C-VILLE Weekly's ABODE: March 2014

Abode

Inside.

Outside.

Home.

FEBRUARY 2014

Room with a view An Ivy home turns toward the landscape

In Belmont, an all-white kitchen stands out One builder’s ranch renovation A city landscape sets a new standard

MCLEAN FAULCONER INC. REALtORs®

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Farm, estate anD resiDential Brokers

PANORAMIC BLUE RIDGE VIEW Exceptional 194 Acre grazing farm, half hour north of Charlottesville in scenic Madison Co. $2,499,000. Jim Faulconer (434) 981-0076 MLS#509303.

OLD WOODVILLE - Exceptional 176+ acre historic estate featuring c. 1796 main residence, pool, guest cottage, barns, equipment storage & other outbuildings. Bucolic setting, rich farmland. MLS #504304 Steve McLean (434) 981-1863.

157 Pristine acres, historic Federal home, c. 1800, enlarged and modernized.

Includes restored log cabin, huge barn, stone garden shed, 2 BR guest cottage, beautiful landscaping, panoramic mountain views. Jim Faulconer (434)981-0076 MLS# 508112

Waterhouse - Charlottesville’s premier upscale condominium community, located one block from the Historic Downtown Mall. 15 residences ranging in size from 956 to 4,268 fin sq/ft. Steve McLean (434) 981-1863

OLD KESWICK – This extraordinary estate with 550+/-acres including a c. 1745 & 1832 residence, numerous dependencies & stables provides a unique, private domain in a premier location nearby Charlottesville & the University of Virginia. C.Dammann (434)-981-1250 MLS#515126

IVY – Attractive 6 bedroom residence, 6,700+ finished sq.ft. on 3 levels, over 21 gently rolling acres, minutes west of town. Pool, hot tub, gazebo, extensive decking. Lush pastures, 3-board fencing, barn/stables. $1,295,000. MLS #507550 Steve McLean (434) 295-1131.

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Immaculate 4BR home w/ over 4,000 fin. sq.ft., on an ample 2.15 ac. WATERFRONT lot, 20-25 mins from Charlottesville!

Enjoy living on scenic neighborhood pond w/new private dock. $439,000 Will Faulconer (434)9847-9455 MLS# 517005

BLANDEMAR- 8,800 sq/ft, English Countrystyle home, built in 2007, overlooking a 6-acre pond to the Blue Ridge Mountains beyond. 42 gently rolling acres, complete privacy, breathtaking setting - all within minutes from town! $5,350,000. Steve McLean (434)981-1863 MLS#513005

RUSTLING OAKS - Attractive, well-built 2-story Va. Farmhouse-style residence on 4.09+/- acres, minutes west of Charlottesville. Private, mostly wooded end of cul-de-sac location w/stream flowing at back of property. 3BR/3.5BA, high ceilings, beautiful hardwood flooring, large well-proportioned rooms, finished bonus room above 2-car garage, full unfinished walk-out basement. Huge rear deck for outdoor living & entertaining. $1,195,000. MLS #516688 Steve McLean (434) 295-1131.

ANDREWSIA- 253+/- acre parcel with views of the mountains in the distance.

Currently being used as fertile crop land. $1,554,000 Charlotte Dammann (434)981-1250. MLS#509267

Privately situated on 2.76 acres just off Garth Road, within 4 miles of town.

Lovely pastoral & Blue Ridge Mountain views. Home has recently been renovated & enlarged, almost 4,000 finished square feet. Jim Faulconer (434)9810075 $825,000

SWEEPING MOUNTAIN VIEWS from this extraordinary stone and authentic stucco residence on 21 acres in parklike Blandemar. Custom built, 4 BR, 4.5 BA home. $1,599,000 Tim Michel (434)9601124 or Jim Faulconer (434)981-0076.

MLS#512258

VENEABLE CREEK FARM –180 Acres, pastures, hayfields, creeks, pond & forest offering a private & idyllic country setting w\close proximity to Charlottesville, near Ferncliff. $1,395,000. Jim Faulconer (434)981-0076 MLS#508784

503 Faulconer Drive, charlottesville, virginia 22903 Phone: (434) 295-1131 Fax: (434) 293-7377 Website:www.mcleanfaulconer.com ~ email:homes@mcleanfaulconer.com

3634 Twin Creeks Rd

0 Shiloh Rd Tranquility awaits you at persimmon point, a pristine residence on over 13 acres, located only minutes west of charlottesville & the uva grounds in the much sought after ivy area.The land features generous frontage on the mechums river as well as a shared 1.5 Acre pond, wonderful trees & a first floor master bedroom suite.The terrace level offers a large but cozy family room with fireplace, 2 bed• Picturesque farm pastoral rooms,landscape & a full bath.A bonus is the 40’ x 40’ barn with stalls, tack & workshop.

Gracious Living in Willow Pond

Site situated on 8 acres and surrounded by beautiful pasture and woodlands.

Has a mountain and lake view, ability to board horses. Borrowing from classic farmhouse vernacular, design features wrap around a porch, stone foundation, open living space, wood burning fireplace, well-appointed kitchen, and 1st floor suite. Minutes from the Farmington Country Club and UVA. Custom house plans by Stoneking/VonStorch • Early Virginian architecture Architects are ready to be finalized and • Near Trump Winery/ permits pulled to begin construction Monticello/Ash immediately. Lawn

“Glen Love” in Meadow Estates

• Pond and mountain views • 69.95 acres and 12,000 finished sqft

mls 516937

$669,069

• Quality craftsmanship

6200 Blenheim Rd

mls 501172 Blenheim Farm

• Oversized living spaces • Board fencing, large bank Country flavor is well-established equipment shed in thisbarn fine and home.The covered front porch welcomes friends & family alike to the foyer where the formal dining room opens to the left. The vaulted ceiling in the great room enhances the wall of windows with backyard views.A secluded master offers a walk-in closet and• lavish bathGeorgian with more bedrooms All brick on the opposing side of the house.

• 4800 finished sq/ft Outside there is much to enjoy with a salt water pool,4 full koi and pond, lush • 5 bedrooms 1 half grounds, and horse facilities including baths a barn & riding ring.

$2,895,000

• Over 25 acres of open and wooded land, creek and pond site.

mls 478113

$695,000

• Quartz countertops, stainless appliances, first floor master suite, gated security

5105 Blenheim Rd

mls 495948

• Community walking and riding BLENHEIM trails FARM, located within the Farms of Turkey Run subdivision, a stately all brick Georgian w/over 4800 finished sq/ft, 5 bdrs, 4 full, 1 half baths, 18 mins from Charlottesville.

Privately situated on over 25 acres of open & wooded land, • Classic 2 over 2 creek & pond site. Upscale home 1890 features quartz farmhouse,ca. countertops, stainless appliances, • Recently RENOVATED hardwoods, 1st floor master suite, fin.

• Mini-farm,set on 4.5 open, walkout terrace level, whole house board fenced acres, generator, Centurylink DSL service, • 2security, stall barn, detached 2 car gated paved drive, communigarage w/ apartment ty walking & riding trails.

$849,000

Magnolia Farm In Louisa

• Commercial use is possible.

• Horses, farm animals, nursery, B&B, etc.

• Between Richmond and C’ville only 3 miles from I-64.

mls 495948

$849,000

1710 Doringh Pl

mls 500545

Beautifully maintained Barry Meade built home. Screened porch in back with handicap ramp from garage. Ceramic tile foyer, with hardwood floors and• carpet.

Special computer wiring, Located in DOWNTOWN wholeBELMONT house surround sound with home theater.Bonus room ordownfourth • A short walk to C’ville’s bedroom townhas mallfull bath. Ceiling fans and gas log fireplace.Nicely land• Great opportunity to own a scaped.

Over-size 2 car garage with mixed use property storage. Master BR has large walk • Office suite on the 1st in closet.Central vacuum. Exterior is floor (2 offices,reception Hardiplank with cultured stone.

Close area,bathroom)and a 1 bedroom to recreational facilities. apartment on the 2nd floor

Unique Belmont Building

mls 511283 mls ??????? mls 499612

434.220.5656 434.220.5656

• New roof,wall heat/ac units • Great front porch, private fenced yard and off-street parking.

