We’re back with another House Crashing adventure, and this one happened right here in Richmond. This charming Westover Hills house was just too pretty to pass up, so when Lori and her husband Greg invited us inside to poke around we knew we had to bring our camera and snap some photos for you guys as well.
And here’s the cute couple now…
Lori’s actually expecting a wee one in August, but although the whole nesting thing hasn’t quite kicked in just yet, her house was spotless none the less. Here’s the view as soon as you step into the front door. Gorgeous and sundrenched would be exactly how we can describe their entire house.
To the right of that stunning staircase is the living room full of (surprise!) more light and nice substantial molding and extra high ceilings. And that armoire on the right is actually a home office of sorts that they keep tucked away behind closed doors when it’s not in use. Gotta love a little hidden extra function like that.
The living room fireplace is definitely a gorgeous accent in the room. Everything from the framed butterflies to the crisp white painted brick charmed us from the moment we stepped into the space.
And the kitchen. Oh the kitchen. It seriously had us looking around like tourists at the Grand Canyon. It was simply breathtaking. They did a total reno when they knocked down a wall to open it up to a family room that they added on to the back of the house. And their gorgeous white cabinets mixed with sleek black granite counters really made for a classic and elegant result.
And check out that amazing butcher block island made from insanely heavy and solid wood (it took seven people to carry it into the house, and when they attempted to put it up on casters it crushed them like twigs). Guess where they got it? Craigslist. Yeah, we were jealous too. We love how worn and substantial it is- it adds so much rustic charm and life to the otherwise sleek space for the perfect balance of homey and chic. And just beyond the kitchen you can see the family room that Lori and Greg added on…
It’s complete with a cozy sectional and tons of floor to ceiling windows (which lend a sunroom-ish effect)…
The room also features an amazing back wall of built in cabinetry for books, other storage and of course to accommodate the crisp flat screen TV they added to round out this family friendly space. Plus you might recognize that slipper chair as a Target find. Don’t you love that cool furniture doesn’t always have to cost a fortune?
They also had a charming display in their half bathroom right off of the kitchen and living room- check out those great vintage boxed that they hung on the wall to corral toilet paper, towels, and other bathroom necessities.
Then there’s the dining room, which has that rustic farmhouse feeling with a touch of chic elegance thanks to the super high curtains and that gilded chandelier. And you know I was all over that big blue oversized glass jar, right? As in, I wanted to rub my face on it. Obsessed.
Next we have the serene and super inviting guest bedroom that again is full of light and soft relaxing tones.
We especially loved this view of the room with that amazing chair (Lori rescued it on a budget and had it reupholstered to give it a whole new life). And that charming soft yellow dresser adds so much tone on tone charm to the space.
And lastly, we’ll leave you with this gorgeous shot of their private backyard complete with a fun hammock and chiminea (they love having gatherings back there). It’s also the stomping ground of their cute pooch Maggie and there’s even an expanded patio off of the kitchen with a full outdoor dining area. Not too shabby, eh?
And since we know you guys appreciate a source list, here you go:
Living Room: paint: Benjamin Moore Saybrook Sage, couch: Bassett Furniture, pillows: Restoration Hardware, rug: West Elm, coffee table: Crate & Barrel, side tables: Craiglist, Roman shades: JC Penney, computer armoire: Craigslist, chair: local antique shop. Dining Room: paint: Benjamin Moore Devon Cream, table: Miss Pixie’s in Washington DC, chairs: World Market, buffet: Craigslist. Kitchen: paint: Benjamin Moore Linen White, butcher block island & stool: Craigslist. Family Room: paint: Benjamin Moore Linen White, sectional sofa: Room & Board, pillows: TJ Maxx, slipper chair: Target, glass lamp: local antique store (shade from Target), sofa table: local antique store. Guest Bedroom: bed, dresser & skinny chest: vintage, bedding: TJ Maxx, chair: reupholstered thrift store find; art: West Elm (mirror) and vintage prints.
So there we have Lori and Greg’s lovely Richmond home full of sunlight, lofty ceilings, and charming details. Of course we have to send them a big wet kiss for inviting us inside. And we’d love to know which rooms/furnishings/accessories have you drooling. Don’t you just love sno0ping around in people’s houses? We could do it every day…
Psst- We’re always on the hunt for a mouthwatering house (or ten) to crash, so if you or anyone you know has a casa that’s feature-ready just shoot us an email along with some photos of the space and if we’re ever in the neighborhood we’ll be sure to drop in.
