James and Rob Robertson of Robertson Renovation think this four-bedroom, four-bath brick home is a beautiful property in a perfect location that’s convenient to everything. It’s also just the place for a fantasy update, because some upgrades and small changes could turn a nice home into a great one. 1760 Lambs Rd. $499,9000, MLS #517875 […]
One of the houses in Innisfree Village—a community in Crozet where volunteers share daily life with adults with intellectual disabilities—has stood since 1973. That was just a couple of years after the village’s founding, and four decades later, the home was sorely in need of an update. Yet the residents, and Innisfree’s director Carolyn Ohle, […]
When the renovation of the Oakhurst Inn began, no one would have believed it could turn out the way it did—including the designers. “We felt like we needed hazmat suits when we first got in here!” said Kathleen Blick, design director at Kenny Ball Design who, with Chloe Ball, created the look of the boutique […]
We asked interior designer Heidi Brooks to tell us a few things about herself and her design philosophy. Here’s what she had to say. Antique or modern? Antique. City or country? City. Which colors do you use most? White, black, various hues of gray and beige. Which materials or textures do you frequently use? Linen and leather. […]
Graduate school brought Suzanne Crane to Charlottesville, but clay has kept her here. With her husband, Matthew Crane of Arterra Design and Construction, Crane opened Mud Dauber Pottery in 1996, and began making tiles “to give my collectors a way to use wall space to show my work.” She initially made framed tile murals, with […]
Your bathroom is cool, comfortable, and clean. Your kitchen is stain-resistant, sleek, and stylish. Why? Tile, of course. “Tile is a good choice because it’s timeless, can complement any look, and has unmatched durability,” SariSand Tile’s Dawn Catlett said. According to Wayne Murphy of Wainwright Tile and Stone on Preston Avenue, tile is typically used […]
Albemarle County and northwest Iowa wouldn’t seem to have much in common. The vast, table-flat spaces of the Midwest are utterly different than the private, wooded coves formed by Central Virginia’s endlessly rolling topography. But at Sue Sargeant’s home, Mossy Rock, the feel of her native Iowa is palpable. The house, designed by Bushman-Dreyfus and […]
Stephanie Tatel and Christian McMillen had only a vague idea of what they wanted their new kitchen to look like—nothing too firm or detailed, but they knew it had to be functional for a busy family of four. Enter Alloy, a Charlottesville-based architecture and design studio that specializes in construction and production. “We didn’t really […]
Glenn Robertson, of Smith & Robertson, cast his remodeler’s eye on a Free Union two-story. Here are his ideas for bringing it up to date. 5315 Free Union Rd. $279,000 MLS# 516858 This home is worthy of a major remodeling project due to the excellent location and house site. The house is suffering from a […]
Perhaps it’s true that you can’t go home again. But Sarah Lloyd found a way to bring her childhood home, built in the 1950s and woefully outdated, into the 21st century. The ranch-style house, tucked into the Western Albemarle woods, had seen Sarah and her four siblings through their growing years—and not always in the […]
The Design House, a fundraising event for the Shelter for Help in Emergency, celebrates it’s fifth anniversary this year. Accordingly, the organization has added a few new components to this year’s function. Here’s a primer on what you can expect when you take a tour. —Stephanie DeVaux Who? Homeowners Chris and Christine Pittinger “took a leap,” […]
Fretting about what color to paint your living room? Good news, the hottest trend is to give up on color altogether, according to Stephanie Snyder of Charlottesville’s high-end paint and home store Palette. “People are cleansing those bright colors with more soothing colors,” she said. “Soft grays, pale blues, creamy whites—lots of whites—opens up spaces […]
There are two kinds of people in this world—those who can get Ralph Macchio to paint their house by pretending to teach him karate, and those who can’t. Unless you’re Pat Morita, you’re in the second camp, leaving you with a few options of your own. Do you hire a full-service contractor, or do you […]
When Martha Jefferson Hospital relocated to Pantops Mountain in 2011, it left behind a neighborhood landmark whose history went back for decades. And when CFA Institute, an international organization headquartered in Charlottesville, made the building its own, it formed a closer relationship with the city where it was founded back in 1947. CFA, which awards […]
We asked the Charlottesville-based architect about his influences while at NC State College of Design, how his childhood informed his career, and what he’s working on now. Why architecture? For as much as I love visual arts and music, this profession can have that subjective, artistic life, but at its heart is shelter, a necessity. I […]
The idea of uncovering a buried treasure is not impossible in Virginia. With its rich history, the Commonwealth allows a homeowner to embark on a farmhouse renovation and suddenly find herself unearthing historical documents dating back to the early 1800s. At least, that’s how it happened for Julie Dixon. While removing the attic flooring in […]
We asked the founder of Blueply Design how she got into architecture, what she’s working on right now, and where she finds inspiration (did she say “a coffee mug”?). Why architecture? Architecture has the ability to bring something special to everyday life, to help us see things in a new light. Beautiful space connects with […]
Aristotle once observed that “the speculative life is the highest life of man.” When I think about the University of Virginia’s design, I see a physical embodiment of the speculative life. Thomas Jefferson was a farmer, an inventor, a writer, a dreamer, a statesman, an archivist, and an architect—but through all of that, a teacher. […]
“Do you ever worry about falling off the roof?” “No, it’s hitting the ground I don’t like.” Colin McGhee jokes about his career, but the Staunton-based master thatcher is one of only two people in the U.S. to achieve that designation. McGhee is putting the finishing touches on the new roof at First Colony Winery […]
If you’re wondering whether to repair or replace your existing roof due to its age or its condition, there are a few things to keep in mind. You might choose tearing off the current roof and starting from scratch, patching a portion of it, or “roofing over” your existing one. (Always make sure your roofer […]
1. Antique or modern? I’m best known for interpreting my clients’ taste. That can range from very accurate historical interiors to modern, classic clean lines. 2. City or country? Again that depends on my clients and their location. From historic homes in Albemarle County to very modern urban ones in Florida and Las Vegas. 3. […]
Here’s a fairly well-kept secret about Charlottesville: If you walk uninvited into one of the gardens just off UVA’s Lawn, in the Academical Village, you will not be breaking any rules. They are open to the public. You wouldn’t necessarily know this, because the gardens are surrounded by Thomas Jefferson’s famous serpentine walls; the design […]
Back in the winter of 2012, the Mayan calendar supposedly predicted the end of the world. That didn’t happen, but big changes were about to come to one little farmhouse in Crozet. After years of neglect, it was totally obscured from view by vegetation. “You needed a hedge trimmer to get to the front door,” […]