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LOCAL
EDUCATION
ACADEMIC ALLIES
ferent lenses … especially if they’ve had some issues with schools themselves,” says Kanika McBride, a family liaison who primarily works with students at Martin The RPS community hub program brings a service-oriented Luther King Jr. Middle School and who approach to student absence intervention grew up in the city’s East End. “For us, it’s about building authentic relationships to s the pandemic stretches on, regions — South Side, the East End, and get them to see that we have their entire difficult home situations a combined West End and North Side family’s best interests at heart.” or other barriers often hub — work with school social workers “We try to keep our families informed prevent students from to identify students who have at least because that link hasn’t always been five unexcused absences. They then there, so a lot of them are unaware of attending virtual classreach out to families either by phone or what is available to them,” adds South es. Richmond Public Schools’ communithrough socially distanced porch visits ty hub program, launched in September, Side family liaison Yahusef Medina, who to understand why these students are strives to get absent students back on works with Spanish-speaking students missing classes. track by intervening early to eliminate attending Huguenot High School. After meeting with families, liaisons academic hurdles and refer families to Over time, Brown says, she hopes to can ensure students receive needed support services if needed. expand the community hub program Data suggests that virtual classes to ensure that every school in the disresources such as a new Chromebook or have exacerbated the chronic absenteetrict has its own liaison — some liasions Wi-Fi hotspot, and they can connect parcurrently oversee students at multiple ism within the school division. During ents to services, such as a grocery delivery schools — and she plans to establish a presentation to the Richmond School program for East End families established in-person hubs at local community cenBoard in October, RPS Chief Schools in partnership with the Market at 25th or Officer Harry Hughes said about 1 in 5 ters after city schools reopen. the RPS Center for Families in Transition Richmond students were on track to be to help those in danger of homelessness. “We see attendance as engagement,” she chronically absent during the first 20 Liaisons also regularly conduct commusays. “If you’re not in school, then you’re days of the school year — a 3% increase not engaged, but a big thing is nity walks in their assigned areas to check in with families over the previous year’s absenteeism rate. that we really want to empower (From left) RPS family liaisons Marquis Davis, More recent data was not available as of and ensure they stay up to date parents, so it’s about informing Nakesha Mills, Arthur press time. on the latest RPS news. them, and that’s where our advoWilliams and Doron Battle hand out COVIDRPS Director of Family and Commu“A lot of our parents view cacy and outreach [come in].” 19 safety yers and nity Engagement Erin Brown says stu—Rodrigo Arriaza things through a variety of dif- supplies at Mosby Court. dents may be unable to attend classes due to technology issues or responsibilities such as babysitting siblings, while others may be struggling with anxiety, food insecurity, housing instability or even family members who are battling COVID-19. “We know that if a child is missing school, in most cases it’s not that a child just doesn’t want to come to school or the parent doesn’t want to send them; there’s something happening,” says Brown, who oversees the community hub program. Through the community hub model, family liaisons across three
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THE VALENTINE
Before it was destroyed in a fire in 1927, the Academy of Music was Richmond’s premier theater for 40 years.
