Style Weekly
Richmond's alternative for news, arts, culture and opinion
Home Front: A Modern Mix on the Avenues
by Amy Biegelsen
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Libby and Grove has long been the standard bearer for old-Richmond domestic sensibilities, but as a younger generation of Richmonders absorb more modern tastes — and their homes absorb more modern lines — decorators are being challenged to find ways to make mom's china feel at home in a midcentury modern hutch.
Kat and Mike Liebschwager, owners of the new furniture and décor boutique Ruth & Ollie, are the newest décor strategists on the avenues — 5812 1/2 Grove Ave., to be exact.
The stock at Ruth & Ollie tends toward the kickier end of the classic-contemporary spectrum, with clean lines, bright colors and surprising materials updating older looks. For the Liebschwagers, a pair of cream and lime-green Louis XV armchairs made out of cast aluminum and patent leather are the perfect example of their tone.
"People come in and say the feel of the store is more like the Hamptons, California or Atlanta," Mike says.
Kat also has three-and-a-half years of interior design experience and will continue to offer those services to Ruth & Ollie clients and separately through Kat Liebschwager Interiors. HS
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