When Bernadette and Mark Butler’s adult children migrated south from Pennsylvania, the couple looked toward Virginia to find a vacation home. The entire Eastern part of the state was under consideration, but it was a waterfront home on the historic shores of the James River in Williamsburg that won them over.
The home was a blank canvas—recent construction and neutral finishes. But hardwood floors and pretty tile don’t make a home. The couple wanted a retreat with personality and a sense of coastal provenance. For the first few months, they lived with camp chairs and old furniture.
At the suggestion of their Instagram-savvy daughter, the couple brought in Richmond-based interior designer Ashley Hanley. Known for her playful takes on traditional motifs, Hanley often favors color and pattern. This Williamsburg home gave her the opportunity to work within a more restrained palette inspired by the natural landscaping of a waterfront retreat that played a pivotal role in her earliest memories.
The Butlers didn’t know it at first, but Hanley grew up coming to the marina and beach, as her grandparents lived in Kingsmill. “I have such fond memories of walking the beach with my grandmother, collecting sea glass and shells, and boat rides on my grandfather’s boat,” Hanley says…