as a “rococo gem of a place.” When disembarking from a horsedrawn streetcar, architect Lybrock suffered a debilitating hip injury. On Jan 11, 1886, at his 205 E. Clay St. residence, he died on the same night as the Academy’s opening and one day short of his 60th birthday. Under Reinhardt’s baton, the Petersburg Musical Association, the Richmond Oratorio Society and the 30-instrument orchestra marked the theater’s premiere with “Gloria in Excelsis.” The Academy received a constellation of traveling performers riding careers on the way up — and down. Several ancestors of Drew Barrymore performed in various productions at the Academy: her greatgreat-uncle John Drew Jr.; grandfather John Barrymore (“The Great Profile,” celebrated for his Hamlet); and her great-uncle and great-aunt, the siblings Lionel (Mr. Potter in “It’s a Wonderful Life”) and Ethel, a true star of stage, screen and radio. The “divine” Sarah Bernhardt played the Academy in 1891, 1911 and 1917. She delivered lines in French, and in later
appearances was immobilized due to having had her right leg amputated from an injury, but the world, including Richmond, treated her as royalty. For her 1917 farewell tour in “La Dame aux Camélias,” she arrived in a special five-car train with 43 cast members, four servants, a St. Bernard, a mastiff, a parrot and 140 trunks. James O’Neill came, famous for his 6,000 career performances of “The Count of Monte Cristo” and as the father of playwright Eugene O’Neill. Among his works was “The Emperor Jones,” featuring groundbreaking Black actor (and native Richmonder) Charles Sidney Gilpin. William Gillette’s play “Secret Service,” about Union espionage in Richmond during the Civil War, played the Academy, then a short time later, he successfully adapted “Sherlock Holmes,” appearing in the title role. His interpretation of the Baker Street detective’s intellectual aloofness, the deerstalker hat, the briarwood pipe and the phrase “Elementary,” influenced all those who came after. Maude Adams created the role of Peter
Pan on Broadway and reprised the role 3,000 times, including in 1907 and 1916 performances at the Academy. Ana Pavlova and Vaslav Nijinsky danced on the Academy’s stage; Alla Nazimova, the Russian American interpreter of Ibsen and Turgenev, declaimed to the balconies; Henry Ward Beecher preached; bare-fisted boxing champion John L. Sullivan tried to act and during his stay got into a fistfight at Murphy’s Hotel; a 17-yearold Douglas Fairbanks Sr. performed at the Academy in one of his first roles; and the wildly popular showman George M. Cohan (“I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy”) took center stage. Lillie “Jersey Lil” Langtry opened in a 1919 Academy show so bad she fled town. Comedies and melodramas that entertained but proved forgettable leavened the fare — imagine sifting through Netflix choices but instead live theater. Here came vaudevillians and traveling spectacles. The play “After Dark” employed Richmond firefighters to fill a tank for a climactic diving scene, then three days later they returned to pump it dry. The 1905 and 1917 productions of “Ben Hur” wowed audiences by using a massive turntable for the climactic chariot race using real horses. The last curtain at the Academy came down on the Friday-evening performance of “Alias the Deacon,” a show about a traveling card shark in a clerical disguise. The Academy’s fiery end accompanied a major shift in Richmond entertainment venues. On Oct. 28, 1927, the Acca Temple Shriner’s Mosque Auditorium (today’s Altria Theater) of 3,600 seats opened; on April 9, 1928, the 2,200-seat Loew’s movie palace (now the Dominion Energy Center) turned on its stage lights; and then on Christmas Eve, the 1,396-seat Byrd Theatre made its debut. The Academy site went to the Federal Reserve Bank, which in turn became the Supreme Court of Virginia, where a different sort of drama is enacted today. R
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LIVING
FITNESS/WELLNESS
BETTER LIVING IN THE CARDS A Chesterfield-based self-care product line is touted to help you attain balance in life By Eileen Abbott
BETTER LIVING
Want to take some stress out of life? Here are some tips from Janine Canaday
Scheduling time to attend to your own needs is not selfish, but necessary for optimal health and wellness. Practice living on purpose daily and allowing your energy to flow in spaces that create a sense of balance.
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with coping skills outside of sessions,” Canaday says. “They are not intended to replace therapy, but to be utilized as a resource for anyone to help them get through difficult situations,” she adds. Canaday says that the cards present thoughtful questions, affirming statements, and suggestions for activities to practice each day to improve your quality of life. The cards provide suggestions for grounding techniques, deep breathing exercises, ways to challenge thoughts,
Janine Canaday
Give yourself permission to prioritize you so that you can show up for yourself and others in a bold and powerful way. Be intentional about engaging in activities, relationships and situations that are in alignment with your values, help you grow, produce positive fruit and maintain your peace. Taking care of your mind, body and soul is an act of self-care, self-love and compassion.
