The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Announces Designer in Residence Program with Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Benjamin Moore and Schumacher Lead Sponsorship of Interior Design Showcase

The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation announced today that interior designer Heather Chadduck Hillegas has been named its second Designer in Residence. In this prestigious role, Chadduck Hillegas will reimagine the interiors of the historic Nelson-Galt House, the oldest residential dwelling in Colonial Williamsburg, dating to 1695, and one of Virginia’s oldest frame houses.

Designer in Residence is a collaborative initiative established in 2019 by WILLIAMSBURG, the licensing brand of Colonial Williamsburg, which celebrates the historic and iconic design influence of the largest living-history museum in the United States. The program emphasizes the relevance of historic buildings and décor to today’s interiors and envisions an inspired blend of the past and present. Paint colors from the Benjamin Moore Williamsburg® Paint Color Collection – 144 curated colors from the 18th and early 19th centuries – will be featured throughout the home. Schumacher is the fabric sponsor for the program and the licensed partner for the new Williamsburg x Schumacher collection launching this spring—designs from which will be featured throughout Chadduck Hillegas’s decoration. Additional sponsors include Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery; The Shops at Carolina Furniture of Williamsburg; and ARAMARK, retail operator of Colonial Williamsburg Shops. Paul Montgomery Studios and Adelphi Paper Hangings, among other WILLIAMSBURG licensees, will also support the project.

Birmingham-based Chadduck Hillegas has deep ties to her native Virginia and to The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Like many, she first visited Williamsburg as a child and has returned many times, citing the preeminent living-history museum as a constant source of inspiration in her design work.

As Designer in Residence, Chadduck Hillegas will decorate the Nelson-Galt House in her signature style, which is rooted in tradition and styled for relaxed elegance. The result will reveal how a traditional interior can be updated and made livable for today. For the walls and trims, she will select paints from Benjamin Moore’s WILLIAMSBURG® Paint Color Collection and develop a design story for the house. The decoration will include WILLIAMSBURG licensed products, as well as a mix of custom furniture commissioned by Chadduck Hillegas, and antiques, art, and accessories from her personal collection.

“I’m deeply honored by the opportunity to live and work with Colonial Williamsburg as Designer in Residence, surrounded by some of the country’s greatest works of architecture, craft, and design,” said Chadduck Hillegas. “It’s humbling to contribute to the museum’s living history, and exciting to find fresh inspiration in all its buildings and collections. It’s an incredible, once-in-a-career homecoming.”

“We couldn’t imagine a better partner than Heather Chadduck Hillegas to take on the redecoration of this very important structure,” said Kiri Franco, Colonial Williamsburg’s director of licensing. “Heather’s approach to design offers a fresh take on tradition that nods to classical design, but has a timeless, relaxed feel that is as comfortable as it is elegant. Colonial Williamsburg’s significant resources of scholarship, design archives, and artisans, will help support Chadduck’s design project. We’re delighted to share what she creates for this incredible historic home.”

The Designer in Residence interior will be revealed later this year, with a range of programs and media coverage to enable the public to experience Chadduck Hillegas’s vision, including “insider views” into Colonial Williamsburg’s renowned design archives and historic architecture. The Designer in Residence program began in 2019, when top designer Anthony Baratta redesigned the historic Palmer House in Colonial Williamsburg.  To keep up with the Nelson-Galt House as it progresses, please visit the newly launched WILLIAMSBURGBrand.com.

For more information on the Designer in Residence program, please contact:

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