Text: Lauren E. Gentry
Photography: John O’Hagan
“If someone asked me how our owning this house came about, I would say it was a once upon a time story about a little boy who wanted a horse,” says homeowner and designer Maridonna Rogers of her husband’s childhood dream.
That little boy never got his horse, but as fate would have it, the couple’s son shared his father’s dream. “Russell was 5 at the time, and he barely had the sentence ‘I want a horse’ out of his mouth before my husband, Bob, hit the ground running to find one for him,” says Rogers. After learning the ropes at horse camp on a quarter horse named Parker, Maridonna and Bob picked Russell up from camp and decided Parker should come home with them as well. “Russell was 5, and so was Parker,” says Rogers. “From then on, Parker was part of the family until he passed away a few years ago. He was 35 years old.”
As horses became a mainstay in their lives with the addition of four rescues to the family, they had to board their horses at facilities that could house and tend to them. “Bob’s new dream became to find a piece of property with plenty of acreage and a barn so we could keep and take full-time care of the horses ourselves,” says Rogers. “I agreed but made it clear I was going to be very picky. I wanted rolling hills, a long winding drive, a nice barn, and a historical house I could restore, among other things. I came up with a list of 19 things the house and property had to include for me to agree.” After many weekend adventures viewing properties and exploring options, the couple stumbled upon the 1948 home and seven-stall barn that sits on 20 beautiful acres—it had all 19 qualifications.
When they first saw the house, the couple assumed it was Antebellum, but they soon learned that the builder had loved Mount Vernon—the American landmark and former plantation home of George and Martha Washington—and took the utmost care to recreate the architecture while paying homage to the Palladian style of that time. “He even sent his architect to Mount Vernon three or four times to study it and bring the design back to this house,” says Rogers. “When you drive up the long driveway, you begin to see glimpses of the house between the magnolia trees, and you really feel like you’re entering a different era.”
The house had maintained its structural integrity when the couple purchased it, but after being abandoned and left open to the elements for several years, it needed more than a little love. “We spent two years restoring it,” says Rogers. “There was nothing wrong with the footprint, but I wanted a new kitchen and a casual gathering room.” The couple meticulously planned an addition to the house that would feel seamless and not be an interruption to the flow of the home. They also opened up walls in the living room and added a conditioned loggia that would bring in more natural light and create an avenue to the newly built addition that included the kitchen, scullery, and gathering room. “The scullery allows me to keep the main kitchen neat and tidy,” she says. The large cased openings and spacious rooms allow the floor plan to remain semi-open while still maintaining comfortable separation.
The couple also shares a passion for collecting antiques and unique items that reflect their personal style and interests—they lovingly refer to themselves as hunter-gatherers. Over their many years of collecting antiques and accessories, including the antique Serapi rug and broad armed Windsor chair acquired 45 years ago, each piece is still being enjoyed in their home. Rogers turned this love of design, decorating, and collecting into a successful business that solely relies on word-of-mouth advertising. “I started decorating professionally about 30 years ago,” she says.
While designing and restoring their home, Rogers was careful to create spaces that preserved its historic elements while also making them feel fresh. “I didn’t want it to look like a museum,” she says. “I wanted a little departure from the traditional—respecting and complementing the home’s former life while still giving it new life.” She believes that mixing the expected with the unexpected and blending different furniture styles together is what makes truly harmonious interiors.