JAY PAUL
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n need of some serenity from the stress of the pandemic and life in general? The Balance Box may have some tools to help you restore inner tranquility. The Balance Box consists of 5 decks of cards, each focusing on one topic: Anxiety, Depression, Mindfulness, Self-Esteem, or Confidence. Created last year by Janine Canaday, a licensed clinical therapist and owner of Living Wellness in Chester, the cards were “inspired by the work I do with my clients to help them
self-reflection questions, spiritual growth, exercise and health improvement strategies. “Being intentional about practicing these skills and techniques daily improves positive thinking, builds confidence, strengthens relationships, and reinforces a deeper connection with yourself,” she says. The cards are small enough to fit in a bag or purse, so you can always have them available. The Balance Box aligns with the work Canaday does with her clients at Living Wellness, which she describes as a holistic mind, body and soul approach to healing and treatment. “I created this practice as a way to serve the community and provide a sense of hope and healing to those who are hurting and in emotional pain,” she says. Canaday, a former collegiate track and field athlete at the University of Virginia, understands and values the importance of maintaining mental and physical health to empower yourself. Life can be challenging at times. Canaday says, “It is vital to our overall quality of life that we explore what will help us achieve greater satisfaction, fulfillment and happiness.” R
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they also include lifestyle content such as travel, cooking and home renovations. “We want to raise awareness regarding acceptance and inclusivity,” Charisma says, “but we also want to show the normalcy of our relationship. Yes, we have a different relationship, but we deal with the same normal issues that an able-bodied couple might deal with. We always talk about how the biggest challenge in our relationship is communication — and how many couples say the same thing?”
‘THE DREAMS ARE STARTING TO BECOME A REALITY’
While the rise of their YouTube channel has brought in hundreds of thousands of supporters, Cole and Charisma have also been on the receiving end of negative comments. Charisma is more often the target. Commenters ask if she’s taking on too much, and whether she’s able to handle Cole’s needs. They question whether Cole is capable of typical daily life tasks and see Charisma as his caregiver, not his partner. Viewers assume they know the most intimate details about the couple’s relationship and have insight into their decisions. Charisma has even faced racist comments. “At the beginning, the negative comments were hard for me to deal with,” she says. “I cried a lot and felt like people were constantly bashing me. It’s so much easier for people to be racist when they’re hiding behind a computer screen. “We had a conversation about how to deal with it, and it really brought us closer together.” They blocked certain words and phrases on the channel, which helped. Their fan base is also deeply loyal, and Cole says their comment section “kind of selfpolices at this point.” The questions about Cole’s abilities and Charisma’s caregiver role presented an opportunity, though. They’ve produced videos that show Cole’s night and morning routines, as well as how they remodeled their house to make it accessible. In early 2021, after one video revealed a bottle of prenatal vitamins, they responded to questions and confirmed they are trying to have a baby. “We don’t want people to look at Cole’s disability and say, ‘Oh, they can’t [have a baby] because he’s disabled,’ ” Charisma says. “That’s just not fair. So we address things head-on.” The videos also reveal Cole and Charisma’s growing independence. After the couple moved out of the Sydnor family home and into their own house last summer, their daily support system shrank, meaning that Charisma had to shoulder many of Cole’s caregiving needs without his parents down the hall. Kelly says that in the earlier years of Cole’s recovery, he often relied on her to figure out new ways of doing daily tasks — something she was happy to do.
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“I couldn’t fix him,” she says, “but I could fix little things in his world to make his life easier. “With Charisma, if they have dogs and children and housework and jobs, for her to take all of that on would be a lot. Charisma would do anything he wants, but he doesn’t want that. He wants her to be his partner, not his caregiver.” Cole says the move was a huge step toward his independence, and it encouraged him to reevaluate his own understanding of his abilities. He’s taking on more household responsibilities, and he has made further progress in his recovery, such as using the bathroom on his own. It helps that Charisma worked at Sheltering Arms and studied occupational therapy. She knows how to approach the skills Cole needs, and they both have an inherent drive that motivates them. And with Cole’s independence, both Kelly and Charisma have regained some of their own freedom and flexibility. “There were times, especially in the first hours of his accident, when I thought, ‘All of my hopes and dreams for this child are gone, in a nanosecond,’ ” Kelly says. “And then I realized the dreams are just going to look different. I still wanted the same sort of things I had before: that he lives a happy life, that he finds someone he can partner with. “I do feel like all of the pieces of the dreams are starting to become a reality now, and I couldn’t ask for more than that.”
