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design
Richmond Raj A home infused with the timeless charm of Jaipur, India By Amanda Scudder | Photos by Raghavendra Rao Yella
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ell before the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts showcased the splendor of the Mughal empire in the exhibition “India’s Great Mughals: Art, Power, and Opulence,” interior decorator Rupal Patel of Heart & Home by RP created a
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regal sanctuary for one multigenerational Richmond family of Indian descent. Patel wove the household’s heritage into each room, layering accents from India alongside pieces the family already owned. The first transformation was in the sitting room, which has deep significance for the homeowners. Inspiration came from
the things they hold dear: On the ceiling, a flock of gilded swallows takes flight, a tribute to the household matriarch’s love of birds. Hand-painted wallpaper from Jaipur, the northern Indian city whose palaces and carved facades have drawn admirers for centuries, wraps the sitting room walls in domes, arches and sweeping trees.
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Gathering is a given in this household, and the custom built-in bench comfortably seats nine for lively chats over tea or waves of weekend company. Its quiet pinstripe upholstery gives the eye a place to rest, allowing the wallpaper to shine. A vibrant wool rug from Jaipur grounds the space. Peacock feathers and a soft sage peacock print on the cafe curtains — peacocks are the national bird of India and a predominant theme in Indian design — introduce a motif that alights once again in the dining room. In many multigenerational Indian households, the shared table is what unites the family. In this home, the dining room is filled every night, and when it came to its design, the family trusted Patel’s process, saying, “Surprise us!” They wanted something showstopping, even bolder than the sitting room, with only two criteria: Keep the existing table
and chairs and leave an unimpeded path for the robot vacuum. The upholstery on the chairs is a paisley print, a pattern of Persian origin carried west via Mughal-era Kashmir. The custom velvet drapery, hemmed high enough to accommodate the vacuum, was handmade in Jaipur and features lush jungle imagery. On the walls, resplendent peacocks court in a flowering tree. Patel’s design shines especially bright during Diwali, the five-day festival of lights (observed Nov. 6-10 this year). The holiday centers on gratitude, gathering and feasting. Before it begins, families declutter, clean and beautify their homes, making them welcoming for the goddess Lakshmi. This house, however, is ready all year long; all that remains is to light the diyas (lamps), drape the table in orange and yellow blooms, fill the air with sandalwood and rose, and set out the
mithai, traditional Indian sweets. In a house ready for celebration, the homeowners reflect on the personal elements that make it uniquely theirs. “The Indian design elements add so much warmth and character, creating a space that feels cozy, calm and peaceful.” That feeling is exactly what Patel had in mind, she says. “I like a home to feel like it couldn’t belong to anyone else.”
From left: LIVING ROOM The family wanted generous seating but not a traditional furniture arrangement where everyone is seated across from each other, Patel says. DINING ROOM Patel says she selected the digitally printed Golden Chinoiserie Mural wallpaper, sourced from Etsy, for its warm background tones and the way its saturated colors envelop the room.
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FOYER
A bold red lacquered door beckons guests inside the dramatic double-height entry. Deux Femmes Decorative Art of Fairfield, Connecticut, hand-painted the black-andwhite octagonal patterned floor that’s traditional with a little edge. The chartreuse rug is by Nordic Knots.
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That meant first taking the mid-20thcentury home down to the studs and creating a variety of spaces for entertaining groups both big and small. They installed a bar in the sunroom and converted an office into a library lounge with built-in shelving. Sokol also swapped the home’s original basic trim for intricate finishes, including dentil molding, inspired by an 18th-century English country house. “The house was built in the 1950s or 1960s and was lacking character,” Sokol says. “We wanted it to make it hard to
differentiate if it was built in the 1800s or in 1980.” From there, Sokol added layers of warmth and coziness, often blurring the lines between comfort and formality. This is where her long-term partnership with the Nicholses paid off. “[My former partner] Sarah and I had different styles,” Sokol says. “She was very conservative, very traditional. I leaned edgier with a traditional bent. “In the beginning, Natalie preferred Sarah’s style, but she’s since evolved. In
SUNROOM BAR
The recycled glass countertop from Walker Zanger picks up the thread of British racing green that runs through the house. Antiqued mirror provides the backdrop for brass shelving. The bar sink faucet is by Waterworks.
