Seller Story
The VanLandingham Estate, Charlotte, NC
Built by Ralph and Susie Vanlandingham in 1913, the VanLandingham Estate, in what is now the Plaza-Midwood neighborhood, became known as a quintessential home for entertaining in Charlotte. A California bungalow-style home, the estate still retains its sleeping porches, elaborate gardens, and stone pillars sourced from Linville, NC, where the family summered.
“When we purchased the home from its then-owners in 1998, it was very 1970s in terms of color, style, and lots of wallpaper,” explains Billy Maddalon, a commercial real estate broker whose family-run business recently operated the home as an inn and event space. In its more than 100-year-old history, VanLandingham has been a part of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, used as the Charlotte Symphony ASID Designer House, and rented out for weddings and special events. In 1977, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It will soon be converted from an inn into a multi-use rental space.
Before opening the space as an inn, Maddalon’s family embarked on a large refurbishment, which entailed repainting, redecorating, and modernizing. “We’d pick up a piece here and a piece there,” he notes, of the estate sales, shops, and vintage markets from which he sourced the eclectic pieces for the interiors, which combine French and American Country, Classic English, and Mid-Century Modern styles. “Every item is sort of mismatched; and many of the pieces were in the house when purchased it, which is always special. The beige couch with high armrests and back that are the same height can be seen in photos of the house from the late 1800. It was brought here by Susie from the Hotel Majestic in Atlanta, which her family owned and operated.”
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Louis Vuitton Mini Sac HL Handbag in Monogram Canvas
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Douglas “Bumo” Johnpeer Landscape Oil Painting, 2024
EBTH Columbus - Hilliard
Waterford Crystal Millennium Collection Champagne Bucket Featuring Five Wishes
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Robert Riddle Baker Landscape Acrylic Painting "Last of the Day," 2023
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Stained Glass Window Panel With Floral Motif
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Faino Oil Painting of Still Life with Flowers
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
14K 1.70 CT Sapphire and Diamond Navette Ring
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Oil Painting of Spring Landscape, Mid-20th Century
EBTH Columbus - Hilliard
Offset Lithograph After Claude Monet "Le Bassin des Nympheas"
EBTH Columbus - Hilliard
Impasto Style Landscape Offset Lithograph, 21st Century
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Pair of Faux Leather, Brass-Tacked and Ebonized Wood Club Chairs
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Fulper Pottery Earthenware Amphora Vessel With Drip Glaze, Early 20th C.
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
W. LeNoury Maritime Oil Painting of Ship at Sea
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Hollywood Regency Style Brass and Blue Velveteen Upholstered Stools
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Southwestern Desert Landscape Oil Painting, 1987
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Michael Kors Everest Two-Tone Wristwatch
EBTH Columbus - Hilliard
7'11 x 11'3 Machine Made Oriental Weavers "Nirvana Collection" Area Rug
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Mechanical School Speed Limit Sign
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
Jack Meanwell Abstract Figurative Watercolor Painting, 1978
EBTH Cincinnati - Blue Ash
5'6 x 7'3 Hand-Knotted Persian Kurdish Area Rug
What are other pieces original to the estate?
The dining room table and chairs are original; Ralph and Susie were voracious entertainers and would have hosted dinner parties for years. We have pictures of that table with some of the most famous people in Charlotte’s history sitting around it. Boy, if that table could talk.
What else stands out?
The chandeliers are fabulous; and the frames for the art are beautiful — many are as or more impressive than the art itself.
Are there any pieces specific to the region?
Any piece of furniture that was made in North Carolina, which for more than a century was known as the furniture capital of the United States. During that period we had no only the finest woods, but the craftsman to hand-make them. A hickory chair, Broyhill piece, Stickley furniture; any of those are rare and have value.