‘I CONSIDER IT A LIFE WELL SPENT’
Cole and Charisma reached the next milestone in their relationship in November 2020, with an intimate wedding at the Virginia House, an English Tudor manor house overlooking the James River. They originally planned for more than 200 guests, but COVID-19 restrictions prevented a large gathering of family and friends. The couple included farther-flung supporters through a livestreamed ceremony — on YouTube, naturally — and their wedding was featured in The New York Times’ “Vows” column.
“WHAT SHOULD HIT PEOPLE FIRST IS THAT LOVE COMES IN ALL SHAPES, FORMS AND SIZES.” —COLE SYDNOR
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K
atie Sponsler is on a mission. Barely 20 years old when she joined the Air Force in 2001, she recalls having simple goals — get out of her hometown of Youngstown, Ohio, find a better life for herself and her daughter, and do something
to help the world become a better place. Plus, she had run out of money and could not afford to pursue her degree in criminal justice at Youngstown State University. By the time she left military service in 2011 as a sergeant, Sponsler had served in Germany as a weapons specialist on A-10 and F-16 aircraft, with short tours in Iraq, Turkey, Guam and Texas. She had also done a full combat tour at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. Throughout her service, Sponsler recalls seeing and hear-
ing about active-duty and veteran military personnel who survived combat only to return home and die by suicide.
Then she lost a veteran friend to suicide. Rather than accept the latest data from military reports showing that, on average, 22 veterans and active-duty personnel die by suicide every day, Sponsler resolved to speak out. Advocating on behalf of veterans and their families is a key component of her recently announced campaign for the Virginia General Assembly. A Democrat, she’s seeking the House of Delegates seat vacated by Kirk Cox (R-66th) when he announced he was running for governor in November. Data from the 2019 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Report show that death rates among U.S. veterans are at their highest point in years, while the suicide rate for female veterans is climbing even faster than that of their male peers. According to the report, female veterans are nearly 250% more likely to take their own lives than civilian women. Male veterans also are more likely than their civilian counterparts to die by sui94
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cide; their rate is 18% higher. Data from the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense also reveal that more military veterans have died by their own hands in the last decade — 60,000 — than the 58,000 who were killed during the 20 years the United States had troops in Vietnam.
Communication Is Key
Sponsler, who lives in Colonial Heights, is not alone in her mission, her grief, or her resolve to speak out and try to save lives. Marine Sgt. Charles Bump lost his friend, Sgt. Shawn Childress, to suicide in 2020. Bump is also speaking out about the increasing number of military suicides. Childress, 24, a graduate of Manchester High School and a veteran of three overseas deployments, was home on leave when he was stopped in the early hours of New Year’s Day 2020 by a Chesterfield County police officer on suspicion of drunk driving. Rather than simply handing over his driver’s license and vehicle
registration, Childress pulled out a handgun and shot himself. Despite the best efforts of the police officer and the emergency medical team, he died. Bump, who served with Childress in Kuwait and attended leadership school stateside with him, says he is tired of burying friends. “We’ve reached a point where every veteran I know knows somebody who has committed suicide,” he says. “Think about that — people need to talk about this if we are ever going to be able to save lives.” Bump adds, “We need to understand that hotlines aren’t really cutting it. We need to invest in improving the transition plans from active duty to veteran status, and we need to have a hard-line dedication to communication. The VA and vets need to check on each other, and we need to have those hard conversations about alcohol, money and love.” While many efforts by the VA and the Department of Defense to prevent suicide focus on identifying and treating the mental health issues of people in crisis, some suicide experts point to the availability of firearms as an important