VIRGINIA BEACH — The drive to the North End is iconic here.
Locals and visitors alike often make the scenic journey along the winding road toward the North End, beneath the dappled shade of old trees and past rows of historic homes.
A hundred years ago, most residents of the area would have been taking this picturesque route with horses instead of automobiles. Many homes in Virginia Beach had their own stables and livery.
According to local history, this distinct yellow house was one of the last homes in the area to keep horses stabled on the property.
Built in 1937, this sprawling classic home is set several yards back from the street in a lush, shaded bend. Although it has undergone many additions over the years, the home maintains its early 20th century charm.
Elements like its original brick and hardwood floors, unique layout, and multiple fireplaces give it a sense of staid elegance. There is also an original back staircase that leads upstairs to what would have been the “maid’s quarters.”
One recent addition is a large family room on the back of the home. It features a towering picture window that lets in beautiful light year round.
Different owners over the years have also fully renovated the kitchen and added a master suite and a pool.
The current owner says her decorating style can be described as “traditional with a little French, and a Swedish palette.”
The owners’ daughter, Julia Hetzel of Julia Hetzel Interiors, is an interior designer and played a significant role in the elegant styling of the guest house as well as many rooms in the main house.
The current owners bought the home in 2013.
Since then, they have done a stunning renovation of what was once the grounds’ stable. It is now an inviting and stylish guest house that artfully displays the grand stable doors and the name plates of its last occupants – two horses named Domino and Bojangles.
