The story below is from our May/June 2021 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!
A family brings youthful energy to 1970s Hunting Hills Cape Cod.

Bill and Brooke Carnevali were happily living with their daughters in a home on Pineland Road in Roanoke, but the urge to make life simpler tugged at them.
“We had friends that lived over this way, and our former house had almost four acres to take care of which got to be a bit much,” says Brooke, who works as a school nurse at Clearbrook Elementary School, where her younger daughter attends.
When a house with potential came on the market in Hunting Hills, which is a mere five-minute drive to school, they decided to take the plunge.
The brick home sits on a corner lot with golf course views and had great bones but was dated, so the Carnevalis made immediate plans with the designer they’d trusted before, Emily Mangus of Emily Mangus Interiors, and hired Wohlford Contracting to renovate the first floor. Things were on schedule, and then the pandemic hit.
“Thankfully construction could still go forward because it fell under essential business, but suddenly we were living in a construction zone, and the girls and I were home all day doing virtual school,” Brooke recounts. “It was a bit of chaos, but Arthur and Jason (Wohlford Contracting) were so calm and helpful throughout the process.”
A Dream Kitchen
When Brooke first viewed the house, she thought the kitchen was salvageable, with fresh paint on the cabinets and some new countertops. However, when the contractor took a look, he felt that the cabinets were poor quality and that the layout could use a re-think.
“The island was a funky shape, and the cooktop was in the island, which I didn’t love,” Brooke says. “It became a question of, why put any money into something that really isn’t worth it.”
Mangus designed a new kitchen and Wohlford executed the vision, which is a happy marriage of form and function. Custom cabinetry in a light, warm gray hue provides more depth than stark white. Gold hardware sparkles, and creamy quartz countertops unite the perimeter and island.
“We felt like there really wasn’t room for a table, so we eliminated it and [Mangus] designed a longer island that has seating for four, so we eat our casual meals there,” notes Bill, who also enjoys an easy commute to his job at Carilion Hospital from his new abode.
The kitchen’s personality comes from a pair of jaw-dropping island pendants from Visual Comfort and a blue geometric backsplash, which Mangus picked out—Brooke had to warm up to it before giving the go-ahead.
“I love how the backsplash turned out and it picks up the color from the dining room,” says Brooke.
New hardwood flooring was chosen to replace the old ceramic tile, which blends with the hardwood floors on the remainder of the first floor. New stainless appliances complete the kitchen overhaul.
“I love to be in here, it’s so functional,” enthuses Brooke.
Dining Room Gets Colorful
When the Carnevalis bought their home, the first floor was a hodgepodge of color and flooring.
“You could see five different paint colors when you stood in the hallway,” laughs Brooke.
One of the rooms visible from the hallway was the dining room, which sits to the right of the foyer.
Mangus wanted to tone down the prevailing wall color in the house so that accessories, art and the dining room wallpaper could take center stage. Most walls were coated in a creamy vanilla, but the dining room was outfitted in a punchy wallpaper in a large-scale blue geometric, which echoes the kitchen backsplash and takes cues from one of the couple’s favorite pieces of art by Blacksburg artist Joni Pienkowski, which hangs above the buffet.
Mangus added an Oushak rug in a subdued palette and custom, creamy-colored curtains with a rose patterned trim and distinctive lucite and gold curtain rods. The couple kept a Stickley Furniture dining set that they purchased previously from Reid’s Fine Furnishings in Grandin, which is highlighted by a new gold chandelier by Visual Comfort.
Family Room Reimagined
The spacious family room is off of the kitchen, and it needed a refresh and new furnishings to echo the updated vibe in the dining room and kitchen. The brick fireplace was refurbished and painted, and the dark ceiling beams were also painted white to brighten the space. Some rickety built-ins were removed that framed a door to the patio, and were replaced with a pair of matching chests.
“It seems a shame to remove built-ins usually, but they really made the patio door feel closed in and the room smaller,” says Brooke.
A custom sectional sofa from Emily Mangus Interiors fills the space and provides ample seating room for a movie night or visits with friends. Though the couch is a pale beige, the performance fabric wipes up easily, so the Carnevalis never have to fret about food or pet stains from their dogs. A pair of swivel chairs from their previous home blend nicely, and a large neutral rug, also made to stand up to family living, grounds the space. The previously dark and dated family room now looks light, bright and ready for its close-up.
“We loved helping our clients make their new house a home,” says Mangus. “The renovation and decoration during a pandemic certainly required patience, but having worked on their past house, and knowing their likes and dislikes, made it seamless.”
Steal This Style!
- Mix old and new. You don’t have to start over in a room. Build on elements that you love, like the Carnevali’s dining table and chairs, for a collected look that is uniquely yours.
- Details matter. Don’t skimp on the small things, like drapery hardware. The well-made and distinctive curtain rods add another layer to the dining room.
- Think beyond white. A white kitchen is a classic, but for added depth, go for a cabinet color with a bit of dimension, like the Carnevali’s pale gray cabinets.
The story above is from our May/June 2021 issue. For more stories, subscribe today or view our FREE digital edition. Thank you for supporting local journalism!