C-VILLE Abode: June 2016 by C-VILLE Weekly

To hell with â&#x20AC;&#x2122;em Hell strips present natural opportunities

City space

A few roadblocks to buying land in town

Open says me

All-in-one living is here to stay (in a way)

Inside. Outside. Home. JUNE 2016

A garden designer lets loose Keith Scott on site and structure

A weekend house nestles into the landscape

The house in the hill

Country Living in Virginia D UCE

RED

CE PR I

LOWER BUNDORAN c. 1840 - First time on the market in over 65 years, a classic farmhouse with weatherboard siding surrounded by mature specimen trees, overlooking its own 42 acre equestrian lot. Includes small stable and beautiful carriage barn. In the heart of protected Bundoran with beautiful mountian views. Additional acreage available. $1,650,000

3497 KESWICK ROAD - Kingma Developers craftsmanship at its best. Combining a high level of quality and finishes with efficient design and an elegant layout. Well proportioned rooms create main level living with two additional bedrooms upstairs. A high-ceilinged, walkout basement allows for additional space. House is close to net zero (low to no power bills) due to state-of the art solar panels, LED lighting and insulation. Hardwood floors throughout. 1 mile to Keswick Hall. $619,000

3622 BLANDEMAR DR - All the best materials and design have gone into this Shelter-built home. The custom brick home features a cooper roof and heart pine floors with elegant proportions, 9 foot ceilings, first floor master, spacious kitchen and family room. Minutes to town and UVA. Excellent Value. $1,295,000

0 PLANK ROAD - A premier Albemarle County lot. This coveted 25 acre equestrian lot in Bundoran Farm is gently rolling lot backs up to 400 acres of land in conservation easement with views across protected, Bundoran Farm. The nearly level building site has stunning 360 degree mountain and pastoral views Keep you own horses on the property or let Bundoran take care of the land at no additional cost. 14 miles of hiking and bridle trails. High speed internet and electricity to the lot. $700,000

CONWAY RIVER TRACT ~ 150 acres of mature hardwoods and fertile pasture with long frontage on the Conway River. Two elevated knolls offer spectacular, protected views of the Blue Ridge, the river and surrounding farmland. 1 division right. $1,075,000

3496 MORGANTOWN RD - 44 acre estate parcel in the heart of Ivy with bold mountain views. The majority of the property, gently rolling pasture, bisected by Morgantown Road, is well suited for animals or vineyards. Close to Charlottesville, UVA and the hospitals. Small cabin on property. Easement allows for a main house and guesthouse. $699,000

Peter Wiley 434.422.2090 Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated.

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4 ABODE

Western exposure

Double-height ceilings in this month’s feature house allow heat to rise out of the living space on hot days, but in winter, radiant floor heat keeps the warmth grounded in objects and people. Read more on page 24. DANIEL AFZAL

Blueprint 7

Keith Scott’s design influences, gnor-Hurt’s multi-age learning space, the open concept tide is still high and more.

Garden Green 41 The trouble with hell strips.

Real Estate 43 How to buy land in the city.

Room of the Month 46 A bright room by Southern Development. Cover photo by Daniel Afzal. Comments? E-mail us at abode@c-ville.com.

308 E. Main St. Charlottesville, VA 22902 (434) 817-2749 n c-ville.com c-ville.com/abode

Features HOME 24

LANDSCAPE 34

To take advantage of the 275-acre property belonging to homeowners Burton and Yardly Gray, architect Jim Burton splayed the house laterally. The design keeps the couple’s secondary home from appearing too massive on the hillside. Plus, says Burton, “You get more natural light.”

At Cole Burrell’s home in Free Union, he takes what he jokes is the “lazy” approach to landscaping. That is, the landscape architect lets the chips fall where they may. “I emphasize things that are free-seeding, that will come up wherever they get a chance,” he says.

Grounded getaway

Flowering freely

ABODE, a supplement to C-VILLE Weekly, is distributed in Charlottesville, Albemarle County and the Shenandoah Valley. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. Editor Jessica Luck. Abode Editor Caitlin White. Copy Editor Susan Sorensen. Creative Director Bill LeSueur. Graphic Designers Harding Coughter, Henry Jones, Max March, Lorena Perez. New Media Director Gabriel Rodriguez. Retail Advertising Manager Bianca J. Johnson. Senior Account Executive Greg Allen. Account Executive Theressa Leak. Classified Account Executiv Justin McClung. Production Coordinator Billy Dempsey. Publisher Aimee Atteberry. Chief Financial Office Debbie Miller. Circulation Manager Miguel Coradine. Account Manager Randi Henry. ©2016 C-VILLE Weekly.

ABODE 5

ABODE

EVENTS THIS MONTH

THOMAS JEFFERSON FOUNDATION

Court Square Walking Tours Thursdays and Fridays, 5:30pm; Saturdays, 10am Learn about the early years of Albemarle and Charlottesville while on a stroll around Court Square. Hear about the area’s prominent citizens, businesses and buildings. $5 (purchased at the start of the tour). Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society, 200 Second St. NE. albemarlehistory.org

Director ofAssociate Marketing and Public Relations. Director willseeks candidates for Officer (Substitute) Fulfillment (Part-Time). [Position #539] Guest ServicesSecurity Specialists (Part-time) [Position # 694] The Monticello providehas inwork the areas of20marketing, public Qualified individual isleadership needed 16for–you perbranding, week. Must beand available to work Monticello the perfectto opportunity tohours work part-time at our busy Distribution our Guest Services Department toevents, welcome, and ourmuseum Successful canCenter located in Ivy. Individual stock,assist, pack, ship,working receive, inspire and inspect merchandise weekends, after-hours special andwill some holidays. Position will perform protective media relations, and publications while closely with theguests. our museum shop and growing operation. Candidates must have good math grounds and service workfor by maintaining security overcatalog buildings, historic collections, equipment, Executive Viceworking President ensure consistent messages. Position didates will have enthusiasm for with people, experience with customer service, skills and neat handwriting. Some to computer and warehouse experience helpful. Physical personnel. Applicants must be able to work independently and useassound judgment. Individual labor Position requires repetitive lifting of upgoals to 25 lbs., well as constant willrequired. support Foundation net revenue and constituent should possess effective written and communication skills to write daily reports, incident excellent guest-focused service skills, and be prepared to work out-of-doors in all weather standing, twisting, reaching, andoral working on ladders. Hours worked will vary between engagement goals for tourism, sales, special events, and reports, and8-32 communicate effectively with staff retail and crews. per week depending on month, to include some emergency weekends. Theresponse part-time work hoursDependability, conditions. A friendly smile, interest history, and strong verbal communication skills fundraising via development of driver’s robust multi-channel marketing range between 8 AM andin 5 PM. Deadline to apply is April 4th.ability punctuality, will and reliability expected. Valid VA license, to lift, bend, climb stairs, and carry up to 50 lbs. required. Experience in in electronic security a plus, but will email train. and have strategies. The is expected to develop implement are essential. Candidates should beDirector proficient the use ofandsystems computers and Criminal background check required. Deadlinemarketing to apply is July 6. encompassing Foundation-wide integrated plan Senior Systems Administrator (Full-Time). [Position #540] a willingness toTolearn new technology. Constant standing and minimal walking required. earned social media and online marketing, print collateral, apply send a Thomas covermedia, letter and resume OR application resumes@monticello.org The Jefferson Foundation seeks an individual totojoin our IT Team. The Senior (preferred), Systems Administrator design, install, administer, and optimize foundation servers, fax to 434.984.4846, by mail to Thomas Jefferson Inc.,report ATTN: P.O. Some lifting ofbyitems up to advertising 40 orlbs. iswill necessary andtoFoundation, job requires extended periods of time and tools. Must be able quantify and onBeth Lazen, networks, desktops and related components to achieve high performance of theatvarious Box 316, Charlottesville, VA 22902. To see a complete list of open positions the Foundation, or impact of marketing manage budgets,and react quickly business applications. This programs, includes ensuring the availability ofnoise. virtualization hosts, be available to work a speaking with togroups sometimes ambient Must downloadof anguests, application our website:over http://www.monticello.org/site/about/jobs configuring all newvisit implementations, and developing processes and procedures to changing business conditions and opportunities. Requiresfor management of the foundations environment. Successful candidates will per month. Must be minimum of two days ongoing per week, including at ITleast two weekend days bachelor’ s years’ degree or advanced degree in marketing or related have at least six equivalent work experience in a senior technical analytical position responsible for supporting server and network environments, demonstrated experience will begin in mid-Jufield, minimum of 5-7 years experience inholidays. managing marketing available to work after-hours events, weekends, and Training with systems planning, security principles and general hardware and software management and communications programs with national brands, and at least 3 practices. Bachelor’s degree in computer science, management information systems, ly for this position andbest interested applicants should apply no later than June 10th. years ofengineering management. thorough knowledge of media relations, computer or relatedAdiscipline is preferred. Position rotates on-call duties during evenings, weekends andonline holidays. Applicantsis foressential. this position must include a salary direct marketing and strategies history with their application materials, which must be received by April 11th.

