The former berry farm is now the site of a riding school operated by the couple's daughter, Deloise Noble-Strong.
Equestrian style draws from horse country on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as from cities born in eras dependent on horses. The style is recognizable from London to Los Angeles, said Vicky Moon, author of the just-published book Equestrian Style (Clarkson Potter), a look at horse motifs in everything from clothing to home decor. Noble is among the people featured in the book.
It speaks to the history of Maryland, a state known for its horse country and its legacy of horse breeding, racing, hunting and pleasure riding, although Moon said, "You can love horses from anywhere."
Equestrian decor reflects "not so much a fashion statement but a matter of living," said Baltimore interior designer Stiles T. Colwill, who has a horse farm. "Rooms are very finished and polished, but they are very relaxed. There is a certain sophistication to [them]." Yet, he said, the family dogs are allowed in the sitting room.
Equestrian style has long endured as a timeless blend of old and new, often punctuated by the personal and whimsical, Moon said. Sometimes, the combinations tend toward the eclectic. "I have a lamp that was made from an old boot," she said.
Some homeowners put trophies on display, others add polo mallets or riding crops to their decor, and others hang coats on tack hooks - all in reflection of their pastimes.
"I think that one reason why some people like the equestrian look is because it has the British roots, a touch of aristocracy," Moon said. "But you don't have to spend a lot of money ... to have it."
"The equestrian look is classic," said retired interior designer Susie Reichhart.
Her home, River Run Farm in Glencoe, reflects her family's equestrian interests and lifestyle, down to the horse-style lamp, the framed art of the hunt and the metal relief of a horse head that a boyfriend gave Reichhart's mother when she was a teenager.
Reichhart lives on the farm with her husband, Chip, and their daughter, Kendell, who trains jumpers. Reichhart is a member of the Elkridge Harford Hunt Club, though she has stopped riding.
"In the Baltimore County and Howard County areas, there's a lot of history with horses and hunt clubs," she said. "And Harford and Cecil and elsewhere."
Many a homeowner's leisure pursuits or vocations are evidenced in their decor choices; for others, inspiration for furnishings comes from where they live or simply what they like, Reichhart added.
