C-VILLE Abode: August 2016

Inside.

Outside.

Home.

AUGUST 2016

Vinegar Hill Theatre gets a second life in film

An 1880s farmhouse meets the modern age

In the mix North of Charlottesville, a classic poolhouse joins a bucolic landscape

Life in style

A second-generation designer keeps tradition

Make a splash Water-blue tiles for a summery kitchen

Sketch artist Jessie Chapman’s art in architecture

A SAMPLE OF 2016 SALES

MILLRACE FARM ~ 172 acre turn-key Free Union farm with beautiful Blue Ridge views and long Buck Mountain Creek frontage. The custom, 3,700 sq. ft. timber-frame home enjoys a private, picturesque setting. A restored 1800’s log home serves as a guesthouse to the residence. Not under conservation easement.

SOUTHERN LIVING IDEA HOUSE ~ Once in a lifetime opportunity to own the 2015 Southern Living Idea House located at Bundoran Farm! Southern Living only builds one of these per year nationwide, so this home is truly unique.

This stunning custom home will feature in the August 2015 edition of Southern Living magazine. Amazing attention to detail and luxury finishes throughout.

3622 BLANDEMAR DRIVE ~ 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.

801 LOCUST AVENUE ~ Gorgeous home in a park like downtown setting; acreage added by current owner....wait till you see the view from the new deck. Kitchen and dining area completely renovated and enlarged in 2010 plus many other improvements including 670 square foot deck and awning system, family room with patio etc. Combo room in lower level often used as a bedroom/apartment.

623 HINTON AVENUE ~ It’s hard to get much closer to the Downtown Mall and still be in Belmont! This quintessential Belmont home offers original hardwood floors and millwork and great natural light throughout. Priced below most condos while enjoying the same convenience to downtown without an HOA. Updated systems and a great, fenced backyard.

BUCK MOUNTAIN TRACT ~ In the heart of Farmington Hunt Country, beautiful Blue Ridge views, a healthy pond and stream and rolling open land with numerous building sites. Perfect as a small horse farm, retreat or primary residence. Adjacent to protected land. 5 division rights.

Peter Wiley 434.422.2090 Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated.

vafarmandestate.com

The location of this month’s featured landscape was originally the homeowners’ favorite spot on the property to camp. Accordingly, the connection between land and structure was a necessary one in the development of their 76 acres. Read more on page 22.

BILL MAUZY

Blueprint 9

Jessie Chapman’s visual approach, Vinegar Hill’s second act, why you might benefit from a portico and more.

Real Estate 37

A city home in need of reconfiguration.

Room of the Month 38 A Fluvanna pool beautiful from every symmetrical angle.

Cover photo by Bill Mauzy 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 LANDSCAPE 22

HOME 31

Time travel

Finer farmhouse

The secondary home of a Washington, D.C.based couple and their two kids needed to maximize the sense of escape from the city.

In his role as both architect and landscape architect, Jay Monroe helped site a cottage for the family that offered a broad, rolling view of fields and woods.

When David and Sissy Perdue first glimpsed the property they were interested in buying, they knew—despite some obvious drawbacks— it was their future home. The 1880s farmhouse had undergone multiple renovations and, with the help of residential designer Peter LaBau, was about to undergo one more.

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. Advertising Director Erica Gentile. Retail Advertising Manager Jim Kelly. Senior Account Executive Greg Allen. Account Executive Theressa Leak. Classified Account Executive Justin McClung. New Account Specialist Chaney Hambrick. Production Coordinator Faith Gibson. Publisher Aimee Atteberry. Chief Financial Officer Debbie Miller. Circulation Manager Billy Dempsey. Account Manager Randi Henry. ©2016 C-VILLE Weekly.

ABODE 5

ABODE

T

EVENTS THIS MONTH

T

WE IS S

ARCHITECT

TELEPHONE OR TEXT: 434.242.9288 EMAIL: SCOTT@WEISS-ARCH.COM WEBSITE: WWW.WEISS-ARCH.COM

Make the Make MOVE the SMART SMART MOVE

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. albemarle history.org

Monticello Sunset Pass Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, 1-8pm (house tours begin at 5:30pm) Get an exclusive look at the Little Mountain after hours with guided tours of Monticello’s gardens and Mulberry Row. Following the house tour, drink in the late-afternoon views from the mountaintop. $55.

Monticello, 931 Thomas Jefferson Pkwy. monticello.org

Dodd Cabin Tours Sundays, 2-5pm

■ Direct service to 30 states ■ STORAGE until you want delivery ■ Climate-controlled Direct service to 30warehouse states ■ ■ Fully STORAGE you wantpersonnel delivery ■ trained,until experienced ■ Licensed, Climate-controlled warehouse ■ fully insured ■ Call Fullyfor trained, ■ a freeexperienced estimate personnel ■ Licensed, fully insured ■ Call for a free estimate

(434) 977-2705 • www.studentservicesmoving.com (434) 977-2705 • www.studentservicesmoving.com

6 ABODE

Built circa 1781, Dodd Cabin is the former home of a Civil War veteran who purchased the land after a grant was given by King George III to Rachel Morrison in 1772. The cabin was last occupied in 1955

by Emma Dodd and is now open for tours. Beech Grove Road (Route 664 just east of the entrance to Wintergreen Resort in Roseland).

263-7015.

Tufton Fern Walk Thursday, August 18, 9:30-11:30am Peggy Cornett leads this cross-country walk through natural woodland, pointing out native plants. In all, it’s a two-mile hike, so wear appropriate hiking shoes and be prepared for briar scratches, spiderwebs and uneven terrain. $18. Meet at Monticello’s Tufton Farm, 931 Thomas Jefferson Pkwy. monticello.org

Advance tickets on sale Aug. 12th • $75 through Aug. 31st, then $125

Building Goodness Foundation

battle of the bands and

rockin'

auction FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16

The Jefferson Theater Charlottesville, Virginia • 7-11 pm

bar & auction gallery open at 6 pm

auction

music

Bid on fabulous items!

Vote for best band!

Ferguson Shopping Spree

Rockfish Gap 180

featuring SubZero & Wolf

Billy & the Bobcats

Custom Outdoor Grill & Countertop

Event presented by

California Beach Vacation

Info and tickets at buildinggoodness.org/battle Building Goodness Foundation buildinggoodness.org • (434) 973-0993

How will you customize

YOUR NEW HOME?

