Text by Lydia Somerville | Photography by Gordon Beall
When clients approached Maria Galiani to spearhead the renovation and decoration of a historic house in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, the designer leapt at the opportunity to bring the minimally updated home, built in 1854, into the new millennium.
Exquisite plasterwork, random-width heart pine floors, and Victorian details presented an irresistible opportunity for a makeover. Galiani went to work relieving the discomforts of the 19th-century home while allowing the majesty of its 176 years to shine. “We wanted to highlight and respect the history of the house while adding some modern elements to give it an updated feel,” says the designer. “We chose to step away from the typical traditional style you usually see in Old Town Alexandria homes, but we worked to avoid modernizing the home so much that it detracted from its amazing bones.”
The twin parlors on the main level, separated by a suspended pendant arcade, now serve as a formal dining room and living room. A 10-foot-tall gilt mirror, original to the house, presides over the living room, which is crowned by frothy plaster moldings. Other original details reward the observant visitor, including the brass hardware on the doors.
On the list to go, however, was a grim, utilitarian kitchen bearing no relation to the rest of the house. The designer replaced it with glossy white Victorian-style cabinetry that creates a dramatic effect against black Venetian plaster walls. Galiani borrowed trim details from the living room door casings for the refrigerator framing and echoed scalloped shelves from another room for the hood design. “The homeowners were thrilled with the result,” she says. “They frequently use the kitchen to entertain groups both large and small.”
For intimate gatherings, a small breakfast room off the kitchen includes upholstered benches that lend a casual vibe. The formal dining room, with its original, carved marble mantel and elaborate moldings, suits more formal occasions with a round table that encourages the flow of traffic for big holiday parties.
The most dramatic changes occurred on the home’s third floor, originally the servants’ quarters and most recently a warren of three small bedrooms and a hall bath. Working with architects Sarah Armstrong and Frederick Taylor, Galiani transformed the entire floor into a spacious master bedroom suite complete with a luxurious closet. Because the bedroom is two floors above the kitchen, the designer included a coffee bar and lounge, allowing the homeowners to enjoy their morning routine before venturing downstairs for the day.
Echoing the antique finishes of the first floor, gold accents abound in the master bedroom, adding to the sense of luxury. A hand-painted mural swathes the room in soft colors but also pays tribute to the home’s original owner. “The original owner and builder was a commission merchant and owned warehouses on the wharf in Old Town Alexandria,” says Galiani. “The ships in the mural are ones you might have seen when he lived and worked in the house.” One can only imagine that the merchant himself would not only approve but also be wonderstruck at the restored beauty of his 19th-century creation.