piece of the puzzle. One possible solution — restricting gun access and ownership — is political kryptonite in the United States, where more than 40% of adults own a gun or live with someone who does, according to surveys from the Pew Research Center and Harvard and Northeastern universities. Contrary to a popular misconception, Uncle Sam does not — and has never — given away guns to people who leave the military. Interviews with veterans and enlisted personnel, along with numerous articles in the mainstream press, military newspapers and medical journals, reveal three basic reasons people say they don’t get help from their local VA hospitals: • frustrations with disability eligibility determinations and with getting appointments; • fear that it will make getting a job more difficult if they are labeled with mental health issues such as post-traumatic stress
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military personnel, but also how to help them acquire life skills. We need to help them navigate life basics that go beyond basic training. “Life can get pretty overwhelming ... for people who went straight into the military from high school and never really had to take care of themselves, who suddenly find themselves exiting the military and trying to reenter a society that they never really dealt with before,” she says. “In many respects, the military becomes a second home for people. They eat together, work together, hang out together, and then ... they are thrown back into the deep end of the real world.” Much like college, the military is the first time away from home for many young people, the major difference being that people in the military are paid. All entry-level military personnel across all branches receive the same starting salary of $1,733 per month, plus housing and food allowances, with incentive pay for hostile fire and dangerous duties. The average total compensation for a private is roughly $38,636 per year as of 2020. Faced with losing the ability to support their families when they leave the military, some veterans decide to take their own lives. Young enlisted troops are a primary concern. They account for 43% of the military population but 61% of deaths by suicide. Privately owned firearms, not military weapons, were the primary means of death. The friend Sponsler lost to suicide had stopped showing up for mental health services, and she says no one at the VA followed up to see why he wasn’t coming in. Her friend had stepped on a landmine while serving in Afghanistan, losing one leg and part of the other. He settled in western Maryland, and Sponsler would visit him at least once a month while she was working with the National Park Service. “Three years after [returning] I went to a police academy in Georgia and couldn’t visit for five months,” she recalls. “During
that time, he took a shotgun into his barn and took his own life. I learned only after his death, at his funeral, that I was the only person who regularly saw him.” Sponsler and others stress that there is no easy answer to this problem. “To be sure, there is no one answer, because no two people are identical,” notes Army Sgt. Sean Tompkins, a veteran of three tours in Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq who is still active in the National Guard. The 2018 Defense Department Annual
He says he understands why some people hesitate to get help because they think it might make them seem weak. “But it is a sign of strength to get help,” he says. “Don’t be afraid of what anybody thinks — get help.” Tompkins, like other veterans and enlisted personnel, says that people who are coming into the military “need to be trained in coping with emotions and situations they have never experienced. “The other two suicides that I knew were great guys, but they were dealing
“every veteran I know knows somebody who has committed suicide.” —Marine Sgt. Charles Bump Report reports the highest suicide rate — 30.8 per 100,000 service members — for the National Guard. Tompkins thinks that one reason for this is that “[National Guard troops] don’t have the same interaction that active troops do with their leadership. Basically, we straddle the line between military and civilian health care. Many people don’t know where to go.” A Richmond native and a graduate of Richmond Public Schools’ Franklin Military Academy, Tompkins says he knows of three suicides involving people in his various units. “When I first heard about it happening, I hoped it wasn’t true.”