Monticello Guide (Part-Time)[Position #695] The Thomas Jefferson Foundation seeks enposition assist the marketing and ToMarketing apply send aSpecialist. cover letter This and resume ORwill application to resumes@monticello. ergetic and friendly individuals part-time guide positions. Guides org (preferred), byfor fax to434.984.4846, mailareas to Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Inc., work approximately communication professionalsorinbythe of marketing, branding, ATTN: Beth Lazen, P.O. Box 316, Charlottesville, VA 22902. To see a complete list of 68 hours per month (2-3 full days/week), giving tours of the house to a wide variety of vispublic and media relations, and publications. Responsibilities open positions at the Foundation, or to download an application visit our website: http:// www.monticello.org/site/about/jobs. The Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Inc. is anand Equal include creating compelling and social media campaigns itors, working with school groups, staffing email exhibition galleries, helping with special events, Opportunity Employer. cultivate relationships with the media, assisting with coordination and attending staff meetings andcommunications training sessions. Successful candidates will have enthuof external and collaborating with department furthering keywith strategic partnerofrelationships siasm for history and formanagers sharingin Monticello visitors every age and background. and programs. Requires a bachelor’s degree in journalism, They must also be committed to working as part of a team to ensure an excellent visitor communications, marketing, or liberal arts and a minimum of 2 experience. Monticello’syears congenial environment also allows employees a unique opexperiencework in supporting marketing and communications programs. Must be knowledgeable of media relations and portunity to further their intellectual curiosity through collegiate interaction and a robust communications and social media. Successful candidates will ongoing training program. Minimum qualifications: 2 years of college, demonstrated public possess strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to work with speaking abilities, and apeople strong interest earlydepartments. American history. Training sessions will at many levels inin different occur during the weeks of July 11-22. Application deadline: June 3. Deadline to apply is April 2, 2010. All candidates must provide a cover letter, resume, and salary requirements to resumes@monticello.org(preferred), fax to 434.984.4846 or mail to TJF, Attn:application Beth Lazen, PO Boxto 316,resumes@monticello.org Charlottesville, To apply send a cover letter and resume OR (preVA 22902.Visit our website athttp://www.monticello.org/about/jobs.html for ferred), by fax to 434.984.4846, or by mail to Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Inc., ATTN: complete job descriptions.

Lauren Sandercock, P.O. Box 316, Charlottesville, VA 22902. To see a complete list of open positions at the Foundation, or to download an application visit our website: http:// www.monticello.org/site/about/jobs. The Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

6 ABODE

Through the Garden Gate: The deCamps Saturday, June 11, 9am-noon Schuy and Eileen deCamp have lived in and traveled many places, a detail about their personal history that is refl cted in the landscape: Norway spruces and lindens remind the couple of their time in Germany, and lavender evokes fi lds of Provence that Eileen saw on a book club trip. This tour reveals these personal touches and more. Hosted by Piedmont Master Gardeners. $5. 2025 Brown’s Gap Tpke. (Crozet). piedmontmastergardeners.org

Grace Episcopal Farm Tour Saturday, June 11, 10am-4pm From Limestone and Airslie farms to Keswick Hunt Club and Grace Church itself (where Thomas Jefferson was once a vestry member), this seventh annual tour gives visitors an up-close look at Keswick Hunt Country. $15 in advance, $20 day of, free for children under 12. 5607 Gordonsville Rd. (Keswick). gracefarmtour.org

Preserving Jefferson’s Gardens and Landscape Sunday, June 19, to Friday, June 24, 9am-5pm The gardens and landscapes of Monticello and the University of Virginia transform into an outdoor classroom for this one-week study of historic garden preservation. Students will attend lectures, workshops and fi ld trips, as well as get hands-on experience. $500, registration and application required. 931 Thomas Jefferson Pkwy. monticello.org

Blueprint A LINE TO DESIGN

Dual purpose Between land and structure, Keith Scott sees the big picture

Keith Scott renovated this small ranch house outside of Lexington, Virginia, as a retreat for an avid fly fisherma and hunter. ROSNEY CO. ARCHITECTS

ARCHITECTURE

FINISHES

ELEMENTS

Is open concept Kathy Heinerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s A space for joyful learning on its way out? artful approach ABODE 7

B L U E P R I NT

ARCHITECTURE

do the same thing over and over, so I thrive on the variety inherent in the practice of architecture given that every job and client is different. The process of taking a project from concept to a finish d building is very satisfying, as each part of the process draws on a different set of skills; from creative, conceptual thinking during the design phase to creative, analytical thinking during the construction drawing phase.

aving already earned a degree in landscape architecture from Virginia Tech, Keith Scott decided that, in order to deepen his understanding of the built environment, an architecture degree would be necessary as well. So he got both. “As a result of the two degrees, many of my favorite places are where building and landscape are inextricably connected,” he says. His company, Rosney Co. Architects, which he founded with business partner Julie Dixon, refl cts those interests to this day. The two take on residential projects comprising everything from historic renovations to new constructions, including last year’s Southern Living Idea House at Bundoran Farm. We asked Scott to tell us about growing up in Virginia, what he finds inspiring and what’s in the studio right now.—Caite White

Why did you choose to practice in Virginia? Other than the ubiquitous “few years working in New York City” where I worked for the Italian architect Aldo Rossi, I have lived here all of my life, so it is a natural and maybe inevitable place for me to live and work. As my family grew and New York apartments became less and less spa-

Why architecture?

8 ABODE

On process: How does it begin?