Keri Mason says
Love the house! Reminds me of my own, so I’m wondering about the sectional. Is it “floating” or is one side against a wall. I have always toyed with the idea of a sectional in our living room, but there is no actual wall to put it on.
THANKS!
Keri
Amy K. says
I love this entire house. Everything.
Tonja Morris says
I love how this couple has respected the age and charm of their home while still making it feel modern and livable. I know this can be difficult for a lot of people. Usually you see period decorating that feels stiff and unlivable or those who pay no attention to what their home tells them.
LOVE IT!
Ashley at The Real Vertical House says
this is SO lovely!!! love all the natural light! congrats on the wee one :):)
ps – YHL, y’all are TOTALLY welcome to come crash our house anytime ;)
MIke says
Hey Lori, thanks for always dropping in! Love your home so much, it has the most charm! I was thinking i could possibly use those wooden boxes that you have in the bathroom to hold towels.. what do you think? Does the large box fit any towels? If so do u know how many?
Patti says
I love this house and their style! Very relaxed, cozy and accessible. I’m taking mental pictures to remember for my next re-do. I’m in love with that butcher block… and I have that Target slipper chair (bought it for my bedroom after I saw it on a moodboard here on YHL) luvs it!
Faith says
i LOVE this house! It is by far my favorite ” House Crashing” home featured. Quick question- Where did the owners get the monogrammed flag in the first picture?
christine says
Hey YHL!! I was wondering how do you pick these house crashings? What determines who you pick and where? How do u meet the couples living in these awesome homes! I always wondered…..
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Christine,
Good question! As you can see at the end of this post, we always encourage people to submit photos of their home if they’d be open to letting us crash them. Sometimes we find homes through these submissions and sometimes it’s through a friend-of-a-friend or general word of mouth, but as long as we’ll be in the area we’re happy to arrange a drop in and snap away. Hope that helps!
xo,
s
Maddymoose says
Thanks for helping me out with the granite question. Do you know the exact name of the black granite that you have? I want that “next step up” from absolute black but can’t find what the name of the granite is exactly. Thank you so much:)
julie says
still drooling….what about the cute plant on the white chair at the top of the stairs??? love it!! so much to drool over, thanks for sharing!
Lori says
Hi there, it’s Lori w/ just a few more answers …
The staircase actually has high double windows at the landing that you can’t see in the picture. We have them to thank for all that light on our staircase.
Part of the sectional sofa is up against one wall, so only one side (that you see in the picture) is floating.
The large vintage box in the bathroom has two rolled handtowels in it. It could also fit one large towel.
Hope that helps! :)
Anya says
Hi YHL–Congratulations on your beautiful, healthy baby! I was wondering where the couple got their awesome flag out in front of their home. I would love one like it—I live in Virginia Beach so I could even pick one up if it was in the Richmond area.
Thanks!
Anya
Anya says
Nevermind about the last post–found my answer in previous posts! :)
Anya
sara says
Lori,
What type of floor is that in your guest room?
I love it! Thanks!
Kami says
Gorgeous house! I apologize if someone has already asked this question. I can’t tell from the pics if you have crown molding or not. I desperately want to
add “substantial” molding in my house. I noticed that some of your ceiling lines are similar to mine, with some funky corners, and I can’t think of how molding would even work. If you don’t have crown, I am wondering if focusing on base and door trim only will achieve the look I want. Thanks!
Christy says
I love this house! It is maybe my favorite I have seen featured on YHL, I want to move in! :) They could open a B&B and be an instant sucess! :)
Zed says
I – LOVE – THIS – HOUSE!!!! I love your decorating, and I wish I had your eye for design. You two are so talented! If you ever choose to write a blog or post more pictures on flickr, please please please tell YHL!!!
TwinJoys says
I love reading your articles & staring at all the wonderful pictures. The only problem is, they’re so inspiring that while I really want to keep reading & learning, I’m also dying to jump up & tackle projects at my house! What a sweet dilemma!
