The story below is from our September/October 2019 issue. For the full issue Subscribe today, view our FREE interactive digital edition or download our FREE iOS app!
How Emily Mangus Interiors turned a historic home into commercial office space.
Bob Sowder
This is just one of the beautiful rooms inside Mangus's studio.
When Emily Mangus outgrew her home office, she knew just what she needed to do—open a studio. What better place than South Roanoke? As an allied member of the American Society of Interior Designers and a platinum winner of The Roanoker’s 2016 and 2018 Best for Interior Design, Emily wanted a place her clients could visit, see her work and collaborate on their projects. But the place she found and fell in love with was zoned residential, not commercial.
Built in 1914, the home is a brick-faced four square with a cedar shake cantilevered second story. When Mangus and her husband Rob bought the home in February 2018 from Noble Marshall, grandson of the original homeowner Samuel Bertram Rhodes, it was virtually unchanged from when it was built over 100 years ago. Walking in the door was like stepping back in time.
A Little History
According to Marshall, Rhodes and his father opened the first drive-in filling station in Roanoke. Gas stations as we know them didn’t exist in the U.S. until 1905. Prior to that, automobile owners filled a five-gallon can from a pump at the general store, hardware store or town blacksmith shop.
“This area of South Roanoke was called ‘the flats,’” said Marshall, “because it was one of the only flat pieces of terrain. At the time, people drove a dirt road to go out to the country. There were only about eight homes in the area then.”
Marshall’s mother grew up in the Mangus house and, he said, the renowned Roanoke artist Allen Ingles Palmer grew up across the street.
Keeping the Historical Character
Besides rezoning the property to allow a commercial business on the end of a residential street, the biggest challenge facing this remodel job was leaving the early 1900s character intact. Mangus wanted to preserve that but also create a space she could use as a canvas to paint the pictures of design her clients could imagine in their living rooms.
“I set the stage, so to speak,” Mangus says, “so clients can come to see my style and get ideas for their own homes.”
For that reason, some elements needed to be removed, like the old steam radiators. But other things like the original fireplace were kept. They just refaced the fireplace with shiplap to give it a more modern feel.
“The front porch is original,” Mangus says, “but the front door is all new. It was important to have a wood stained door to bring warmth to the white.”
The Big Picture
Since an interior designer doesn’t really need almost 3,000 square feet of studio, Mangus designed a space where Emily Mangus Interiors could occupy the lower level and another tenant could move into the upper level.
“The biggest challenge,” says Mangus, “was designing for myself. I’m so used to working with clients that when it came to what I wanted, it was difficult.”
“But the second biggest challenge,” she continues “was not knowing who would be renting upstairs.” That meant she needed to create a space that would appeal to a wide range of businesses and also provide a separate entrance for the company’s employees.
“The back entrance was a major change,” says Dee Dalton, owner of Dalton Construction.
To make it happen, they tore out the staircase which originally went upstairs from the foyer of the home and turned it around. Now, the rear of the house includes a small deck with a back door into a stairwell. This way employees of both businesses can come and go without entering the others’ workspace.
The Rest of the Job
Besides the staircase, all the interior plaster and lathe walls were torn out to accommodate a new floor plan. EMI includes a large foyer off of which are several rooms. The office holds two desks, one for Mangus, the other for her right-hand lady Emily Gannon.
Behind the office is the hub of EMI’s studio—the workroom. A large hand-planed work table with lucite chairs is where they make all the nitty-gritty decisions. Fabric swatches hang from a built-in credenza under the windows. A bespoke built-in covers the opposite wall with cubbies for wallpaper books, idea books, fabrics and more. The living room is where Mangus showcases furniture, floor coverings and artwork—all for sale. She changes the design of this room frequently to give clients new ideas and bring out different furnishings.
“Every room should have something old in it,” she says about an antique dresser she uses as a side piece. A piece of modern art hanging over it shows her love of juxtaposing old with new.
Since Mangus hosts frequent shows for local artists, she included a kitchenette for preparing drinks and hors d’oeuvres into her design. Its cerused oak base cabinet and floating shelves, with brass hardware bring warmth to the otherwise neutral tones. Behind the kitchenette is an accessible bathroom.
The Greatest Reward
Besides having a studio outside of her own home, and a place for clients to come to plan and dream, Mangus sees another reward to this remodeling.
“Having a beautiful, inspiring space to come to every day is my reward,” she says.
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