Michelle Pike (434) 951-5127

MPikeRealtor@gmail.com

www.ProffitRidge.com Proffit Crossing Lane, Charlottesville, VA 22911

Yesterday’s Neighborhood Today

Emerson

COMMONS

Front porch living! Find out about the modern Danish village concept of cohousing. Private homes, public spaces.

Pedestrian-friendly new homes in Crozet, VA with a beautiful club house, pool and old-fashioned community feel.

Learn more at www.emersoncommons.org or 540-250-3261 8 ABODE

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

Blueprint ARCHITECTURE

Vinegar Hill: take two FINISHES

Pondering a portico?

Start here ELEMENTS

Michelle Willis Adams on style

A LINE TO DESIGN

Artist architect Jessie Chapman connects sketch and structure

Often asked to do the “hard stuff” (anything made of stone, metal or wood) when working with landscape architects, Jessie Chapman was given the task of creating garden structures intended to recall the agrarian past of this landscape in the Hamptons. BARNEY SLOAN

ABODE 9

BLUEPRINT

I

ARCHITECTURE

n a way, one might say Jessie Chapman is getting back to basics. While many architects have gotten out of the practice of sketching their designs as the use of computers becomes more prevalent (and more timeeffective), she prefers to put pen to paper. She says it helps her see more carefully.

“When you draw something by hand, onlocation, you start to realize how subtle plays of depth and shadow affect the whole of a composition,” says Chapman, who founded Sketchwell Architecture and Design. “Or you might find that there’s an acoustical side effect to a material or form.”

She works with international nonprofit Urban Sketchers, which promotes the practice of drawing on location, and has painted watercolors locally—of UVA’s pavilions, the Barboursville ruins—and internationally—a skyline in Rome, a castle in the Bay of Naples, Italy.

Currently she’s practicing in town with residential designer Peter LaBau. “We share an enthusiasm for American architecture that is essential to the way we work,” Chapman says.

We asked her to tell us more about sketching on-site and the important role of art in her work.

“You never know what you might discover,” she says, “and that’s what design is all about.”— Caite White Honestly, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. I’m a problem-solver by nature, and this practice allows me to apply that skill in interesting ways. Architecture shapes the way people live, how they see things and how they interact. I hope that my work helps people to live better, more simply and with more appreciation for beauty.

BARNEY SLOAN

Why architecture?

In retrospect, it’s no surprise that I chose this field. I grew up in Baltimore at a time when there 10 ABODE

AMY JACKSON

What was your childhood like, and how did it lead you to design?

AMY JACKSON

I moved to Charlottesville for graduate school and then fell in love with the place. It’s a sophisticated, comfortable town that’s filled with smart people who recognize good design. Virginia is rich with architectural history, and of course that’s another reason to like living here.

My first summer job in grad school was to measure Pavilion VII in preparation for restoration.

We measured and drew everything, from stair treads to moulding profiles. Sitting outside sketching the rear pergola some 20 years later seemed like a fitting way to remember that summer.

BARNEY SLOAN

Why did you choose to practice in Virginia?

was a lot of interest in reviving historic buildings and neighborhoods. My mom grew up in New York City, in a family of artists and engineers, so everyone drew. On my dad’s side there are a lot of psychiatrists. I read that kids of psychiatrists often go into a creative field, but that they are motivated by the idea of healing.

Residential architecture is extraordinarily intimate, which makes it fascinating and rewarding. A client has to feel complete confidence in order to convey what’s important.

There’s a lot of interpreting in my work, because I need to help people see. That’s why I spend time developing my skills through sketching. It helps me translate things quickly, whether it’s The integrated fountain at this beach house (also pictured below) in Wainscott, New York, gives a sense of privacy to a tight property. The texture of the stonework plays with the sunlight, bouncing it back into the living area of the house, and the sound of the water provides cover for the inevitable hum of nearby activity. Chapman also designed the patio at Mediterranean restaurant Orzo on the south side of Main Street Market.

“When you draw something by hand, on-location, you start to realize how subtle plays of depth and shadow affect the whole of a composition.” for an owner, a cabinetmaker or an architectural review board.

In college, was there a standout teacher who had a lasting impact on you?

At Wellesley, I studied art history, and I became even more interested in architecture when I decided to spend my junior year in Rome. I visit whenever I have the chance, and it never fails to teach me something. So can I call Rome my standout teacher from college?

After college, I worked for a firm in New York City that specialized in historic preservation. We worked with chemists, art conservators and sculptors. My boss knew everything about the Federal style. He had restored Gracie Mansion (built in 1799), in fact. Working there provided a small window into the tremendous amount of

effort and talent that goes into building and maintaining a great city.

I came to UVA to pursue a master’s degree in architectural history. I was heading in the direction of a Ph.D. when I discovered that I wanted to be a designer rather than a scholar. So I completed the Master of Architecture degree, and I suppose the combination of degrees allows me to be both. Peter and I have an affection for old buildings and a love for books about old buildings. The library is an important part of our practice. Architecture is a language and, to me, it is important to study precedent and context.

For residential work, I find a certain comfort in exploring themes that have been established and adapted over the centuries.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 13

ABODE 11

COME HOME TO

Historic Staunton, Virginia Newton Historic District Stunning custom renovated city residence and gardens. The home boasts an unparalleled attention to detail. Light-filled w/gleaming wood floors, high ceilings, elegant mouldings, custom built-ins, white Carerrra marble.

Kithchen w/48in Wolf stove, Subzero & Viking. Landscaped gardens, mature boxwoods. Adjacent lot w/vegetable garden. $569,000 | MLS 547235

Augusta County

540.448.3145 Cell 540.886.3447 Office www.allenpersinger.com

12 ABODE

Spectacular Views

Spectacular Shenandoah Valley views from this custom built home situated on an elevated lot. The home’s floor plan maximizes its living and storage space. New rear deck. Great room creates a welcoming living space.

Master suite. Large living area in the basement with custom built-in shelves and woodstove. $329,000 | MLS 548442

Fulton House, Ca. 1860

This commanding residence is prominently situated on .50 acres in the Gospel Hill Historic District.

