Eclectic Mastery in Ardsley Park Home

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Kathryn Drury Wagner

The graphic of Queen Elizabeth, left, originally hung in a New York City nightclub. The light fixture is from Visual Comfort & Co. and the painting, “Dreaming into the Looking Glass,” below, is by homeowner Rose Marie Woulfe.

A fashion designer seamlessly stitches together timeless elegance, worldly glamour, and cheeky whimsy in her stately brick Colonial Revival.

Written by KATHRYN DRURY WAGNER
Photography by CLAIRE BARRETT

NEW YORK CITY HAS ITS CHARMS — and a kind of tractor-beam hold on its residents — but after decades of living and working there, Rose Marie Woulfe and her husband, Louis, slipped out of the metropolis, drawn instead to Savannah.

Enchanted by the warmer climate and distinct character of the Hostess City, the couple moved here in 2015, settling into a home in the Ardsley Park area. In 2018, they purchased their current home — a stately brick Colonial Revival originally constructed in 1928. It was so close to their previous home that Louis wheeled their barbecue grill right down Abercorn to its new location. 

A chandelier made of Italian Murano pale-pink glass dates to the 1970s, while the octagon mahogany table was designed as a prototype for the Atlanta Furniture Design Expo in the 1960s.

Renovations, done by Alchemy Restoration, took about a year. “We had sheetrock in our hair, but it was worth it,” says Rose Marie. But many details of the home, such as the unique iron balcony on the porch with its graceful sea oats motif, were lovingly left in place. The balcony was created by Ivan Bailey (1945–2013), a Savannah-based blacksmith considered one of America’s finest.

At first, Rose Marie felt a bit intimidated to tackle the interior design for the home’s 5,220-square-foot space. After all, their entire New York City apartment would just about fit into the home’s kitchen area. “I thought, there’s no way I’m going to be able to decorate this well; it’s bigger than I’ve ever done before,” says Rose Marie. 

Harlow the poodle, named after another beautifully coiffed bombshell, actress Jean Harlow, strikes a pose with Rose Marie and Louis.
The view toward Kavanaugh Park and the fountain that was designed by Rose Marie.

But truly fashionable people are born, not made. Rose Marie possesses that magic mix of sartorial skills and savoir-faire. She was clearly up to the task. 

She is a designer and artist who has always been motivated by beauty and elegance, whether inspiration comes from a vibrant camellia or a deep dive into fashion history. She has a degree in fashion design from New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology and previously had an eponymous ready-to-wear label that was sold in more than 250 stores across the country, including fashion meccas such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus.

“My 25-plus years of experience as a fashion designer is probably why I could create this home, therefore I am grateful,” says Rose Marie. She and Louis have cultivated their home in a way that is meticulous, yet joyful, with sinuous antiques happily residing alongside newer cosmopolitan showstoppers. 

“We buy things we love and then she figures out where to put them,” says Louis. “She breathes life into the place. So it’s her and the way she designs the house —  that’s what makes it our home.” 

Rose Marie says she views the home as a canvas, “styled like a garment made to be lived in, with layers of creativity, intention, and heart.” Each room delights the eye with vignettes and the stories that inspired them, she says. The process is organic. “I’ll get one piece and then it relates to something else, so I never have a plan. I have a feeling.” 

Her legendary table settings are one example of her design savvy — layered, seasonal, and with that certain je ne sais quoi. “There is a quiet joy in creating a tablescape,” Rose Marie reflects. “It’s a creative and artful invitation for loved ones to gather, pause, and share a meal.”

Rose Marie’s studio, where she designs, paints, and runs her business

Next to the dining room, the west wing of the home was formerly a porte-cochère, later renovated to become an indoor space. It now serves as Rose Marie’s studio/office. About five years ago, she began seriously exploring oil painting as a creative outlet. She has already exhibited in six group shows — including at Location Gallery on Bull Street — and has sold several pieces. 