I FINALLY had a frame made for a fab floor length mirror I got for a steal, I’m in the process of making a headboard for my sad bed (thank you for the DIY), & I’m putting a skirt on an entry table to hide the shoe holder I slid underneath it. All thanks to your inspiring & easy to read blog.
& congrats on your beautiful little girl! It may seem hard at times, but there will be sooooo many fantastic memories & the year will fly by!
TwinJoys says
I mean, the 1st year will fly by. LOL
Melissa says
Great house! I love the decorating. I think the built-ins are amazing. We have also done a lot of built-ins in our house – http://www.houseology.com – and they provide the most practical and prettiest storage space. Thanks for sharing!
Melissa
http://www.houseology.com
maureen says
this home is just gorgeous! love the color palette & the amazing curb appeal & it has a court yard! I adore courtyards!
Jaime says
What a lovely house! One of your best House Crashings thus far! ;D
Kim says
This house is fantastic and so inspiring! I love everything about it! I see the sectional is from room & board, but which sectional is it? Thanks!
TP says
i swear this house makes me want to move to richmond. i already have family there and i love the older homes. sigh. i would like to ask about painting the brick fireplace. was there any special paint or prep you used to make it look seamless and what was it’s original color? I have the exact same fireplace in my home but it’s red brick and i’ve thought about painting it, but consider it an original detail in the house so i’m not sure. i do like the way yours looks, so if you have any thoughts or tips, please share! thank you!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey TP,
We know your question was directed at Lori (here’s hoping she stops in with an answer for you asap) but in the meantime here’s a link to our fireplace painting tutorial: https://www.younghouselove.com/2009/01/how-to-paint-a-brick-fireplace/
Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Lori says
Hi there – it’s Lori. We actually didn’t paint our fireplace; it was like that when we moved in. I’m a big fan of painted fireplaces, though (unless the brick is very pretty). Good luck with your painting decision!
Oh – and our couch is the Dublin sectional from Room & Board. We’ve only had it a few months, but we love it so far.
Also, we don’t actually have a lot of crown molding in the house (only in the nursery, actually). I like crown molding, but I think w/ the thick baseboards and window/door moldings it’s not something that’s super important in our house. Someday I may change my mind, though, and want to add it!
Leslie says
Gorgeous home! I love the creamy yellow color! What color of paint is that? I was thinking of painting my office pink, but that color would brighten it up more and give me more room to work with a wide variety of colors. Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Leslie,
We believe that Lori sounded off on that color in one of her comments above (she dropped in with info quite a few times) so just scroll back through the comments to find out more!
xo,
s
Martha McBride says
I have a virtually identical antique butcher block, same legs, here in my home office. I dream of using it as an island in my upstairs kitchen, but the several strong male relatives who somehow got it into my house on the ground floor (understandably) refuse to haul it upstairs to the kitchen.
I have now accepted that it will never be the sun-dappled kitchen resting place for a bowl of fruit or vase of freshly picked flowers as long as it belongs to me. (Hard to type this next part.) I’m entertaining offers and would be willing to sell it.
I’m in Northern Virginia, right off 95, south of Springfield, north of Woodbridge. Feel free to e-mail me if you want one like the gorgeous one in this House Crashers post and are near enough to pick it up.
These things are literally hundreds of pounds. But, they’re heavy blocks of wood rich in beauty and history. Thank you Sherry and John for allowing me to post this info here.
YoungHouseLove says
Anyone interested in Martha’s amazing identical butcher block island?
xo,
s
Shelley says
I am totally drooling over this house.
FYI – I was thinking about “house crashing” yesterday while watching Mark Fauerstein (sp?) being interviewed on Regis. They made a comment about the houses they film in for his show Royal Pains. They were saying how great it is to be able to check out houses in the Hamptons you wouldnt normally get to see and I thought of your blog. Anyway, you guys should check out the show. I think it is on tonight on USA network. I watched it last summer and even the house the two main characters live in is awesome!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip, Shelley. It’s funny you mention Royal Pains because we DVRed all of USA’s Law & Order SVU Marathon from last weekend so we’ve seen the commercial for it over and over again. It always looked beautiful but we never thought to watch it for the houses. Off to DVR it!
-John
Francis says
I love the house! I want to move to Richmond.
