THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, March 15, 1995 TAG: 9503140114
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: EARNING A LIVING IN VIRGINIA BEACH
SOURCE: BY LORI A. DENNEY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines
The sign outside the turn-of-the-century house says Southern Style, but you won't find any of grandma's frilly family heirlooms within the confines of this seven-room business.
Instead, there are furnishings and accessories with ``a traditional antique background with a neo-classical contemporary point of view,'' according Billy Murphy, part-owner.
Murphy, with his longtime friend, Carter Richard, opened Southern Style, an antique, restoration and interior design business, on Virginia Beach Boulevard in November 1993.
The venture is the first retail outlet for both although each has 20 or more years of experience in the retail field.
Richard is a real estate agent with GSH Real Estate in Norfolk and Murphy was the manager of a downtown antique business, Cicero's, for 13 years.
Murphy went to work for Cicero's when he was 18. He learned the art of antique restoration from the owner.
A lot of what is displayed and sold in Southern Style are antiques that Murphy has bought and restored himself.
Each room of the house is furnished with antiques, art, accessories and some fabrics. One room is rented to the former tenant, who stocks small, lower priced items such as Elvis collectibles, old 78 records, silver and more.
Original oil paintings by Jane Duncan-Stogner, a popular West Virginia artist, are also for sale.
One of the most unusual offerings in Southern Style is a Texas Longhorn chair that's made mostly of horns and priced at $1,000.
Aside from selling their business inventory, the two also do commercial and residential interior design work. Murphy dabbles in architectural design and antique reproductions.
``We sell new and custom-made,'' said Murphy, 43. ``And if we don't have it, we can find it.''
They share a love of the environment. ``Both of us have a real love for old homes and our environment's really important to us,'' said Richard, a Willoughby resident and South Carolina native.
Before Murphy and Richard became tenants, the house served as a low-cost antiques shop. That tenant rented the home for 18 years before Richard and Murphy were given permission to swab the brown house down in bright white paint and peachy-pink trim.
``We were looking for something unique in style,'' said Murphy, a Baltimore, Md., native. ``People have some sort of recognition for this place.''
As friends, Richard and Murphy have shared pieces of furniture and decorating ideas throughout the 20 years they've known each other.
When Murphy's male instincts become too strong when decorating a room or selecting a piece of furniture, Richard steps in to soften his touch.
``The things we put in here are things that we both could live with,'' said Richard, 46. ``We try, I guess, to give people a great style that you can actually afford.'' MEMO: Southern Style at 4129 Virginia Beach Blvd. is open from 10 a.m. to 5
p.m. Tuesday to Saturday. The phone number is 486-6964.
ILLUSTRATION: Photo by PETER D. SUNDBERG
The turn-of-the century house on Virginia Beach Boulevard gives
little hint as to the variety of antique furniture, art and
accessories inside.
Photos by PETER D. SUNDBERG
Billy Richard, left, and Carter Richard opened the business in
November 1993. Many of the items displayed and sold are antiques
that Murphy has bought and restored himself. One of the most unusual
offerings in Southern Style is a Texas Longhorn chair that's made
mostly of horns and priced at $1,000.
by CNB