enlarged with a new mantel and hearth. The wraparound design incorporates a bookshelf and ample storage for games and other necessities for entertaining.
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Natural materials, soft neutrals and a touch of blue batik fabric create a welcoming retreat on the sun porch.
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In a guest room, the deep blue walls painted in Sherwin Williams’ Wall Street set off the newly whitewashed fireplace and coffered ceiling.
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Layered textures in the dining room include a Moroccan rug and Schumacher grasscloth on the walls.
Light and entertaining spaces are both plentiful in the formerly dark addition. The low ceiling was raised, and an all-new family room was created with custom built-ins and angled walls. A bump-out around the fireplace shares design elements with the living room fireplace, providing the illusion that the fireplace is centered in the space.
The incorporation of raw and natural materials like brick and wood, light-hued paint, subtle wallpaper, textured walls, light paneled walls and ceilings, and the strategic placement of vintage pieces make each room welcoming. The designers, Frank and Humphrey, are best friends and graduates of the VCU Arts Department of Interior Design. Both have a love for incorporating traditional details with one-of-a-kind items, creating a signature look that is curated and special, yet livable.
“It’s not just value, but memories,” Frank says. “In the Caudles’ home, the value is apparent in the craftsmanship and the materials, while memories are preserved in touches like a vintage mirror with a painted background, passed down from a grandparent, that holds a special place in the Caudles’ hearts.”
The project did not come without challenges: The couple lived in the house throughout the extensive renovations and were even able to carry off a major entertaining event successfully. “They are outdoors people, but roughing it at a campsite is one thing; roughing it in one’s new home is something else altogether,” Frank says. “The house’s L-shape made it possible for us to close it off in sections, enabling us to protect the Caudles and their guests from construction debris as walls, ceilings and paneling came tumbling down.”
All renovations can be stressful, but this one came with extra trauma. Work started in mid-October 2019, with most of the construction completed by January 2020, just before the pandemic shutdown. The project was officially completed in the spring, which, according to Frank, was possible because of the relationship between the Caudles, the design team and their contractor. “They trusted our vision,” Frank notes, and now “they feel like family.”
