Cook and learn: Chef Antwon Brinson forges community through food
If the goal of Common House, the city’s private social club, is to help convene like-minded creatives, then it’s no wonder Antwon Brinson had been in its kitchen since the opening last spring. “Food for me has always been something that brought people together,” says the club’s executive chef. Originally from Niagara Falls, New York, […]
Stroke of genius: Virginia-made paint brightens décor prospects
For the last five years, Christy Baker has made herself into Charlottesville’s go-to person for refinishing furniture in bright, unexpected colors as the creative director at Pigment, so it was just a matter of time until she got to the heart of the matter: the paint itself. With Good Bones, her line of durable, low-VOC […]
Smooth transition: Swivel chairs offer smarter décor options
It’s an open concept world and we’re just living in it. And while the kitchen-living-dining layout creates accessibility (and visibility), it’s a challenge to decorate. John Kriebel, a designer at The Artful Lodger, has a solution: swivel chairs. “I use them as a great connector for entertaining,” he says. “You have two places guests and […]
Community building: A longtime dream of building a home reno business prompted Brian and Andrea Hubbell to launch HubbHouse
Don’t call Brian and Andrea Hubbell flippers. Even though they admit what they’re doing sounds a lot like that, the husband-and-wife team behind HubbHouse think they can come up with a better term, one that conveys their more thoughtful approach. “We’re definitely not a quick-flip company,” says Brian. “Quality is really important and the process […]
Feeling fancy: A glittering Franco-American union
An American bride, a French groom and a love so nice, they celebrated twice. The first wedding, a springtime fête in Saint-Malo, France, was “classic Hollywood, red carpet glam,” says Arnita. The second, a mid-summer affair at Keswick Vineyards, channeled the 2017 Christian Dior bridal couture collection—“cocktail glam, sequins and luxe materials.” “I wanted it […]
Personal statements: An at-home wedding with serious style
A repurposed Dairy Queen sign signaled to guests that they’d arrived at the right place—Finnson Oaks, the bride’s childhood home. Just as it was important to include a nod to the family business (the Petersons have owned Dairy Queens since the 1950s), Laura couldn’t have seen getting married anywhere other than the house she grew up […]
Handmade, with love: DIY details add to an elegant affair
Some DIY weddings can turn embarrassing, with an overwhelming amount of detail or disjointed aesthetic choices or—yikes!—décor slowly unraveling and coming unglued. This is none such wedding, thanks to the clear vision of the grooms, who from the start decided on a visual theme, which was simple and elegant, and committed to planning their big […]
That’s how love grows: Natural elements enhance a beautiful big day
Though it wasn’t a phrase she’d ever heard before, “botanical elegance” kept ringing in the bride’s ears as she planned her big day. “I wanted our wedding to feel timeless and classic with subtle elements of nature,” says Laura. “It really inspired a lot of my decisions, from the décor to the signature cocktails.” The […]
Happily ever after: Minimal details let love shine
Melanie wanted to elope. Susan wanted a fairy tale. So they went for the best of both words: a wedding that struck the right balance between elegance, glam and sophistication, but that also created a festive, warm and welcoming atmosphere for guests. In more practical terms, that meant a clean color palette—white flowers (lilies, hydrangeas, […]
Modern romance: West meets east at a fashionable fest
When it came to finding inspiration for their Virginia wedding, Rachel and Kevin looked a bit farther away than normal—nearly 3,000 miles, in fact, to California, where they’d been living for the past four years. They decided to meld the two styles, taking advantage of Virginia’s lush Blue Ridge landscape, but adding some contemporary West […]
Love is in the air: With Tennessee roots, an Earlysville wedding keeps it cozy
“The most elegant Southern barbecue dinner party you can imagine.” That was the bride’s vision for her wedding reception from the get-go. It was important to her to incorporate her Southern roots (Allison grew up in Tennessee) wherever possible, utilizing magnolia leaves at each place setting, incorporating blackberry filling in the cake to evoke the […]
Let’s go: How to plan the cherry on top (the honeymoon!)
After all the planning, the organizing, the tastings, the fittings, you deserve a break. That’s what the honeymoon is for (that, and spending time with your sweetie pie). But where are couples honeymooning lately? Here are five top destinations, according to Peace Frogs Travel/Outfitters owner Julie Arbelaez. Iceland “If you like the great outdoors,” Arbelaez […]
Booze cruise: A traveling cocktail bar ups the ante
At first glance, a horse trailer doesn’t seem like the kind of place your guests would want to be drinking. Then again, The Bitty Bar isn’t your average horse trailer. In fact, it’s not really a horse trailer at all. Thanks to sisters Katie and Erica Painter, who created the business, where once stood two […]
Circle of love: A local dove release company ups the romance
File this one under “No-longer-cheesy wedding details”: dove releases. We know the thought might conjur images from ’80s rom-coms, but take it from this bride, who hired Cville Love Birds to enhance her long-awaited “I do.” “The doves were released just as we kissed and were announced as husband and wife for the first time,” […]
Please and thank you: Every season is the right season for practicing manners
While it’s true that proper manners can take a lifetime to learn (or is that just us?), Etiquette Empowerment founder Patty Hughson teaches a local four-week course in the foundations of table manners and polite interaction to young adults. But because attention spans are fickle things, we asked her to distill it down even further […]
Wall this way: Are painted murals making a comeback?