$495,000

$Price

• On almost 3 ac. in gated community

mls 510020

$1,895,000

995 Old White Bridge Rd

• 6500 + fin. sq. ft • 4 fireplaces • Oak flooring, gourmet kitchen Gracious southern living situated in

classic Virginia countryside Willow • Geo-Thermal HVAC system

mls 502036

Pond offers picturesque pastoral landscape with pond and mountain views This stately, custom built home of 12,000 finished sqft exemplifies present-day quality craftsmanship, while preserving details of yesteryears The expansive front porch leads to the Approximately 17.22 oversized formal and informal living acre(s) spaces with high ceilings and plentiful natural light The property is complete Located on Lew Dewitt with board fencing, large bank barn Blvd and an equipment shed.

$2,099,000

Commercial Property in Waynesboro • •

mls 501172 31 University Cir

• More land available

$2,450,000

• 3,078 sq ft. brick building sold as is • High growth commercial location

mls 501713

Unique brick Georgian Revival-style home, meticulously restored, and located only minutes from the Rotunda at the University of Virginia. Flemish bond brick exterior, slate roof, diamond shaped leaded glass windows and a yesteryear sleeping porch are Covered front porch but a few of the features of this classic Vaulted ceiling in the great home. Wide, welcoming hallways acroom wall of plan with centenhances the grand the 4 over 4 floor windows with backyard views.

4 BR,3-1/2 baths,vintage kitchen,LR, FR and amaster cozy library.

Huge, Secluded offers a unfinished walk-up atticand and lavish 1000 finished walk-in closet bath sq.ft. in water the basement.

Salt pool, koi pond,

$1,700,000

Cape Cod Style Home in Scottsville • • • •

mls 504448 Owensville Rd

mls 478113

Country Home in White

mls 515802 mls ??????? mls 496870

lush grounds • Horse facilities including barn & riding ring.

$895,000

$750,000

77 acre estate parcel located in the heart of Ivy near Meriwether Hall Lewis Elementary school with distant mountain views, privacy, mul• Glorious MOUNTAIN VIEWS tiple home sites only minutes from from your front porch and deck.

Charlottesville and the University • Custom kitchen with gas of Virginia.counters Contiguous range,granite & tile parcel in conservation easement. Parcel dibacksplash vided intoroom 4 lots & soil work has • Huge dining for entertaining, been completed. plus a bright and open family room • First floor master suite and a finished terrace level • Quiet country living, great mountain views • 25 minutes to the heart of Charlottesville

$1,899,000 $Price $495,000

sloanmanis.com

real estate partners

sloanmanis.com

TOWN AND COUNTRY PROPERTIES

TOWN AND COUNTRY PROPERTIES

One of VA’s historic treasures. Superbly renovated 1819 brick One145 of VA’s treasures. Superbly 1819 brick home on acreshistoric of productive pasture renovated in the pristine home on 145 acres of productive pristine Middlebrook-Brownsburg Corridor.

Long pasture frontageinontheHays Middlebrook-Brownsburg Corridor. Long frontage on Hays Creek. $1,950,000.

Creek. $1,950,000.

105 acres of rolling pasture and mature hardwoods with 2,000 feet 105 acresonofthe rolling pasture River and mature hardwoods with 2,000 feet of frontage Hardware and sweeping mountain views. frontage estate on thearea, Hardware Riverfrom and Charlottesville sweeping mountain In aofprotected 12 miles and views.

UVA. In a protected estate area, 12 miles from Charlottesville and UVA. $1,365,000 MLS#514038 $1,365,000 MLS#514038

1850’s farmhouse 39 rolling of pasture Exceptional, custom renovation hasturned turnedthe thesecond second floor floor of of two RestoredRestored 1850’s farmhouse on 39 on rolling acres acres of pasture withwith Exceptional, custom renovation has two protected views of the Somerset estate area.

Between Charlottescommercial buildings in historic downtown Staunton into a grand protected views of the Somerset estate area. Between Charlottescommercial buildings in historic downtown Staunton into a grand and Orange. $948,000 MLS#514737 private residence.

Rooftop deck.Strong Strongrental rentalincome income in in commercommerville andville Orange. $948,000 MLS#514737 private residence.

Rooftop deck. cial space. $1,300,000 MLS#509859 cial space. $1,300,000 MLS#509859

Bundoran Farm parcel encompassing protected forest and horse pasture. views and very private. and fiber Bundoran Farm Good parcelpastoral encompassing protected forestElectric and horse optic to lot. Parcel H7 is designated as an equestrian lot. Owners pasture. Good pastoral views and very private. Electric and fiber will have access to miles of riding and hiking trails across 2300 acres optic to of lot.Bundoran Parcel H7 is designated as from an equestrian lot. Owners Farm.

15 minutes Charlottesville. $595,000 will haveMLS#495347 access to miles of riding and hiking trails across 2300 acres

of Bundoran Farm. 15 minutes from Charlottesville. $595,000 Peter A. Wiley MLS#495347

Some of the best views in Bundoran! This new 21 acre offering enjoys sweeping views in of hundreds of This acres of protected Some of the best views Bundoran! new 21 acrefarmland. offering Rural setting with high speed internet. 15 minutes to Charlottesenjoys sweeping views of hundreds of acres of protected farmland. ville. $695,000.

Rural setting with high speed internet. 15 minutes to Charlottesville. $695,000.

(434) 422-2090

Peter A. Wiley (434) 422-2090 417 Park Street • Charlottesville, Virginia 22902 • www.vafarmandestate.com 4 ABODE

417 Park Street • Charlottesville, Virginia 22902 • www.vafarmandestate.com

On the lookout SHANK AND GRAY ARCHITECTS

A porthole window in this month’s featured home makes a statement, creating a view to the courtyard and infinity pool. See more on page 22.

Blueprint 7

A Q&A with architect Scott Weiss; exposed bricks on Preston Avenue; eyeing the design at Stonefield’s Parallel 38

Real Estate 43

Contractor Scott Abbott shares a recent ranch redo and recommends one North Downtown house that’s ready for updates.

Finish 38

A crinkle crankle detail on Grounds.

Cover photo by Andrea Hubbell andreahubbell.com Comments? E-mail us at abode@c-ville.com.

308 E. Main St. Charlottesville, VA 22902 434-817-2749 www.c-ville.com

Features HOME 22

LANDSCAPE 30

KITCHEN 37

The benefit of designing your own home is customization. Architect Richard Shank designed his with two things in mind: keep out the deer and create a view. A modern fortress with mountain vistas, the successful result is a stylish oasis for him and his wife.

organization decided to renovate its backyard garden Downtown, Nelson Byrd Woltz took the opportunity to set an example for future city spaces, creatively repurposing stormwater, attracting wildlife, and incorporating native plants.

Having designed two kitchens already, trained chef Ingrid Cordano knew what she wanted from the most-used room in the house. In this, the third, form weighs just as heavily as function: smart design and Scandinavian aesthetics.

With view in mind

Outside chances From start When a local philanthropy to Finnish

ABODE, a supplement to C-VILLE Weekly, is distributed all over Charlottesville, Albemarle County, and the Shenandoah Valley. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher.

Editor Giles Morris. Managing Editor Caitlin White. Editor-at-large Josh McCullar. Writers Chiara Canzi, Erika Howsare, Lynn Thorne. Copy Editor Susan Sorensen. Creative Director Bill LeSueur. Graphic Designers Max March, Sean Raynor, John Sacco. Account Executives Greg Allen, Brian Campbell, Katie Hartwell, Bianca J. Johnson, Sara Snyder. Digital Business Development Manager Gabriel Rodriguez. Vertical Markets Manager Jason Smith. Advertising Assistant Morgan Mason. Publisher Aimee Atteberr y. Chief Financial Officer Debbie Miller. Circulation Manager Miguel Coradine. Account Manager Randi Henry. ©2014 C-VILLE Weekly.

ABODE 5

Towing & Recovery

SINCE 1830, E.A. CLORE SONS HAS BEEN CRAFTING HARDWOOD FURNITURE, RIGHT IN MADISON COUNTY. Have you ever taken the short drive to see our heirloom quality? If you haven’t, then we invite you to visit us soon.