BANQUETTE
Custom-designed in vivid pink, this scalloped banquette adds the perfect punch to a corner of the blue-and-white kitchen. The ceiling is papered in Casa Branca Madagascar wallpaper and outlined in Samuel & Sons emerald green gimp. The chairs are by Chaddock.
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“The way we designed it, you don’t know if it was built 200 years ago, 50 years ago or 20 years ago.”
A prime example of the home’s livable elegance is the formal dining room and attached sunroom. Wrapped in the de Gournay wallcovering with a traditional Federal-style table and Jamb light fixtures, the dining room evokes Old World formality. Just around the corner, however, sits a built-in bar with a Walker Zanger countertop made of recycled Heineken bottles, brass shelving from Palmer Industries and Collier Webb picture lights. The bar is painted a pale blue with brass and green enamel knobs, introducing colors that thread throughout the house. Opposite the bar sits a card table and sectional.
“The sunroom is very lounge-y,” Sokol says. “They can hang out at the bar before or after a formal dinner.” With the two-year project now complete, the Nicholses have settled into an environment that blends the old and the new — and where fresh history is slowly being made. “The way we designed it, you don’t know if it was built 200 years ago, 50 years ago or 20 years ago,” Sokol says. “It toes the line of being a formal home, but also comfortable. And in that formality, it looks like it’s been passed down for generations.”
LIBRARY
LIVING ROOM
—LISA SOKOL, INTERIOR DESIGNER Inspired by a favorite room in the Nicholses’ former home, the library is a tranquil retreat in chocolate brown lacquer. Custom built-in shelves display selections from the couple’s collections. Textured jute lines the walls, providing a background for the gallery-hung artwork.
The Louis XV painted screen is from Helen Storey Antiques in Charlottesville. The sisal rug is Ashley Stark Home, the brass ceiling fixture is The Urban Electric Company, and the brass étagère is from Soane Britain. The stools are covered in Luigi Bevilacqua blue tiger-striped velvet.
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DINING ROOM
“I often make boeuf bourguignon during the holidays served over a bed of mashed potatoes, which is a nice departure from the typical roasts,” says Harris. The lace placemats are from Sheppard Street Antiques. The monogramed china service was a wedding gift and the monogramed napkins are from Jenny Johnson Allen. The soup bowls are antique, and the handblown glass centerpiece is by Pierre Bowring.
Merry and Bright A Fan District home decked in silvery blues and pink holiday hues for Christmas sto r y by VALERIE HUBBARD
p h o to s by KIP DAWKINS
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At Christmas, a white Parsons table below the gallery wall is covered in treasured seasonal collections, including a gingerbread house and crafts made by Anson, now 8, and his 5-year-old brother, Beau. Harris layers the Christmas tree with ribbons in her favorite shades of pinks and seafoam greens. With an assist from her mother, she used remnants of fabric from her own collection to craft a bow tree topper. Beloved blown-glass ornaments sourced from vacations share space on the branches with an assortment of handmade pieces, including cherished needlepoint and hand-painted holiday decorations. A tree skirt, sewn by Harris herself, is a unique colorway of her Chantilly Maxi-
malist fabric. She also made the family’s chintz Christmas stockings, adorned with a velvet jacquard Greek key trim. Harris points to the trim’s dusty blue tone echoing the floral-patterned stockings. “It just was a fun way to weave in some more color,” she says. Art meets pattern in a pair of antique Gracie panels found in Richmond’s Sheppard Street Antiques. The hand-painted silver-leaf panels flank the fireplace in the front room and provide another layer and color connection to pale silvery blue Christmas decor. Garlands also accent the fireplace mantel and table in the dining room, where interior designer and family friend
Jenny Holladay helped Harris finish the room, already dressed in Harris’ handpainted Chantilly Minimalist wallpaper. At Christmas, a cedar berry blue bowl displays rosy pears and strings of cranberries at the table center, reflecting the Farrow & Ball Parma Grey dusty blue on the ceiling, table base and chairs. The seats are upholstered in an aubergine leather from Moore & Giles. “I like to do things that are more colorful and feel younger but retain the craftsmanship of vintage pieces,” Harris explains. “It really is about spring being a state of mind and keeping things light and happy and artistic. Especially at Christmas.”