JEN FARIELLO

I certainly don’t think architecture was inevitable for me. I did not have anyone in my family that was a builder or an architect pushing me towards the pursuit of architecture. Neither was I a kid who knew from an early age that he wanted to be an architect (though I did think Mike Brady had an awesome job). It was the ’70s, so, like most kids back then, I was left to explore the world around me and find my own path. That said, I was a kid who built his fair share of forts in the woods with friends and siblings and spent an inordinate amount of time building with Legos, Erector Sets and Lincoln Logs. I also spent a lot of time drawing elaborate concepts for amusement parks as well as other, more prosaic themes such as farms and barns (this was often done during my father’s sermons). One of the earliest drawings that I can recall making was a detailed barnyard scene that hung on my grandmother’s refrigerator for years. Fast forward 40 years later and I occasionally still find myself drawing barns in the offi e for various clients, so maybe it was meant to be after all. Shortly after arriving at Virginia Tech I wandered through the landscape architecture studios and immediately felt a connection to the work being done and studio environment and quickly decided that was where I wanted to be. As I was finishing my undergraduate degree, I became convinced that I also needed an architecture degree in order to further explore and develop a broader understanding of the built environment. Exploring the connection between building and landscape was and continues to be an important part of the work done in our offi e. On a very basic level, architecture provides me with a vocation that I love and am passionate about. I think I would get bored if I had to

architecture professor Paul Kelsch stood out in the program. Robert Dunay and Hans Rott were the standouts during graduate school. They never accepted the easy answer and continually challenged my thinking. Broadly speaking, the professors were outstanding and encouraged students to explore the worlds of design and architecture wherever it took us, and I thrived on the dynamic and wide variety of exploration that resulted. I spent a lot of time in the wood shop, dark room and silk screen studio producing design studies for my studio projects. During graduate school, I became slightly obsessed with mid-century abstract and minimalist artists like Barnett Newman, Richard Serra and Donald Judd. I was encouraged to follow this interest and challenged to find connections to what I was exploring in my studio projects. During my last semester of graduate school, I visited the Shaker community at Pleasant Hill, Kentucky, at the encouragement of my thesis advisor and the simple, elegant architecture that I found there seemed like a logical extension of the type of exploration I had been doing during graduate school. The strong relationship between their work, lives and place continues to inform the work that I do.

Keith Scott

cious, moving back to Charlottesville seemed like a logical path. Plus, Charlottesville is such a beautiful place, why wouldn’t you want to live here? Being back in Virginia gave me the opportunity to revisit and study Virginia’s rich architectural legacy, which is the source of inspiration for much of the work in our offi e. In Charlottesville, we are also fortunate to have a well-educated and sophisticated population that fosters a thriving architectural community.

Tell us about your college experience. Was there a standout teacher who had a lasting impact on you? Both my undergraduate landscape architecture and graduate architecture degrees are from Virginia Tech and it was the perfect place for me to pursue my design education. There are so many good professors at Virginia Tech, but landscape

I imagine most architects will say that the process begins with the clients and that is absolutely true in our offi e. We begin each project getting to know the clients and working with them to clearly define their building program, budget and stylistic goals. When these basic project goals are well-defined, my partner, Julie Dixon, and I begin to study the site, whether that is an existing building where we need to understand and analyze the existing structure, or a pastoral farmland property where we need to understand topography, solar orientation, wind directions, views, site circulation, etc. Once the site and the client goals are understood we get the trace paper out and start sketching.

What inspires you? The people I interact with day-to-day; our clients, my business partner, our employees, the builders and craftsmen that we work with. They are what keep my job interesting. I get to work with an amazing array of people with a wide variety of backgrounds, interests and goals and their passion for what they do is infectious. In particular, discovering what the clients are passionate about, having that inform the design and finding an architectural solution that excites them is incredibly satisfying. CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

BRIAN BIEDER

Project spotlight (Clockwise from top left) Keith Scott’s work includes the 2015 Southern Living Idea House at Bundoran Farm (first two photos), the addition and renovation of an early 1800s farmhouse that was dismantled and moved from Buckingham County, a new home at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains designed for a retiring couple moving from Florida to rowed attic space to create a cathedral addition in Farmville that is used each summer as the stage for the client’s Summer Garden Opera performances.

ROSNEY CO. ARCHITECTS

TEDDY HODGES

ceiling in the living room and an

ROSNEY CO. ARCHITECTS

Virginia, a 1980s farmhouse that bor-

ABODE 9

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10 ABODE

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All together now

Uniting kids, K through 5, in one joyful space

TOM HOLDSWORTH PHOTOGRAPHY

“H

ow do we treat children with as much respect as we treat adults?” That was one of the primary questions driving the design of an addition to Agnor-Hurt Elementary, an Albemarle County public school, last year. Camilo Bearman, the Stantec architect who led the project, loved reaching for that lofty goal. “It’s inspiring as a designer,” he says. With Principal Michele Del Gallo Castner at the helm, Stantec and the school community set out to create an environment—7,800 square feet of new classroom space—that would go far beyond what Bearman calls the “cells-and-bells corridor” of a traditional school. Instead, six classes of Agnor-Hurt students, ranging from kindergarten to fifth grade, would share one large space. This multi-age environment would be conceived as fl xible and communal, with students being given choices about how to pursue their learning. “This is the ideal learning environment,” says Castner. “Teachers give up control and become facilitators.” Students learn through creative projects and through interaction with each other. The space is meant to create natural opportunities to practice leadership and to let students learn at their own pace. So, besides putting up fewer walls, how can a designer support such a vision? One answer is by making lots of the elements movable. The classroom is essentially a central commons surrounded by three pods. Within that structure, many details can change depending on the task of the moment. Furniture is lightweight enough for kids to move it themselves. Tablets and other tech devices can easily roll around where they’re needed. This way, different groups can

Agnor-Hurt Elementary’s new multi-age learning environment is a central commons surrounded by three pods, but the details of each area can change depending on students’ needs.

gather for specific tasks, then reform when the activity changes. On a recent visit, one of the six teachers who works in the multi-age space was discussing a book with about 15 kids. The rest of the 115 students were working in small groups at tables, on the fl or, in the “Skype cave” (which lets Agnor-Hurt kids connect with peers around the country and the world) and on reading benches under the big windows. Some were sprawled on beanbag chairs—illustrating the idea that kids learn better when they’re comfortable. Lighting was kept low to promote a calm atmosphere. The space is colorful and modern, with as many curving lines as straight ones. “The ceiling

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

Any building that exhibits thoughtful design, elegant simplicity and a high level of craftsmanship inspires me. That may be the Lawn at UVA, a barn in Albemarle County, a mill in the Shenandoah Valley or one of the many simple farmhouses that dot our landscape.

What are you working on now? We have a really interesting mix of work in the offi e at the moment. The bulk of our work is residential, but we have some interesting commercial renovation projects in progress, which are located in Farmville, Virginia. One is a four-story 1905 tobacco prizery (warehouse) that the developer

plane is very articulated,” says Bearman. “It attenuates sound, and describes zones with an acoustical ceiling”—delineating spaces without walls. It’s largely open-ended. “When students have these beautiful ideas, teachers can run with them,” says Castner. “We have the space to do it.” Bearman and his colleagues deliberately made the space difficult to convert to traditional classrooms—an architectural commitment to a new model for education. The students just finish d their fi st year in the space, and Castner says it’s proven very popular. “There’s another way to do this that refl cts joy,” she says, “and has nothing to do with testing.”—Erika Howsare

is converting into student apartments. The other is a mid-century art deco bank building on Main Street that will be a mix of commercial and residential. Both buildings are located within the Farmville downtown historic district, which makes them eligible for state and historic tax credits. We are working on some new houses in the Bundoran Farm development, as well as a renovation and addition of the property known as Hard Bargain on Park Street in downtown Charlottesville. We are also working on a cottage renovation at Shrine Mont, which is an Episcopal camp and conference center in the small town of Orkney Springs, Virginia, just north of Harrisonburg. It has an amazing collection of buildings and is one of my favorite places. ABODE 11

Yesterday’s Neighborhood Today

Emerson

COMMONS

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Community Features: • 26 private homes surrounding a central green • Community playground and car-free central area where kids can run free. Creeks on property. • Large heated swimming pool with stone terrace • Orchard, shared organic gardens and edible landscaping • 1890s farmhouse renovated as a club house • Historic log cabin with fireplace • Walkable to stores and restaurants

Home Features: • solar on all homes • spacious porches • decks and private mountain views • quality siding & windows, 6” walls, 9’ ceilings, eco-certified

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12 ABODE

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ABODE 13

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14 ABODE

B L U E P R I NT

F I NI S H E S

Closing time? W

aves move in cycles. If you want to know the status of the open concept trend among homeowners, that’s pretty much all you need to know, according to Robert Nichols of Formwork Architecture. “There are almost always cycles, and there are subwaves too,” he says. “Some hybrids start to get developed. I kind of feel like the thrill [of open fl or plans] must be having some sense of exhaustion about now.” Nichols concedes this particular wave has been slow to fall. Open concept home planning has been all the rage for a decade now; and, truth be told, you can trace it all the way back to midcentury modern design in the 1950s, he says. But the wave is evolving as folks find there are some things about opening their space that doesn’t suit them. Here’s how local designers are accounting for those concerns.

