Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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An Artsy And Eclectic House Tour

Who’s in the mood for some house crashing? This gorgeous old home is in the Forrest Hill area of Richmond, and we couldn’t wait to scope it out for you. Because, get this, Wendy’s house is used for commercials and photoshoots! As in, it’s such an amazing backdrop, the house is practically famous. Cool huh? And she’s a professional retail design and merchandising pro who just happens to design light fixtures when she’s not styling spaces. In other words, she’s got mad skillz (more on her here) so we couldn’t wait to snoop around. Oh look, here’s Wendy out on the porch to welcome us in:

Wendy House Exterior

Her porch was super charming with everything from a pretty light blue ceiling to a chippy old door and a happy red vintage mailbox. And you know I love those extra wide porch steps, right?

Wendy Front Porch Detail

Once inside there’s a grand staircase that leads upstairs and a fun shimmering silver wall that Wendy painted herself with craft store paint when she was bored. Naturally we hit it off since I’m known to go a little crazy with craft store paint too (as seen here). Wendy said she just pulled it up and down the wall in sort of a “dry brush” method, so it looks like fun metallic wallpaper with a vertical “grain.” We also thought those three exterior lights over the art were really fun and unexpected.

Wendy Entry Hallway

If you look to your right while standing in that subtly metallic hallway, you see the dining room. And yes, John and I were utterly smitten with the cool pink industrial cart on casters. See the white duck on the top shelf? Yeah, basically I said “I’m home” and ran in and geeked out about it. Composure is a beautiful thing to lose. Anyway, check out the fun metal stars above the doorway with the small framed art dancing around up there. So playful and cool. Of course Clara loved the doggie too.

Wendy View Into Dining

When you walk further into the dining room there’s an awesome old fireplace and a school-sized chalkboard that’s jam-packed with scribbles, notes, and letters to and from visitors. It’s really amazing. Oh and do you notice that the table is also the same metallic color as the entry hallway? Wendy was having a New Year’s party and thought her dining room “needed something” so she painted the table silver with her daughter – just for fun. Coolest mom ever? She’s definitely in the running.

Wendy Dining Room

Wendy had some of the most stunning lights we’ve ever seen. Check out this handsome guy:

Wendy Dining Light Detail

It was really inspiring to learn that Wendy has hunted down nearly all of the stuff in her house from places like local thrift stores and secondhand shops (she loves Trash To Treasure on Lakeside Ave). She even finds things on the side of the road, yet her place looks so elegant and – well, expensive. Here’s my beloved pink castered cart up close and personal. And my white duck friend. Is he not the best looking wood duck you’ve ever seen? I like how he slyly tucks into the top shelf looking dapper.

Wendy Dining Pink Cart Deta

When you enter you can also turn to your left to see the living room, complete with a giant teal sofa that Wendy saved up for after “visiting it at the store a bunch of times” (it’s from La Diff here in Richmond). Wendy’s basically me in another (more stylish) body. I visited Karl The Sectional for months before we got him. So I understand the deep sofa love that she described. And look- more fun metal stars over the doorway:

Wendy View Into Living

I was immediately drawn to the giant clock over the piano. It was actually a gift from her father so it’s really meaningful along with being just plain cool. And do you notice something about the coffee table? It’s another old cart on casters. So simple yet full of character. This was just one of those houses that you feel so comfortable and casual and “welcomed” as soon as you step inside. It’s a wonder I didn’t flop down on the big teal sofa for a little afternoon nap (well, it’s actually not a wonder because Clara doesn’t let me get away with that sort of thing).

Wendy Living Blue Sofa

And now for a clock close up:

Wendy Living Clock Detail

Here’s the view from the piano looking into the entryway and the dining room beyond:

Wendy Living Table Detail

Oh and this is the view from the teal sofa. Yup, there’s yet another awesome original fireplace. And see that awesome tripod floor lamp in front of the fireplace? That’s one of Wendy’s designs. It was so gorgeous in person- this photo doesn’t do it justice. I could totally picture it in a Candice Olson room or something.

