BEFORECOUNTRYLIVING.COM / NOVEMBER 2019 ƂƆ
Living Room
YESTERDAY: The large living
space boasts soaring 101 / 2 - foot
ceilings that helped keep the
air moving. “It’s quite big
for a sitting room,” says Tony.
“It’s really nice to have the
fi re going during the winter.”
TODAY: Tony brought in a
variety of portraits and
coastal-inspired pieces from
his personal collection, as
well as “Hampton Roads”
signage from a Chesapeake
Bay shipyard and a lamp
crafted from old suitcases.
He painted all of the millwork
in statement-making hues
(including the adjoining
broom-closet-turned-bar,
which is now a vibrant red).
He added a braided rug
(capelrugs.com) and antique
furniture reupholstered in bold
hues. “You’ll notice there are
no modern upholstered sofas
or club chairs—that was a
conscious decision,” he says.
“The forms I’ve used here are
sculptural.” The room is also
home to a television, but
18 th-century living has had a
negative (or, perhaps,
positive!) eff ect on Tony’s
viewing habits. “I never turn it
on,” he says. “The house has
taught me to live a lot more
thoughtfully and take things
more slowly.” (Besides, the
fl icker of a television screen
is not particularly period-
appropriate.)LIV
IN
G^ R
OO
M^
BE
FO
RE
PH
OT
O^
CO
UR
TE
SY
O
F^ T
HE
CO
LO
NI
AL
W
ILL
IA
MS
BU
RG
FO
UN
DA
TIO
N.