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Charm of the South

September 11, 2015

On Bundoran Farm, a preservation development in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, one 4,500-sq.-ft. home was built to inspire more Southern charm in interior design. Drawing from both classic regional styles and modern touches, the 2015 Southern Living Idea House brings to life the quintessential Virginia farmhouse.

View a gallery of images here.

Debuted this summer and open until December 27, the home features mountain views and a kitchen in the center of the house. Interior designer Bunny Williams, a native of nearby Charlottesville, Va., outfitted the home to suit a local family. She chose elements to blend with the natural environment, such as a red Persian rug in the entry hall that matches the red clay in Virginia. Accessories and other decorations often came from local shops.

Architects Keith Scott and Julie Kline Dixon of Charlottesville-based Rosney Company Architects reinterpreted the idea of a farmhouse through a contemporary lens. In addition to a stone exterior, bookend chimneys and several porches, the home plays on Virginia’s hot summers and wet winters with one bright living room and one smaller, cozier family space. The kitchen and dining room are at the core of the home, link the two family rooms and have access to the outdoor porches and terraces.

“Our houses make sense in the same way traditional vernacular architecture all over the South makes sense,” said Scott. “Whenever possible, rooms should have light from more than one side. No home should be either too large or too small but should fit the people who occupy it like a glove. In our work we strive to be neither traditional nor modern but rather classic and timeless. Good design defies categories.”