Historic Color

September 27, 2023

Words by Veronica Toney | Photos by Justin Salem Meyer

An Overland Park designer embraces Colonial Williamsburg style and finds it still a fit for modern life.

hen Anne Golliher and her family moved to the Kansas City Metro seven years ago, she and her husband were looking for a home that felt welcoming and familiar. As the owner and principal designer of Storied Interiors, she also knew she wanted something different from the modern design styles that she regularly sees in home renovations.

When they found this 1980s-era Colonial home in Overland Park, the simplicity of it felt very familiar. “The wooden beams [in the kitchen] were a big selling point in purchasing the home,” Anne says. “I was born and raised in Alaska… and we lived in Minneapolis for 16 years. The space evokes the cabin feel, which feels like home.”

She used the home’s Colonial architecture as inspiration for the interior decor. Throughout, a mix of Colonial Williamsburg-inspired color palettes and antiques give the home a worn-in feel. “We didn’t want to do a gut job in the kitchen or other areas in the house, so I emphasized the good parts and deemphasized [the ugly parts] with design and antiques,” Anne says.

In the main living spaces, the bold colors are classic choices from the Colonial period. “My love of Colonial Williamsburg started when I was a little girl,” Anne says. “I love history and different times and eras that people have experienced. Looking back, I see such beauty and creativity and want to have that in my own life and home.”

The living room walls are painted in Benjamin Moore’s Casabella, a warm peach color; meanwhile, Farrow & Ball’s Arsenic—a minty green—adds a surprising pop of color to the fireplace. “It’s so warm and inviting. The room glows at all hours of the day,” Anne says. “People are surprised that [the Arsenic color] leans historic. Mount Vernon has lots of extraordinary yellows and blues throughout it.”

In the kitchen, she kept the ’80s backsplash tile but added some wood trim in Sherwin-Williams’ Dutch Tile Blue. “The trim along the tile added that Williamsburg-inspired color into the oak-laden room,” she explains.

For the dining room walls, she chose Audubon Russet, a charming red terracotta, from Benjamin Moore. “I think dining rooms are one of the hardest rooms to design because there aren’t many elements,” Anne explains. “It’s hard to get creative with the functional side of it.” To add an antique flair to the space, she created an art installation with baskets she’s collected over the years—a mix of thrift and estate finds—that remind her of the basket-weaving traditions of Alaska Natives.

Many of the antiques in each room are a mix of family heirlooms and antique finds. “We have quite a few that have been passed down from my husband’s side of the family,” Anne says. Her husband’s great-great-great uncle built the side table in the dining room. The red chest in the kitchen area came from her in-laws’ house.

However, the larger pieces tend to be items she scoured for at antique stores—mostly Woodson Antiques & Interiors in Raymore. The game cabinet in the living room is an 1800s-era cabinet with initials carved into the side. The panettiere cabinet in the primary bedroom was originally intended to hold bread but now holds quilts and blankets. An Art Deco style spice cabinet replaced overhead cabinets in the kitchen.

“In my dream world, I’d have English antiques, but I can’t afford them,” Anne laughs. “It was brought to my attention that I could get antiques from an area of the French-Belgium border [with a similar look], and I fell in love with this style and location of antiques.”

This combination of bold colors, natural elements and antique finds come together in each room to create a welcoming home. “I always embrace a lot of pieces from nature and am collecting things along the way as I explore the world,” Anne says. “It feels good in the space and feels like a nod to the past with a fresh perspective.”

Interior Designer: Storied Interiors, @storied_interiors

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