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Whether you want an entire house or one cherished piece, we have something for you.

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STORE NAME

Crozet 434.823.1387

Charlottesville 434.964.1701

Address Line 1 Address Line 2 Phone Number Website

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6 ABODE

Blueprint ARCHITECTURE

In the city, a brick-filled office space is exposed CRAFT

A local mason corners the market ELEMENTS

Roxie Daisy’s Karen Myers shifts to neutrals FROM THE EDITOR-AT-LARGE

Formal influences In the Piedmont, large red brick houses have always had a certain kind of monumental grandeur in the landscape. They are Virginia’s architecture—a tall central house, often hyphenated with ancillary spaces to the sides, large and formal, yet quiet and elegant— and were the standard bearer of sophistication in their time. CONTINUED

Mirador, built in 1842 in Greenwood PHOTO: ROBERT LLEWELLYN

ABODE 7

PVCC IS HIRING ADJUNCT FACULTY! Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC) is a public, comprehensive community college. As part of the 23 college Virginia Community College System, PVCC serves the city of Charlottesville and the six adjacent counties. PVCC is nationally recognized for its outstanding transfer curriculum; its relationship with its neighbor, the University of Virginia; and its Workforce Development Programs serving local employers.

We are seeking to identify qualified and interested adjunct faculty members in:

Business, Mathematics & Technologies Health & Life Sciences Humanities, Fine Arts & Social Sciences Workforce Services The successful candidate will possess expert skills, knowledge, experience and education in the subject area and a history of successful teaching or related experience.

Minimum education required as notated on the Virginia Jobs site Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until needed positions are filled and/or the closing date of our announcement.

For a complete job description and to apply visit: http://www.pvcc.edu/human_resources/employment/ Piedmont Virginia Community College is an Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action Employer.

NMLS #188642 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org)

8 ABODE

BLUEPRINT

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

Josh McCullar is the publisher of vamodern.com and practices with SMBW Architects in Richmond.

COURTESY SCOTT WEISS

I admire them most often in late autumn when my wife and I take day trips from Richmond before winter ties us down, and while a modernist at heart, I will stop the car for a grand home. We have them for miles along Monument Avenue and along the James River west of the city. But in Albemarle, they are woven into a rolling tapestry of orchards, fields, and vineyards that spread widely across a verdant Eden and evoke an idea in addition to a place.

When making architecture, I like to take a step away from the drawings, look back at them, and squint my eyes a bit. It blurs away the unnecessary.

If the whole thing hangs together well enough, it will read as a distillation of a few singular gestures. And, when that happens, it’s usually a really good sign early on that the idea is strong.

So, when I first became aware of architect Dick Shank’s modernist home several years ago, I quite admired its compositional purity. Two wide, red brick chimneys set against three red brick hierarchically placed pavilions with “arms” that frame a view. The house follows the logic of that grand Piedmont lineage, yet is anything but traditional. There is nothing superfluous about its massing or detailing, but its formal—if not totemic —presence in a clearing on a mound in a woodland setting is comfortingly familiar. This, I thought, is modern architecture for Virginia, and it belongs here in a way that a Rick Joy house belongs in Tucson—fitting in without turning wistful.

Inside, the home’s transformation is fulfilled.

At a glance, you might not be in Virginia, but large windows are apertures, and the foreground is a visceral counterpoint to beyond.

Spaces are thoroughly modern, bright, and exacting in detail. There are few but very deft finishes in white, stainless steel, and wood tones that make an almost universally timeless palette.

In this month’s ABODE, Shank’s house (p.22) amidst a tradition-bound rural neighborhood shows how architecture can respond to the cultural influences of its context with relevance for its own time in order to serve the precise needs of its occupant. In town, we’re featuring a tight, Scandinavian-inspired, all-white glossy kitchen (p.37), and a Downtown landscape (p.30) with a skillful overlay of stone and wood plank walks that rise just above the ground, and seem to float across a tightly bound urban garden. Across these projects and at varying scales, it is the endeavor to manifest both material and compositional clarity as a unifying strategy that brings an idea and a place together.—Josh McCullar, Editor-at-large

ARCHITECTURE

A LINE TO DESIGN

Familial settings

Checking in with architect Scott Weiss We caught up with Scott Weiss to see what he’s currently working on, how he ended up practicing in Virginia, and why a 1974 action drama helped inspire him to become an architect. Here’s what he had to say.

Why architecture?

I have always been artistic, but I have never felt that I was particularly great at any medium other than architecture, which I consider an art—an expensive-to-create art with a permanence and often an influence in the way we and those around us live and experience that life.

How great is art that can do that?

Why did you choose to practice in Virginia?

I didn’t. I chose to practice in California, however for practical reasons, my family and I decided to relocate from California and we checked out Charlottesville, as I had not been back in the 20 or so years since I graduated from the School of Architecture at UVA. We found it a beautiful small town perfect for raising children.

In addition, there was a familiarity in the architecture in Virginia that was less present in Arizona (where I went to graduate school) and California. It seemed more like “home.”

What was your life like as a child and how did it lead you to design?

I knew before I knew the word “architect” that I

wanted to design buildings for a living. I always enjoyed building with Legos and drawing. I saw my mother editing a floor plan in a magazine in order to suit her—as if she might build it one day—and I began to do the same. That was followed by my constantly (in my free time, in school, wherever) designing what I thought were luxurious homes. I loved to look at home plan and design magazines and really became fascinated with what was then called contemporary architecture.

I vividly remember sharp angles, curved walls, and obnoxious interior colors of designs that we would now consider very ’70s, and I drank it all in. I saw The Towering Inferno and besides the excitement of the actual movie, I was blown away by the modern skyscraper, the huge, vaulted interior spaces. I tried to design skyscrapers, not even bored by the fact that each floor was basically the same. I would go to the library and find old issues of Architectural Record and Xerox floor plans of buildings that I found fascinating—larger, different types of buildings such as hospitals, college buildings, but also cutting-edge houses.

Tell us about your college studio experience. Was there a stand-out teacher who had a lasting impact on you?

I was always lacking in confidence when I saw other students doing what I wanted to do, and CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

ABODE 9

BLUEPRINT

ARCHITECTURE

JOHN ROBINSON

Scott Weiss designed this farmhouse in Goochland in 2008, an update on a traditional Southern style, with a wraparound porch, steeply pitched roof, and just one story.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

sometimes better. It took me a while to find my groove, to be able to defend my choices in design despite criticism or the fact that someone else had a well-designed and well-executed project. I honestly do not even remember most of my undergraduate studio professors from UVA. The one professor who really stands out in my memory was Max Underwood, who taught an urban design class at the Arizona State University College of Architecture and Urban Design, where I received my master’s degree. He taught us how cities developed through history and how their transformations reflected history itself. His enthusiasm for the subject was infectious. He used the term “urban fabric,” which I thought perfectly described a city and the organic way it develops, like a quilt with no real master plan. Upon our first building design review, he looked at my symmetric design, laughed, and said, “You’re the one from UVA, right?”

10 ABODE

Scott Weiss

How does the site or sense of place inform architecture for you?

I believe the previous question really begins the discussion of “sense of place,” as the buildings we passed from piazza to piazza (and pizza to pizza) were for the most part not as monumental as the whole picture. Not every building can be the church or the city hall. Most are part of the urban fabric (see what a great term that is?), the “boring” stitches of red and green and blue without which the fabric could not exist. They are what the monuments complement.

CHRISTIAN HOMMEL

On process: How does it begin?

When I design a project, the site is the first thing that dictates some basic starting points. Where is the view? Where is the sun? How does the site affect the construction or how would the building on the site interact (if applicable) to other nearby buildings or natural features? I discuss the program and budget with the client, and hopefully get a solid idea of what they are thinking. Though I’ll be honest, by that time, I often have some idea of how I think the design should proceed. I love when a client provides me with images from magazines or from websites that illustrate styles or spaces that they find appealing. I love even more when a client sees my vision of what their project can be.

views that can be framed or enhanced by architecture. Like Frank Lloyd Wright, I see architecture as an extension of the outdoors, something to work with nature and its surroundings, not dominate over it.