There’s no place to hide Open fl or plans can lead to visible clutter, according to Nichols. So designers have to take measures to include storage and discreet, concealable spaces. “Just thinking of the kitchen, where you prep food, and dishes stack up, you don’t want to end up sitting in your living room looking at the dishes from dinner,” Nichols says. Joey Conover of design-build fi m Latitude 38 says that while most people still want an open fl or plan, they also want what she calls an “away room.” The traditional, closed-off space is on the same fl or as the great room and can be used as a den, study or offi e, among other things. If you don’t have the square footage for another room, a desk and offi e area in the kitchen can get the job done.

ANDREA HUBBELL

Open floor lans aren’t going away, but they are evolving

Alloy Workshop expanded the previously claustrophobic kitchen in this Rose Hill neighborhood home by taking over the footprint of an existing screened porch.

“People appreciate that away room because they can use it for different things, and its function can change over time,” she says.

Furnishing is difficu No one wants a room with a bunch of furniture lining the walls. Conover says she thinks that’s one of the reasons sectional sofas and console tables behind them have become popular. But the concern can also be alleviated by clever design. Conover says built-ins—not just desks but bookshelves and even daybeds—can offer natural breaks in vast spaces. “People appreciate some kind of division in space…things that visually divide the rooms,” she says. “And the furnishing thing is a legitimate issue.”

Light and sound travel Dan Zimmerman of Alloy Workshop agrees the open concept trend isn’t dead. But it is altering as people find they want “some elements of acoustic privacy or visual privacy.” “What I have heard is, with the chaos of daily life, the super-open plan doesn’t really allow any sort of mediation,” he says. Alloy Workshop solves that problem by changing the focus in rooms. If the kitchen is connected to the living room north to south, for example,

it might be oriented east to west so the cook isn’t necessarily exposed to a blaring television. The idea is to position people in such a way that “when you are in that space, you can feel like it is fun in a different way,” Zimmerman says. Flooring materials, changes in ceiling height and other strategies can also be helpful for making those divisions. Nichols warns open residential spaces can have some of the same acoustic concerns that commercial restaurants have. And while noise-dampening panels and the like aren’t appropriate in the home, carefully selected furnishings and fl or coverings can help deaden bouncing sound waves.

The house is fini e Every owner is different, but Conover says folks in homes 2,000 square feet and under are typically willing to deal with the confli t of shared spaces because of the fl xibility they provide. Zimmerman agrees. “When folks do downsize, you have to make sacrifi es and changes to the way you’ve been living in the past 15 to 20 years,” he says. “That can be challenging. What you tend to find is, instead of having distinct rooms, they have rooms that serve multiple purposes.” To make a shared space even more effective, Nichols suggests looking outside your walls. “It turns out, [open planning] is hard to get right, and in many cases it’s just not transferable,” he says. “It really works when the combined spaces continue to have openness out to the landscape, so that sense of openness is greater still.”—Shea Gibbs ABODE 15

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Photo credit: Andrea Hubbell Photography

16 ABODE

How will you customize Your New Home?

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ABODE 17

Just 15 minutes south of Charlottesville lies Bundoran Farm, a place where the traditions of peaceful, sustainable country life still exist. Over 90% of Bundoran Farm's 2,300 acres are protected landscape, allowing for a conservation-based community with homesites ranging from 6 to 44 acres. We invite you to visit these sites or learn more about our two new homes under construction.

BundoranFarm.com FOR MORE INFO CALL JEFF MATTIE AT 434-987-8572 | J.MATTIE@NATURALRETREATS.COM

EXCLUSIVELY OFFERED BY NATURAL REALTY, LLC 675 PETER JEFFERSON PARKWAY, SUITE 250, CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA 22911 These materials are intended to provide general information about certain proposed plans of Bundoran Farm. All materials, photos, renderings, plans, amenities and improvements are subject to change. This is not intended to be an offer to sell property in Bundoran Farm, nor a solicitation of offers to residents of CT, HI, ID, IL, NY, NJ, & OR, or to residents of any other jurisdiction where prohibited by law. Any promotions associated with this offer are limited and Natural Retreats has the right to change those promotions at any time at its sole discretion.

Show Homes built by Green Mountain Construction | 434-960-2918 GreenMountain-Construction.com

18 ABODE

Belmont and Downtown

FRE Fences | Decks | Railings | Porches Estim E ates Arbors & Pergolas | Handicap Ramps

Built in 2007, this beautiful, light-filled “freestanding town home” is architecturally unique, with floating stairs, 20 foot high ceilings in the living room and kitchen, vaulted ceilings in the bedrooms, a suspended loft for relaxing, and a deck and patio overlooking the serene backyard. It features a modern Ikea kitchen with breakfast bar, bamboo wood floors throughout, and large low-E Pella windows that bring abundant light all year round. Environmentally sophisticated features variable include high speed heat pump, on-demand water heater, and permeable parking. Sitting on a quiet cul de sac, it is steps from local restaurants and the downtown pedestrian mall. Originally part of the Belmont Lofts project. MLS# 544537 $369,900

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ABODE 19

If you’ll make a donation to charity, we’ll give you 3 hours of design time.

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An interesting mix

écor-wise, designer Kathy Heiner says homeowners should never scrimp on art. As she puts it, “Paintings, pottery and sculpture can transform a space, create interest and provide a topic for conversation.” And she practices what she preaches in her own home, where each wall is a veritable gallery of framed pieces—from prints and line drawings to portraits of her French bulldogs. It’s no wonder she’s interested in big visual impact: Heiner spent the early part of her career working at ELLE magazine, then transitioned to the television and film in ustry. In 2007, she launched KLH Designs to utilize her range of interests in fashion, art and film We asked Heiner to tell us about the house she grew up in, the design rule she likes to break and what piece of furniture she’d like to be reborn as.—Caite White

prints. He maintains clean lines while creating a high level of interest. His spaces always look like a place where I would love to hang out.

Antique or modern?

Firewood. I love a wood-burning fi e, but would rather not have all the accoutrements that junk up the hearth.

Which colors do you gravitate toward? Cooler colors: blues, grays, taupes and whites for walls, to provide a backdrop for brighter, more saturated accents.

Houzz, Veranda, Milieu and ELLE Décor.

Design rule you like to break? Perfect symmetry. Sometimes it’s more fun to create the illusion of symmetry than have it be perfect.

What is your favorite room in the house? The kitchen, because it is always the heart of the house.

What is your most treasured possession? Besides my two sons and my Frenchies, a Milton Avery charcoal from my mother.

What do you wish you could do without?

KIP DAWKINS

I gravitate toward clean lines in both antique and contemporary pieces. If I have to choose one, it would be contemporary.

Which design blog, website, TV show or magazine do you peruse religiously?

What are you afraid to DIY? Kathy Heiner, pictured here in a client’s home with her French bulldogs, Otis and Willy, says her favorite room in her house is her bedroom. “I have dear friends who call it ‘getting lost at sea,’ when you and your children and your dogs are all piled on the big bed with laptops watching a movie or reading together,” she says.

Which materials or textures do you frequently use in your own home? I have a lot of bright, colorful art, family photos, Moroccan rugs and books.

What is your favorite interior design-related word?

If you were reborn as a piece of furniture or an object, what would it be? A Saarinen pedestal table. It is pure elegance meets perfect function.

If you could live in one historical figure’s house, whose would it be? Picasso’s home in the south of France.

Transitions, which I like to minimize, and function, which I like to maximize.