Large welcoming foyer, gleaming oak floors, abundant windows, handsome mantels & leaded glass. Large eat-in kitchen, 4 bedroom/3 bathrooms. Rare wooden carriage house with native trees and shrubs. $419,000 | MLS 544898

One-of-a-Kind Masterpiece SHERWOOD, ca. 1845 One of Staunton’s most prominent residences, Sherwood is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. Situated on 1.29 acres, steps to downtown.

Comfortable and elegant with extensive updates. Three finished floors, basement, detached garage. Replacement windows, 2 heat pumps, gas hot water heat. New slate roof (2011), copper gutters, in-ground pool. A private lane accesses the property. $735,000 | MLS 541497

Allen Persinger, Jr., REALTOR RE/MAX Advantage 413 N. Coalter Street Staunton, Virginia 24401

BLUEPRINT

ARCHITECTURE

COMMERCIAL BREAK

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

Vinegar Hill, the sequel

I’ve had so many great teachers over the years.

In school, you only learn a sliver of what the broad and varied field of architecture is. Once you’re out of school, you need mentors to show you how things are done. Bahlmann Abbott was one of the standout mentors in the early part of my career. He taught me patience and precision, and passed on his love of the subtleties of old farmhouses.

Designing a second life for a beloved theater

On process: How does it begin?

Lots of questions. And establishing a good rapport through conversations and images. I always tell clients, “What you don’t like is just as important as what you do like.” And I encourage them to share images, ideas, materials and their specific thoughts and reactions. Most important to me is that the client’s vision is realized, not mine.

Our clients. I love it when they know exactly what they want to do, and I love it when they’re lost at sea, needing direction. Peter and I had a client who’s in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and his knowledge of late 18th-century American architecture was astonishing. He’s an extraordinary musician, but he’s really turned on by historic panel details and construction techniques. It’s a joy to work with someone with that level of enthusiasm and intelligence. Then there are the people who have a more abstract spatial need: a better kitchen for entertaining, or improved connection to the garden.

What are you working on now?

A family came to us recently with a child who has exceptional needs. That kind of work is extremely personal, and I absolutely love it. A thoughtfully designed addition will make a huge impact on how they live.

So much of what we do is educate people. You have to figure out how they communicate, and how they perceive things. Some people don’t understand two-dimensional drawings at all. My job is to make sure they do understand the design. For most people, building a house or renovating a kitchen might be the most expensive and stressful thing they’ll ever do. In today’s world, everyone is overwhelmed by choices and data. I try to limit the options by picking a few good things based on my understanding of who this person is and what the goals of the project are. Most days, it’s hard work and a lot of fun.

On the best days, it really does change people’s lives, and someone gets to live joyfully in a space we’ve designed together. That makes me feel extraordinarily fortunate.

STEPHEN BARLING

What inspires you?

The renovated Vinegar Hill Theatre space now houses Light House Studio, and has a simple, bare-bones look of white walls and gray flooring.

W

hen Vinegar Hill Theatre closed its doors in 2013 after 37 years of showing independent films, many cinephiles in Charlottesville mourned its loss. So when the downtown building became the home of Light House Studio in May 2015, says Light House’s Brooks Wellmon, “There was a ton of community interest in preserving the theater.”

Light House is a 17-year-old nonprofit that puts movie cameras in the hands of local kids, and Wellmon says it had outgrown its former headquarters in the Live Arts building on Water Street. “We just needed more and more space,” she says.

Light House classes and camps for kids always culminate in screenings of students’ films, and with the acquisition of Vinegar Hill, that could now happen in a real-life theater. That was the good news; the challenge was to update the audio and visual equipment and to plan for lots more classroom and meeting space in the future.

Light House approached Wolf Ackerman to renovate Vinegar Hill and the restaurant space attached to it along West Market, as well as de-

sign a three-story Phase II addition behind the existing buildings.

Fred Wolf says that before the restaurant was added in the 1980s, the old theater had “a beautifully minimal, modernist façade. Our addition, which emphasizes simple wall planes and sections of glass, is meant to allude to that language.”

The renovated space has a functional, barebones look with gray concrete floors and white walls. Existing soapstone around the entrance exterior was preserved (along with the old concession booth) and a new paint job along the Market Street façade has a sly hidden meaning.

“It was meant to abstractly allude to a strip of film, with the windows becoming the frames of the film,” says Wolf.

Wellmon says the whole facility—especially the theater itself, which despite technical upgrades retains its old seats and familiar feel—will open to the public for screenings, Q&As with filmmakers and other events. In that way, the old Vinegar Hill will live on. “The community didn’t want to see it transformed beyond recognition,” she says.—Erika Howsare ABODE 13

WINDOWS • SIDING • DOORS FREE TRIPLE

PANE UPGRADE*

Awairndg!

W inn

*With Signature Series Gold Package

FREE ARGON* GAS & LOW E *With Signature Series Silver Plus Package

charlottesvillereplacementwindows.com

Call Today for FREE IN-HOME Consultation

(434) 465-6558 Class A Contractor # 2705145469 One offer per household.

Expires 8/31/2016

Curb Appeal

434-974-7295 Please visit us at www.caseyconcrete.com A Virginia Class “A” Contractor 14 ABODE

Casey Concrete, Inc. Charlottesville, VA

BLUEPRINT

FINISHES

Cover up Porticos not only look nice but can serve a porch-like function

Y

ou want a porch. But you’re afraid of commitment. Do you really want to spend the rest of your life with a whole deck hanging off the front of your house? Getting cold feet is understandable.

Perhaps a portico is more your speed.

“Generally I think of a portico as purely shelter for a doorway, whereas a porch is a space where you have chairs and tables and other items,” says Anne Mark, an architect for Johnson Craven & Gibson. “But I think they certainly can each serve a similar purpose.”

Amabel Shih of Dalgliesh Gilpin Paxton Architects agrees. She said porticos can even have seating in some cases.

So how do porticos play against porches, pound for pound? Local architects ponder the pressing questions.

The short answer is no. As long as the design is consistent with the rest of the house, porticos are for everyone. “In almost all cases, there is a way to add a portico that makes sense with the house,” Mark says.

True, porticos include columns, and columns can be fancy. But Shih says different types of columns, such as a square as opposed to ornate cylinders, can relate to most styles. Her firm has even added a portico to a garage.

“You need to think about the style of your home in terms of its architecture,” Mark says.

