A strong foundation: Look inside a Mammoth Oaks home filled with cherished heirlooms, vintage finds and lots of love.
by Catherine Ruth Kelly | photographs by Heather Ison
production by Whitley Adkins and Cathy Martin
Stephanie Rickenbaker began collecting as a teenager. From a young age, she traveled the world with her family — her father was a pilot and her mom was a flight attendant — and she developed an appreciation for authentic and handmade items, from ceramics to art to furniture.
“I still always try to find something special when I go somewhere to remember that trip,” Stephanie says. “I like things that are meaningful, not straight from a store.”
In fact, Stephanie rarely shops in large retail stores when searching for items for her home. She prefers hunting for treasures at flea markets, consignment stores and estate sales and looks for American-made items when shopping domestically.
Left:The kitchen runner was sourced from a rug dealer in Athens, Greece. The cabinet paint color is Farrow & Ball Pigeon. Right: Daughter Olivia plays the piano, bought on Facebook Marketplace along with the rug. She found the green chairs through a Facebook group, and the mural wallpaper is from Anthropologie.
“When I moved into my first apartment in Charlotte, everything came from garage sales,” shares Stephanie. “I still have some of those pieces, and I remember exactly where I got everything from, even the name of the street!”
So, when Stephanie and her husband, Ed, built their dream home, she was thrilled to finally have room for all of her special things.
The Rickenbakers had originally hoped to renovate a house in the Mammoth Oaks neighborhood, a pocket of older homes with spacious lots near SouthPark. But when they encountered some challenges, including black mold, they opted to tear down and rebuild. Fortunately, Ed owns a residential construction company, TriSquare Builders, so he and his team took the lead on the project, working with plans created by architect Karen Barton.
“Ed and I were very thoughtful and intentional in our planning,” Stephanie says. “We wanted it to be timeless and classic — nothing trendy — and wanted spaces we would actually use.”
Right: Stephanie bought the dining-room curtains at a local estate sale. The antique wooden server belonged to a dear friend, and Stephanie purchased it at her estate auction. Right: The midcentury-modern dining room table and chairs were purchased at an estate sale. The Murano chandelier was a special custom purchase from Italy. The wall color is Farrow & Ball Breakfast Room Green.
When the framing went up, Stephanie wrote Bible verses and lyrics from the family’s favorite hymn on the wooden beams and buried crystals underneath. Recognizing they were building a home where they would raise their two children, she wanted to create more than just a structural foundation for their family.
“Our faith is important to us, and that hymn has been sung at all of our family baptisms and weddings,” explains Stephanie. “And I have always been fascinated by crystals. Some believe that certain crystals have powers to help you relax or bring you luck. I don’t take that super seriously, but I have always been drawn to their natural beauty.”
As the Rickenbakers settled into their home, Stephanie delighted in arranging her beloved collections of furniture, ceramics, trinkets and paintings throughout.
Left: In the powder room, Schumacher’s Citrus Garden wallpaper provides a colorful backdrop for a vintage mirror Stephanie bought in Weaverville after picking up her children from summer camp. Right: Cypress paneling surrounds the painted brick chimney in the living room. Ed Rickenbaker did much of the woodwork himself. Stephanie found the antique French chandelier and the Danish midcentury-style chair on Facebook Marketplace.
The Rickenbakers’ daughter’s bed was in Stephanie’s childhood bedroom, and Stephanie and her father refinished it together. In the primary bedroom is a French antique bed that belonged to Stephanie’s parents. Years ago, Stephanie was thrilled to find a French wardrobe on Facebook Marketplace that matches the bed.
“The wardrobe was in Doris Duke’s bedroom in the Duke Mansion, and the Duke Mansion sold it,” Stephanie recalls. “I went into the basement of the Duke Mansion to get it.”
Stephanie’s art collection includes four works by renowned artist Wolf Kahn. After attending a friend’s engagement party in a gallery featuring a Wolf Kahn exhibition, she immediately fell in love with his work.
“I bought one of [Kahn’s] pastels when I got my first real job, then bought a few more at online auctions,” says Stephanie. “He painted barns and trees in these incredibly beautiful, unexpected colors. I’m definitely not finished collecting his work.”
Left: The antique French bed in the primary bedroom is a hand-me-down from Stephanie’s parents. She bought the drapery trim at a women’s co-op near Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. She found the Delft chandelier from a seller in Spartanburg, South Carolina, via Facebook Marketplace. Stephanie purchased one of the bedside tables at an estate sale then tracked down a matching table on Etsy to complete the pair. Middle: An oversized soaking tub in the primary bathroom offers a relaxing escape. Right: The antique bed in the Rickenbakers’ daughter’s room was in Stephanie’s childhood bedroom. Stephanie found the antique Spanish chandelier at the former Metrolina Antique & Vintage Market.
Stephanie scoured estate sales and online auctions for light fixtures for the home, including an antique French chandelier for the living room and a Delft chandelier for her bedroom. Her favorite is in the dining room: a Murano glass chandelier she purchased while in Venice, Italy, with a friend.
“I blew my whole lighting budget on it,” Stephanie says. “I’ve always pined for a Murano chandelier and worked with a man named Giovanni to design this and have it custom made for our dining room.”
The Rickenbakers’ efforts to create a comfortable and meaningful living space for their family has been deeply rewarding since they moved in two years ago.
“The house just feels so right,” Stephanie says. “I had seen it pictured in my head for so long, and for it to all come together — all these things I’ve been collecting forever — it’s been fun.” SP
Featured image: Stephanie and Ed Rickenbaker in their kitchen with their children, Teddy and Olivia, and their dog, Oscar.