What’s one thing that can really transform a room?

Does your home look like the one you grew up in?

Lighting. Bright, well-lit spaces can have a tremendous impact on mood. I always prefer to use dimmers that can be adjusted to suit.

It’s similar. My mother was an interior designer based in Atlanta. I got my love of design from her, and the home we grew up in was very eclectic. It was also fi led with interesting things from family and travels and lots of art. TABLE: KNOLL; PICASSO: ©KEYSTONE PRESS AGENCY/KEYSTONE USA VIA ZUMAPRESS.COM

Favorite designer? Peter Dunham out of L.A. I like the way he mixes antique, mid-century and contemporary pieces with color and ethnic

Painting. I am too much of a perfectionist and would end up making a big mess!

Have you ever had a change of heart about an object or a style? I used to collect 1950s ceramics when I worked in costuming in the film industry. We would spend our downtime on location searching flea markets and antique stores for these treasures. When I think back on those days, it just seems like a lot of clutter.

On what movie set would you like to live? Anything by Nancy Meyers. Her sense of production design is very strong and her team creates very comfortablelooking spaces in the movies It’s Complicated and Something’s Gotta Give.

What is your fir t design memory? The fi st time my mother let me decorate my room at age 12. Everything was green and white. I even had beads hanging in my closet door. It was the ’70s after all. ABODE 21

Curb Appeal

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ADVANCE MILLS FARM Nice wooded and open lots ranging in size from 5 to 21 acres. Some mountain views and two lots (21 and 22 acres) have Rivanna River frontage . Enjoy the peace and privacy of rural life. Located near Earlysville on Advance Mills Road (Rt. 743). Prices range from $175,000 to $299,500.00 SOUTH IVY Camargo Drive Gently rolling and mostly wooded, these lots are nestled in the beautiful countryside bordered by the Ivy Creek. Six lots remaining averaging 2 plus acres each and are priced at $235,000 each. Very convenient location.

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ABODE 23

24 ABODE

Grounded getaway The weekend home of a D.C. couple downplays its size

BY ERIKA HOWSARE Architect: Carter + Burton Architecture Landscape architect: Gregg Bleam Photography: Daniel Afzal

ABODE 25

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The couple wanted an ultra-minimal kitchen—white countertops, cabinets and resin walls provide the cool look they sought. The sculptural central island is anchored by a concrete base that echoes the rest of the home’s flooring. The whole area can be sealed off by doors made of fir, a material seen throughout the house.

hen Jim Burton began designing a weekend home for Burton and Yardly Gray, he took a cue from the direction they’d be traveling to reach the house from their primary home in Washington, D.C. The getaway would be an hour and a half south, and a world apart from the city. Its site, overlooking a 275acre parcel of land along the Rapidan River, immerses the Grays and their three children in a landscape of woods and fi lds. The house needed to nurture a connection to the outdoors and to function well in the local climate. “In the South, you spread out for light and ventilation,” says Burton. He wanted the house to take advantage of the panoramic views from its hillside, without dominating, as though it were a castle. “How do you nestle a design into the hill?” was a key question. The eventual answer was to splay out laterally, with the master and guest suites located in opposite wings, and to berm the bedrooms into the slope. Meanwhile, the two-story center of the house contains the public spaces, and opens a tall, transparent face toward the best of the views. “You break the massing down so it doesn’t feel too big on the land,” says Burton, “and you get more natural light.” It’s a sizable house, but it’s deceptively lowprofile especially from the rear, where one stands uphill and looks down past the house to

the view. Installing living roofs on the two bedroom wings made them visually blend in with the ground. In this spot, just behind the house, stands a storied white oak—a wide shade tree with a massive trunk. The family had established it as a special spot long before construction on the house began; Burton’s brother had even gotten married there. “The house feels smaller from up there,” he says. “It’s not ruining the view from that tree.”

New angles One thing that’s clear from the vantage point under the oak is that not-exactly-90-degree angles abound throughout the structure. Roofli es pitch slightly downward; an overhang widens from one end to another; the cut-fla stone chimney leans away from the house as though tucking its chin. And, though they are in part inspired by those at Monticello, the long lateral wings of the house do not extend straight along the axis of the central volume. Instead they bend backward—one very subtly at its extremity, the other more noticeably. “We bent the bermed wing to the south, which welcomes people to the entrance,” says Burton. Pushing the south wing back into the hill lets in more daylight, creates room for the monumental chimney and funnels foot traffic from the parking area toward the oversized cedar-clad main door. The unconventional angles also prevent clear sightlines between the guest and master suites, allowing for more privacy. Burton worked to make the house effi ient through simple, passive-solar principles: protecting the interior from daylight in summer, while inviting the sun to soak concrete fl ors and walls in winter. The main public spaces face west, and the roof overhang is calculated to exclude CONTINUED ON PAGE 31

ABODE 27

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Sitting lightly on the land The Grays’ house may drink in its surroundings through its huge windows, but it still needed a transitional landscape to define a zone around the house that was distinct from the fields where it sits. Carter + Burton Architecture worked collaboratively with landscape architect Gregg Bleam to develop a crisp, modern siteplan that aims to tie the house to the landscape.

Grading was done with care to

avoid an obvious terrace jutting from the hillside. Bleam worked with a notion of “ruins” to help conceive the design—as though indigenous species were retaking a lost slice of civilization. Natives like broomsedge grass, Eastern red cedars, pasture grass and smooth sumac were deployed to create this intimate connection with nearby environments. “Sumac spreads by suckers and has a vaguely ruinous connotation that I think helps knit the house to the hillside site,” says Bleam.

A set of concrete steps,

interrupted by terraces planted in broomsedge grass, leads from the entry terrace directly to the prized oak tree behind the house. The

“You break the massing down so it doesn’t feel too big on the land and you get more natural light.” terrace is the site’s most formal

ARCHITECT JIM BURTON

section, with concrete pavers separated by grass joints. They are broken by a fi e pit and a water rill, enlivened by fiber optic lights at night. Its white color echoes the white palette of the kitchen, seen nearby through glass.—E.H.

ABODE 29

Winner of EarthCraft Virginia Sustainable Leadership Awards

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30 ABODE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29

Wanting to site the house into the hill, the architects splayed the design laterally, with the master and guest suites located in opposite wings, and tucked the bedrooms into the slope. They kept the palette simple, utilizing fir and concrete, which continues in the bathroom CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27

summer afternoon sun. During the hours when the sun does enter the windows directly, sliding wall sections form a screen that can shade the kitchen. Double-height ceilings allow heat to rise out of the living space on hot days, but in winter, radiant fl or heat keeps the warmth grounded in objects and people.

A turn on tradition Across the bucolic landscape that fi ls these big windows are vernacular, rural structures. “You see standing-seam roofs, gray siding and concrete,” says Burton. In homage to the neighborhood, “We used very traditional, common materials in different ways.” One example: Board-form concrete walls were poured so they retain the texture and rhythm of lumber. In this they echo the wood-clad portions of the house’s walls—cedar on the exterior, and horizontal fir insi e. Concrete, cedar and fl gstone appear on both sides of the tall glass walls, visually tying inside and outside together. Concrete and fir also dominate the bathrooms. “We were very subtractive in the palettes,” says Burton. Lime-green upholstered dining chairs provide one of the few moments of non-neutral color—though they, too,

connect irrevocably to the green surroundings outside. The Grays wanted an ultra-minimal kitchen, and white Glassos countertops, white Snaidero cabinets and white resin walls provide the cool, clean look they sought. On the sculptural central island, white cabinetry cantilevers slightly from a concrete base.