with relationship issues and financial concerns. Basic training really does need to go beyond basic for our younger veterans.” Tompkins used the G.I. Bill to get a bachelor’s degree in audio production from the Art Institute of Washington, and he currently lives and works in Los Angeles. “I don’t think it will change anything if you try to restrict gun ownership,” he adds. “If somebody wants a gun, they’ll get a gun. We need to help people reach for help before they reach for a gun.” If you or someone you know needs help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255). You can also text a crisis counselor at 741741. R
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editor’s letter
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lthough I’ve lived in Richmond for more than 20 years, I find myself asking friends for recommendations when looking for a contractor or service provider. You see, I have been fortunate, my late husband was a wallpaper hanger by trade, worked construction as a college student and did most of our home repairs himself. But in the four years since he passed away, I’ve had to start collecting my own list of experts, and I’ve relied on friends and R•Home’s Readers’ Favorites for suggestions. After all, Readers’ Favorites are like word-of-mouth recommendations from more than 1,700 of our neighbors. Review your 2021 favorites beginning on Page 66. We take a lot of pride in the creative community here in Richmond. Mostly we celebrate artists and makers, but as the editor of R•Home, I’ve come to realize that the talent, diversity and depth of our architecture and interior design communities are often overlooked. In fact, many of our Richmond-based designers have expanded their practices to assist clients outside of Central Virginia and, in some cases, outside the United States. To illustrate their growing influence, we present a folio of out-of-town designs by nine Richmond professionals starting on Page 56. There’s something about Shingle-style architecture that conjures images of Newport cottages and the New England coast. Beginning on Page 50, Taylor Peterson takes us on a tour of a stunning new Shinglestyle home in Albemarle County, with architecture designed to take advantage of its panoramic views of the Blue Ridge and interior design by Jennifer Stoner. Social clubs appear to be making a comeback, with an updated style. Designer Ann Tollett walks Paula Peters Chambers through the interiors she created for Common House Richmond and its sister club, Common House Charlottesville, starting on Page 44. And for some residential clubhouse style, A seating turn to Page 96 for a quick look at the Peppers Ferry community clubhouse in Christiansburg area around the fireplace designed by Melissa Molitor. at Common Last March, the pandemic stay-at-home orders led to the cancellation of Historic Garden House Richmond Week, leaving garden lovers in Virginia and around the world disappointed, to say the least. The good news is that Historic Garden Week will take place from April 17 to 24, with safety protocols in place. On Page 42, Susan Higgins talks with Karen Cauthen Ellsworth, director of Historic Garden Week, about plans for the event. Many thanks to all of the architects and designers who contributed to this issue — we couldn’t have done it without you. Be safe,
Susan SUSAN W. MORGAN
Find us at R•Home magazine on Facebook and @rhomemag on Instagram.
CHECK OUT R•HOME ON CBS 6 DURING ‘VIRGINIA THIS MORNING’!
Tune in for our home and garden tips on the following Wednesdays: March 10, March 24, April 7 and April 21
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ONLINE, ALL THE TIME
Find beautiful photos of local homes, expert design tips and advice, and much more at rhomemag.com.
Top: Jay Paul; Bottom: Kip Dawkins
2/8/21 3:34 PM
what's new
Elevating the Human Spirit
C h ri sto p N ewp o h e r rt H a ll a t C h ri st opher N ewp o rt U n iv e rs d e si g n e d by G it y, la vé & H o lm e s in a m o d e rn neo c la ss ic a l st y le
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Middle Lounge Vintage has an eclectic selection of furniture and accessories, ranging from Victorian era seating to midcentury rattan.
Vintage Finds Middle Lounge Vintage opens on Broad Street
Glavé & Holmes celebrates a half-century of architecture By Susan W. Morgan
lavé & Holmes Architecture’s new coffeetable book, “Elevating the Human Spirit: The Architecture of Glavé & Holmes,” commemorates more than five decades of the firm’s transformational projects. The retrospective covers high-profile architectural projects from the Richmond-based firm’s vast portfolio, including The Valentine, the Fabergé and Russian Decorative Arts Galleries at VMFA, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden and Richmond CenterStage. “I wanted to do something to commemorate this historic milestone and honor the people who laid the foundation of the firm,” says H. Randolph “Randy” Holmes Jr., the current president and senior partner of Glavé & Holmes Architecture. At the time Jim Glavé founded the firm, focusing on traditional architecture, the consensus was that he was taking a calculated risk against conventional wisdom. It was the mid-1960s, and architects and architecture schools were focused on modern architecture and statement buildings. Traditional
architecture was considered passé. “Jim was a visionary,” Holmes says. “He understood that there will always be a role for traditional architecture. That the public identifies and draws comfort from familiar, historical character design, and [he] focused the firm on traditional and, especially, classic design to fill that niche.” Glavé, who passed away in 2005, challenged his associates to expand their proficiency in the language of classical architecture, as well as their understanding of its principles. “It’s not about copying traditional architecture,” Holmes says. “It’s about using the same vocabulary and putting it together in a new way.” Today, more than 60 architects serve the firm’s clients through seven studios. “Elevating the Human Spirit: The A rch itect ure of Glavé & Holmes” ($65) is available on amazon.com.
