Laura Vinroot Poole: Charming Decorating With A Twist

laura vinroot poole: charming decorating style with a twist

photographs by Laura resen text by amy larocca

Laura Vinroot Poole’s career as the owner of Charlotte’s most
fashion-forward boutique and her Southern belle roots are evident in her
pedigreed-gone-renegade home decor, a gorgeous choreography of
antique, French Deco and mid-century, with a touch of Graceland.

In the dining area, Poole and her husband, Perry, hung a 14' x 9'
panel of framed de Gournay wallpaper to set the scene for a Jean
Prouvé sideboard and dining table and Robsjohn-Gibbings chairs.

Poole’s walk-in closet is actually
a converted 400-square-foot
bedroom custom-outfitted by a
woodworking friend to suit a
fashion maverick’s needs.

living room

“If we’re living in an iconic ’50s house, I don’t just want
iconic ’50s furniture,” Poole says of the ultramodern 1959
landmark—all steel and glass—that her architect
husband, Perry, lovingly renovated. Rather, she drew on
the art of the mix she’s honed at her high-fashion
boutique, Capitol. Rising local interior designer Barrie
Benson helped her pull off a decor that spans Chinese
antiques to French ’40s pieces to mid-century-modern
icons, in a palette of rich creams, stately blues and lush
corals. Here, an antique Chinese daybed faces an Edward
Wormley sofa—a bold combination checked by the
symmetry of the arrangement, which is furthered by the
armchairs and the Jacques Adnet standing lamps. The
hand-built teak wall and the layered rugs lend warmth to
the austere architecture. But the extra touches take the
space over the finish line, namely the gold ’60s-era Paco
Rabanne chain-link curtain masking the office, and the
porcelain dogs—“my tribute to Graceland,” Poole says.

entryway

While this space stays truer to the modernity of the house,
splashes of color and glamour provide the surprise that
defines Poole’s style. The house’s original front doors are
dotted with blocks of saturated stained glass in a
Mondrian-like pattern, which casts glowing shadows on
the terrazzo floors. Figuring that packed enough punch,
Benson and the Pooles decided to leave the space relatively
empty, save for a Tommy Parzinger console topped by a
cut-glass mirror—“Perry made it because we couldn’t find
one we liked,” Poole explains—and accessorized with
glass-ball lamps and a pair of foo-dog statues.

kitchen and family room

A wall of Carrara marble brings a
decadent layer to an otherwise
organic-modern setting that, like the
entryway, respects the house’s sleek
lines. The industrial steel cabinets,
which Perry found in Brooklyn, NY, are
lugged with the Pooles every time they
move. A collection of Venini egg timers
sounds a bright note. The kitchen is
adjoined by a brown, white and red
sitting room featuring a Dunbar sofa
reupholstered in iconic Lulu DK fabric,
a Karl Springer coffee table with
croc-patterned leather, and an antique
Moroccan rug, layered over sea grass.
The striking fireplace mantel is
another design by Perry.

guest room

The hand-blocked Indian fabrics remind Poole of
her New England Deadhead days, when a whole
tapestry could be tacked to a wall for a groovy
effect. But the look has seriously grown up as a
traditional box-pleated canopy—“just cheap fabric,”
Poole says, though sections from 36 bedspreads
were needed to complete the canopy and matching
bed skirt—over a fretwork bed frame unearthed at
a flea market. Like the wallpaper panel in the dining
area and the teak living-room wall, the canopy
creates a lively architectural layer within the stark
foundation. The combination of the pink bohemian
patterns, red wrapped-cane tray table and
contemporary lamp reflects Poole’s daring yet
sophisticated approach.

nursery and
guest room #2

The couple didn’t find out the sex of their
daughter, Fifi, in advance, but they did want to
decorate before her arrival and avoid anything
“too fluffy.” As Poole explains, “I never liked the
idea that pink was for girls, blue was for boys. I
wanted something clean and neutral.” Hence,
this soft minty green, enhanced by a graphic
floral rug in similar tones. A modern
white-lacquer table anchors the room—“My
daughter loves to stand on it and dance,” Poole
says—and an iron chandelier serves as playful
crown. The red-framed vintage prints above the
NettoCollection crib are from read-along copies
of old Dick and Jane books. A second guest room,
above, deepens the green theme in a
tailored-yet-fun-loving way: Heirloom-worthy
Leontine linens are made unstuffy by the
almost-trippy pillows and the plaid blanket.

master bedroom

The Pooles’ bedroom continues the fusion,
blending equal measures of preppy, mod,
French Deco and antique. A curved Harvey
Probber sofa from the ’50s abuts a wall of glass
with a view of the garden—“our next project!”
Poole laughs. Behind the sofa, an antique,
hand-painted Chinese screen with a dragon
motif supplies architectural depth and that
metallic dazzle Poole loves. “It’s a good way to
bring in a pattern that’s not wallpaper,” she adds.
However, Osborne & Little wallpaper dresses up
her closet, where Poole’s wardrobe is neatly
coordinated on open shelves. The portrait of her
mother, which sits off-center on a ledge, serves
as inspiration. “I just look at her and think,
Okay, if I’m looking at all like you, it’s a good day.”