Wendy Living Light Detail

Beyond the stairs that lead upstairs was a nice spacious washroom. Aren’t those old doors cool? Wendy made them. Yeah- she added a chippy paint technique along with some architectural salvage finds (the iron grates, the handles, and even the ornate corner pieces) to create two one of a kind doors that obscure her washer & dryer.

Wendy Laundry

This was one of those awesome old homes with tons of character, so this is a shot of her second staircase. Yup, she has two. The front one and this one, which is right off of the kitchen and the washroom. So cool. And I loved that she hung a basket on the wall like that. It kind of looked like a faux tortoise shell. And you know how I get about animal decor…

Wendy Laundry Stairs

Here’s her awesome kitchen with an old cabinet in the center of the room. She got it from a school that was getting rid of it and remagined it as a kitchen island. John and I fawned over all those long skinny drawers. I also really loved how she hung what looked like a plate rack vertically and stuffed it with napkins and linens. Sweet.

Wendy Kitchen

Here’s a guest room in the back of the house. Once again Wendy wowed us with her use of charming old items in new ways.

Wendy Guest Room

This time it was those chipped multi-colored shutters, where she hung a little tin basket of faux blooms:

Wendy Guest Room Detail

Wendy was a really inspiring “curator” (which is probably why she gets paid to style things for a living, haha). John and I especially loved this asymmetric wall of frames, shelves, letters, and even old lighting hoops that Wendy had on hand.

Wendy Upstairs Hall

Here’s Wendy’s bedroom with a charming four poster bed that called my name. Don’t worry, I restrained myself and did not try to swan dive into it. But Clara tried. Twice.

Wendy Master Bedroom

And here’s her light and airy en-suite bath. Doesn’t it look like a beach house out of a magazine? I loved the breezy little half-curtains and the weathered old secondhand dresser that Wendy uses for linens and towels.

Wendy Master Bathroom

So there you have it. A local home here in Richmond that we’re still talking about. Thanks so much to Wendy for letting us poke around! And get this, Wendy is selling her gorgeous house. So if anyone’s interested, you can contact her through her site. Now let’s play the favorite part game. I’m dying for the pink cart on casters, the cutie pie white duck decoy, and the soft blue paint on the porch ceiling. Meanwhile John will not shut up about the giant clock. But is anyone really surprised by that?

Psst- Check out our recently created inspiration gallery (where you can search by color or room) with over 330 other stunning spaces!

Comments

    • Wendy Umanoff says

      Thanks, the bedding in the master bedroom is from Pottery Barn. The bedding in the guest bedroom is by Dwell and the bathroom dresser was purchased on the streets of NYC a long time ago. :)

      – Wendy

  10. Susan says

    Love it! It’s always a nice surprise to find a House Crash when I log on. Thanks for the Room Gallery addition, too. It makes it easy to go back and look at favorite parts/rooms.

    Reply

  12. Robin @ our semi organic life says

    My fav thing is the 2nd staircase. I’ve always wanted to live in a ‘TV House’ and have 2 staircases! Everyone knows what I’m talking about right ?! – houses on tv shows have 2 staircases so characters can enter into the living room or kitchen. They’re dreamy!

    Reply

    • Care says

      You mean like the Cosy show?? Did I just date myself? I was really young when it was on ok??! Haha!
      Yep, always loved the 2 staircases too!

    • Casandra says

      Yes! A TV house just like the Cosby Show. (Not dating yourself Care. We just finished season 1 on Netflix. It was filmed the year I was born :) )

    • Jenn says

      My first thought when I saw the second staircase was “Man, it’s just like The Cosby Show!”

      Children of the eighties, unite!

      Although let’s just agree to leave acid wash and bad perms in the past where thay belong, ‘kay?