Maybe I missed it, but I couldn’t find information on the bird prints in the guest bathroom.
The book of Cabinet of Natural Curiosities – can you tell us what version you used? I found a few titles which are: Cabinet of Natural Curiosities: The Complete Plates in Colour, 1734-1765, Cabinet of Natural Curiosities: The Colored Plates, and the original which is Albertus Seba’s Cabinet of Natural Curiosities.
Thanks for sharing your home and all of the sources.
YoungHouseLove says
Here’s hoping Lori stops in to answer that question soon! Stay tuned…
xo,
s
Alyson says
Hi – we just purchased an antique butcher block on CL, too. We’re in the process of bringing it back to it’s natural wood. Any advice from Lori on what they did/do to theirs? Seriously, our looks 100% identical – except not as pretty … not yet! Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
We’re guessing they treated it with some food-safe oil. Here’s hoping Lori drops by soon with that info!
xo ,
s
Lori says
Hi there – it’s Lori w/ a few answers. Francis, I believe I have the original one (Albertus Seba’s Cabinet of Natural Curiosities). I got it on sale somewhere a few years ago. Any book of interesting images that you find could work though. For the bird prints, I found an old picture at a flea market w/ about 12 birds on it, then I took that to Kinko’s and enlarged each image, cut them out, and framed them individually.
Alyson, Sherry is right – we didn’t do anything to ours to remove the patina, we just treat it with a combo of beeswax paste and mineral oil every once in a while when the finish gets a little dull (maybe once a month). We don’t cut food directly on it, though – we still use a cutting board to be safe. Hope you enjoy your piece!
Cordia says
I love everything about it! Totally my style! I have been planning a future dream kitchen remodel and wanted the exact thing!
Sarah says
I absolutely love the computer armoire in the living room. I read that Lori bought it on Craigslist. Did she paint it herself, if so what is the color called?
Great piece!
YoungHouseLove says
Here’s hoping she stops in with that info for ya!
xo,
s
David says
Didn’t have time to read through all the comments so maybe this has already been answered. I’ve looked EVERYWHERE for the classic glass door that they have in front of their front door but can’t find it anywhere. Any chance I could get a tip on where to get one? Thanks
YoungHouseLove says
Here’s hoping Katie stops in with that answer for you soon!
xo,
s
Laura says
Just wanted to let you know that I am totally single white female-ing this house! So pretty!
Jeannie says
Hey now! I’ve been stalking this post since May 18, 2010 because I’m in love with this house! Wanted to let everyone know it was also featured on Apartment Therapy: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/dc/lori-and-gregs-cottagestyle-househouse-tour-126445 with lots and lots of pictures!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for sharing the link Jeannie! Off to check it out!
xo,
s
Holly says
Where is the butterfly prints from? Love them!
YoungHouseLove says
Here’s hoping she drops in with that info for ya!
xo,
s
Elizabeth Williams says
I have been looking EVERYWHERE…Lowe’s, Home Depot, online…for a wooden storm door like the one they have here. We currently have no storm door but want to be able to open our door for more light. I see these storm doors on many houses but can’t seem to find where to buy. Please HELP!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Here’s hoping Katie drops in with info. We would probably start at all the places you’ve mentioned so I’m so sorry we don’t have more idea for ya! Maybe try calling a window and door place (like Window World, which is a chain here in VA) to see if they offer storm doors?
xo,
s
Jen Migonis says
Gorgeous house! Lori, where did you get that fabulous personalized flag on your front entryway?
Nicki Lucenti says
Dynamite!
KT says
This house just went on the market – in case anyone wants to buy it!
http://www.joynerfineproperties.com/viewhome.asp?HOMEID=1202264&mlsarea=CVR&NoSummary=Y
YoungHouseLove says
No way! Thanks for the tip.
xo,
s
Meg @ Revamp Homegoods says
A little late, but I love those wood floors!
Ginny says
Stumbled across this post on Pinterest. Please pass it along to Lori and Greg that I’m pretty sure the butcher block was originally mine! I gave it to our son and his wife. She sold it – I think on Craig’s list. If they want further info give them my email address to contact me. Glad it got a good home!
YoungHouseLove says
No way! I bet it was!
xo
s