Many appliances are hidden around the corner in the butler’s pantry, along with laundry, storage and access to the outdoor grill. Fir doors can close off these functional areas to eliminate clutter, or open to provide multiple paths of access. The family has been using the house for about a year—sledding down to the river in winter, tubing and fly fishing in summer. Having waited years to build after buying this property in 2006, Burton Gray says they are glad they took the time to find Carter + Burton Architecture. “Right from the beginning, the fi st set of preliminary ideas, we were really excited,” says Burton Gray. “It felt like things worked.” THE BREAKDOWN

River House 5,416 square feet Structural system: Steel, concrete and wood framing, including slab on grade with partial mechanical basement Exterior material: Concrete and cedar siding Interior finishes Concrete, fi , cedar, tile and resin panels Roof materials: Galvalume standing seam and living roof system Window system: Custom cedar Mechanical systems: Geothermal and radiant heat

ABODE 31

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60 BIRCH LANE IN ASHCROFT

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This delightful home with open floor plan sits on a privately landscaped 1-acre lot with the perfect balance of sun and shade, creating a perfect backdrop for family fun and entertaining. A cathedral ceilinged great room/fully equipped kitchen/breakfast nook with good natural light flow to a spacious rear deck and patio. Separate living, dining and study, 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, a lower level great for teens or nanny suite. Well maintained and improved with hardiplank and brick exterior, 50-year roof with copper flashings, gas heat. Ashcroft Neighborhood recreation facilities include clubhouse with work-out room, play ground, tennis court, swimming pool and walking trails. MLS# 545961

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ABODE 33

SHADY 34 ABODE

Y LACE A tapestry of forest plants on an Albemarle hillside BY ERIKA HOWSARE PHOTOGRAPHY BY VIRGINIA HAMRICK

ABODE 35

ARTFULLY CRAFTED EARTH FRIENDLY HOMES, STUDIOS & BARNS

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Mud Dauber Pottery 4225 Earlysville Road Earlysville VA. 22936 434-973-7943 www.muddauberpottery.com Nature-centered, Local, Woman-owned. 36 ABODE

ven though Cole Burrell has lived and gardened at Bird Hill, his wooded Free Union property, for 17 years, there are still visible signs of the previous owners written into the garden. “I want to honor the place and how it was used by the people who lived here before,” says Burrell, a garden designer and author. Yet everything has evolved to support Burrell’s vision of a woodland garden threaded with pathways. So, for example, a simple wooden archway, which used to lead to a treehouse beloved by the previous owners’ children, still stands; but now it opens onto a stone walk that curves downhill. And an old sledding route survives as the primary path between the house and the sunny lawn. Even the bones of the garden—a series of promontories that step down from the house— are inspired by the house itself, a 1980 structure clad in natural wood. Its windows and porches are like lookout points from which to survey the woods as they slope downward toward the creek. “That’s how the garden began to develop,” says Burrell. The fi st “promontory” that he established is on the site of a former sandbox. Under a canopy of mature poplar trees, beds full of ferns, hellebores, trilliums and many other shade-loving species carpet the ground. Stone steps and gravel paths thread through the foliage, with circular “nodes” at the intersections: repurposed millstones and whetstones set into the paths. Set among a natural cathedral of large trees, the fi st promontory has a large millstone in its center, glass marbles strewn among the gravel and a view of a large pignut hickory across the lawn. “That’s the venerable tree in the garden,” says Burrell. “It’s just spectacular”—especially in the fall when it turns golden yellow. Burrell has tried to respect the trees he inherited, carefully pruning out windows so that patches of sky will be visible from the house and rear deck. The verticality of their trunks would be compromised by too much shrubbery, so Burrell has largely avoided planting evergreen shrubs. Having literally written the book on hellebores (it’s called Hellebores: A Comprehensive Guide), Burrell has unsurprisingly strewn these hardy, early-blooming perennials throughout his planting beds. Other favorites include phloxes, peonies, ferns, primroses, native azaleas, disporum (“They’re tough as nails, and they look good all the time”) and daffodils (“the smaller, more wild ones”). A stone walk leads downhill below the deck, a lighthearted homage to Jefferson’s serpentine walks. This version is made of mossy fi ldstone, and it ends with a zigzagging section inspired by Japanese garden traditions. Burrell constantly seeks to vary the colors and textures of foliage, pointing out, for example, CONTINUED ON PAGE 39

Extra green Read this story on c-ville.com/abode to see more photos of this garden.

Stone steps and gravel paths thread through the foliage, which includes phlox and Solomon’s seal.

ABODE 37

Love and marriage

Trim Size 3.625 x 4.75

Your home financing goals deserve our attention

In the magazine, you'll find the area's best...

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When you work with the nation’s leading retail mortgage lender, you can count on us to listen to your home financing goals and help you understand your options so you can make informed decisions. Contact us today! Wells Fargo Home Mortgage — Charlottesville 123 E. Main Street 4th Floor Charlottesville, VA 22902 434-244-3925 www.wfhm.com/charlottesville Information is accurate as of date of printing and is subject to change without notice. Wells Fargo Home Mortgage is a division of Wells Fargo Bank, N. A. © 2015 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. NMLSR ID 399801. AS2132179 Expires 04/2017

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700 Rose Hill Drive, Charlottesville · 434.529.6118 · mariebette.com 38 ABODE

The garden refle ts a willingness to cede control in some cases, and to work with what plants themselves want to do.

Burrell constantly seeks to vary the colors and textures of foliage. Seaford Skies, calycanthus and trillium all have a place in this palette.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 37

how a gold hosta brings a touch of brightness to an especially shady corner of the garden. Even tropical plants like cannas and elephant ear have a place in this palette. In winter, species like daphnes and witch hazel add interest, and early spring blooms (like snowdrops and quince) are a priority. Rustic salvaged items lend cultural interest here and there: an antique pot where Burrell is now raising wood frog tadpoles, or a series of rusted tire irons, like oversized metal Xs, that surround a container. Burrell jokes that his is a “lazy approach” to gardening—clearly not the case when one con-

siders the scope of this landscape. Still, the garden does refl ct a willingness to cede control in some cases, and to work with what plants themselves want to do. “I emphasize things that are free-seeding, that will come up wherever they get a chance,” says Burrell. Wildflowers like wild geranium and Virginia bluebells fit the bill. Shrubs that proliferate on their own are welcome too: “Anything that makes a big thicket I just love.” In the newer garden above the house, things are evolving after the loss of a large oak tree and some diseased Virginia pines, whose absence has allowed some smaller plants to thrive in the newly sunny areas. “I planted trilliums and ca-

mellias,” says Burrell. “And the dogwoods and redbuds are blooming more.” The bones of the garden are, he says, a response to the trees. “The thing I enjoy is having a really strong design, but not looking strongly designed,” he says. A wooded hillside is not always an easy place to garden. Burrell installed a deer fence, but moles and voles still wreak havoc. But he’s mindful of the big picture. “The birds and reptiles and amphibians are as important as the plants,” he says. “I don’t poison voles, because it goes up the food chain.” Gardening mostly in shade is what he prefers: “It’s the plants I love and the environment I love. I want to hear wood thrushes.” ABODE 39

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40 ABODE

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GARDEN GREEN

Harrying hot spots From hell strips’ challenges arise opportunities

Thank heaven for hell strips Which plants work best for hell strips of all kinds? Here’s a guide. On streets and driveways: lean soil, minimum amendment and water. Artemisia, blue fescue (festuca), butterfly weed (asclepias), cactus (opuntia), creeping sedum, cup and saucer (callirhoe)*, false indigo (baptisia)*, gay butterflies (gaura)*, goldenrod (soledago)*, assorted herbs (also good for pots), gayfeather (liatris)*, Muhly grass (muhlenbergia)* and narcissus jonquilla. In containers or amended beds: rich in nutrients, need lots of water. Dahlias, geraniums, peppers, petunias, roses, strawberries and tomatoes. For phytoremediation: absorb petrochemicals and heavy metals like lead. Fountain grass (pennesetum), mustard greens, ornamental kale and cabbage, pumpkin vines, seathrift (armeria), sunflowers (helianthus), switchgrass (panicum)* and spiderwort (tradescantia)*.—C.C. *pollinator/native