Design trends come and go. And, sometimes, they come back again. Take, for instance, wall murals. Interior designer Karena Akhavein says she’s been getting more and more requests for 21st century versions from clients of her Gordonsville studio, Pebble Hill Design. “In grand Virginia estates, it was the tradition to use pictorial wallpaper in the […]
Pretty brutal: For a dramatic accent, try a popular mid-century style
Traditionalists beware: This style is not for you. (We’re looking at you, too, shabby chic-lovers and those after French country.) But if you have eclectic taste and aren’t afraid to experiment, local designer Alexandra Bracey of Bracey Designs says brutalist design might be right up your décor alley. But, what is it? Brutalism derives from […]
Solar gain: A prairie-style house makes the most of the sun
Ray Gaines has been involved with sustainable architecture since the energy crisis of the 1970s—long before “sustainability” was a term du jour. So when an old friend approached him about building a house with passive solar functionality and other green attributes, he was more than ready to accommodate. “We talked in generalities,” he says, as […]
‘My favorite bite’: Hamming it up with Jon Bray
While Jon Bray says he can’t pinpoint which particular dish got him into the food industry, he can specify a time (he was 14), a reason (“my parents repealed the Weekly Allowance Act”) and a place (Bellair Market). It was the beginning of a nearly 20-year career in Charlottesville kitchens, bars and dining rooms (you’ve likely […]
Thanks, honey: A no-fail shortbread for gift-and-party season
If you’re not going to a lot of parties—Friendsgiving, holiday soirées, New Year’s Eve gatherings—this season, you’re doing it wrong. And if you are, but you aren’t bringing a treat to share? Well, that’s where we come in. Knife & Fork reached out to the folks at Found. Market, a brick-and-mortar offshoot of The Bee’s […]
Blank slate: How white walls can save a space
It’s a not-so-secret design secret that mirrors can help open up a dark space. But, says WKNDR Design owner Becky Seager, in some cases, white walls can deliver the same effect: They visually open up a space and reflect light (as long as there’s natural light to reflect). And there’s another benefit to white walls. […]
The refinish line: A little paint goes a long way
To make something from nothing requires a certain amount of optimism. To make something from something? That requires some elbow grease. No problem, says designer Caroline Faulconer, who regularly takes neglected pieces and breathes new life into them. “When designing a space, the ability to refinish or repurpose a client’s existing piece or a flea […]
Color story: Forest to shamrock, three fresh green Charlottesville weddings
Color plays an important role in any wedding—it shows up everywhere, from the flowers to the napkins. Yellow is cheerful, white is classic, pink expresses romance and green suggests new beginnings. Especially, as any of the next three couples can tell you, a deep shade of emerald. While Katie Jenkins knew it would pop in […]
Real Charlottesville wedding: Ruth & Dan
Ruth Martin & Dan McDonald September 18, 2016, at Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards Photography by Jen Fariello With the views from Pippin Hill as the backdrop, Ruth and Dan knew they wanted to keep the rest of the wedding simple and romantic. That meant lush greenery, white hydrangeas and tons of candles. The bridesmaids […]
Real Charlottesville wedding: Chris & Michael
Christopher Matvey & Michael O’Connor July 30, 2016, at Veritas Vineyard & Winery Photography by Tom Daly Classic, elegant and timeless: That was the goal of the wedding. So Christopher and Michael chose a white and gold color scheme with black accents. Inspired by The Great Gatsby movie, the couple asked Blue Ridge Floral Design for […]
Real Charlottesville wedding: Katie & Halston
Katie Brazeal & Halston Kirkpatrick July 2, 2016, at Blue Ridge Farm Photography by Jen Fariello Once they decided on a location and date, they fully embraced the “summer” theme: “Blue was a defining color,” Katie says. “We created an atmosphere that was more on the informal side, while still being very wedding-appropriate. And we […]
Say what you mean to say: Need assistance with vows? There’s help for that
One day last winter, Cathy Stapleton attended a wedding. Everything was, as she puts it, painstakingly planned (“even the weather cooperated”). But when it came time for the wedding toasts, things spun out of control. “The best man gave a lengthy speech that started out fairly amusing but went off the rails rather quickly with […]