1 of 7
© Maxwell MacKenzie
The 7,000-square-foot house is segmented into a series of pavilions, with each space serving its own purpose and showcasing its unique view to the river.
2 of 7
The Kipp Architecture Team from left: Randall Kipp, owner and architect, AIA, NCARB; Lauren Davenport, lead interior designer; and Keith Meberg, lead architectural designer.
3 of 7
© Maxwell MacKenzie
Comfort and practicality were just as important as appearance, and textiles had to be easily cleanable to accommodate all the traffic the house would see.
4 of 7
© Maxwell MacKenzie
“We wanted our home to be a haven for everyone to relax and enjoy,” Dede Hunter says.
5 of 7
© Maxwell MacKenzie
“By using local materials and craftsmen, we were able to source the materials in the most efficient and economical way possible, while utilizing everyone’s local knowledge and skills,” says Kipp Architecture's client Bobby Hunter.
6 of 7
© Maxwell MacKenzie
The house was designed with an abundance of windows and glass to take advantage of the water that surrounds the lot on three sides.
7 of 7
© Patricia Lyons Photography
The Hunter’s new coastal home was the backdrop for their daughter’s 2021 wedding festivities.
When Bobby and Dede Hunter retired, they wanted to spend as much time as possible with their children and grandchildren. But their longtime home in Tazewell is situated in the mountains of southwest Virginia and their three children live in Richmond, making for a long haul when they wanted to visit.
A second home that could serve as a family compound seemed like the best possible solution. And while the couple searched for years, none of the houses available ever seemed to fit their needs. But then they began looking for a lot and the outlook changed as the Northern Neck began working its magic on the Hunters. They fell in love with White Stone and the surrounding area the very first time they visited. “When we saw this property in White Stone, we realized that the best option was to build the house that we’d always wanted,” says Dede Hunter. “All we knew at the very beginning was that we wanted a house that would take full advantage of the view on our beautiful lot.”
Local real estate agent Glen Cockrell, who represented the sellers of the property, suggested architect Randall Kipp and arranged for the Hunters to meet him. Other than wanting the house positioned on the lot to have optimal views of the Bay and river, with huge windows everywhere, the Hunters were completely open to all Kipp’s suggestions.
The first order of business was building up the site with truckload after truckload of fill dirt to raise the house seven feet. Next came the construction of a guesthouse that would allow the couple to live there and begin enjoying the views while the rest of the house was being built.
Discussions between the architect and his clients about what they wanted in a house revealed that no matter what form the house took, it was going to have to be quite large to accommodate the children and their families comfortably. The Hunters wanted three guest rooms for their children with en suite bathrooms, a master suite removed from the din of the house, living room, dining room, kitchen, screened porch and pool, with children’s bedrooms upstairs. Kipp’s solution was to situate the communal spaces in between the private sleeping areas. “When you’re talking about a 7,000-square-foot house, you have to break it up into something more human in scale,” Kipp explains from his office in Irvington. “If not for designing buildings of scale to house the rooms they wanted, it would’ve been a behemoth.”
Instead of a McMansion, the resulting design is a series of pavilions, with each space serving its own purpose and show-casing its unique view to the river, the Bay and beyond. To avoid the Hunters’ having to maintain the exterior of such a large house, Kipp used cedar siding made weatherproof by the Japanese process of shou sugi ban, in which the wood is run through a kiln so that the surface becomes burned and caramelizes, making it impervious to rot. “First, it also has a coastal look to it,” Kipp explains. “But it also makes it appear more cottage-like, with more humanity.”
It was important to the Hunters that they support the local community as much as possible. The Allen Group—James Hatton and Joe Heyman—built the house and Kipp Architecture handled design and oversaw everything, including interior design. “By using local materials and craftsmen, we were able to source the materials in the most efficient and economical way possible, while utilizing everyone’s local knowledge and skills,” Hunter says.
The house was designed with an abundance of windows and glass to take advantage of the water that surrounds the lot on three sides. Particularly dramatic is a 40-foot glass wall that slides open from the living room to the pool area and effectively melds the distinction between indoors and out. The screened porch opens on two sides to the pool area, a decision made to accommodate how the Hunters intended to use the house for living and entertaining. “We wanted our home to be a haven for everyone to relax and enjoy,” Hunter says. “We wanted the space to be open and have a flow between interior and exterior spaces that allows for both large and small groups of friends and family to be together and enjoy the views of the river.”
The entire Hunter family met with Kipp’s interior designer, Lauren Davenport, many times to ensure she understood exactly what they wanted. Comfort and practicality were just as important as appearance, and textiles had to be easily cleanable to accommodate all the traffic the house would see. Davenport envisioned a casual, lighter palette using transitional furniture rather than modern or traditional. “Space planning was key, especially for traffic flow,” Davenport explains. “We had to have implied corridors so access could flow easily from one building to another.” She also kept things local, choosing furnishings from W.F. Booth & Son Furniture and using local cabinetmakers—Contemporary Kitchens in Topping, Stout Woodwork & Design in Heathsville and the Woodworking Shop, Inc., in Newport News.
After about a year and a half of construction, the result is a natural flow throughout the series of pavilions that the Hunters call home. The pool, beach, dock, second master suite, bunkroom and great room are all on the far end of the house and flow into the kitchen and dining areas inside and out, with three bedrooms upstairs. On the other end is the Hunters’ master suite, which includes their study and bedroom where they can relax in peace. The floors are all tile for easy cleanup and radiant heat warms them. Interestingly enough, one standout feature of this house surrounded by water is air. “The prevailing winds were part of the design,” Kipp says. “There’s always a breeze going through the house.”
When the Hunters first realized they wanted a second home, all they knew was that it had to be convenient so their children’s families could get there easily to enjoy it. That their simple goal resulted in a distinctive house was icing on the cake. As Hunter says, “It allows us all to be together quite often now, which we’re very happy about. We feel truly blessed to be a part of the White Stone community.”