H. Randolph "Randy" Holmes, senior partner and president of Glavé & Holmes
Vaughn Strickler and Hannah Tatum restored their collection of vintage furniture in a garage in Carytown before opening the Middle Lounge Vintage shop at 2239 W. Broad St. last fall. Strickler’s experience in woodworking and restoration is complemented by Tatum’s background in architectural and graphic design. The pair, who do all of the restoration work themselves in the back of the Broad Street shop, don’t shy away from colorful upholstery fabrics or limit their inventory to furnishings from a particular era: Their inventory of late19th- and 20th-century pieces range in style from Victorian to Midcentury modern. Middle Lounge Vintage is open by appointment on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday; their Instagram is @middle lounge_vintage. —Jaqueline Llanos
Left: Ashley Oaks-Clary, Courtesy Glavé Holmes Architecture; Right: Courtesy Middle Lounge
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TOP: In the Richmond Social Hall library, furniture groupings create intimate seating areas. LEFT, CENTER: Members and their guests can collect a beverage from the marble bar in the Charlottesville social hall, and then relax in a midcentury Milo Baughman chair. The artwork is by Sarah Boyts Yoder RIGHT: The swimming pool is on Richmond Common House's rooftop. LEFT, BOTTOM: In the Richmond Social Hall Restaurant, the curving lines of the velvet wall banquettes are echoed in the light fixtures and planters.
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Reader's Favorites 2021
HOME DECOR (CONTINUED)
Traditional Furniture VIRGINIA WAYSIDE Virginia Wayside, 10500 Patterson Ave., 804-7403124, vawayside.net
Antiques WEST END ANTIQUES 2004 Staples Mill Road, 804-359-1600, westend antiquemall.com
“We’ve been here for close to 57 years now,” says Robin Childress, vice president of Virginia Wayside Furniture. “I think people know our reputation and come to us for that.” With a stock of almost entirely Americanmade products, as well as some of the most choice gun safes in the state, Virginia Wayside continues to provide returning and new customers quality fixtures year after year.
“We want to help people make the right decision about an antique — one that will not just be exciting and interesting, but one that may well hold its value,” says Steph Hedrick, vice president of operations. Throughout the year, antiquing has become highly popular, according to Hedrick. “Our theory is that people have awakened to the need for their home being way more special to them personally.”
2. Haverty’s 3. Gates Antiques Ltd.
2. Gates Antiques Ltd. 3. Sheppard Street Antiques
MULTICATEGORY WINNER
REVIVAL CONSIGNMENT 9750 Gayton Road, 804-750-2200, revivalconsignment.com
For the staff at Revival Consignment, staging and working with consignment wares has become an art form. Seamlessly combining antiques and contemporary pieces, Revival features an ever-changing inventory of furniture, rugs, art and more. “Revival is never the same store twice,” owner Whitney O’Connor says. “Every week our inventory turns over, with new art and one-of-a-kind pieces hitting the floor daily.” The retailer is hoping to expand and enhance its online platform in 2021. Consignment Furniture 2. Impulse 3. Izzie’s Consigning With Grace
Furniture Repair and Refinishing CATHER’S FURNITURE SERVICE 7617 Staples Mill Road, 804262-3030, facebook.com/ Cathers-Furniture “I believe this family-owned business was my destiny,” says John Cather. He was taught the trade of furniture refinishing, caning and repair as a teen by his now 85-year-old father, Robert L. Cather. He’s thankful for the key customers who sustained the business, which he calls a “labor of love” during 2020. “A lot of business comes from referrals. 2. Tinker’s 3. Gates Antiques Ltd.