“You need to balance it with the mass of the house. Hopefully the architect understands the style of the home, whether Craftsman or Georgian or modern, and works within the parameters.”

What do I get out of it?

Porticos denote a doorway and give you a place to set things down while opening your door without soaking your slip-ons, according to Mark. Porticos also tend to look nice, Shih says, so they can crank up your curb appeal.

Aren’t porticos hard to install?

Putting a small addition on your home at an entryway might be easier than you think, according to Shih. Adding mass to the front of your home is often easier than removing things,

PHILIP BEAURLINE

Are porticos just for fancy houses?

Porti-code But really, what is a portico? By most definitions, the common feature of Greek architecture is a porch-like structure supported by columns positioned at an entryway. It’s not as deep as a porch but can have limited living areas. “Portico” can also refer to a covered walkway supported by columns.

Suffice it to say columns are key, and the different types of porticos are defined by the number of columns used to support them. One-column porticos are known as henostyle, two columns are distyle, three columns are tristyle and four supports denotes tetrastyle.—S.G.

and the addition can solve architectural bugaboos, like a stairway that’s too close to the door. The portico can include a bump out, Shih says, and build a buffer between guests and intimate spaces like bathrooms as they arrive in your home.

Mark says porticos can, however, present some structural concerns. “You are clearly going to have to look at the relationship to the windows if you have a second story or the roof if you have a one-story house—and how it then relates to the street or how one enters the house,” she says.

Will a portico add value?

This is a tough one to answer, Mark and Shih agree, since porticos don’t offer the tangible benefits of, say, an upgraded kitchen or bathroom.

But Shih says front elevation on a home is important, and buyers will see that immediately as they approach the property. Adding a structure like a portico also gives you the ability to add other functional areas, she says, like a space that can work as a mudroom.

Mark says porticos are all about the curb appeal.

“I’m not sure what that value would be, but in some cases it might be a lot,” she says.—Shea Gibbs ABODE 15

Trim Size 3.625 x 4.75

Your home financing goals deserve our attention

Contact us today!

Wells Fargo Home Mortgage — Charlottesville 123 E. Main Street 4th Floor Charlottesville, VA 22902 434-244-3995 www.wfhm.com/charlottesville

photo by Andrea Hubbell

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.

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.

AS2227779 Expires 05/2017

ALBEMARLE COUNTERTOP COMPANY 1117- A East Market Street | Charlottesville, Virginia 22902 434-971-1602

Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards

RESIDENTIAL

•

COMMERCIAL in partnership with

ARTERRA

DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION 16 ABODE

•

AGRICULTURAL

George Abetti, Geobarns, LLC (603) 359-1912 www.geobarns.com Matthew Crane, Arterra, LLC (434) 981-4961 www.arterradesign.com

BLUEPRINT

ELEMENTS

AT HOME WITH...

Early inspiration A

second-generation interior designer, Michelle Willis Adams grew up “assisting” her mother, who had a design business in New York and Rappahannock, Virginia. She can remember sitting at her mother’s clients’ kitchen tables, “listening to them discuss fabrics and furniture arrangements,” she says. “I also remember browsing many antiques shops and going to auctions with mom, which I loved.”

No doubt that early exposure helped shape her own taste and sensibilities: The Charlottesville-based designer specializes in traditional, historic design, and loves colors and textures.

But, she says, she’s enjoying contemporary items more and more. We asked her to tell us about her favorite things—including which room in her own home shes loves the most.—Caite White

She has designed everything from townhouses to castles, and she employs a fabulous mix of old and new, color and neutrals, with beautifully executed custom sewing.

What are you afraid to DIY?

Décor-wise, what should a homeowner never scrimp on?

Yes, I enjoy contemporary items more and more.

Don’t feel you must match everything. Complementary colors or multiple shades of a color used together are often more interesting. It is nice for homes to look like they have evolved over time and not been purchased straight from a showroom.

On what movie set would you like to live?

Antique or modern?

What do you wish you could do without?

The desk in the Oval Office or the ceilings in the Vatican. Why not think big? Think of all the history to be experienced.

If you can only afford to do one space well, then focus on the one you spend the most time in, such as the family room, kitchen or study. You will feel like you are on vacation when you are home.

Design rule you like to break?

Television. It is not attractive and it can consume a lot of time, but I get hooked.

An eclectic mix of both. I love the weight, quality and patina of antiques and have been a longtime collector, but I find them more interesting and current when mixed with contemporary art, modern or transitional lighting fixtures, glass and metal tables, glazed garden stools and more.

For anything electrical, I use professionals.

Have you ever had a change of heart about an object or style?

If you could live in one historical figure’s house, whose would it be?

I love Monticello. How could you not? It is elegant, yet not pretentious. I see and learn something new every time I am there. And the surrounding countryside is so beautiful.

It is really a TV set, but I would vote for Downton Abbey. I spend half the show admiring the rooms.

If you were reborn as a piece of furniture or an object what would it be?

Which colors do you gravitate toward?

All shades of blue attract me, [especially when] warmed up with a little red, camel or brown.

What materials or textures do you frequently use in your own home?

Blue and white porcelain, books, very soft-tothe-touch fabrics such as velvet and chenille.

What is your favorite interior designrelated word?

Personal or individualistic.

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

Yes, my family has given me many antiques, Oriental rugs and accessories, which are beautiful and have family history. And I use the same color palette as my parents: cobalt, russet and camel. Throughout the years, family pieces have traveled back and forth between our houses.

A gorgeous lighting fixture, rug or piece of art are desirable. Live plants or fresh flowers are wonderful. Family photos personalize a space.

Favorite designer?

I greatly admire British designer Nina Campbell.

EZE AMOS

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

Michelle Willis Adams says her favorite room in her home is the light-filled family room. “I enjoy looking out at the ever-changing colors of the treetops,” she says.

ABODE 17

D I S C O V E R

Superior craftsmanship that stands the test of time.

For more information visit www.dominioncustomhomes.com or call us at 434-975-1166.

The curtain rises on another day

IN HISTORIC ABINGDON.

HOW WILL YOU SPEND IT? Catch a performance at

BARTER THEATRE. Pedal along the scenic

VIRGINIA CREEPER TRAIL. Sample the cuisine including

LOCAL BEER AND WINE.

