A Modern Eco-Friendly Home In Richmond VA: a house log

When Cindy contacted us a while back to do a giveaway with her eco-fabulous store, we never knew that after she rewarded one of our readers with a especially lively party pack, she’d still have a lot to give. Namely, a House Crashing tour of her remarkable (and Earth-friendly) home right here in Richmond. So without further ado, meet Cindy, her husband Robert, and their vivid mid-century rancher:

Whenever we go house crashing, we are not truly sure what to expect. We typically find the houses we invade through friends of the stylish homeowners (and this case was no exception- one of Cindy’s friends tipped us off that she had an remarkable casa right after her giveaway went up on our site). But as we curiously strolled up the front walkway to the house, we were instantly & overwhelmingly smitten by the vivid room that awaited us. Here is the punchy turquoise front door that leads into the glad and bright pink living room (which Robert in fact painted himself- gotta enjoy a man who is secure in his masculinity).

Excellent local art, clean-lined furnishings and a glad colors abound, creating a modern yet oh so inviting aesthetic that had us beaming for the whole tour. We also enjoyed how everything from the no VOC paint to the secondhand furnishings (like the blue chair above, which Cindy had recovered) come together to create a luxe look with style to spare.

We also took note of Cindy’s use of twinkling white lights in her pink room that created a magic, come-hither look that lured us right through the front door. She snagged that vivid table lamp from Ikea (we enjoy that she mixes old with new and low-cost-o with antique!) and even lined the back of that built-in nook with glittering wallpaper to bounce around even more light.

Beyond the joyful pink living room is a vivid dining room full of moody ambiance. We drooled over everything from the unique moroccan-inspired lanterns and the modern ghost chairs…

… to the eco-frienly built-ins (made from sustainable wood without any VOCs or formaldehyde) which even have a little wine-chiller worked in at the end.

And then there is the all-green addition that Cindy and Robert had built when they felt a bit pinched in their formerly teeny-compact home. They did not go especially large (as all eco-peeps agree is a bit of a waste) but did add a functional kitchen with cork flooring, a recycled glass backsplash and countertops, and energy star appliances. Cindy mentioned that it was not a walk in the park to find installers who were well versed in eco materials and practices, so a lot of the work fell on their shoulders (we can only imagine how much time and research this striking kitchen took!) but they are extremely glad with the extra time they spent to make informed and beneficial choices along the way. All without sacrificing an inch of style I might add.

And all the green perks aside, simply look at their dream of a pantry. See those floor to ceiling doors that resemble a giant armoire on the left? Imagine all the stuff you could store in there (along with that remarkable island).

Of course the dining area had me at hello thanks to the white ceramic antler chandelier (we all know how I feel about white ceramic animal paraphernalia by now, right?). And that charmingly rustic yet oh so modern wood dining table below was the ideal counterpoint. Oh and one more note about the cork floors: Cindy mentioned that it is fairly funny when you drop a knife and it pierces the cork and lands like it simply hit a dart board (sticking out of the floor at a 90 degree angle). The cool thing is that when you pull it out, the cork self-heals so there is nary a mark in sight. Simply had to toss in that little detail because it tickled us to no end. After all, we do have a enjoy affair with cork in our kitchen.

We especially appreciated Cindy’s spot-on use of brilliant yet surprisingly soothing and glad colors (that pink living room had us relaxed from the second we stepped inside, and this punchy green bathroom simply made us smile).

And we especially enjoyed how colors felt layered and lovely throughout the home- like Cindy was consistently thinking about what rooms would be visible beyond certain spaces. Does not the pop of green beyond the inky blue bedroom look luxe and remarkable? Especially with the crisp pops of white (in the trim, that leggy wood table in the hallway, and even the clean white sink base).

But perhaps the most green-with-envy-inducing space was the remarkable (and of course, eco) bathroom that Cindy & Robert designed with function and form on an even playing field. The recycled tiles and sustainable wood built-ins are remarkable, right down to the pull out trash can in the middle of the wall unit and the leftover kitchen countertop slabs that they salvaged and reused in here.

So what do you folks think? Was that a lively little house crashing sesh or what? Any go-to features or rooms of the bunch? Any drool to wipe off your chin? Do tell.