Richard Stone

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Why do you love Richmond?

I'm from Virginia Beach, VA and went to middle and high school in Amherst, VA.  I moved to Richmond in 2000 and have been supported in my creative endeavors since the very beginning.

What’s your favorite thing to do in Richmond?

Dining out.  My favorite thing to make for dinner is reservations, ha!  The dining community has been very good to my partner and I over the years, and we love supporting them.  Our favorites are Acacia, Chez Foushee, L'OPOSSUM, Lucy's, and Maple & Pine in the Quirk Hotel.  When I'm not working on a project,  there's nothing I love more than going to the dirtiest, junkiest, shadiest antique shop or thrift store known to man.

What do you do here?

I am a freelance floral, prop, and textile stylist at the Faux Real Company, I sell on One Kings Lane as a Vintage & Market Finds vendor, I have a small home decor boutique inside The Shops at Eviction in Scott's Addition called Pawvayon-Chinoiserie Home & Garden and I am a merchandiser for Yves Delorme...basically I have more careers than Elizabeth Taylor had husbands!

What’s your favorite restaurant?

L'OPOSSUM.   You absolutely forget everything the moment you walk through the door.  You're transported to ANYWHERE other than China Street in Oregon Hill by way of the 1940's to the 70's.  The lights are low, Liberace is banging out "Charade" on the sound system, and the crowd and staff are beautiful.  Sole proprietor David Shannon has been a huge inspiration to me.  My only regret is I didn't know him in his former restaurateur life when he owned Dogwood Grille.  To say I'm addicted would be THE understatement of the century!

Stay gold Ponyboy, stay gold.  

What would you tell somebody who has never been to Richmond before?

You're never going to get in the state of Virginia what you can get here for the price you can get it at in RVA.  Anything you can possibly want is here, and specialty shops, boutique hotels, and excellent dining ventures are popping up out of nowhere by the day.

What's your favorite store?

VERVE Home Furnishings.  Kim Vince introduced a look here way ahead of her time that NOBODY was doing, or had even THOUGHT about doing.  A trippy trip-tastic mix of every decorative period...there's absolutely no telling what you're going to find in her ever-changing inventory!

How do you spend your free time?

Away from everyone and everything with my partner.  We love a good weekend (or sometimes mid-week!) trip to Albemarle House, Keswick Hall, or The Inn at Little Washington.  Lucky for us, all of our favorite hideaways are only an hour or two from home.

What's your favorite neighborhood?

Westover Hills.  It's always felt so removed from the rest of Richmond to me.

How do you describe your community?

Slow to support their own local small retail businesses, but getting better by the day.