888.489.4144 · visitabingdonvirginia.com

18 ABODE

BLUEPRINT

ELEMENTS

Water feature

Summer may be winding down, but there’s still one way to make a splash. (Backsplash, that is.) Here are a few summer-inspired blues from Wainwright Tile & Stone.

ABODE 19

luxury redefined architecture + interior design

20 ABODE

“They took our vision and created a dream home. Cathy Cherry and her team performed exceptionally well every step of the way.�

charlottesville, va 434.245.2211

purplecherry.com

annapolis, md ABODE 21 410.990.1700

22 ABODE

Time travel A country landscape spans the centuries

BY ERIKA HOWSARE PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL MAUZY

ABODE 23

DOWN IN

FRONT

Janice is a Belmont Resident and proud sponsor...

BELMONT BASH 2016!

SATURDAY, SEPT. 17th @ BELMONT PARK 2-6PM

WE LIVE HERE. WE PLAY HERE.

JANICE KAVANAGH REALTOR® Janice@NestRealty.com 434.760.0739 LivingBelmont.com

PHOTO: TOM DALY

FOOD TRUCKS LIVE MUSIC KIDS ACTIVITIES

Showcasing the famous and almost famous since 1989. A weekly events calendar, reviews, expert picks, and choice insight on the local music scene. Highbrow to lowbrow.

This is our town.

IfIfyou it, youcan can dream dream it,

canmake make it!

IIcan it!

Consulting on Design & Materials Measuring & Estimating Fabric Needs Sewing & Installation Hunter Douglas Blinds

.com

Cathy Mares i

Custom Sewing

i

Upholstery Window Treatments – Valances, Shades, Draperies Home Fashions – Pillows, Pillow Shams, Dust Ruffles, Duvet Covers, Bedding, Cushions Upholstery

& Shadeson Consulting Design & Materials Shop our wide variety of designer fabric samples or bring your own – Window Treatments Measuring Estimating | 1738 Allied Valances, Shades, |Draperies 434.984.0933 | & cathym@cmcsew.com Street, Charlottesville Near Circa Fabric Needs Home Fashions – Sewing & Installation Pillows, Pillow Shams, Dust Ruffles, Duvet Covers, Caco and Lafayette Bedding, Cushions Blinds & Shades

Shop our wide variety of designer fabric samples or bring your own

Come visit our new showroom located at 1724 Allied St 434.984.0933 | cathym@cmcsew.com Workroom: 1738 Allied Street, Charlottesville | Near Circa 24 ABODE

A flat yard subtly draws people out onto a shady promontory under an umbrella of four honey locust trees, planted in a simple square.

T

he weekend home of a Washington, D.C., couple sits not quite in the middle of their 76-acre property north of Charlottesville. They didn’t choose the most lofty site for their cottage, but instead gravitated toward a spot that snuggles into a treeline and offers a broad, rolling view of fields and woods.

“This was our favorite campsite,” says one of the homeowners, remembering the years that she and her husband would bring their two children here for rustic getaways from their primary home. When they decided to build a cottage in 2002, architect Jay Monroe’s task was to maximize the sense of escape.

“It’s a refuge from the city,” says Monroe. His role as both architect and landscape architect allowed him to enhance the home site his clients had chosen. Off one end of the cottage, for example, a flat yard subtly draws people out onto a shady promontory under an umbrella of four honey locust trees, planted in a simple square.

A semicircular stone wall gives the yard a clear boundary and echoes the house’s stone chimney.

“This is the most valuable space in this complex, because it’s a real outdoor room,” says Monroe. He chose honey locust trees for their filtered shade and for the fact that they create little debris on the ground.

Another important move was to place the parking where it would not be seen from the house. A terraced bank planted with daylilies, oakleaf hydrangea and black locust trees hides the cars from anyone standing in the front yard.

Serviceberry, Siberian iris and native pachysandra are among the plants that enliven the area immediately around the structure.

“It’s the transition, the edge, where all the action happens in nature,” says Monroe. The house site, too, sits at an edge between woods and fields, and plantings help to delineate the different zones—for example, a sugar maple tree that marks the edge of the yard where it begins to “bleed out into the field,” as Monroe says.

Just visible from the cottage is the property’s newest structure: an infinity pool and poolhouse built in 2008. Here, an interest in formal architecture offers a foil to the vernacular style of the cottage; the poolhouse boasts a classical façade, and from it extends a Tennessee flagstone walkway, covered by a pergola (which is made, in a nod to modernity, from powdercoated steel). At the end of this axis is a covered outdoor dining area with views of two neighboring counties, framed by white columns.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 27

ABODE 25

Grow some REAL green this year...

save up to 60% on your energy bill & earn a 30% Tax Credit NOW!!

Airflow and Water Furnace can help you turn your backyard into a renewable energy source.

Now thru December 2016, get a 30% tax credit on any Water Furnace Geothermal System. Call for your FREE energy saving consultation today.

Learn more about Geothermal at: www.airflowhtgair.com/services/ how-geothermal-works.php

26 ABODE

434-979-4328

w w w. a i r f l ow - hv a c. co m Improving your comfort since 1988!

Belmont and Downtown

This beautiful, light-filled “freestanding town home” is architecturally unique, with floating stairs, 20’ 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 include variable 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. Freshly painted for our next owner. Immediate occupancy available.

MLS# 544537 $369,900

Roger Voisinet

Phone 434.981.1076 Email roger@cvilleproperties.com

Realty Specialists

355 West Rio Rd, #102 Charlottesville Va 22901

Simple mown paths through the hayfield complete the circuit between cottage, poolhouse and streambed, a journey that spans many environments and landscape concepts.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25

What makes this a pleasant place to eat dinner is the fact that existing trees to the west—basswood, honey locust, persimmon—were left undisturbed.

“They serve a wonderful shading purpose,” says Monroe. Fothergilla, dogwood, hydrangeas and ferns fill in the space along the flagstone.

While the buildings represent the clients’ and architect’s most visible interventions into this bucolic landscape, there are many other, less formal, instances of design around the acreage.

One of the homeowners is fond of crisscrossing his property on foot, dogs in tow, so one of Monroe’s earliest tasks in their 17-year relationship was to design a network of walking paths.