KK’s Naughty Nog Martini Makes one serving In a cocktail mixer, add: Ice 1/2 cup old-fashioned vanilla bean ice cream 1/2 ounce French brandy 1/2 ounce dark rum 1/2 ounce bourbon 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract Pinch of nutmeg Pinch of cinnamon Mix vigorously until the shaker feels frozen to the touch (approximately 25 shakes). Strain the cocktail into a coupe and garnish with toasted mini marshmallows and nutmeg. Note: If you don’t have French brandy, you can simply omit this ingredient and still produce a fine cocktail.
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SILVER SERVICE
Selections from the 52-piece USF Virginia silver service set are displayed in the dining room. The U.S. Navy returned the ornate collection — engraved with symbols of the state’s heritage, notable Virginians and historic landmarks — to the commonwealth in 1958 following an inquiry by Virginia first lady Josephine Almond.
LADIES PARLOR
Intended to be a space for greeting guests, the parlor became a sanctuary for ladies waiting for their husbands, fathers or brothers who were meeting with the governor across the hall. The wallpaper and border are replicas of the styles and colors original to the house.
SOUTH BALLROOM
The original dining room was combined with an adjoining parlor in 1906 to form a new ballroom. An English Adam gilt mirror sits over the mantel. The chandelier is 1815 English Regency crystal and ormolu, and the Federal mahogany settees with openwork aprons are circa 1820.
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“We think of the interiors as layered. Period antiques and historic architectural details provide the foundation, while art, textiles and other furnishings help the mansion reflect a more modern aesthetic. “The goal is for the rooms to feel elevated and historically appropriate but also warm, livable, and welcoming to the people who visit and gather here,” Bridge says. The Citizens’ Advisory Council on Furnishing and Interpreting the Executive Mansion, or CAC, plays an important role in the stewardship of the mansion. First lady Jinx Holton (wife of Gov. Linwood Holton) created the council in 1973, and its members have experience in historic preservation, art and design. The frequently rotating artwork throughout the residence, typically the most noticeable change for returning visitors, offers reflection on where Virginia has been, who has shaped it and how its story continues to unfold, Bridge says. The mansion collaborates with experts, including staff from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and the Library of Virginia, to identify works that could bring those ideas to life while remaining appropriate for the historic spaces. First gentleman Adam Spanberger, who has an office in the nearby Patrick Henry Building, helped select new art for the Ladies’ Parlor that captures Virginia’s 250-year history as both a series of revolutions and a continuous effort to define freedom. The parlor’s walls showcase
LADIES’ PARLOR
Atop the mahogany box grand piano sits an 1830 “Diana” onyx and gilt figural mantel clock. The two posters on the wall, “The League of Women Voters” from 1920 and “Every Fighter a Woman Worker, World War I” from 1918, are reproductions from the Library of Virginia’s collection.
NORTH BALLROOM
In the original parlor, an 1810 Duncan Phyfe sofa is upholstered in Scalamandre velvet. The print above it, “Probing the Land X (Jeb Stuart, after the fires),” 2021, by American artist Nate Lewis, is on loan from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
the expanding role of women in public life, with artwork tied to suffrage, labor and civic leadership. A standout piece is a joyful painting of Gov. Spanberger’s inauguration day, created by artist Elsa Cristina Gailor of Chase City. Given the deep history permeating the house, it’s not surprising to learn it has a resident ghost. Many claim to have seen her: a beautiful young woman in a long taffeta ballgown who reportedly died in a carriage accident shortly after leaving a party at the mansion approximately 150 years ago. The executive mansion is currently open for tours from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, except for state holidays. Visit executivemansion.virginia.gov for details on upcoming special holiday hours featuring decor by members of the Roanoke Valley Garden Club.