CATHY CLARY

nlike the devil, it’s impossible to mistake a hell strip for anything else. Sterile concrete medians, inhospitable sidewalk patches and blazing afternoon decks do not appear in disguise. They differ from ordinary sunny garden sites in their sometimes polluted but always harsh exposure to reflective heat from asphalt and walls bereft of the buffering effects of surrounding plants. Yet there is a possibility of redemption in introducing a bit of greenery, and, though challenging, hell strips offer surprising opportunities. Native plant enthusiasts see a place to nourish butterflies and other pollinators; permaculturists seize a chance to manage storm water and heal toxic sites; cooks and locavores can cultivate herbs and vegetables; and fl wer-lovers glory in jonquils, roses and petunias. Many native plants and herbs prefer a hot, dry environment and prosper in lean soils and unadorned Virginia clay. Butterfly weed, goldenrod, switchgrass, lavender, thyme, sage and oregano can beautify bare hot spots with little amendment or extra care once you get them going. After removing existing scurf of neglected grass and weeds—use herbicide if you must, but it’s better just to scrape it off with a good sharp spade or solarize with plastic—turn the soil with a sturdy garden fork or light tilling, rake out stones and break up clods with a steel rake. (No one said this would be easy; it is hell, after all.) Fill the space with quart-sized plants on 1' centers. Mulch with pebbles or a scant inch of organic material like shredded hardwood or pine bark after an initial deep watering—muddy it in. Regular follow-up with water is essential for several weeks until plants begin pushing out new roots. Afterward, if you have chosen wisely, they should be content to bask. A hybrid of hell strips includes bioretention fil ers, sometimes called rain gardens, that we see increasingly pop-

(From foreground) Purple barberry, Mexican feather grass, black-eyed Susan, phlox and varied foliage fill out this hell strip at the Senior Center in the cit .

ping up along city streets and parking lots, designed to hold and fil er overfl w stormwater when they’re not baking in summer heat. Crozet has installed a number of these along Crozet Avenue in front of the new library, and Charlottesville’s Region Ten sports a fine planting at Preston Avenue and Eighth Street. Urban rain gardens demand a particular plant palette, able to endure not only periodic fl oding and drought periods in between but also capable of withstanding and fil ering toxins washing off surrounding pavement. The effect of these poisons—oil and gas, excess lawn fertilizers, pesticides— on the Chesapeake Bay is the reason the city has begun taxing impermeable surfaces like asphalt and concrete and giving credit for mitigation. Engineered rain gardens have mixtures of sand and gravel beneath heavy mulch at their lowest points to hold and fil er polluted stormwater, but in the home landscape, a simple buffer of appropriate plants along drives and walkways can slow stormwater without special fil ration.

Another subset—a higher rung in hell, usually free of pollution—consists of containers and raised or enclosed beds that can be heavily amended and watered. Decks, patios and hot patches by the garage, where you can create a rich growing medium, are perfect for heavy summer feeders like tomatoes, peppers, basil, dahlias, lantana and geraniums. (However, if you’re growing herbs keep their soil mix lean and don’t fertilize.) Select large pots or boxes that hold ample soil and raise containers above decking with blocks of wood or clay “feet.” Long-lived perennials like peonies, roses and bearded iris can fi l odd spots between a walk and building with minimal care once established in soil that has been well-prepared with compost and rotted manure. Ponder the possibilities in the heat of the day beneath a broad-brimmed hat with an icy drink in hand. Though the road may seem steep and strewn with rubble, take heart. What seems at fi st sight like hell could turn out to be heaven-sent in the end.—Cathy Clary ABODE 41

PrivAte GAted equestriAn estAte community nestled within the Jefferson seA

less trAffic & drive time to the downtown mAll & uvA thAn Any other community in chArlottesville.

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willow bend fArm . $729k . 3200 sq ft . 21 PArtiAlly wooded & PAstured Acres

R E A L E S TAT E

ON THE MARKET

Tight market Inventory is low for vacant urban lots

ROBERT LLEWELLYN

crolling lazily through the MLS, looking for a vacant city lot on which to build your dream home? You can scroll to your heart’s content, but you’re not too likely to nab your quarry. “They don’t come on the market very often at all, but when decent lots do come on the market, they’re gone within a day,” says Lindsay Milby, associate broker with Loring Woodriff. Part of the reason: Builders and developers are always on the hunt for attractive city lots, and often approach property owners privately. Thus, sales happen without the properties ever officially going on the market. Same goes for larger lots that can be subdivided—the pros are on the case. Just outside city limits, Milby says, lots may linger a teensy bit longer, but still go quickly. If you want to make a serious attempt at finding a lot to purchase (and if you have no relevant personal connections), Milby recommends just driving around the city with your eyes peeled. Spot something? Find the nearest address and use it to search public records to find out whether the “vacant lot” is indeed a separate property, or just an extra-large one attached to a house next door. “It’s not easy, and it takes time and a lot of effort,” she says. (Occasionally, those large lots can be subdivided—if they have enough road frontage and the proper zoning.) If you do locate something you like, know that the property owner has likely been approached by other parties in the past. “A lot of it is timing,” says Milby. “It’s all a matter of, are they willing to do it now?” And, of course, it’s about making the right offer. Consider not only what number would be attractive to a potential seller, but the long-term implications of your investment. In the city, says Milby, the value of a property is usually about 30 percent in the land, 70 percent in structures. Using neighborhood comparables, you can roughly price an empty lot accordingly, keeping in mind the eventual resale value. “If the houses in the neighborhood around you are priced at $400,000, you can’t spend $200,000 on a lot, because you would be pricing yourself out of the

If you’ve found a lot in the city (what luck!), you’ll need to think about everything from the value of what you’re putting on it to the city’s tap fees.

neighborhood once you put the structure on that property,” says Milby. What about buying an existing house in order to tear it down and rebuild? Prices are usually prohibitive, Milby says. “Sellers expect someone to come in and rehab them, rather than knock them down,” she says. Considering all the costs —buying a house, having it demolished, then building anew—the numbers rarely work. Ready for some good news? “Once you find the lot, confi ming that your project will work on it is not hard,” Milby says. It’s a good idea to connect with a builder or architect early in the process, so that you’ll have a clear idea of the footprint of your proposed building. Will you be able to fit a house and, say, a garage on a narrow lot? Or is the lot potentially too steep to

build on? You can check your plans against setback and other requirements through the city’s Neighborhood Development Services. There are a few other things to consider. Building a new house means paying a “tap fee” to hook up to city water and sewer service (which can be close to $10,000), and may also require you to put in a sidewalk. Finally, it’s a good idea to make sure you have an up-to-date survey, in order to protect yourself from nasty surprises like utility easements or encroachments from neighboring properties. This is another expense—roughly $500 to $1,000. It may not be easy, but it sure is a nice dream to put a new house on an unbuilt city lot. And it is possible—after all, we’re not Manhattan (yet).—Erika Howsare

“A lot of it is timing,” says realtor Lindsay Milby. “It’s all a matter of, are [the owners] willing to do it now?” ABODE 43

44 ABODE

Country Living in Virginia D UCE

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Peter Wiley 434.422.2090 Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated.

vafarmandestate.com

ABODE 45

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ROOM OF THE MONTH

Opening up After an exhaustively rainy May, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking forward to clear skies and sunshine. This home in Hyland Ridge from Southern Development Homes gets it right: Double-height walls in the open great room let the light in, but the space remains cozy enough for a good book and a glass of iced tea. Bring on summer.

