In Virginias capital, a not-so-old house gets some new-old tricks.
His wife, Gail, also loves a home thats timeless and well proportioned.
Fortunately, that spark had merit.
Credit:DANE TASHIMA; Styling: PAGE MULLINS
Reassured, Ashley made the pitch to his wife, who actually didnt 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.
Homeowner Gail Taylor stands in the entry, where the walls are covered in Schumacher’s Marcel and the table is dressed in Tarsila fabric by Lorenzo Castillo V for Kravet.Credit:DANE TASHIMA; Styling: PAGE MULLINS
“But it wasnt exactly living up to its potential.
You wouldve expected a more classic feel.”
It had a disjointed floor plan and dated interiors, including the kitchens dropped ceiling with fluorescent lights.
Credit:DANE TASHIMA; Styling: PAGE MULLINS
“It was very sixties and seventiesand not in a good way,” she adds.
Life was busy enough without a major renovation.
The pause also allowed for their “tastes to fluctuate some,” she adds.
Cooper chose a performance velvet for the 20-foot banquette. It’s so big you don’t want to have to re-cover it, she says.Credit:DANE TASHIMA; Styling: PAGE MULLINS
“I realized I wanted to meld contemporary with traditional, and thats where Elly came in.”
“But Elly blends it in so well.
She helped me embrace color in ways I never thought I would,” she says.
An equally sturdy fabric adorns the chairs in the breakfast nook, where dogs Biggie and Ivy hold court.Credit:DANE TASHIMA; Styling: PAGE MULLINS
“I call her ‘Meditating Woman.’
Shes such a calming presence and so beautifully natural.
I love that my kids see that positive representation of Black womanhood,” says Gail.
Two Visual Comfort & Co. pendants mimic the custom hood’s brass strapping.Credit:DANE TASHIMA; Styling: PAGE MULLINS
“The girls from our sons high school got dressed for prom here,” says Gail.
“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 were right on top of each other.”
Cooper cloaked the pantry in Farrow & Ball’s Brinjal (No. 222).Credit:DANE TASHIMA; Styling: PAGE MULLINS
“Its a dark space, so we leaned into it.
The high gloss bounces the light around,” notes the designer.
“Its so magical and serene.
Inspired by the Taylors' love of a statement, Cooper enveloped the dining room in a scene from Susan Harter Muralpapers.Credit:DANE TASHIMA; Styling: PAGE MULLINS
I gravitate toward spaces that have a sense of place and time.”
“The house functions so well yet is so pretty, she says.
“Elly opened up my style to pattern and color.
Cooper painted cabinets in the laundry room in Benjamin Moore’s Gray Huskie, 1473.Credit:DANE TASHIMA; Styling: PAGE MULLINS
I never thought I could have two burly boys in a house and still have this much beauty.”
The comfy outdoor living space features an antique hutch for storing throw pillows and party essentials.Credit:DANE TASHIMA; Styling: PAGE MULLINS