What inspires you?

Beautiful, often intimate, spaces. Not just the spaces, though, but the perception one gets when passing from one space to the other. One thing I remember about Max Underwood leading his students through the intricacies of European cities is his emphasis not on the actual piazza we were in, but how one—without a map—can experience the progression from one space to the other, noting a distant campanile or church dome beyond, and how these elements made the often-irregular transition from place to place seem natural. It was like exploring, discovering, with a surprise here and a pizza and beer there.

I am also inspired by the way various materials can be used creatively with each other and by

What’s in the studio at the moment?

I am excited to be designing a long, linear house on a wooded bluff overlooking the Shenandoah River, with a stone spine separating the circulation space from the individual rooms, whose river-facing walls will be comprised of large windows providing expansive views of the river, and—almost more importantly—when open, will provide the constant sound of rushing water. I also am beginning work on a remodel/addition for a small (albeit four-story) home near Downtown Charlottesville, which has a lot of potential and a client who sees that. In addition, I do a lot of design work for a prolific home builder in the area, which I find fun.

LEARN MORE Visit c-ville.com to read the full Q&A.

COMMERCIAL BREAK

Rough as silk A city studio shows off its true character

Think of history in Charlottesville, and you might think first of Court Square, Monticello, and other seats of power. But the city has an industrial past, too, and it’s still visible in places like the Silk Mill Building, an 1898 factory whose brick façade is tucked behind the Preston Avenue Bodo’s.

Eighteen years ago—after stints as a silk mill and a pencil factory—the building underwent a total renovation to become office space. Today it houses a variety of tenants, from high-tech medical firms to psychotherapists. One of the most recent additions? City Clay, the ceramics center that you probably remember from its former location on the corner of Main and McIntire.

For Randy Bill, City Clay’s owner, the character of the Silk Mill Building is part of what makes it right for her business. “I love the architecture,” she said. “It’s fun to be in.” Upon entering the building, visitors find themselves in a threestory-tall stairwell, whose exposed-brick walls show more than a century’s worth of paint, forming a pleasingly layered patina.

Inside the clay studio, the original bones of the building—wooden posts and beams and a wooden floor laid on the diagonal—shine through. City Clay occupies what used to be two separate offices, and has space for a sculpture classroom, two wheel-throwing classrooms, lots of shelves, and member studios. All are well-lit due to windows on three sides of the space. “Once we were able to open the walls and allow the light to come through, it made it incredibly wonderful,” Bill said.

Bill, who moved the business here last June, is pleased with her new workspace. “I love the fact that it was built for people making things,” she said. “I feel like we’ve found our home.”—Erika Howsare

AMY BENOIT

“I love the architecture,” City Clay’s Randy Bill said. “It’s fun to be in.”

ABODE 11

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BLUEPRINT

CRAFT

In the bricks Bricks can be separated into two camps: new (the mechanized, kiln-fired “extruded” brick) and old (the hand-molded brick), according to Skyline Brick’s Charles Long. And while kilns are almost exclusively used today, hand-molded bricks are still common, especially here in Charlottesville. Maryland-based Redland Brick Inc., a major player in the brick game, provides its Cushwa line to our area. “Lots of buildings under construction at UVA are using the Cushwa handmolded brick,” Long said.—Stephanie Devaux

TO THE TRADE

Brick by brick

Jeff Cianciotti is preserving Charlottesville by hand A third generation builder, Jeff Cianciotti started out in the residential construction market.

But a few years after that, he turned to masonry when a friend hired him to help run his small business. “I helped it grow into a diverse company that worked on jobs for homeowners, production builders, large custom homes, and light commercial jobs,” he said. With the collapse of the housing market, the friend took his business to Northern Virginia, leaving the niche wide open in Central Virginia. Cianciotti opened Woodstone Construction in the summer of 2010.

“I took over where he left off and never looked back,” Cianciotti said. “Our company has grown tremendously over the last three and a half years.”

Having seen the downturn impact his industry, Cianciotti knows plenty of industry folks are seeking less expensive masonry products, but he’s still committed to old-fashioned stone and brick. “We’re working hard to preserve the historical look and feel in the Charlottesville area,” he said.—Caite White Are you from Charlottesville originally?

After my parents moved to Greene County in the early ’90s, I fell in love with the area, so much that I moved my family down in 2003. I

built a house for my family and my in-laws in Madison County.

Describe your aesthetic in five words or less. Elegant, traditional, contemporary, historical preservation, rich in design.

Where do you stand with form vs. function? Having been in the building industry my entire life, and having been involved in a huge variety of projects, I have met a lot of people with an abundance of ideas. Those ideas that I have heard, seen, and learned over the years have made me realize that you really need both form and function. With the experience I have gained, I have learned you can walk the line between the two.

What would you say is your specialty? I would say that design-build would be our specialty. I really like working one-on-one with homeowners and builders to help them design exactly what they are looking for. Our business ranges from the small homeowner jobs and production work for builders to large custom homes and light commercial work. We provide all aspects of masonry work.

sign outdoor fireplaces given that this is a place where people like to unwind and relax after a long hard workweek. There are so many different designs, looks, and feel of outdoor fireplaces, that this is an area I can use my creative edge to create a peaceful, fun, relaxing place for people to enjoy.

What else should we know about Woodstone? Our company mostly started with all production brickwork working for the majority of builders in the Charlottesville area. Over the years, we have expanded to include work in many other counties in Central Virginia. And most of our work has gradually moved towards more natural building stone, stone patios, and fireplaces, than brickwork. Our company also has very knowledgeable supervisors on the job.

My father, who has worked in the building industry his entire life, works with us and we employ three licensed contractors. Knowledge is something that we pride ourselves on.

What is your favorite thing you’ve ever made? I particularly love to deJeff Cianciotti

Get in touch Have a project in mind for Jeff? Call 9899223 or visit woodstone-construction. com for more information.

ABODE 13

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BLUEPRINT

ELEMENTS

DESIGN SEEN

Mediterranean fusion Eight ideas from Stonefield’s latest eatery, Parallel 38

Good design can be found almost anywhere. This month, we’re taking our cues from Justin Ross’ long-awaited Stonefield eatery Parallel 38. Like its menu, the restaurant’s décor is a mixed bag of modern, rustic, and ethnic, with woodsy accents and oil-rubbed bronze finishes. Ross and his girlfriend were involed in every aspect of the restaurant’s design, right down to the fiber optic lighting. Here’s how it all came together.—Caite White

Photography by Meredith Coe An elaborate chalk drawing by Virginia-based artist Sam Welty (757-692-9845, samwelty.com) adorns the back wall of the restaurant, depicting the regions along the 38th parallel: the Greek Ionian Islands, Spain’s Alicante region, Calabria in Italy, the Setubal Peninsula in Portugal, Napa Valley in California, and Central Virginia. Love that wall color? It’s food themed: Benjamin Moore’s Black Bean Soup.

ABODE 15

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BLUEPRINT

ELEMENTS

The lounge tables came from Old Cold Storage Warehouse (263-4369, nelsonstoragellc.com) in Nelson, which specializes in reclaiming architectural and industrial salvage and antiques. They’re actually refurbished railroad carts!

Custom walnut woodwork from Esmont’s Lost Mountain Woodcrafts (531-5682) provide space for the small-plate restaurant’s extensive wine list and a communal table for 12. Ross sourced the pendant lighting from Richmond-based Gypsy Hill Electric (804-921-5652, gypsyhillelectric.com).

ABODE 17

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A b o d e • F e b ruA ry 2 0 1 4

BLUEPRINT

ELEMENTS

20 QUESTIONS

Natural expression

Roxie Daisy’s Karen Myers mixes rustic with romantic Resides in: Charlottesville Best known for: Home goods shop Roxie Daisy 1. Antique or modern? Antique with touches of modern here and there.

2. City or country? Both! How can you pick?

Go for a walk down a river or go for a walk through Barneys and I am a happy woman.

3. Which colors do you gravitate toward?

Color? What’s that? I’m addicted to neutrals, but I like a pop of color here and there. Don’t make me choose!

4. Which materials or textures do you frequently use in your own home? Linen!

Hemp! Mohair!