  14. rachael says

    My favorite part is the blue ceiling!! Pretty sure I almost died when I saw that!And I loved those little stars above the doorway. Such a sweet touch. I love when you guys house crash, keep em coming!

    Reply

  17. Barb says

    OMG!!! Best HOUSE CRASHING HOUSE E.V.E.R!!! I could move in in a heartbeat! What did I love most ? 2 things. The coffee table and the island in the kitchen. The island looks to me like it could be in a chemistry room or something like that. I LOVED IT!!!

    All of her neat storage areas and then the bathroom. The bedroom. The dining room. The kitchen.

    I could go on and on. This is a house crashing post that I will look twice if not two hundred times at.

    And it is for sale for how much? Just curious!

    Sherry…you were right on with showcasing this one. It is your best yet. Keep these kind coming!!! LOVE, love, love.

    OK….calm down Barb!!!

    B.

    Reply

  20. Elizabeth says

    Am I the only one who looked at the time on the big clock and the clock in the kitchen and tried to figure out how long you were there?

    Reply

    • Wendy Umanoff says

      I love that you love the doors! I created them by glueing (using contractors glue from Lowe’s) reclaimed molding ( from a salvage yard) to luan doors. I had my contractor cut them down to custom fit the opening to the laundry closet. The door handles were originally table legs.

      -Wendy

  23. Holly says

    This home is beautiful! I love the star decals above the dorways. I never saw stars used in home decorating before I moved to the DC area! I have two in my apartment now.

    Reply

  24. Holly H says

    Oh wow I would love to live there! Isn’t that the coolest pink cart, but the porch is amazing too! But my favourite by far is the kitchen, so much that it WILL be pinned :D
    Thanks for sharing such an awesome space!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      OH mannnnnn! Thanks so much for the warning (you know we’re never ok with those). Gotta call them and get that taken care of. Did you happen to see who/what it was for? It helps to know the product/company if we can!

      xo,
      s

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Grrrr. Thanks. We have had issues with that same pop up on and off for months. They hack the code in. So annoying! Thanks again for the warning. And to anyone else who ever sees a pop up, let us know! We hate them and they’re never authorized!

      xo,
      s

  26. Becky says

    I love the blue porch ceiling! My parent’s house has all sky blue porch ceilings and my dad claims it confuses the bugs and critters (like bees and wasps)and keeps them from nesting there because they think it’s the sky. A side benefit to the good looks :)

    Reply

    • Emily says

      In the south its called “haint” blue ceilings. It protects us from past spirits (haints) who have not moved on. Its not uncommon for every porch ceiling to be blue.

  30. Sarah says

    Wow – what an amazing and unique home. I love the eclectic vibe. Any ideas with the metallic craft painted entry way? Seems to me there was a post recently about a certain little girl’s metallic craft painted closet ;)

    Reply

  31. Megan says

    I want the coffee table on wheels! And the teal couch. And well, anything else in the house! Gorgeous!!! This might be my favorite of your House Crashing adventures as it is a great mix of old and new.

    Reply

  32. Ann says

    Oh my god! I LOOOOVE LOOOOVE this house! Some of it reminds me of DWELL magazine, which I LOOOOVE too. I find a lot of HGTV makeover showers super annoying because the designers incorporate items for a balance of the function, appearance and price often with little to no personal meaning for the homeowners. So when those makeovers are done, I don’t get the feeling of warmth and love that should be apparent and brought in by meaningful objects collected throughout life. BUT THIS HOUSE! Everything looks special and meaningful with curious memories behind every object! I want to ask–where did you collect those stars above the doors? What’s the story behind the front door?! This house is beautiful! She should open a bed and breakfast!