VIRGINIA HAMRICK

46 ABODE

C OU N T RY L I V I N G I N V I RG I N IA RE

C DU

FRANKHARDY.COM RE

C DU

THE BARRINGER - This 5th floor condo is ideally situated with close proximity to the UVA campus, directly behind the UVA Medical Center. The over 1200sf unit covers two floors with outdoor balcony, wood floors, two bedrooms and two full baths. Kitchen has granite counter tops and all stainless steel appliances. Some furniture included. MLS# 434838 $495,000. Ann Hay Hardy 202.297.0228

FOX ACRES - Between Charlottesville and Richmond. Charming brick cape cod set on 14.5 acres. Gently rolling pastoral and pond views. 5 bdrms and 7 bthrms. High vaulted ceilings and 1st floor master suite. Country style kitchen has granite island and wood beamed ceilings. Formal living and dining room, family room and library. The perfect country home, complete with pool and artist studio. MLS# 531788 $699,000. Ann Hay Hardy 202.297.0228

FAIRWAY DRIVE – Perfectly located, fully furnished, residence on private waterfront lot of 2.6 acres in gated community with views of the surrounding Pete Dye designed golf course, Broadmoor Lake, and Blue Ridge Mountains. Low maintenance country home with over 11,000 sq. ft with tumbled marble flooring, chef ’s kitchen, 5 bedrooms, state of the art security system and Lutron lighting system. Ideal for entertaining with a beautiful billiard room, home theatre, wine cellar, and outdoor kitchen. MLS# 540446 $4,395,000. Frank Hardy 434.296.0134

SPOTSWOOD - Extraordinary brick Georgian home, completely renovated and updated with modern convenience in a private country setting of 72 acres only 8 miles from Charlottesville. The residence, in superb condition, combines a modern feel throughout with a thoughtfully designed floor plan, featuring a fabulous gourmet kitchen and spacious first floor master suite with 3 additional bedrooms on the second floor. A restored log and frame guest cabin, 3 stall center aisle barn board fenced paddocks, and mountain views complete this offering. MLS# 539939 $2,950,000. Frank Hardy 434.296.0134

MARIAH - Situated along a country lane near Charlottesville, this 75 acre property is simply spectacular. Panoramic mountain views, sweeping countryside, and a residence that embodies the best features and materials available. 7 bedrooms, gourmet kitchen, formal living and dining rooms, tap room, elevator, and beautiful in-ground pool. Covered morning and evening flagstone porches provide sunrise and sunset views. Guest House, equestrian barn, paddocks and trails. MLS#543655. $5,995,000. Frank Hardy 434.296.0134

MOUNT AIR - Extraordinary estate offering 870 acres of flawless natural beauty with dramatic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and frontage along the Lynch River. The elegant 4-story brick main residence overlooks a lake and adjoins the indoor pool. The property provides a full complement of farm buildings and 4 additional residences, including the original farm house. The land is well suited for livestock, horses, a vineyard or agricultural operations. MLS# 528320 $12,800,000. Frank Hardy 434.296.0134

© MMXV Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. All Rights Reserved. Hamlet at Payannet near Gardanne used with permission. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a licensed trademark to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity . Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated.

401 Park Street Charlottesville, VA 22902

434.977.4005 lwoodriff@loringwoodriff.com

A ROSEMONT HOME WITH WOW FACTOR!

REDUCED – COVETED CITY LOCATION

3340 rosedeLL LAne $975,000 Exquisitely situated custom-built Cedar Shake-shingle home in Ivy’s Rosemont neighborhood sporting spectacular views of Ragged Mountain from the flagstone front porch on 3.32 acres. This property shines with a grand master bedroom suite on the first floor, open floor plan for kitchen, dining, and keeping rooms. Vaulted ceilings with built-in shelving accentuate the library and great room. Plantation shutters and custom window treatments gleam throughout, along with hardwood floors. Additional features include 2 fireplaces, two bedrooms upstairs, spacious photo studio with separate entrance. Added bonuses include a screenedin porch, three-car garage, electric pet fence, and newly paved driveway. Courtney Sargeant (434) 293-4319.

1115 HILLTOP ROAD • $1,525,000 Stately residence on one of the city’s most desirable streets offering 6 bedrooms, 5.5 baths, 4 fireplaces and endless 1920’s character and construction quality. Comprehensive renovations just completed include a new eat-in kitchen with fireplace, a just created, detached home office space or teen recreation area. MLS# 542484

IMMACULATE IN OLD TRAIL

MOUNTAIN VIEWS & NEARBY TRAILS

LIGHT-DRENCHED IN ASHCROFT

8119 WEST END DRIVE • $410,000 Great floor plan – fabulous gourmet kitchen with granite counters, large island with breakfast bar. The second floor offers a master suite with a tiled master bath with frameless shower. Backs up to a private property and is adjacent to an open lot that cannot be developed. Mollie Krebs (434) 284-2951. MLS# 546213

1743 HYLAND CREEK CIRCLE • $524,900 First floor master bedroom and dramatic high ceilings, 2nd bedroom/ study, living room with gas log fireplace, gourmet kitchen with island, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, and a breakfast bar. Upstairs an additional 2 bedrooms and full bathroom give you plenty of space and flexibility. Inessa Telefus (434) 989-1559. MLS# 545234

60 BIRCH LANE • $610,000 A lovely, privately landscaped 1-acre lot enjoys the perfect balance of sun and shade. Open floorplan with cathedral ceilinged great room opening to fully equipped kitchen, breakfast nook & rear deck/patio. Separate living, dining & study, hardwood floors throughout the main level, 5 bedrooms, 3.5 baths. Joan Jay (434) 906-1806. MLS# 545961

ANTIQUE MELDS WITH MODERN IN IVY

ON 3 ACRES IN MURRAY SCHOOL DISTRICT

PRIVATE FARMINGTON ESTATE

2945 MORGANTOWN ROAD • $849,000 This new construction 4 bedroom brick home with in-law or guest suite (includes a 5th bedroom, 4th full bath) over the garage exemplifies the appeal of utilizing reclaimed materials within a bright, open layout. Exposed, reclaimed beams, wide plank pine floors, 5 fireplaces, and an eat-in kitchen. MLS# 545938

680 BROAD AXE ROAD • $585,000 Traditional style with contemporary flair. Large kitchen with walkin pantry & new stainless appliances adjoins a fantastic screen porch nestled into a serene, semi-wooded lot. Great room with floor-to-ceiling windows, soaring stone fireplace & cathedral ceiling. Elizabeth Feil Matthews (434) 284-2105. MLS# 546428

BOXWOOD HILL • $3,950,000 This outstanding Georgian with exceptional 1st floor design, offers great flow for entertaining & casual living, with dramatic dining & living rooms opening to the rear porch & expansive lawn. 4 fireplaces, chef’s kitchen, Vermont Slate roof, copper gutters, elevator. Pristine condition on 5 acres. Sally Neill (434) 531-9941. MLS# 545289

FARMHOUSE CHARM – VENABLE SCHOOL DISTRICT

1107 RUGBY ROAD • $499,000 Charming, extensively remodeled Farmhouse minutes to UVA. Enter into the main level with 10 ft ceilings, heart pine floors, living room with fireplace & built-ins. Welcoming deep covered front porch, huge screened rear porch, brick and stone walk ways & mature garden spaces. Erin Garcia (434) 981-7245. MLS# 546235

2175 Anderson LAne $669,000

IMPECCABLY MAINTAINED ASHCROFT HOME

Quietly tucked away on a serene lot with luscious landscaping, winter mountain views, and a nearly level fenced yard. So many outdoor spaces to enjoyscreened porch, brick paver patio, covered front porch, etc. Kitchen with granite counters opens to great room with stone covered wood burning fireplace and custom built-ins. Master with vaulted ceilings, his & hers vanities and closets, and steam shower. Lower level has a newly added full bath, great room addition, kitchenette with granite counter, two cedar closets, & plenty of storage. Lisa Lyons (434) 987-1767. MLS# 546969