Three waterfront condos on Urbanna Homes Tour

Queen Anne’s Cove Condominiums watercolor by Nancy Foley

Give three kids a sheet of paper and a box of crayons and you’ll get three unique drawings. So it goes with three waterfront condominiums on the Historic Urbanna Holiday Homes Tour set for Saturday, December 4.

While the condos share essentially the same two-bedroom layout, they couldn’t be more different. Compare how their owners use space and architectural details, bring light into their interior units, display their collections, exploit their spectacular water views and express their personal and holiday styles—and imagine what you would do.

Also on the tour are two waterfront homes, an 18th-century home, and a holiday tablescapes exhibit.

When Jack Townsell was ready to give up his big house for a no-maintenance pied à terre, he knew exactly where he wanted to live–a condo on the beach at Queen Anne’s Cove. It would be 15 months before one came on the market, but Jack was a determined, patient man. When he moved in, he loved his view of a cathedral ceiling and watching someone else cut the grass, but the matte white walls left him flat. Contractor and former Urbanna Mayor Ken Moore installed bead board wainscoting and elegant columns to give the condo the character it lacked.

But where was Jack going to put all of his stuff? He took advantage of his second floor location and turned the wasted space above the bedroom into a large attic. The final touch? Jack gutted the bathrooms and installed, warm, wood cabinetry that complements his furniture. Now he has plenty of room—and the perfect setting—to enjoy his family heirlooms and the novel antiques he’s collected over the years.

Other than a new coat of paint and whimsical kitchen cabinet pulls, Deborah Flippo says she and husband Frank’s weekend retreat is “as it was” when they bought it. Well, not exactly. Deborah and Frank may not have added architectural details or put in new flooring, but what Deborah calls their “cottage style” is hardly “as-is.” The condo is full of art, collections and clever ideas. When entertaining, Deborah opens the double doors to her laundry station, covers the washer and dryer with a tablecloth and whips the space into a delectable bar and buffet. Starfish and shells mounted directly on the living room wall form a one-of-a-kind, bas-relief collage. A wooden Chesapeake Bay deadrise model “floats” on a shelf of glass. And the couple’s hand-crafted bird houses perch strategically around their home away from home. The Flippos credit Middlesex County native Brenda Major Hogge with selecting their weathered white furniture with breezy-blue cushions—perfect for a weekend retreat with a beach just steps from the backdoor.

When is a watercolor a window? A water view a work of art? When you’re at home with award-winning artist Nancy Foley in her Queen Anne’s Cove condo. She recently collaborated with Pamela Heermann of Chesapeake Design and contractor Ken Moore to redo her home. Step into her entrance hall where watercolors displayed on chest-high, bright-white, craftsman-style wainscoting make you feel like you’re looking out windows onto the sights and scenes of Urbanna. The view to the river is so picture-perfect you can’t help but wonder, “Is it art or is it nature?” A mirrored wall framed with clean white pilasters throws flattering, soft light all over the condo—and puts you in the picture. At Nancy’s home, art, light, color and nature come together ingeniously to please and play with the eye. 

Nancy is a member of the James River Art League, the Virginia Plein Air Painters and was included in the Virginia Watercolor Society 2010 exhibit.  She has not only mastered the art of watercolor, she’s mastered the art of living. Beautifully.

The Historic Urbanna Holiday Homes Tour takes place on Saturday, December 4, from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 on tour day and $20 in advance. Tickets are on sale at R.S. Bristow Store, Cyndy’s Bynn, Make Thyme, Papeterie and The Wild Bunch in Urbanna, Coffman’s on the Coast in Hartfield, and Hampton House Gifts in Richmond. A ticket includes admission to all stops on the tour, parking, shuttle service—and a gift bag full of coupons tour-goers can redeem at Urbanna shops and restaurants. Go to the tour’s Facebook page, facebook.com/urbannahousetour for details. and updates.

The Town of Urbanna, Urbanna Business Association and the Town Beautification Committee work hard to protect and enhance Urbanna’s natural and historic charm. Proceeds from donations and house tour ticket sales fund improvements like the brick sidewalks, period lamp posts, landscaping, street furniture, flags and Christmas lights on the bridge all will enjoy on December 4.

posted 11.18.2010

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