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 More than 46 designers and artisans have lovingly reinvented the magnificent Rothesay, home of George and Ann Anderson.
This spectacular 30 room Tudor mansion located at 1234 Rothesay Circle in Richmond, Virginia, was built in 1913 by Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Bryan with the assistance of renowned Virginia architect, W. Duncan Lee. Purchased in 1934 by Mr. and Mrs. Edward Anderson, the estate is situated on eight lush acres of Charles Gillette designed gardens overlooking the James River.
The history of this particular designer house is unique since Mrs. Isabel Scott Anderson, the mother of the current owner, was instrumental in the formation of the Richmond Symphony. Ella Fitzgerald once sang in Rothesay’s living room. A mini-series about the early life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was also filmed at this magnificent estate.
The Richmond Symphony Orchestra League’s Designer House has long been the premier home design and decorating event in Central Virginia. This event is the League’s largest fund raiser for the benefit of the Richmond Symphony. It is held every year, with more than 10,000 people attending. Joan Carleton, Chairperson of the 2010 Designer House Committee, has been hard at work for the past year organizing this event.
Not only will the house been open, but the Gillette Gardens are being restored and enhanced by prominent landscape architects and designers. Many Master Gardeners from the surrounding counties will be on site to act as docents in the gardens. Additionally, the Carriage House will have on exhibit rare and antique cars of a bygone era.
This year’s select designers hail from all over the United States. “We were particularly pleased with the high level of interest from the design community and in some cases had six or seven designers competing for the same space,” said Kathryn Porte, Co-Chair of the Designer Selection Committee.
In August 2009, interested landscape designers toured the grounds. After an unusually harsh Richmond winter, the landscapers chosen to participate in the project have been hard at work preparing the gardens for the home’s opening this September.
The interior designers previewed Rothesay’s interior spaces this past February, and in March presented their ideas for transforming the various rooms of the Designer House. “Over 40 designers made presentations and selecting which ones will participate is always very difficult,” said Page George, Co-Chair of the Designer Selection Committee. “We want to be sure there are a wide variety of design ideas that are at the same time sympathetic to the style of the home.”
While no major structural changes are made to the home, each designer is responsible for updating the “bones” of their room, such as the walls and woodwork, flooring and ceiling, and electrical fixtures. The designers spend many hours selecting furnishings, fabrics and finishes to use in their design plan. They have only one month before the Designer House opens to the public to actually begin transforming their assigned room. All the “dirty work” such as painting and wallpapering, as well as the installation of the furnishings and window treatments, must be completed in that time.
All of the designers donate their time and energy to benefit the Richmond Symphony. The furnishings used in each space will also be available for sale, with a percentage of the proceeds benefitting the RSOL.
In addition to the designers and landscapers, participating sponsors are critical to the success of the Designers House. Major sponsors this year are Platinum Sponsor: Kroger Mid-Atlantic; Gold Sponsors: US Trust/ Bank of America Private Wealth Management; Hilldrup Moving and Storage; and Virginia Paint and Design Centers/ Benjamin Moore (exclusive paint supplier); Silver Sponsors: Regal Home Improvements; and the Elizabeth G. Schneider Charitable Trust; and Media Sponsors: Richmond magazine; WRIC-TV8; and Charles Ryan Associates.
Thursday, August 5, 2010, Rothesay opened her doors for a Bare Bones party. That evening, guests toured empty rooms and talked with the attending designers about the vision they had for their assigned space.
The Renaissance Gala Preview Party is scheduled for Friday, September 10, 2010.
The home will be open to the public on Monday, September 13, 2010, and will be open daily until Monday, October 11, 2010.
The famous Symphony Boutique and the Café Rothesay will be favorite stops when visiting the Designer House.
About the Richmond Symphony Orchestra League, Inc.:
The Women’s Committee of the Richmond Symphony was formally organized in 1958. In 1992, the organization voted to change its name to the Richmond Symphony Orchestra League, Inc. in order to open its membership to men and women in further pursuit of the organization’s mission.
The original membership of 75 has grown to over 200 representing all segments of the Richmond community. The RSOL is proud to celebrate more than 50 years as the major support group of the Richmond Symphony.
The mission of the RSOL is as follows: “The Richmond Symphony Orchestra League will cultivate a dedicated volunteer membership base that supports The Richmond Symphony through fund raising, education and community involvement.
Photo courtesy of Jami Carlton
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