Due to unforeseen circumstances in 2020, Historic Ellicott City (HEC) did not host their annual decorator show house, nor will they host in 2021. However, to keep their patrons engaged until the next live show house in 2022, the HEC show house committee introduced a monthly virtual series via Zoom in March, 2020 where HEC’s show house designers address design challenges submitted to HEC. I was chosen to transform a historic 19th-century Victorian parlor in Elkridge, MD.

Historically, Victorian interiors were cluttered and dark, the higher-end interiors layered with rich detail. After losing interest in Greco-Roman Classicism in the late 19th Century, architects in the U.S. adopted more domestic styles based on medieval and other non-classical forms of building.  New building technology/industrialization, the earliest forms of DIY, foreign inspiration, and plentiful raw goods,  spawned a new age in domestic architecture.   The period covers Gothic Revival and Italianate, through Romanesque, French Second Empire, Exoticism, Shingle, Stick, and finally Queen Ann Colonial Revival styles.

As part of the brief, the owners of this home wanted a fresh update in the parlor with antique accents, but not a completely modern room. Nor do they favor bright or pastel colors. Entertaining, listening to music, and reading is at the top of the client’s wish list.

All architectural features are original and in good overall condition. This was an exciting project t collaborate on.  The Zoom presentation was held on August 19th, 2021 at 5:30 P.M. One view of the final result is shown above. Do you own a Victorian-style home? Are you looking for a fresh update with sensitivity to the past or existing architecture?  If so reach out to us and let’s get started.

Furnishings & Accessories:

Hardwood Floor Refinishing: TAO Construction, Damascus, MD; Wool striped area rug: Kravet Carpet; Grasscloth wallcovering: Kravet; Ceiling wallcovering: Bradbury & Bradbury; Custom 4-panel screen: Rhonald Angelo Interiors; Window Treatments: The Shade Shop; Pair of corner arm modern sofas, round tables, rectangular table, pair of lounge chairs, square pillow, oval coffee table: Minotti; Sofa and lounge chair fabrics: Minotti; Custom ottoman on casters: Rhonald Angelo Interiors; Ottoman Fabric: Rubelli; 18th-century Swedish mahogany sofa table: Grant Antiques; Ebony baby grand piano: Fazio; Tabouret (Piano bench): Rhonald Angelo Interiors; Tabouret Fabric: Rubelli; Fireplace Tiles: Victorian Fireplac Store, UK; Animal Fireplace Andirons, soap bubble surface mounted pendant luminaire: 1st Dibs; Brass spherical wall sconces: Nyta; Cast iron floor HVAC registers: Rejuvenation Hardware; Recessed downlights: Delta Light; Fireplace Renoir Painting: 1st Art Gallery; Basketball Pillow: Already Covered Upholstery; Pair of “Pearch” Floor Lamps: Y Lighting; Small Shell bowl, and rose pebble vase on coffee tables: Kravet

Photography Renderings © Rhonald Angelo Interiors Rendering Team