Dan and Elizabeth’s Americana Inspired Home (2024)

• Design Ideas

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Name: Dan and Elizabeth Good
Location: Church Hill; Richmond, Virginia
Size: 850 square feet
Years lived in: 9 months; Rented

There is something truly inspiring about being in a home that loves the city it is in. Dan and Elizabeth love the city of Richmond, and it shows in all the details of their cozy apartment in the Church Hill neighborhood. They live only blocks away from St. John’s, the church where Patrick Henry gave his fiery speech about liberty, Chimborazo Park, a park that commemorates the Civil War hospital once located there, and the Edgar Allen Poe Museum. The neighborhood has also recently become home to a crew of new restaurants and bakeries, including the wonderful Sub Rosa Bakery, just down the street, which boasts some of the best pastries and oven-baked bread in town.

Dan and Elizabeth’s love of the city, of history, and of beautiful pieces really shows through in their living space. They have made great use of their small space with a mix of thrifted vintage pieces, making their place feel cozy, rustic and tasteful.

Apartment Therapy Survey:

My Style: Americana, classic, timeless, rustic – simple is better!

Inspiration: Much of our home inspiration comes from an appreciation for early American history and the simplicity of the lifestyle. We are inspired by being surrounded by pieces “with stories” — so many elements of our home have been a part of others’ homes before coming to us, and we get to become part of that story. Pieces that once belonged to family and friends are particularly special to us, some keeping us connected to people we’ve lost.

Favorite Element: 100+ year old floors — original to the house, built in the 1890s!

Biggest Challenge: Settling into a small space. We had to get rid of a lot of things we didn’t need and de-clutter before we were able to make this space work. We were able to create more storage space through installing shelving, finding furniture that doubled as storage, etc. It felt like a squeeze at first, but now that everything is in its place it feels much better to have simplified our lives a bit to make the space work.

What Friends Say: I think our favorite compliment we’ve received about our place is less about the decor and more about the environment — we’ve been told that it’s a warm and welcoming environment, and that they feel comfortable and safe in our home, which is really all we can ask for.

Biggest Embarrassment: We love entertaining but don’t have a ton of seating, or a big table to seat everyone. We frequently have people in makeshift seating, crowded around our coffee table or with plates on their laps, but fortunately our friends are amazing and roll with it!

Proudest DIY: The island in our kitchen! I was driving and saw a shelf (now in our bathroom) on the side of the road and stopped to pick it up, and moments later out came this beautiful dresser, which was made right here in Richmond. It was a scratched, scuffed, stained mess at the time, but we re-stained it and added some hardware to make it functional for our kitchen as a storage and counter space.

Biggest Indulgence: The bookcase/chest in our living room is the most we have paid for a piece of furniture at $125. We bought it on the last day of an estate sale, where it was originally marked at $300. We went back and forth about it for a little while and ended up deciding we would regret leaving it behind!

Best Advice: Never settle. We try not to buy/bring home anything we don’t absolutely love. Take the time to look around for what you really want — we have put so much time into scouring yard sales, estate sales, thrift stores, etc. to try and find those hidden gems that seem impossible to find. Also, you CAN find amazing pieces for a bargain.

Dream Sources: Estate sales, yard sales, thrift stores, antique stores, flea markets… we love a bargain. For home decor, our new obsession is The Odd Couple Shop. All of the federal style items in our home (anything involving an eagle) are from their shop. Amazing prices and a goldmine of unique items.

Resources of Note:

ENTRY

LIVING ROOM

DINING ROOM

KITCHEN

BEDROOM

FRONT PORCH

Thanks, Elizabeth and Dan!

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