From the front rooms of the home, one can see across to Kavanaugh Park and another work of art by Rose Marie. She designed the fountain there, crafted in collaboration with Robinson Iron and dedicated in 2024. Called “The Garden Keeper,” the cast-iron sculpture honors the late Mary Robinson Myrick, who founded the Ardsley Park Chatham Crescent Garden Club in 1973. Rose Marie, also a member of the garden club and part of the committee that brought the fountain project to fruition, designed a concept featuring an evocative, graceful female figure who was inspired in part by Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers. 

Another nod to feminine power can be seen in the home’s living room, home to a gold-toned caryatid — a sculpted female form that served as a support in Greek architecture. It is a replica of one from a restaurant in Paris and was a gift from Louis to Rose Marie. An Art Nouveau mirror, dating from the 1890s, was originally in a brownstone in New York City, while the coffee table was formerly a dining table and was cut down to size. The crystal orb chandelier is accented by a ceiling medallion that was installed by the homeowners. 

The couple’s primary bedroom is the epitome of quiet elegance.
The powder room wallpaper, made by design company Trove in New York, features historic queens from around the world.

Upstairs, renovations included creating an en suite bathroom for the primary bedroom area. The resulting primary suite is the very definition of serene glamour, with crystal Ralph Lauren lamps and a Restoration Hardware bed upholstered in lush velvet.

Another room, originally a separate bedroom, has been incorporated into the primary suite as a dressing room area and large closet. 

The “Venice Room” features this cozy reading area in addition to a bed (not shown).

The upstairs also includes two beautiful guest rooms, each with their own theme and decor — ideal for when Louis’s grown daughter and son come to visit from Los Angeles. 

In the more masculine “Venice Room,” a framed map above the antique daybed depicts a 17th century drawing of the eponymous City of Canals. “It was a wedding gift from a family member,” says Rose Marie. “Some of my husband’s family is from that part of Italy.” The painting to the right of the map is an oil on canvas board titled “Beatrice.” Created by artist Emanuel Romano in 1938, the painting was acquired originally from the artist’s estate in New York.

The “Josephine” bedroom features Rose Marie’s collection of miniature paintings.

The feminine “Josephine Room” has a curvy, elegant bed befitting an empress, and over it, a handmade Italian porcelain chandelier. One wall showcases Rose Marie’s collection of painted miniatures, many of which were discovered at the 26th Street Flea Market in New York City. 

“I’ve always wanted a house where our family and friends can come and celebrate,” Louis reflects. “It’s a pleasure because we have the space.” The couple now happily entertain large groups, such as for a recent book launch party, a neighbor’s wedding, or a garden club gathering. 

Despite having plenty of room, during every party, Louis reports, “people always wind up in the kitchen.”

It’s no wonder, as the room features artwork such as the intriguing “The Dutch Masters” by Kristen Thiele, featuring dancers that seem to have emerged from a dream that was cast by Edward Hopper and Edgar Degas. (And who says you can’t have dancers in the kitchen?) 

The vibrant camellia painting is by local artist Bellamy Murphy. The backsplash features handmade Walker Zanger tiles, which the couple personally picked out during a visit to the company’s artisanal production site in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Above the counters, globe light fixtures by Visual Comfort & Co. feature architectural mercury glass and aged iron frames. 

Stepping outside the kitchen onto the back porch, one encounters a fantasy yard, complete with a pool, a fountain, spacious outdoor kitchen and seating areas, and a cottage. The cottage, originally designed as a garage, has been used for many purposes over the decades. Louis and Rose Marie use it as a pool house, yoga studio, and art space. The yard itself has been a labor of love, transformed via plantings, garden beds, irrigation, and lighting, creating a true oasis. 

As much as they enjoy the home, the couple also feels they are custodians of this historic property, respecting those who have come before, and those who will come after them, as inhabitants. 

“When I was younger, I always wanted an older home to decorate, but I don’t think I could have wished this good.” says Rose Marie. “I feel honored and grateful to be part of this historic home’s lineage.”

The sea oats motif ironwork above the home’s front door was created by the late Ivan Bailey, a Savannah-based blacksmith.

Details

Find this feature and so much more in the September/October issue of Savannah magazine.

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Kathryn Drury Wagner

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