Yahoo Lifestyle This Charming Home Will Make You Want to Wallpaper EVERYTHING
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."
For almost 250 years, West Virginia’s storied resort The Greenbrier has attracted generations of guests to its 11,000 scenic acres in the Allegheny Mountains. The National Historic Landmark, which has hosted everyone from royalty (the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Princess Grace) to 28 U.S. Presidents, remains an enduring symbol of Southern hospitality and exuberant interiors.
So when designer Kendall Rabun was tasked with outfitting a new country house for a New York family of five at the Greenbrier Sporting Club, a private residential community on the pastoral property, the Atlanta-raised, and now Bronxville, New York-based, designer felt the weight of the task.
“I [sensed the] looming presence of Dorothy Draper,” Kendall says, referring to the design legend who masterfully transformed the resort’s interiors in the 1940s with 45,000 yards of fabric and 40,000 gallons of paint. (At one point the resort’s green-walled, red-carpeted writing room was said to be the most photographed room in America.)
Despite the undisputable design chops of her chintz-loving predecessor, Kendall felt confident this modern Greek Revival property merited its own point of view. “I just knew from the beginning that my goal wasn’t to try to compete or emulate but to sneak in little references [to The Greenbrier’s storied design] while pivoting toward a more country feeling,” says Kendall. Case in point: The floral wallcovering in the laundry room (“Lucknow” by Carolina Irving) is a not-too-on-the-nose nod to Draper’s iconic “Rhododendron” wallcovering, seen throughout the resort.
The same goes for slightly more subdued pops of pattern—including paisleys, florals, checks, and stripes—that play well throughout the 3,200-square-foot home. Similarly, while the resort itself is known for bold contrasts, Kendall embraced color via a more complementary, landscape-inspired lens—think earthy browns, sky blues, and serene greens.
For the homeowners and their three sons—ages 12, 11, and 9—the result is everything they hoped for and more. “A country home suggests a dwelling with an inextricable relationship to the natural world,” says Kendall. “Here, from the gracious back porch, you can truly take in the majesty of the Allegheny Mountains. It’s a humbling and awe-inspiring thing.”
Below, step inside the dreamy home:
Polished Patterns
With its large-scale circa-1800s paisley print, the entry’s wallcovering sets a lively tone befitting the property’s history. The custom ink drawing by Hugo Guinness features five dandelions, referencing the homeowners and their three children. Underfoot, a Greek key design hand-painted by Connecticut-based artist Shelly Denning gives a wink to the homeowner’s Greek ancestry. The bronzed brass-and-glass globe lantern is modeled after a 19th-century antique.
Get the Look:
Wallcovering: “Kashimir” by Jasper
Lantern: Vaughan Designs
RELATED: Creative Entryway Ideas That’ll Give Your Guests the Warmest Welcome
Conversation Corners
The welcoming living room’s many blues, greens, and neutrals blend for a one-with-nature scene that complements the setting outside the French doors. A textural grasscloth wallcovering adds coziness but doesn’t compete with the patterned fabrics.
Paired with a vintage marble and brass drinks table, the room’s custom banquette, covered in a petite patterned stripe, creates an intimate conversation corner. Above it, 19th-century artworks, including a British equestrian painting in a simple burl frame, hint at the family’s horse-racing history. The room’s oversize ottoman was designed so every houseguest could put both their feet up and their drink down. (Note the slide-out drink tray on the right.)
Get the Look:
Banquette Fabric: “Dutch Stripe” by Jasper Fabrics
Grasscloth Wallcovering: “Manila Hemp” by Phillip Jeffries
Ottoman: James Showroom
Custom door panels based on a Moroccan motif add an exotic touch to the wet bar.
Get the Look:
Door Panels: Mosaic House
RELATED: Cozy Living Rooms You’ll Want to Snuggle Up In Forever
Pretty Pleats
For proof that a country house needn’t skimp on softness, simply look to the home’s breakfast room, which features block-print floral draperies, a custom pendant with a gathered floral print shade, and rattan dining chairs outfitted with cushions made of a carefree performance fabric. Even the antique furniture and fixtures—a scalloped 19th-century pine hutch, a trestle table, ornate iron sconces—have soft curves. The brown-and-cream spongeware was inspired by 19th-century British stoneware.