    Reply

    • Wendy Umanoff says

      Thanks so much Anne, you made my day!
      I found those stars at a flea market called Elephant’s Trunk in Connecticut many years ago. It’s a great flea market. Check them out. http://www.fleamarketfanatic.com/elephants-trunk-flea-market.html

      The story about the door is simple. When I first moved into the house the door was painted a traditional green. I wanted something different, a color and texture that spoke about who I am. (I’m all about peeling away the layers in my life to get to a deeper understanding of “self”.) I set out with paint stripper and scrapper in hand not sure what the end result would be. The finished color and texture of the door was completely intuitive!
      -Wendy

    • Ann says

      I should have also asked where on earth did you get those incredible industrial storage carts? The one in the dining room and living room? The one in the dining room reminds me of my undergrad ceramics courses! I love them!

  37. Jessica says

    Oh I LOVE the kitchen island. The elementary school I went to is currently being torn down to build a new one and I somehow missed the auction they had of all the old furniture, etc. in the school…. never been more sad in all of my life :(

    Reply

  38. Sydney says

    Also, her rug collection is gorgeous. All those vibrant, rich colors totally add to the electic vibe.

    Any clues on her secret to snagging those? Nice, wool rugs are still listing at $500 and up on the Craigslist in my area.

    Reply

  39. Mary says

    Stunning home. I <3 Trash to Treasure! I got a gorgeous vintage cane chair in pristine condition from there for oh, $30.

    Reply

  40. Aryn@LivingonADimeorLess says

    Wendy has done a fantastic job with taking items that I might look at as “past it’s prime” and turning it into some very beautiful. I am amazed at how many different ways she has found to repurpose different items throughout her home. Awesome house crashing!

    Reply

  42. Sarah W says

    Love this house! I’m dying to know about those beautiful rugs – did you guys talk about them at all?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      They all appeared to be extremely old and amazing. I’d bet they’re from various secondhand shops, but here’s hoping Wendy can drop in with more info for ya!

      xo,
      s

  43. Vy says

    I have not been able to see any images in your posts in the past week. Not sure what’s up, but I wanna see her house :( Won’t show up in google reader either…

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We haven’t changed anything on our end, but sometimes someone’s anti-virus software will suddenly start blocking our images. Someone commented to say they were able to fix it and see the pics again by going into their preferences in the anti-virus system and adding our image url or something to tell it our pics are ok! So sorry for the trouble! Wish it was something we could fix on our end!

      xo,
      s

  44. kaylan says

    Um, all of it? It’s so hard to pick a favorite – her decorating style is mine exactly.
    I love all of the minute details with decorating. They add up to a whole lot of beautiful! Will definitely be referencing these pictures as I continue to transform our house!

    Reply

  45. Liz says

    WOW. This house is just gorgeous. She needs to come to my house to decorate!!!! Thanks for another AWESOME house crash!!

    Reply

  46. Tasha says

    need, need, need that giant clock. If anyone knows a replica, or exactly where….i need it. Please & my eternally grateful thanks.
    Tasha

    Reply

  47. Sarah says

    Gorgeous house! I’ve been following your blog for several months, but I was particularly excited to see the blue porch ceiling in this House Crashing post. Do you happen to know if that color is supposed to be “haint blue”? I ask because my parents’ own porch ceiling is a very similar color, and their interior decorators had no idea what “haint blue” was at first. I believe it’s a Gullah (?) influence–the color is supposed to scare/keep away the bad spirits and create a peaceful home. Just wondering…

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We didn’t chat about the blue paint specifically, but a lot of southern porches do have them due to the whole bad spirit lore (and just because they’re pretty too I think, haha) – so it’s a possibility that it’s “haint blue.”

      xo,
      s

    • kelly says

      I heard that the reason you paint your porch ceiling blue is to keep bees from building nests… they thinks its the sky and don’t hang around…

    • Wendy Umanoff says

      I love the meaning of “haunt blue”! I actually chose this color blue, Benjamin Moore Summer Shower 2135-60 because it was very soothing to me, also I was told that bugs were less inclined to nest on the ceiling (thinking it was sky).

      – Wendy

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