5. What is your favorite interior designrelated word? Texture. I love mixing different textures to create a warm and inviting environment, especially mixing romantic and rustic.

ERIC KELLEY PHOTOGRAPHY

6. Does your home look like the one you grew up in? My mother wrote about home interiors, so I was always aware of elements of design I loved, which happen to overlap with hers. My home now has pieces of my childhood home as well as beautiful things my husband and I have collected over the years.

7. What’s one thing that can really transform a room? A beautiful paint finish that reflects light. The finish is important!

8. Favorite designer? The people who influence me most tend to be stylists as opposed to designers. I love seeing how people put things together in an interesting way, specifically Hans Blomquist and Sibella Court.

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

I should say an interior design blog, but I tend to get my inspiration from books. In all honesty, the blog I am addicted to is a beauty blog called Into The Gloss.

10. Décor-wise, what should a homeowner never scrimp on? Good, basic essential pieces, like a couch or a great rug.

11. Design rule you like to break? I like to buy art because I love the piece, not to match an interior. That may not be a design rule, but I think you should surround yourself with things

you love even if it doesn’t match your couch. If I had to say one “rule,” it would be how low or high you should hang your chandelier.

12. What is your favorite room in your house? My kitchen.

13. What is your most treasured possession? I think because it was recently the holiday time, my most treasured possessions that come to mind are the ornaments my two boys made when they were little.

14. What do you wish you could do without? My hairdryer.

15. What are you afraid to DIY? I don’t do DIY. I’m afraid of it all.

16. Have you ever had a change of heart about an object or a style? Yes, all the time!

17. If you could live in one historical figure’s house, whose would it be? Goldilocks and the Three Bears. It looks like a sweet cottage!

18. On what movie set would you like to live? Kate Winslet’s English cottage in The Holiday.

19. If you were reborn as a piece of furniture or an object, what would it be? A farm table.

20. What is your first design memory?

Dusting the furniture in my dad’s showroom at the High Point Market in exchange for Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

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ABODE 21

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The stairwell, built of vertical-grain fir, has a metal rail and encloses the elevator shaft.

R

ichard and Linda Shank loved their last house, which he’d designed for them in Ednam Forest. But it had two problems.

One was the lack of a view. The other was deer.

During their 20 years there, he said, “The deer took over our landscaping.” When they decided to relocate, they searched for a site with views, and found unbeatable vistas at the top of a mountain in Ivy. Shank set to work on a design that would include a “deer-free zone” in the form of a courtyard.

Three sides of the courtyard would be formed by the house—a central portion and two wings.

Rather than a high wall to mark the fourth side, there is a vanishing-edge pool. The whole house

is oriented toward this view: the Blue Ridge to the northwest, a carpet of woods and fields, and the changing sky reflected in the pool.

“I wouldn’t want to drive to the top of a mountain and not see anything,” Shank said.

Since the couple moved here in 2001, they’ve found that the courtyard’s dining area draws them outside much of the year for meals. Even from inside, wide expanses of glass make the view a constant presence. Upon entering the house, one immediately confronts the view through a tall bank of windows, and many corners feature wraparound windows to visually draw the outdoors in.

Working better

Sublime prospects aside, the house is both beautiful and highly functional within its brick walls.

Shank had designed two previous houses in Charlottesville for his family. With the couple’s two children grown, this was to be “a house to suit us through older age.” That means lowmaintenance and easy to clean. Though it has three levels, the house facilitates one-story living, and there is an elevator shaft awaiting an elevator should it ever be needed. (The basement level houses two guest bedrooms, a garage, CONTINUED ON PAGE 28

ABODE 25

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Open out The view is omnipresent, like in the living room, where a bank of windows draws the outside in. The house's few doors (“I just don’t like them—why clutter your life up with doors?”) are often disguised as storage cabinets. In the kitchen, cabinets are 30" deep instead of the standard 24", leaving plenty of workspace.

ABODE 27

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25

Each occupant of the master bedroom has a pathway to the vanity and bathroom from his and her side of the bed. The wine room is completely underground, and has a cork ceiling and “barrel stave”-look walls (sort of an architectural joke). The hallway between the master bathroom and the closet is defined by glass block walls and a skylight overhead.

and a wine cellar; upstairs, an office affords views of the mountains.)

Many decisions here grew from a desire to make life run smoothly. “My ancestry goes back to the Swiss,” Shank explained. “Form follows function. It’s got to work.” For example, each occupant of the master bedroom has a dedicated pathway from the customary side of the bed, around the corner to a vanity (extra high for ergonomics) and a water closet.

Similarly, the laundry room is nearby to the dressing area, and the “wet zone” (shower stall, tub, and sauna) opens onto the courtyard for easy access to pool and hot tub Nearly all storage is built in, eliminating the need for many pieces of furniture beyond the carefully chosen, modernist-style seating and tables that animate the living spaces. One of the house’s signature elements is the dining area, demarcated by two floor-to-ceiling banks of built-in mahogany cabinets. These separate the dining area from the adjacent living room and kitchen, but also make a place to tuck away linens, hide a wet bar, and even include doors that can close off the view of the kitchen. Their smooth surfaces are uninterrupted by pulls or knobs.

Shank designed the kitchen, with its black granite countertops and white wooden cabinets, for maximum efficiency. The galley arrangement permits an easy flow from refrigerator to prep area, then to cook surface, dining room, and back to the cleanup zone. A separate coffee area and bar stools flank one side of the central workspace, while the other side houses cookbooks and music storage.

Though none of the rooms in the house feel cavernous, they are spacious, and Shank permits a certain grandeur to be present—as in the sizeable vent hood that becomes almost a sculptural piece within the kitchen. There’s a similar boldness to the large circular window in the living room. “I think of it as a porthole,” Shank said, pointing out that its diameter is the same as that of the hot tub it looks onto.

Brick house

Linda Shank.—E.H.

28 ABODE

SHANK AND GRAY ARCHITECTS

Having clad a previous house in wood, Shank chose brick for the exterior of this one, banking on its durability. “It’s the local material that’s most used, and also relatively maintenance-free,” he said. “It also worked with the form—the curving walls.”

Mason Jerry Hall used hand-molded brick from the Old Virginia Brick company, and even the mortar is carefully chosen. “The mortar is close to the color of the brick,” Shank explained, “so that the shape of the building becomes more important than individual bricks.”

On the house’s two wings, the brick pattern is relatively simple. But on the center portion, it’s highly articulated, with a raised texture and bricks laid both horizontally and vertical. “It’s beautiful when the sun hits it,” said

Beautifully made Top-notch materials—warm French limestone floors, for one—bring a luxurious feel to the house, while modernist detailing keeps it clean.

There are no baseboards, and most closet doors lack hardware so that they disappear into the walls.

Shallow arcs are a motif throughout, the largest instance being the curved outer walls of the house’s two wings. These curves, interrupted by fireplaces in the living room and master bedroom, lend unusual shapes to interior spaces.

A particularly beautiful spot is one that could have been a throwaway: the hall between the master bathroom and closet. Defined by glass block walls and lit by a skylight running along its length, it’s full of pearly, subtle light, while the big view lies straight ahead through the large windows in the exercise room at the end of the hall.

Not only is the space visually striking, it has a deep quiet—due to the mountaintop location, as well as to a floor built from precast concrete that blocks sound (and contains radiant heating tubes for comfortable temperature control).

Shank said he learned many lessons from his two previous houses and brought them to bear in the technical and aesthetic aspects of this home. “When you design your own house,” he said, “you can design it to live like you’d like to.”