One of these leads to a faux stream, more than a quarter-mile long, which runs alongside a low, wet wooded area downhill from the cottage. A series of pools is linked by a rock-lined streambed and terminates in a small pond. “It was an opportunity to create a landscape feature,” says Monroe—and to introduce lots of native plants, from Virginiana magnolia to bald cypress. “It’s

a really rich habitat” for frogs and other wildlife, he adds.

Heading uphill again, one encounters an intermittent stream that has been transformed by a collection of native plants and something quite unusual—an architectural ruin that was dreamed up by the couple and designed by Monroe. “It’s a reference to childhood fantasy stories,” says Monroe—in this case, a historical settlement that could plausibly have been established, then abandoned, leaving these fragmented stone foundations among the trees.

The “millrace” to the mill that never existed does have a real function: to channel surface water into the drainage, flanked by plantings of false Solomon’s seal, bluebells and trillium.

Nearby, a thicket of native dogwoods, witch hazel, ironwood and hornbeam provides an inviting place for birds. The whole area is shaded by what Monroe calls “tortured” maple trees—multitrunked, knobby beasts replete with character— and a pin oak. “You can’t contrive these,” he says.

The couple’s appreciation of native plants sometimes means deliberate planting, as in the wildflower garden that lines a fence on the edge of the hayfield, and sometimes means just letting things be, like the native spicebush that fills in the understory below the maples.

Simple mown paths through the hayfield complete the circuit between cottage, poolhouse and streambed, a journey that spans many environments and landscape concepts. Maybe most importantly, it brings human occupants into contact with the land. As the homeowner says simply, “It gives you a place to walk.”

ABODE 27

Representing properties and advising clients since 1927.

Are you interested in buying, selling, or renting a home in the Central Virginia area?

Give us a call today at 434-951-5158.

Charlottesville: 434-951-5155 Greene: 434-985-2348 Zion Crossroads: 434-589-2611 Homes@RoyWheeler.com www.RoyWheeler.com

CHARLOTTESVILLE 1801 Seminole Trail (Rt. 29) | 434-974-6480 | Open Every Day www.grandhomefurnishings.com

28 ABODE

b blog

MITCHELL

юБо

AR CHITECTS

M AT T H E W S &

PL ANNERS

charlottesville, va ( 4 3 4 ) 9 7 9 - 7 5 5 0 e x t. 2 0 1

ABODE 29

ANN ARDEN HOME

your exclusive source for Italian leather furniture by

We offer white glove delivery service throughout Virginia and FREE in-store interior design consulations

30 ABODE

404 WEST MAIN STREET WAYNESBORO, VA 22980 1-540-949-5044 WWW.ANNARDENHOME.COM TUES - SAT 10-6, SUN 12-4

A FINER FARMHOUSE Making an 1800s home function for the millennium

This place looks nothing like a hay barn.

Yet there was a time, at some point in the early 20th century, when the Somerset farmhouse now belonging to David and Sissy Perdue was in fact used to store hay. Built in the 1880s as a two-over-two home for a family of chicken farmers, the house has passed through multiple phases, including additions and renovations by various owners.

BY ERIKA HOWSARE PHOTOGRAPHY BY VIRGINIA HAMRICK ABODE 31

32 ABODE

“T

here was a big renovation in the early ’80s,” says David. When he, Sissy and their three children moved here from Atlanta in 2003, that 20-year-old renovation was still in place. “There were a lot of things that bothered us,” he says. The kitchen was clearly outdated, and the room next to it was lined with unattractive casement windows.

There were more imperfections, but the full scope of the changes the Perdues wanted to make didn’t become clear for a while. In the meantime, they enjoyed the fantastic Blue Ridge views from their gently elevated site, along with the features that had attracted them to the property: the pool, the pond and river frontage on the Rapidan. David says they knew they loved it the minute they first pulled up the driveway: “We said, ‘I guess we need to look at it, but we know we’re buying it.’”

A similar stroke of intuition seems to have connected them with residential designer Peter LaBau several years later. LaBau, who specializes in historic structures, showed up on a whim one day along with a mutual friend. “I was just a passenger in the car,” he remembers. “Before we knew it, we were talking about the house.”

Once they became official clients and began laying out the program for the renovation, more and more goals joined the list. “The scope got bigger,” says Sissy. With three growing children and several dogs, there was a clear need for practical flow and adequate space.

Windows and doors Something less obvious needed to happen, too. At the time when the house was built, says LaBau, “People used the yard a lot, for cutting gardens, doing laundry, keeping livestock.

Your connection to the outdoors was different.” Additions over the decades had cut the house off from its immediate outdoor surroundings, and LaBau wanted to restore those ties.

That would require comprehensive thinking about inside and out. LaBau took as a starting point those unloved CONTINUED ON PAGE 35

Outdoor moves Cars and driveways seemed to surround the house when the Perdues bought it, and vehicles were often parked just a step or two from the home. One of their major goals, then, was to push vehicular activity further away, protecting their views and quietude. Fortunately, the property also came with a number of mature boxwoods that were able to be dug up and relocated, forming visual screens to hide the cars.

Once the cars were out of the way, outdoor living space became a lot more human-friendly. Landscape designer Schatzi McLean dreamed up an outdoor room next to the existing pool, providing needed shade. A large trellis supports a leafy “roof” of akebia quinata vine.

McLean also created a stone terrace and fire pit in a spot where the Perdues had gotten accustomed to making campfires. With flagstone and mature plantings, it looks quite intentional—a far cry from the spot where, as David remembers, “we used to put lawn chairs in the driveway.”—E.H.

ABODE 33

ALL THE NEWS THAT’S

CRAMER PHOTO

FIT TO EAT

Whether it’s with our online restaurant listings, or our weekly coverage of the local dining scene, C-VILLE’s always serving up a heaping helping of the best in local food. Get your fill every Wednesday in print or at c-ville.com/living, where the kitchen’s always open.

This is our town.

34 ABODE

.com

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 33

casement windows. These filled the walls of a room that flowed from the kitchen and served as combination casual dining space/living room.

While the west-facing room had great Blue Ridge views, the windows didn’t fit the house, which elsewhere retained original (and impressively sized) double-hungs. Even more importantly, the room opened onto a porch that, LaBau thought, could work much harder to draw people outside and, ultimately, into the yard.

