Finish: The James River, downstream from Scottsville
Photo: Robert Llewellyn
Photo: Robert Llewellyn
Photo: Robert Llewellyn
High-altitude house: Restoring the spirit of a midcentury gem
The driveway is so steep it seemed like a no-go. On the day in 2009 when he first visited, “I drove up the driveway and told myself ‘Whatever’s at the top of this I can’t buy it,’” remembers the owner. “But then I got up there and thought, ‘Oh, I do have to buy this.’” […]
Starting over: An energy-efficient house rises on an old foundation
Mark Graham was actually relieved when he discovered that the first floor of his house was rotting. He’d planned to add on, not tear down. But when crews prepared to build a second story onto the 1980 brick ranch house in Ivy, they discovered some problems. “It turned out the walls had holes
Spiritual aesthetic: Vitae breaks with tradition
Vitae Spirits is conscious of its distilling forebears. But owner Ian Glomski has always embraced modernity when it comes to his product and brand, and he hasn’t changed a bit in unveiling his new downtown spirits tasting room design. “We’re really trying to be forward-looking in general,”
Minimal modern: A new kitchen gets down to the basics
Mike and Isobel Sadler move every few years. They’re the third-generation owners of Charlottesville Area Builders, and they usually occupy a house their company has recently built—both to showcase new features for potential clients and to test-drive floors, appliances and so on. This summer,
Coming to pass: A concert-goer’s souvenirs get a place of prominence
As any music fan knows, amassing a collection of concert tickets is almost as fun as going to the show. (If you don’t display them, were you even there?) So when Rit Venerus, a business manager for entertainers with Cal Financial Group, decided to renovate his company’s office in the spring,
What meets the eye: A home renovation and expansion fills an Albemarle couple’s growing needs with a modern touch—and some hidden surprises
The wife—a 40-something fitness trainer with a compact build—is standing beside the distressed-wood dining table that serves as the transitional element between the simple, serene kitchen and the airy living room, which has a vaulted ceiling accented by two triangular timber trusses and a pair
Bright ideas: Guery Guzman sees old materials in a new light
Whenever craftsman Guery Guzman shops for materials, his imagination races: Is there potential in that old metal gas pump nozzle in a pile of junk at the flea market? (Yes, tons.) What could be done with the cast-iron lamp covered in cobwebs in the corner of the antique shop? (Return it to its
Little big house: A Charlottesville reno grows in scope—and charm
It started small. When Brad and Cathy Coyle decided to buy a house in the Lewis Mountain neighborhood, they knew it needed some work. But they thought it would be mostly a vacation rental property, plus an occasional weekend pied-à-terre for themselves, and they figured the scope of work was
To sketch, perchance to build: A local architect uses an old-fashioned skill to bring new projects to life
Jessie Chapman is standing in the shower of her Charlottesville home. She’s fully clothed and the water is not running. Architects do this sort of thing when they’re trying to give someone an idea of the scale of a particular place. “It really is very comfortable,” says Chapman, the
Ancient future: From Google to Charlottesville, Parabola brings deep awareness to design
Inside a North Downtown live-work space called Timepiece, the groundbreaking firm Parabola Architecture is quietly tackling some of the big design questions of our time. Co-founders Carrie Meinberg Burke and Kevin Burke designed Timepiece 20 years ago as a place to house both their family and
Home sweet home: Cottage please!
Moving is stressful. Moving to an old place that needs a gut renovation is more stressful. Fighting with your spouse every step of the way? That’s a major test. Jason Becton and Patrick Evans, owners of the beloved MarieBette Café & Bakery, were at odds about their new place. “Jason wanted
Building trust: For a Belmont farmhouse makeover, a couple gives their friends carte blanche
Enlisting your best friends to design and manage the renovation of your home can be a risky endeavor, particularly when you encourage them to exercise creative freedom in designing what you hope will become your dream house. If you don’t like their work, can the friendship survive? That was the
The DIY backyard: How to install a home landscape that’ll make you proud
We have all seen the perfectly groomed gardens on TV house-flipping shows and in magazines, including this one. Pinterest is a slideshow of landscapes that are intended to inspire creativity but often just lead to feelings of inadequacy. It’s as if these picture-perfect settings were chia
Glass act: A local winery’s new tasting room is all bottled up
The empty bottles were piling up at Free Union’s Glass House Winery. The recycling service that co-owners Jeff and Michelle Saunders relied on for years had begun hauling the glass to a landfill, which the environmentally conscious couple couldn’t tolerate. At the same time, the winery was
Room to grow: Common House opens annex as business expands
Before it opened in 2017, Common House—the co-working, networking, meeting, dining, and events club on Market Street—sent membership invitations to 100 people, giving the impression that it would be an exclusive place. But not long after it launched, 500 people had joined. Today, with more than
Landmark maker: Architect Stanhope Johnson’s local legacy
Stanhope Spencer Johnson doesn’t pop to the top of the list for most architectural historians, but the Lynchburg-based designer was remarkably prolific in his seven-decade career, and some of his better work—including two buildings on the National Register of Historic Places—can be found in
Sense and the city: A Charlottesville developer chooses preservation with a retro-modern twist
The concept of urban placemaking surfaced in the 1960s, when writer and activist Jane Jacobs successfully led the fight to block a planned highway through New York’s Greenwich Village, and urban planner William “Holly” Whyte began the Street Life Project, documenting how built environments
Natural high: A mountaintop home in Albemarle lets the outdoors in
The couple was living in Boston when they started looking for an architect to build their house on a mountaintop in Albemarle County. It would have to be a unique design, one that meshed with their reverence for nature and rigorous commitment to personal fitness (he’s a serious hiker and
A family home: The couple retired near Keswick, but the kids are always welcome
After meeting in college, the couple got married and pursued their respective careers—she as a librarian and he as a patent attorney—living for many years in Delaware. About two years ago, when the time came for them to retire, there was little question they’d end up near Keswick, specifically,
Back to nature: A graphic artist creates a great escape in Nelson County
The graphic artist, web designer, and bookbinder worked in Charlottesville for many years, running her own business. She shifted gears, taking a full-time job at a non-profit. But after a while, she wanted to get back to being her own boss, and to find a way to spend more time in the country,