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events
Find han one - o dcraf ted, f-a-k gif ts ind at M Merr y aymont M a rk et , D ec . 5 - 6.
Be There With Bells On Kick off the season in style at holiday home tours, artisan markets and other merry events By Joan Tupponce
Nov. 14-15 Holiday Wreath-Making Workshops Join Maison Vie and Freckled Flower Farm in the Make Creative Studio at St. Giles Church (5200 Grove Ave.) to learn how to style your own holiday wreath. Materials will be included in the registration fee, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Make Creative Studio. Workshop dates and times include Nov. 14 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. or 3 to 5 p.m. and Nov. 15 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Visit the website for tickets and additional details. maisonvie.style
Nov. 20-22 Visual Arts Center of Richmond’s 63rd Craft + Design Held in the historic Main Street Station train shed, this juried event showcases museum-quality craft. It features the work of more than 170 artists from around the country and includes live artist demonstrations and family-friendly workshops. craftanddesignrva.com
Dec. 5 Green Spring Garden Club Inc. Christmas Homes Tour The Colonial Williamsburg Historic Area 65th anniversary tour includes four stops for 2026: the circa 1940 Goodwin Building, a blend of Colonial-inspired architecture and art deco details; the Timson House, one of Colonial Williamsburg’s earliest dwellings, built in 1776; the two-story Palmer House, often called “The Apple House” during the holidays; and the circa 1750 Benjamin Waller
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House. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit the website for tickets and additional details. greenspringgardenclub.org
Dec. 5-6 Maymont Merry Market Head to the Carriage House Lawn to visit the historic estate’s annual holiday market, featuring more than 75 local artisans with one-of-a-kind handmade gifts. The market runs from noon to 5 p.m. each day. maymont.org
Dec. 6 Church Hill Holiday House Tour To mark its 60th anniversary, this beloved house tour will visit more than a dozen stops. Decorated homes this year include 316 N. 24th St., a remodeled home originally built in 1840 as a center-hall-plan house reminiscent of a Virginia farmhouse, and 2715 E. Grace St., a restored circa 1879 home with an iron veranda and a filigree-like pendant band of iron below a wooden cornice. Noon to 5 p.m., rain or shine. Visit website for tickets and additional details. churchhill.org
Dec. 12 John Bannister’s Battersea Holiday Open House See the circa 1768 Petersburg house, once home to the city’s first mayor, adorned in seasonal greenery at the holiday open house. Look for holiday decorations in every room. Noon to 4 p.m. Free. batterseafound.org
Dec. 12-13 Fan District Association Holiday House Tour The 2026 tour will take guests through eight homes in the historic Fan District built between 1904 and 2019, including residences on Monument, Hanover and Grove avenues. Expect a variety of decorative and functional nuances, from original double-parlor layouts and custom hand-painted murals to luxurious modern kitchens and a custom-built artist’s studio. All will be dressed in holiday style. Visit the website for tickets and additional details. fandistrict.org
Dec. 13 Yuletides at Agecroft: Christmas Open House Experience the holiday season in 17thcentury England, 19th-century London and 20th-century Richmond. Agecroft’s gardens and museum will be decorated in holiday finery and seasonal sparkle. The event includes crafts, entertainment, self-guided tours, local treats and a visit from Father Christmas. Noon to 5 p.m. Free. agecrofthall.org
Dec. 13 Winter Wander Tour the Court End neighborhood, explore the historic Wickham House or take a horse-drawn carriage ride at this free annual holiday event hosted by The Valentine. Hop aboard the Winter Wander trolley to visit nearby cultural sites, where you will find open houses and special tours. Noon to 4 p.m. thevalentine.org
Courtesy Maymont
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