He designed a wraparound porch on both the western and northern sides of the house, making lots more room for the Perdues to use the porch for different purposes, and connected to the interior through no fewer than five different doorways. “To have that flat yard as part of the house changes everything,” says David.

Judicious additions Other changes to the interior layout made for better flow and more opportunities to enjoy privacy—for example, pocket doors between two living spaces allow the younger Perdues to watch TV without the noise bothering their parents, when they are next door enjoying the fireplace.

David remembers one bothersome detail in particular: Anyone entering the house’s front door used to have an uninterrupted view of a powder room toilet at the end of the center hall. Simply moving the door of that powder room around the corner solved the problem.

Another puzzle was a bit more complicated: how to fit laundry and a mudroom into the existing layout. Ultimately, LaBau proposed a new addition that would carry those functions on the first floor, plus a kids’ playroom on the second, accessed by a back stair that would keep the noise of running feet out of the rest of the house. “We infilled that corner of the house,” he explains. David says that the addition adds huge practical value for his children in particular: “Peter was intuitive about the way they live.”

One of LaBau’s goals was to retain and enhance the original architectural details that he believes made the house special, if not as grand as some of its neighbors. “It’s an Italianate—pretty inspired,” he says. “The idea was to make it feel like a whole organism so the design elements flow from room to room.”

Using original windows wherever possible—often moving them from one spot to another—contributed to that effect, and so did the replication of original molding and trim pieces. All the authenticity provides a foil to Sissy’s eclectic interior design, which mixes antique furniture, flea-market finds, contemporary art and photography and taxidermy.

Details also serve to make the kitchen more congruent with the rest of the house. “The trick was to work with the profiles and shapes elsewhere in the house,” says LaBau. Honed granite countertops, painted cabinets and a custom painted pattern on the original wooden floor add up to a highly functional but aesthetically serene kitchen.

From the kitchen sink, one has a pleasing view of landscaping surrounding the pool, and a lawn shaded by old silver maples.

“The house has reconnected itself to the landscape,” says LaBau—and this time, not by storing hay.

Function meets form on the first floor, where Peter LaBau incorporated details like pocket doors and walls of windows to bring in the light. In the kitchen, shapes and profiles from elsewhere in the house tie the design together and incorporate granite countertops, painted cabinets and a custom painted floor on the original hardwoods.

ABODE 35

THE POWER IS YOURS

Do Good

Make Money www.SigoraSolar.com

Be Happy

R E A L E S TAT E

ON THE MARKET

Road warrior

Sizing up potential in a tricky location

T

BILL STORER

he first very important question for wouldbe buyers of 622 Watson Ave. is this: How much imagination do you have?

The question is key because the house, a 1930 foursquare, is ripe for a reno. It’s one of the older houses on the street, and in general it’s not the handsomest feller at the hoedown. Take the front porch, for example: The asphalt driveway terminates just a few feet from it; its ceiling has an intentional-but-puzzling slant, maybe 30 degrees or so; its posts are made of unfinished wood that seems out of place on this city dwelling.

These are the details that a design-minded person would immediately start to mentally renovate. Inside, there is plenty more such fodder. While solid, the house doesn’t have an abundance of original charm (apart from a few subtle things like doorknobs). And over the decades, it seems to have been treated to the kinds of updates—linoleum floors, odd carpeting, shortsighted laundry placement—that contribute to a downscale feel.

Let’s be clear: The house isn’t short on square It’ll take buyers with a vision to make a looker out of this Watson Avenue home near the 250 Bypass. footage, it’s just that the space could be carved up in a more functional, up-to-date way. Take here—even those that have a direct view of the the bedrooms. There are officially three, but one (no backyard to speak of) with some valuable bypass—are in most cases well loved and cared of those doubles as the access to a fourth room trees and a fairly new picket fence. for. Yards are tidy, and there’s a general sense of with uncertain function. Could these become a Now for the second very important question: well-being. Both houses immediately adjacent pleasant master suite of some kind? Perhaps a How do you feel about noise? to 622, for example, show evidence of current bedroom plus a large bathroom, dressing room Watson Avenue, if you’re not familiar, runs or recent renovations, some of them rather or sitting room? parallel to—and within spitting distance of—the nifty and modern. Right up the street is a Greek Other salient points about the structure: There 250 Bypass. Number 622 backs right up to the revival house with its own historic marker: is a downstairs den with built-in big road—closer than any other house Enderly, c. 1859, home of a Civil War-era clerk shelves and cabinets (and high winon the block, since it’s sited almost on of the Virginia House of Delegates. dows that probably preclude use as its rear property line —gaining little Northeast Park is a short walk away, and—oh an office). The full bathroom upaural protection from the narrow yeah, that’s right!—so is Downtown Charlottesstairs was renovated in the recent band of bamboo and trees on the Address: 622 Watson Ave. ville. Which explains the price tag on this house, past, with a low-flow toilet, tan tile other side of the privacy fence.

MLS#: 547234 and the health of the neighborhood in general. on the floor and tub surround and For buyers craving peace and Year built: 1930 You can hoof it over the bypass and be on your an okay sink vanity. And the stairwell quiet, this might be a dealbreaker. Yet Acreage: .32 way to fine sushi, gelato or tagliatelle in no time. is closed, but could perhaps be a look around the neighborhood sugBedrooms: 3 Number 622 is, in fact, one of the houses most opened to become a focal point in gests that the bypass noise could be Baths: 1.5 due for an update in the immediate area. Surely the living room. the cover by which we shouldn’t judge Square footage someone will be willing not only to overlook its Know that there are no great (finished): 1,822 the book. disadvantages, but to exercise imagination in views from this house, but there is $305,000 This is not a downtrodden section making it more of a star.—Erika Howsare a pleasant and spacious front yard of town. On the contrary, the houses

The breakdown

This is not a downtrodden section of town. On the contrary, the houses here—even those that have a direct view of the bypass—are in most cases well loved and cared for.

ABODE 37

ABODE

ROOM OF THE MONTH

Pool cues 38 ABODE

STEPHEN BARLING

Designer Ann Nicholson admits she borrows inspiration from unlikely places—Edgemont, a historic Albemarle residence possibly designed by Thomas Jefferson; a pool house in the Hamptons belonging to designer Tory Burch. But the pool at Lowfields Farm in Fluvanna, where she resides with her husband? That was all her. Installed by Charlottesville Aquatics, the double lap pool respects Nicholson’s design aversions (“I intensely dislike things that aren’t symmetrical,” she says). Accordingly, two sets of stairs balance each side and lead to the stylish (yet uniform) poolhouse, with views of the 250-acre property beyond.