1

Upper Floor/Roof

9

2

12

3

8

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11 7

5

THE BREAKDOW N

10

Main Floor

Square footage Finished space: 5,800 Garage: 1,000 13

Structural system Basement level is slab on Grade; first floor is 8" precast concrete; study floor and roof framing are with wood trusses

19

Exterior materials Old Virginia bricks 18

Interior finishes French limestone and wool carpet; Drywall walls and ceilings 14

Roof materials Copper standing seam on the sloping roofs; EPDM on the flat roofs Window system KAWNEER Commercial windows Mechanical systems Radiant Hydronic heating system; separate air conditioning systems Other notable, custom, or innovative features Vertical elevator shaft kept open for possible needed elevator in the future; in-ground hot tub

15

16 17

Ground Floor

1. Office

5. Kitchen

2. Living Room

6. Gallery

3. Patio 4. Dining Room

13. Guest Room

17. Mechanical

10. Master Bedroom

14. Wine Cellar

18. Garage

7. Entry

11. Master Bath Suite

15. Shop

19. Studio

8. Courtyard

12. Exercise

16. Family Room

9. Pool

ABODE 29

OUTSIDE 30 ABODE

It was none too inspiring—just a paved area behind a Downtown house-turned-office. But the people behind the Blue Moon Fund, a philanthropic organization that occupies the building, had a vision for their outdoor space that went far beyond simply sprucing up the spot where they park their cars. “They approached us to create a progressive landscape,” said Tommy Solomon, a designer with Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects. “To set a new standard for landscapes in the city.”

The mission was not only to create a more pleasing approach to the rear of the building; it also included attracting

chances

wildlife, creatively dealing with stormwater on site, and serving as an example of healthy native ecosystems.

All on a single city lot.

At Blue Moon Fund, a landscape ups the ante Photography: Eric Piasecki/OTTO

ABODE 31

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NELSON BYRD WOLTZ

In answer to that fairly tall order, the firm came up with this basic scheme: Parking would move to the extreme rear of the lot, and those exiting their cars would travel along a “spine”— i.e., a boardwalk—on their way to the courtyard just behind the building. Along the way, they’d experience several different environments: a grove of river birch trees, a small meadow planted with native species, and perennial beds.

“We reorganized the entry sequence for employees,” said Solomon. “It became an immersive experience.”

The project aimed to be as green as possible.

For example, Solomon and his colleagues designed the site to deal with stormwater in several interconnected ways—containing it in a cistern, allowing it to evaporate, and channeling it to a bioretention area where it can safely infiltrate the ground—thus keeping runoff out of the city sewer system. “This site would handle a 10-year storm event before any water leaves the site,” said Solomon. “Everything is connected, like a natural system would be.”

Plantings, too, reflect the firm’s and the client’s shared ecological interest. Native grasses and sedges fill in the rain gardens. Warm season perennials in the meadow demonstrate what this fastdisappearing ecosystem would have looked like before invasives arrived. Winterberry provides an understory to the ethereal river birches at the rear end of the boardwalk. And perennials near the courtyard are chosen to attract pollinators.

Aside from the project’s lofty goals, it is quite simply a beautiful place. As the boardwalk slopes down on its way toward the building, board-form concrete walls rise up to create a private space in the form of a bluestone courtyard, which em-

Blue Moon Fund employees travel from the parking court along a “spine,” or boardwalk to the courtyard just behind the building. Along the way, they see a grove of river birch trees, a small meadow planted with native species, and perennial beds.

ployees can not only use as an outdoor meeting spot, but enjoy viewing from within the office.

The geometric cut stone is offset by rough, angular boulders from the Alberene soapstone quarry in Schuyler.

“The context is very urban—it’s close to Downtown, and the railroads are right there,” said Solomon. “So the palette is very honest: concrete, metal, stone, wood.” Honest, but not without poetry—in the interplay between aluminum railing and delicate grasses, or the diagonal angle of the boardwalk as it lands, bold-

THE BR EA KDOW N Approximately 4,000 square feet

Board-formed concrete from Allied Concrete; weathered steel walls and aluminum guardrails/metalwork fabricated

by Shickel Corp.; Bluestone terrace; soapstone boulders from Alberene Soapstone Company; soapstone fountain designed and fabricated by sculptor Toru Oba; FSC-certified ipe wood boardwalk; FSCcertified cedar screenwall; steel photovoltaic array designed by architect Stoneking/ von Storch.

Fixtures at ipe boardwalk are low-profile path lights by Hunza; fixtures in garden are stake lights by Lumiere Rain garden at parking court: Swamp Milk Weed, Tawny Cotton Grass, Soft Rush, Virginia Mountainmint; Grove at bioretention: River Birch underplanted with Winterberry; Demonstration native warmseason meadow: Native anemone, Andropogon, Lance Leaf Coreopsis, Coneflower (Echinacea), Purple Lovegrass, Common Boneset, Switchgrass, Aromatic Aster, Little

Bluestem; Mound: Prairie Dropseed (native grass); Terraced perennial beds: Bistort, White Coneflower (white Echinacea), Blue Star Amsonia; Hedges in central garden: Dwarf Fothergilla; Hedges at the ramp: American Cranberry Viburnum; Perennials surrounding the lower terrace: Common Lady’s Mantle, Snowdrop Windflower, Black Cohosh, White Bleeding Heart, Purple Coneflower (Echinacea), Coral Bells, Blazing Star (Liatris), Wild Bergamot, Beard Tongue, Black-eyed Susan, Foamflower, Spiked Speedwell; Tree at lower courtyard: Sweetbay Magnolia

Good intentions The goal of this project was two-fold: create a landscape that upholds and reinforces the mission of the Blue Moon Fund, and set a progressive standard for urban landscapes in the city (and beyond).

Accordingly, the urban garden reflects a sense of place while displaying a beautiful array of foliage atypical of its city setting.

And it’s sustainable, too. The site is designed to process stormwater from a 10-year storm event on-site by means of infiltration, evaporation, or storage for reuse.

Staunton-based South River Irrigation designed an underground cistern system, which collects water from the rooftop for recycling.

A photovoltaic array at the rear of site offsets the Blue Moon Fund’s energy needs.

“It also serves as a shade structure for parking,” said Nelson Byrd Woltz’s Tim Popa.

And speaking of energy, the design also incorporates two electric car-charging stations at the parking bay. Talk about smart design.

ly demarcated by a channel of dark stone dust, within the courtyard.

As Solomon put it, the project embodies “implied simplicity” but rewards a close look with many layers of meaning. It is a total reimagining of a small space, made significant by the attention. “I don’t think there’s an inch of the site left untouched,” said Solomon.—Erika Howsare ABODE 33

A HOME DESIGNED FOR TODAY’S LIVING AT T E N T I O N TO D E TA I L C R E AT I V E I N G E N U I T Y B U I L D I N G E XC E L L E N C E

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A Belmont kitchen gets the Scandinavian treatment

Finnish

By Chiara Canzi Photography by Christian Hommel ABODE 37

I

A trained chef, Cordano started designing her kitchen before anything else in the house. She wanted it to be an oasis for her, but a convenient gathering spot for her four-person family, too.

ngrid Cordano and her husband are experts in kitchen design.

“This is the third kitchen we’ve designed during our marriage,” she said. And it shows.

The Cordanos’ Belmont home is a modern treasure that feels fresh and light at first pass: long, straight lines converge into interesting architectural features punctuated by bright, lively colors.

And everything has been carefully conceived.

The Cordanos bought the Belmont lot a few years before they began working on designing their forever home. They chose to work with Latitude 38, a local design and build firm that specializes in ecofriendly construction with a distinctly modern aesthetic. Construction began in October 2012 and the house was ready for move-in in June of 2013.

“For me, the kitchen needs to be in the center of the house,” she said. “It’s where I spend 85 percent of my time. It needed to have access to what is going on around the house, especially with young kids.”

Ultimately, Cordano wanted a kitchen that was accessible to the family, but not so much so that she would get no alone time. When she is cooking, Cordano is focused, so she designed a space where the most often-used items—dishes for everyday dinner, silverware, or even nap38 ABODE

kins—would be at the easy disposal of her daughters, ages 6 and 4. Take the dishwasher: It sits adjacent to a low drawer that stores plates, cups, and pots, so emptying it does not become an Olympic event of coordination and agility.

Cordano is a chef and an engineer by trade. After graduating from UVA, she and her husband moved to New York City, where she attended culinary school and became a personal chef. “That justified having a big kitchen,” she said, with a proud smile.

The space is indeed large, but it doesn’t overrun the nearby TV room or the central staircase that leads to the sleeping quarters.

Modern appliances and light, non-contrasting materials adorn every surface of the space, another hint that the kitchen was built before the rest of the house.

