See This Richmond Home's Stunning Revival

Ashley Taylor knew his wife’s tastes well: elegant, traditional, and—when it came to architecture—as Georgian as possible. So when he spotted the "For Sale" sign on a tree-canopied lot in Richmond’s Windsor Farms neighborhood, he wasn’t sure the mid-1960s redbrick house with tall, skinny columns that were tacked on like an afterthought would cut it. His wife, Gail, also loves a home that’s timeless and well proportioned. "But when he gets a spark about something," she says, laughing, "good luck!"

Fortunately, that spark had merit. The house had a strong presence and was on a desirable lot, so as any good lawyer does before making his case, Ashley did a little preemptive research—namely, a call to Dan Ensminger, a Richmond-based architect the family had worked with previously. After a quick drive-by viewing, Ensminger confirmed via a cocktail-napkin sketch that a few tweaks could Georgian up the facade. Reassured, Ashley made the pitch to his wife, who actually didn’t need very much convincing.

"It was definitely a house I had noticed before. I loved how it sat on this shady lot with a circular drive," Gail recalls. "But it wasn’t exactly living up to its potential. You would’ve expected a more classic feel." It had a disjointed floor plan and dated interiors, including the kitchen’s dropped ceiling with fluorescent lights. "It was very sixties and seventies—and not in a good way," she adds.

Gail says their goal was "to add back the character," which they set about doing initially with the help of Ensminger and then later with Richmond-based designer Elly Poston Cooper of Elly Poston Interiors.

After Ensminger reconfigured the front exterior and entryway, adding a pediment above a new portico and a more formal front hall, the family moved in. They made do with the choppy flow for nearly 10 years while raising two sons, who are now juniors in college, and a daughter, now a high school senior. Life was busy enough without a major renovation. "We knew there would be a second phase, but living with the home’s awkward twists and turns gave us a better feel for what was needed," says Gail. The pause also allowed for their "tastes to fluctuate some," she adds. "I realized I wanted to meld contemporary with traditional, and that’s where Elly came in."

Cooper’s eye for infusing fresh flair with measured restraint is evident throughout the new addition across the back of the house. The family room showcases an expansive bank of windows anchored by a 20-foot-long aubergine velvet banquette—definitely a statement piece and initially a stretch for Gail. "But Elly blends it in so well. She helped me embrace color in ways I never thought I would," she says.

While the Taylors had always loved art, Gail credits Cooper for encouraging them to add some fine art photography to their collection, specifically the family room’s centerpiece black-and-white by Bastiaan Woudt. "I call her 'Meditating Woman.' She’s such a calming presence and so beautifully natural. I love that my kids see that positive representation of Black womanhood," says Gail.

The family room opens to a new patio and outdoor living space, with a heated ceiling, a fireplace, and a concrete coffee table that’s "big enough for the hugest cheese board,” says Cooper. All are a boon for the consummate entertainers, who often host Ashley’s law firm and clients as well as guests for kids’ celebrations. "The girls from our sons’ high school got dressed for prom here," says Gail.

The overhaul entailed a brand-new kitchen with a custom zinc-and-brass hood "bringing the wow factor and Euro-pean vibes," says Cooper, plus a breakfast area, pantry, and mudroom. They also created an office for Ashley where the old kitchen had been, "just in time for COVID,” Gail quips. "Little did we know we would be living, working, and doing school from home. But now we can all five be here without feeling like we’re right on top of each other."

Given Gail’s affinity for jewel tones, Cooper imbued the powder rooms with wallpaper pizzazz and glazed the pantry in a saturated raisin purple. "It’s a dark space, so we leaned into it. The high gloss bounces the light around," notes the designer.

In the adjacent dining room, they countered that jazziness with antiques and flouncy taffeta curtains that "feel like Charleston or New Orleans," says Cooper, who loves the old-world sophistication of a scenic wallpaper. "It’s so magical and serene. I gravitate toward spaces that have a sense of place and time."

They still haven’t gotten to phase three of the renovation—tackling the upstairs bedrooms and perhaps adding a pool—but for now, the home has more than overcome what Ashley calls "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air feel” that initially gave him pause. For Gail, the exterior facelift, better flow, and artful blending of eras lent it the gravitas it was lacking. "The house functions so well yet is so pretty,” she says. "Elly opened up my style to pattern and color. I never thought I could have two burly boys in a house and still have this much beauty."