Get the Look:
Drapery Fabric: “Samode” by Lisa Fine Textiles
Dining Chairs: Sika Design
Dining Chair Cushion Fabric: “French Ikat” by Carolina Irving Textiles
Spongeware: by Tory Burch
RELATED: Breakfast Nook Design Ideas for a Stylish Start to Every Day
Natural Textures
In the kitchen, custom wicker pendant lights illuminate the marble-topped island and its bistro-style rattan stools. The green weave of the seating plays off the green hue of the hand-finished terra-cotta tiles that compose the check-patterned backsplash. Kendall also looked to nature for the artwork, opting for a set of 12 antique botanicals in a single hand-painted frame.
Get the Look:
Stools: Anthropologie
Backsplash Tile: Mosaic House
Botanical Artwork: Casa Gusto
RELATED: Best White Kitchen Ideas for a Room You’ll Love Forever
Verdant Backdrop
In the powder room, a botanical wallpaper provides a verdant backdrop for the vintage rattan mirror and the marble sink.
Get the Look:
Wallpaper: “Renaissance Herbier” by Schumacher
Serene Greens
Any visitor to The Greenbrier is familiar with the signs that come out at bedtime: Shh…It’s Sleepy Time Down South. In this restful bunk room, Kendall coated the beds, walls, and trim with the same soothing green shade, which is echoed in the window treatments and the ceiling wallpaper. The golf bag print above the left bunk hints at the room’s 11th-hole view as well as the family’s love of the game. The Greek key design, at right, on the bunk beds is another tribute to the homeowner’s Greek ancestry.
Get the Look:
Window Treatments: “Argentine” by Quadrille Fabrics
Ceiling Wallpaper: “Links” by Galbraith & Paul
Paint: Breakfast Room Green by Farrow & Ball
RELATED: Need to Sleep a Crowd? Try These Nostalgic Bunk Room Ideas
Floral Blues
In the bath off the bunk room, a petite floral wallcovering is combined with a checkerboard tile floor and a sweet blue-shaded light fixture.
Get the Look:
Wallcovering: “Devonshire” by Jasper
Light Fixture: Sazerac Stitches
The Dorothy Draper Effect
In the primary bedroom, a plaster shell-form chandelier brings in a bit of nature, and a grass cloth wallcovering adds warmth.
Get the Look:
Wallcovering: Phillip Jeffries
Chandelier: Liz O'Brien
Also in the primary bedroom, Kendall again channeled Dorothy Draper with the large-scale fabric on the headboard, which is accompanied by an antique nightstand and a purple ceramic lamp. At right, an antique-inspired desk is paired with a 1920s marquetry chair reupholstered in a colorful floral fabric.
Get the Look:
Headboard Fabric: “Thistle” by George Spencer
Ceramic Lamp: by Christopher Spitzmiller
Desk: by Highland House Furniture
Chair Upholstery: Decors Barbares
RELATED: Best Bedroom Ideas for Every Decorating Style
Letting the Light In
Café curtains offer privacy in the primary bathroom but at the same time let in plenty of natural light. “I can’t help but start the day happy when there is so much sunlight and beauty around me,” the homeowner says of one of her favorite rooms in the house. A pair of faux bamboo mirrors and lacquered brass sconces with whimsical floral backplates help complete the space.
Get the Look:
Sconces: by Ann-Morris Lighting
RELATED: Café Curtains Are Back! Here’s How to Get Them Right
Golf Course Views
From the comfort of the back porch, the homeowners can take in views of the Old White (a golf course named after the Old White Hotel, which previously stood on The Greenbrier’s grounds) while sipping wine on the rattan sofa covered with durable indoor-outdoor fabric designed by Mark D. Sikes.
Get the Look:
Sofa Fabric: “Oleander” from Schumacher
You Might Also Like