Cordano admits to one extravagance.

“I designed a lot of the kitchen around a dishdrying cabinet,” she said. “In Finland, where I was born and spend a lot of time, we have things called drying cabinets instead of having a dish drainer on the counter.” The cabinet rests on one end of a butcher block countertop that runs the entire length of a wall of windows.

Cordano’s Finnish heritage is evident in other design choices, too—from the white IKEA cabinets to the appliances to the white speckled

A W O RD W I T H T H E D E S IG N E R We asked Latitude 38’s Joey Conover to give us a behind-the-scenes scoop on the kitchen design. Here’s what she had to say.

Had you ever designed an all-white kitchen before? It sort of creates a blank canvas.

We had not done an all-white kitchen before. We have had some clients look into white countertops, but it is hard to find a reasonably priced good looking stone one to use. I think the new “ice white” finish of appliances will be a new modern option instead of stainless. The all-white look definitely has a cleanliness to it that is appreciated in the kitchen, but also requires you to really think through all design choices in the space so that other elements do not unintentionally stick out.

Ingrid found River Shoal (Group B) Viatera white quartz from Home Depot.

What about that ceiling choice? The white-washed paneling sort of just disappears up there, but it’s a nice unexpected element when you look up.

The ceiling was another design element that Ingrid specifically requested. Having family in Finland, she has a strong appreciation for Scandinavian design, specifically their method of “pickling” wood to ensure that there is a enough light brought into the home on short winter days. We did do it throughout the house, however, with less finesse than some Finnish carpenters who have passed it down over hundreds of years.

Functionality seems like it was a big theme in the space. Can you tell me a little about the design choices that were made to make life a little easier for the family?

As a former private chef, Ingrid had great experience to help inform the layout for working in a kitchen with two children and a husband underfoot and friends wanting to hang out while she cooks. Because we were working on a budget with Ikea cabinetry, there were fewer options of specialty cabinets. So, we did a few “IKEA hacks” that Ingrid found, most notably the appliance garage, the dish drying rack over the sink, and the trash/recycling pull outs in the kitchen island.

Much of the design focused on how to orient the kitchen in relation to the living and dining areas, so that there was enough room for mobility, but some definition of space. At the same time, we were designing a den/play area that would be right off the kitchen, but still could be closed off if needed.

Joey Conover

countertop. The eye moves from place to place with ease and relaxation.

“I know white is trendy, but for me, white is timeless,” she said. “I wanted something that felt Scandinavian.”

The sink sits next to the drying cabinet. The opposite leg of the U-shaped space is reserved for the big refrigerator and the cooktop, which is surrounded by more cabinetry.

“I know white is trendy, but for me, white is timeless,” Ingrid Cordano said. “I wanted something that felt Scandinavian.”

The long butcher-block countertop is a handy office space for Cordano, who admits to moving her computer to that spot for late-night Internet browsing. During the day, the countertop houses small appliances used in everyday cooking.

Her favorite feature, however, is the view from the window above the butcher block counter.

The light hits the right spots all day long and the sun shines through big, wide windows, which are elevated enough from the working space that they preserve a little intimacy and privacy from the neighbors.

“I think that it is within everyone’s grasp to design a good kitchen,” she said. Her advice? “Just write down all the tasks that you have to do in the kitchen on a day-to-day basis and you can fine-tune the design based on that.”

THE BREAKDOW N Square footage: 3,109

Materials or finishes White washed ceiling: Ponderosa Pine from Better Living; Windows: Serious Materials 501 Series vinyl from Nature Neutral; Flooring: Wormy maple from Redbrook Lumber; Kitchen cabinets: Abstrakt high-gloss white from IKEA; Countertops: River Shoal (Group B) Viatera white quartz from Home Depot; Numerar butcher block from IKEA

Lighting West Elm Finn pendant (dining); Pottery Barn Exeter chandelier (stairs)

Plumbing fixtures Kitchen sink: Kraus undermount single bowl from faucetdirect.com; Kitchen sink faucet: Kohler Elite in polished chrome from faucetdirect.com; Island sink: 1815 stainless steel with standard strainer from MR Direct Island sink faucet: Tarnan from IKEA

Convenience is king in Cordano’s kitchen, where she and Latitude 38 incorporated smart features like a drying cabinet, appliance garage, and large drawers for pots and pans.

ABODE 39

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R E A L E S TAT E

BEFORE AND AFTER

More ranch, please

The wall between the kitchen and dining room was removed and replaced with a walnut-topped breakfast bar. The view from the kitchen (below) reveals the new ceiling, which is 12' high at the ridge, and custom cabinetry.

A house grows inside its old footprint It was a familiar Charlottesville story. The house, a 1960s ranch, boasted a great location near Downtown, but its outdated floor plan needed to be modernized. “It was a lot of square footage but didn’t seem like it when you walked in,” said Scott Abbott, owner of Abbott & Co. General Contractors. “It was your conventional cut-up plan with dedicated dining and a narrow weird kitchen.”

placement—meaning the house’s exterior look stayed very similar.

As a final touch, Abbott and his team turned the attached garage into a media room. It’s one more way to bring a city home into the new century.—Erika Howsare

PHOTOS: CHRISTIAN HOMMEL

BEFORE

Abbott’s solution was to not only remove walls—making the separate living, dining, and kitchen areas into one large great room, à la contemporary taste—but to raise the ceilings.

Taking off half the house’s roof and installing a new scissor truss system allowed him to create tall, sloped ceilings, 12' at the highest point. “It made the room look a lot bigger,” he said.

In the new kitchen, the centerpiece is a 14'long, two-level bar. Its lower countertop, a workspace, is granite, while the upper section is walnut. “It’s a warmer feel,” said Abbott. “This made it wide enough for overflow space for the dining area.”

Custom cabinets in white, with black granite countertops, provide a clean, just-modern-enough look. New wooden floors unify the great room.

Though this was a sweeping renovation, signs of the house’s original character remain.“We like to take some of the best of a house and keep it,” said Abbott. In this case, the original fireplace, with a white brick surround, lends a midcentury vibe to the living room. A similar philosophy is at work in the fact that although the team replaced windows, they didn’t change their

ABODE 43

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R E A L E S TAT E

REMODEL LOGIC

Potential improvements Contractor Scott Abbott sees opportunity Downtown We asked Scott Abbott to choose one local property currently for sale, giving us his expert opinion about what sort of renovation it could use. He found an overlooked gem in the North Downtown area.

420 Third St. NE $459,900 MLS# 513720

Fast facts PROPOSED BUDGET: $65,000-90,000

which is already equipped with a nice-sized brick fireplace ($5,800-6,200). We could do the same with the dividing wall between the kitchen and the resulting 378-square-foot great room, replacing it with a cabinet peninsula accompanied by a kitchen remodel cabinet plan and new granite/stone tops ($32,000-50,000 depending on selections), new kitchen wiring and plumbing ($6,500-7,800).

We’d refinish the floors and repair the lighting for the 628 square feet of the first floor ($1,350-

RENOVATION COSTS Reopen entries and apply trim: $4,200-5,500 Upgrade kitchen: $5,800-6,200 Open kitchen to great room, add peninsula: $32,000-50,000 New wiring and plumbing: $6,500-7,800 Refinish floors: $1,350-1,700 Plaster repair and new trim: $6,100-6,600 Paint: $3,100-3,900 Optional bathroom updates: $6,350-7,800 TOTAL (with bathroom updates): $65,400-89,500

1,700). The plan would also factor in plaster repair, along with new trim to mimic the old detail ($6,100-6,600), and final paint for affected areas ($3,100-3,900). Lastly, if it is in the new owner’s budget, we could update the bathroom fixtures and install a new tile floor ($6,350-7,800).

How did we do on our budget goals? Our renovation estimate ranges from $65,400 to $89,500, translating into a total investment between $218 and $229 per square foot ($525,300 to $549,400), leaving an additional $6-16 per square foot ($14,40038,400) allowance for additional deferred maintenance and owner-guided improvements before we hit our maximum total investment ceiling of $235 per square foot for the property.

ABODE 45

PHOTOS: CHRISTIAN HOMMEL

Prices in this neighborhood historically have supported $200 to $290 square foot selling prices.