Modern Furniture LADIFF 24 S. 14th St., 804-648-6210, ladiff.com A fixture in Richmond for more than 40 years, LaDiff is known for funky modern furniture. President and co-owner Sarah Paxton says many customers reach out to the store looking for large furniture pieces for the interior of the home, but La Diff offers much more. “We have a huge lighting gallery, rugs, carpets and one of the largest outdoor collections in Richmond,” she says. 2. Urban Dweller
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Home Accessories 2. Bridget Beari
Midcentury Furniture Dealer METRO MODERN 1919-B W. Cary St., 804-4021919, metromodern.biz Metro Modern owner Sally Ramert loves action movies, but her focus is hardly ever on the plot. “They always have really fabulous midcentury furniture,” she says with a laugh. And the love goes both ways — several pieces from her showroom appeared in the movie “Men in Black III” and in episodes of the AMC series “The Walking Dead.” She hand-picks all of her inventory, she says. 2. Epoch Furnishings
Custom Furniture Maker BRANCH FURNITURE + DESIGN 804-869-6215, branchfurnituredesign.com Using traditional woodworking techniques, Branch Furniture + Design crafts products to last a lifetime. “The bigger our client’s ideas, the better we get,” says owner Paul Weimer. “We’ll never deliver anything we aren’t completely proud of.” One recent commission was to create a 10-foot-long farmhouse table and bench using an upright piano from the client's grandmother. “We integrated various parts from the piano and built them into the table,” Weimer says. 2. Seth Woods
3. Iron Oak
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maker
LEFT: Kate Koconis ABOVE: Deep Sea Stack Woven Banner, 14 by 19 inches, 100% cotton, $85 BELOW: According to Koconis, weaving is a deeply personal art.
Thread by Thread
Kate Koconis weaves modern textiles using age-old techniques By Nikhil Mehta
How She Got Started: NAME:
Kate Koconis BUSINESS:
Little Black Sheep Studio
WHAT SHE MAKES:
Woven banners, wall hangings, mug rugs, wool blankets and table toppers
FUN SAYING:
“I can create the kind of world that I want, and I can make this world happy as I want it.” —Bob Ross
WEBSITE:
littleblacksheep studio.com
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Born and raised in Wisconsin, Kate Koconis found weaving while studying at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore. One of her classes introduced her to the craft, and ever since then, she says, “I’ve been in love with it.” Fifteen years later, she has found passion and purpose in the beauty and simplicity of her handwoven creations. Koconis now resides in Providence Forge, a rural area that she thinks fits well with her weaving, “because it forces you to slow down. It’s a very tedious, slow, repetitive process, and it really makes you focus and think.”
Design Philosophy:
The quiet, open space and starlit skies provide inspiration for her weaving. “Life is
made up of a lot of those quiet moments,” she says. “If you pass over them, you’ll look back at them and regret it.” Though weaving has grown in popularity in recent years, Koconis was determined to find her own style. “In the last year or two, I’ve really started to hone in on what I really like making,” she adds, describing her approach as “clean modern designs using an old, traditional technique.”
The Process:
The slower pace of life in rural Virginia dovetails with the meticulous process of weaving by hand. Koconis creates her handwoven products through a painstaking, regimented system. While others may find it tedious, Koconis finds meaning in the process itself. The art of
weaving is deeply personal. Koconis estimates that every inch of every thread is touched at least three or four times by her fingers. Minor alterations can have large impacts on the final product, making each piece unique. She starts by picking a base color and making a warp, which she describes as a “base for your weaving.” She then strings the warp onto the loom, guiding each individual thread twice. Once the warp is attached, she begins weaving, thread by thread. All the while, Koconis is imagining new ideas for future projects. “I get a lot of ideas when I’m making something,” she says. “The entire time while I’m warping and threading, I’m thinking in the back of my head” about new patterns and color schemes.
Left and bottom: Sarah Der; top; courtesy Kate Koconis
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