C O U N T RY L I V I N G I N V I RG I N IA

FRANKHARDY.COM

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.

PARKERSBURG TNPK - Fully renovated 1918 farmhouse with a 2 story addition (2009) combines tradition, elegance, comfort and sophistication, in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley on 3 acres with mountain views and pastoral scenes. The original residence features pine floors, gorgeous library, sitting room with fireplace, home office, den, three bedrooms, two full baths. The modern addition has a large, light-filled living room, dining room, and new kitchen, with master bedroom, bath and walk-in closet upstairs. Solar electric and hot water, multi-zone heating and cooling. Landscaped grounds, patios, workshop and storage barn. .

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.

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.

THREAVE HOUSE - $900,000 reduction makes this beautiful 69 acre estate a remarkable and unique value! Private, elevated setting with incredible views, the estate is ideal for year-round living or family retreats. The home provides ample indoor and outdoor space for entertaining. There is a historic log cabin as well as a guest cottage available for additional overnight guests. In Bath County, within 5 miles of The Homestead and an abundance of recreational opportunities.

MOUNT AIR - Extraordinary estate offering 870 acres of flawless natural beauty with dramatic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and frontage along the Doyles 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.

© 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

AMAZING VIEWS & PREMIUM FINISHES IN IVY

STATELY 93 ACRE KESWICK ESTATE

4504 Wise Court ragged Mountain $1,495,000

in

Don’t miss this light, bright 6 bed/6.5 bath Georgian that backs to mountain, pastoral & pond views of Ragged Mountain Farm. Set dramatically against this beautiful backdrop, the all brick home features an open, light-drenched floor plan showcasing remarkable finishes, including 10 ft ceilings, 4 fireplaces, Carrera marble at every turn, ultra-premium appliances, striking light fixtures and millwork. The current owners finished the basement (bedroom suite and large family room with fireplace) & added a wonderful rear terrace with pergola & stone walls from which to soak in the setting. Last but not least, raised vegetable garden beds! MLS# 550074

LAFAYETTE • $2,795,000 Set in total privacy & tranquility just 15 mins to town, Lafayette offers old world proportions within an open, flowing floor plan.

Remarkable finishes in this 6 bedroom incl’ a massive outdoor fireplace of herringbone brick on the covered porch, au-pair/in-law quarters, soaring ceilings, home theater. Billie Magerfield (434) 962-8865.

ULTRA-COOL 5TH STREET FLATS CONDO

IDEAL 2ND HOME IN FARMINGTON

WALK TO UVA FROM THIS CLASSIC CAPE

215 5TH STREET SW #3D • $209,000 Top floor home feels like a “treehouse” (extraordinarily tall ceilings), and offers views facing West and South. Features include spacious rooms, a huge walk-in closet, security system - and no carpet!

Conveniently located within walking distance of Downtown, and close to UVA. Tommy Brannock (434) 981-1486. MLS# 549528

920 WINDSOR ROAD • $1,495,000 c. 1955 Farmington residence on an exceptionally private parcel.

Almost entirely 1-level home with an open, light-drenched floor plan. Large kitchen open to family room, expansive 1st floor master suite with fireplace. Additional bedroom suite on 1st floor, and there is a 3rd bedroom suite upstairs. MLS# 547500

1922 LEWIS MOUNTAIN ROAD • $499,900 Special touches await inside & out. Remodeled kitchen with granite countertops, covered side porch, formal dining room and a basement waiting for the finishing touches to add over 800 sqft of additional living space. Outdoor space includes a large level lawn, private brick patio. Christine Lisle (434) 825-7446. MLS# 549914

EVERGREEN HOMEBUILDERS - W. ALBEMARLE

FONTANA HOME WITH MOUNTAIN VIEWS

GEORGIAN ON 5 ACRES IN FARMINGTON

956 PARK RIDGE DRIVE • $675,000 Just completed, this beautiful 4-bedroom, 3.5-bath home on 1/2 acre lot offers a light-filled open plan suited for today’s living. Gourmet kitchen with commercial range and 10 ft island, luxurious master suite, extensive built-ins and a level yard for easy entertaining. Lindsay Milby (434) 962-9148. MLS# 542568

1660 APPIAN WAY • $478,900 One-owner 4 bedroom home situated on a corner lot in Fontana. Tall ceilings, formal & informal spaces, home Office with built-ins. New granite counters add pizzaz to an already light-filled eat in Kitchen which opens to Family Room. Fabulous/must see Terrace level Rec Room with Pool Room. Tommy Brannock (434) 981-1486. MLS# 542106

BOXWOOD HILL • $3,775,000 Outstanding Georgian residence on one of the most private lots in Farmington. Showcase custom interior featuring Gaston & Wyatt cabinetry & mill work, chef ’s kitchen, limestone foyer, Vermont slate roof, elevator...truly noteworthy details & finishes at every turn. Sally Neill (434) 531-9941. MLS# 545289

15 MINUTES FROM CHARLOTTESVILLE

3080 Beau Mont FarM road $884,500

1305 UNION MILLS ROAD • $335,000 This home with a New England Bed and Breakfast feel has a lovely screened porch entry to the family room/kitchen with French doors to a beautifully landscaped rear terrace. Delightful master suite with sitting room & French door to a private balcony overlooking the terrace. Erin Garcia (434) 981-7245. MLS# 545002

LUXE IN MERIWETHER-LEWIS DISTRICT

Behind the classic Cape Cod curb appeal of this 2009 constructed house lies an open floor in step with modern tastes for plenty of casual living space. Sited privately on over 2 acres in the coveted MeriwetherLewis District, this home offers a deep, covered front porch, wonderful rear screen porch, deck off the family room & kitchen, plus raised, fenced garden beds, chicken coop & most importantly, plenty of level lawn. Immaculate condition & up-to-the-minute finish selections. Room for a 5th bedroom suite on lower level. 10 minutes to town. Erin Garcia (434) 981-7245. MLS# 549173

WWW.LORINGWOODRIFF.COM