201 North Columbus Street
Connie and Bob Sprigg
“Comfort to me is a room that works for you and your guests. It’s deep upholstered furniture. It’s having a table handy to put down a drink or a book. It’s also knowing that if someone pulls up a chair for a talk, the whole room doesn’t fall apart.” Billy Baldwin (1903–1983), decorator to Cole Porter, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Greta Garbo.
The Sprigg house matches this description.
Connie and Bob Sprigg have mostly lived in historic houses, and their preferred décor includes updated classic styles, bold color, and different textures—combining elegance with comfort. Family photographs and paintings add to the personal touch.
This house was built in 1870 in the Italianate style that dominated American housing between 1850 and 1880. There are fewer of these homes in southern states like Virginia because this style reached its peak during the Civil War (1861–1865), when the South was a battleground, followed by an 1870s economic depression.
One hallmark of the Italianate style is elongated windows, which make the house look taller. And, adornments are key: the bracketed, enlarged entrance gives the green front door a greater presence; the windows are pronounced with ornate trim; and an ornamented and bracketed cornice draws your attention to the roofline.
In this 154-year-old house, the couple mixes old keepsakes with the new—and lots of Martinis—all, in the pursuit of happiness.