The trick has always been to negotiate a new purchase while leaving enough residual value to allow investing further into a renovation.

This house is a gem in plain sight. It has spent years as an office and not a home, having been converted to light commercial office space many years ago. It is assessed at $501,800 and is being offered for sale for $459,900 (reduced from $499,900). The bones are good, in line with the traits of its neighbors: high ceilings and beautiful hardwood floors throughout.

We would opt to keep the finished remodel cost between $65,000 and $90,000, leaving our total investment at $525,300 to $549,400. That would bring the corresponding square footage price to between $220 and $230 per square foot.

First, we’d need to reopen the walls that were sealed up to create separate offices within the old footprint. That means reopening the grand entryways and cased openings and reapplying the old trim details they once enjoyed ($4,200-5,500).

Next, we’d need to modernize the old kitchen location by installing a bearing beam between the old parlor (sitting room) and the old family room,

FINISH

The crinkle crankle, or serpentine, walls that separate each of UVA’s 10 pavilion gardens are an adaptation Thomas Jefferson made from a classic English garden wall style. Only one brick thick, they were an economical and aesthetically unique solution that have since become a trademark feature of the University’s rich landscape.

Albemarle resident Robert Llewellyn has been a professional photographer for more than 40 years. His plant and landscape photographs have been featured in major art exhibits and published in more than 30 books. To learn more about Robert and his work, visit www.robertllewellyn.com.

46 ABODE

COUNTRY LIVING IN VIRGINIA

SUNNYFIELDS, c. 1830 - Renovated and historically significant home, previously owned and built by Thomas Jefferson’s builder, William Phillips. Surrounded by 330 acres under easement, this country property lies between Monticello and Ashlawn. Over 11,000 sf with 5 bedrooms and 6 full baths, amenities include a gunite heated pool, tennis court, and restored guest house. $6,270,000.

THE MEETING PLACE - Elegant estate in the heart of Nellysford, next to Wintergreen. This over 12,000sf home has 10 bedrooms with 10 full baths, making the perfect vacation home, executive retreat or even B&B. Features include greenhouse, exercise room and conference room. Just over 16 acres, the property has mountain views and river frontage. 5 division rights. $2,495,000.

LITTLE PARSON'S RUN - Beautiful 100 acre parcel in desirable Western Albemarle. Rolling country side and open pasture with Blue Ridge Mountain views. Property features a pond and Stockton Creek frontage. Several prime building sites for the ideal country home. $975,000.

ED UC RED

DICK WOODS ROAD - Greenwood Estate District. 35 acres in Western Albemarle. Horse property has mountain views and creek. 3 paddocks, 4 stall barn and riding ring. 4 bdrms. Features include side covered porch, back deck & pool. Located near top notch equestrian facilities and riding trails. $699,000.

BETWEEN CHARLOTTESVILLE AND RICHMOND Charming country setting. Wonderful home on 15 acres. Almost 4000sf home w/ 5 bdrms., wood floors and high ceilings throughout. Intricate moldings in featured rooms. Open floor plan perfect for families. 1st floor master suite. Lovely landscaped back garden.

Separate workshop and shed. $575,000

Ann Hay Hardy 202-297-0228 ahhardy@farmandestate.com

417 Park Street • Charlottesville, Virginia 22902 • 434-296-0134 www.farmandestate.com

401 Park Street Charlottesville, VA 22902

434.977.4005 lwoodriff@loringwoodriff.com

NEW CONSTRUCTION WITH ANTIQUE MATERIALS

moRiah, in albemaRle $2,350,000 On 11 acres overlooking the Rivanna, Moriah’s setting is the perfect enhancement to the extraordinary structure. At the home’s heart is a log cabin re-located from Free Union. Jay Dalgliesh designed board and batten additions around this cabin (now the home’s dining room and one of the 2nd floor bedroom suites). Comprised of over 5,000 sf incl. 4-5 bedroom suites, the house is a showcase of reclaimed materials. Gracious proportions are enhanced by glorious floors of wide plank hemlock & herringbone chestnut, reclaimed mantels & massive ceiling beams, antique banisters. MLS# 516514

17 ACRE ESTATE ON RIVANNA RESERVOIR

432 WOODLANDS ROAD • $1,250,000 Rivanna Reservoir and mountain views. 1940’s estate home w/ light-filled entry foyer and large fireplace opens to gracious living room & dining room. The St. Charles kitchen has tall ceilings and large windows. 4 bedrooms, 4 full baths and 7 fireplaces.

Shown by appointment. Elizabeth Feil Matthews (434) 284-2105.

OFF GARTH ROAD MOMENTS FROM TOWN

IN THE BLUE RIDGE NEIGHBORHOOD

CLOSE TO UVA AND MOVE IN READY

1530 LONDON ROAD • $1,295,000 Inglecress subdivision off Garth Road close to Farmington. Spacious home has the option of one level living with a bright open floor plan, large windows, plenty of natural light. Formal and informal spaces, five bedrooms, 4 full and 3 half baths, home office, family and exercise rooms. Elizabeth Feil Matthews (434) 284-2105. MLS# 516906

1124 HILLTOP ROAD • IN THE CITY Circa 1949 this 5 bedroom, 7 full, 2 half bath grand dame has been comprehensively renovated, including new bathrooms and kitchen. Remarkable 2 acre double lot on one of Charlottesville’s most distinguished streets. Period mouldings, arched doorways, antique mantels, marble bathrooms and additional charms abound.

2340 HIGHLAND AVENUE • $229,900 Walk or bike to UVA and Johnson Elementary School from this 1950’s bungalow. On City bus line. Versatile floor plan with one level living. Hardwood floors, new central air, natural gas forced air heat, roof 3 years old, fenced front and back yards. Elizabeth Feil Matthews (434) 284-2105. MLS# 516469

ON 11 ACRES - 10 MINS FROM DOWNTOWN

WALK TO HISTORIC SCOTTSVILLE

MOVE-IN READY IN HUNTWOOD

1293 HAMMOCKS GAP RD • $1,745,000 With pastoral & Southwest Mountain views as its backdrop, Lagniappe is a dramatic country house in a tranquil setting. A contemporary addition enhances the home w/state-of-the-art kitchen, 12’ ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, French doors, fireplace. Guest qtrs. Kristin Cumming Streed (434) 409-5619. MLS# 514229

197 JAMES RIVER ROAD • $229,000 This charming, move-in ready home exudes 1940’s character, yet has such modern conveniences as new windows, 2-zone HVAC, & updated appliances. Outstanding features include hardwood floors, woodburning fireplace, 1st floor master. Yard is a gardener’s paradise with plenty of privacy. Sally Neill (434) 531-9941. MLS# 514696

1018 HUNTWOOD LANE • $224,900 Spacious end-unit town home within walking distance of Barracks Road Shopping Center. 3 BRs, 3 1/2 BAs, living room with fireplace, dining room & eat-in kitchen, family room with 2nd fireplace. Rear patio and deck overlook small stream & wooded area. Amy Toomy (434) 996-0394. MLS# 516582

505 Rosemont DRive $1,295,000

MAGNIFICENT MOUNTAIN VIEWS

160 BAYLOR LANE • $429,000 Mintues to Downtown. 3,500+ sf home with 4 bedrooms & 3.5 baths, warm stranded bamboo floors, stone fireplace & built-ins.

The gourmet kitchen offers high-level granite, upgraded cabinets and appliances. With over 600 sf of outdoor decks and a porch the home is built for entertaining! Lindsay Milby (434) 962-9148. MLS# 515263

MOUNTAIN VIEWS AND LAKE FRONT ACCESS

An exceptional offering minutes to UVA and historic Downtown and situated on 6 acres. Home boasts quality details including 4 fireplaces, double porches and a brick terrace. The grand entry, flanked by a large formal library and gracious dining room, leads directly to a dramatic two story great room. A large chef ’s kitchen opens to a light filled sunroom with slate floors.

Master suite enjoys beautiful mountain views while the additional bedrooms and bonus room on the upper levels offer private retreats for family and guests. Lindsay Milby (434) 962-9148. MLS# 516902

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