2018 Smith Mountain Lake HOME Magazine by James River Media

HOME SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE

design ✦ improve ✦ garden ✦ live

lake living finest AT ITS

PERK UP YOUR PATIO LOCAL TREASURES KITCHEN ISLANDS

a well-stocked

DOCK

ANNUAL ISSUE 2018

S m i t h M o u n t a i n L a ke H O M E 2 0 1 8

ONE HOME, ONE BUYER, ONE DREAM AT A TIME.

Building and Remodeling Homes in the Smith Mountain Lake Area

ROBERT R BAUER BUILDING CONTRACTORS INC.

CUSTOM HOMES • ADDITIONS • REMODELING Certified Graduate Master Builder | Certified Graduate Remodeler | Certified Green Builder

3335 White House Rd. | Moneta Va. 24121 | Office 540-296-2242 | Cell 540-420-1472 | www.rrbbuilders.com

And We Want to Help You Discover It! At Southern Landscape Group, we specialize in creating amazing outdoor environments at Smith Mountain Lake. Our award-winning team will listen to your hopes and desires and work with you to uncover the masterpiece that can be your back yard. Whether that includes an elegant patio, beautiful back porch, outdoor kitchen, fire pit, pool, hot tub, pergola or complete outdoor living space, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll help you discover your own back yard masterpiece.

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a National Award Winning Landscape Design/Build Firm. Call us at 434.821.6004 or on the web at www.soscapes.com for a consultation.

IMPROVE YOUR VIEW

FREE DESIGN CONSULTATION Interior Designer on Staff

540-985-9160

Serving SML for Over 40 Years! 2944 Orange Ave NE, Roanoke, VA 24012

www.FSFourSeasons.com | Visit us on Facebook.com/fsfourseasons S m i t h M o u n t a i n L a ke H O M E 2 0 1 8

FUN RUNS IN THE FAMILY There’s a Sea-Doo watercraft designed for every type of rider. And with the 2018 lineup, that tradition of fun continues. From pulse-pounding performance and top-of-the-line luxury models to playful units and everything in between. Enjoy the comfort and ease of a 2 or 3 seat configuration, and the confidence that comes with our Intelligent Brake and Reverse you’ll maneuver with ease and feel safer than ever.

Since its beginning in 1977, Webster Marine has been a family owned and operated, full-service marine center on beautiful Smith Mountain Lake, VA. Boasting the largest inventory of deck boats, pontoons, and Sea-Doo watercraft in Southwest Virginia, Webster Marine offers new and pre-owned boat and Sea-Doo watercraft sales, as well as service, parts, accessories and slip rentals. Conveniently located next to Halesford Bridge, stop by and visit us today.

WebsterMarine.com | 540-297-5228 | 800-325-9110 1185 Mills Road | Moneta, Virginia 24121 | Off Route 122, North of Hales Ford Bridge

“Now Serving Non Ethanol Gas 24/7” ®, TM and the BRP logo are trademarks of Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. or its affiliates.

Every heartbeat, every moment It’s because of the special moments you have along the way that we take your care so seriously. It’s for remembering how your chest swelled with pride but your eyes misted when your little girl finished high school and would be going off to college. No matter what life may bring, our cardiovascular team puts their heart and soul into caring for you and your family so that many more special moments can be cherished. Their dedication, expertise, and remarkable care led Centra Lynchburg General Hospital to be named – for the seventh time – one of the nation’s 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals by IBM Watson Health. But we’re not in it for the recognition. We’re here for every heartbeat, every moment, every step of the way.

Learn more about the Centra Stroobants Heart Center and our expert cardiologists, surgeons, and nurses

434.200.5252

100 Top Hospitals® is a registered trademark of IBM Watson Health™

L a ke H O M E 2 0 1 8

Glenda McDaniel,

The Lake Specialist

Custom Waterfront Homes

Emerald Bay Patio Homes and New Construction

Lakefront Estates

Waterfront Condominiums and Townhomes

Investment Properties and Lake Cottages

Waterfront Lot

The Smith Mountain Lake Specialists

Glenda & Steven McDaniel TheLakeSpecialist.com

540-797-2247 â&#x20AC;˘ glendamcd@aol.com Steven McDaniel Realtor

See all featured properties & more: www.GlendaMcDaniel.com

Glenda McDaniel Top Lake Agent for Long & Foster

BUILDS CENTRAL VIRGINIA’S FINEST HOMES

Whether you are looking to build a new home or renovate an existing one, our in-house design staff and master craftsmen pride ourselves on walking our clients on a path to make their dreams become reality. If details and the highest quality are what you desire, call us today to start the EXPERIENCE.

BEFORE

1934 GRAVES MILL ROAD • LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA 24502 • TEL: 434.832.0040 • FAX: 434.832.0020

Outstanding agents, Outstanding Results.

Audrey Agee 540.537.5202

Tim Basham 540.537.4556

Deborah Beran 540.529.4229

Barbara Brooks 540.420.0135

Wayne Burris 540.529.0200

Rick Carroll 540.521.9702

Bill Cothran 434.238.5777

Pam Gabriel 540.493.4359

Audrey@AudreyAgee.com

SMLRealEstate.com

DebBeranProperties.com

BBrooks@ SmithMountainLakeVA.com

wayne@waynethelakeman.com

RickCarrollSML.com

cothraw@msn.com

pkgabrielrealtor4u@gmail.com

Jeanette Handy 540.493.4914

Christy Hodges Ploch 540.493.3445 chploch@hotmail.com

Casey Johnson 540.537.0299

CaseyJohnsonSml@yahoo.com

Phyllis Johnson 540.537.5312

Tricia Johnson 540.814.3399

Charlene Jones 540.874.7002

John Jones 540.874.6221

Julia Keep 208.989.8356

Julie Link 540.420.0358

Norm Mattson 540.797.1991

Jennifer Mazeika 540.537.2332

Peggy Overstreet 540.874.5815

Regina Sparks 540.420.1807

Kim Thomas 540.420.1699

handylakegirl@gmail.com

LinkSML@aol.com

nemattson@aol.com

jmazehomes4you@gmail.com

BestLakeBuys.com

Peggy@ PeggyOverstreet.com

TriciaHJohnson@Hotmail.com Luxury Homes Marketing Specialist

ginakaysway@aol.com

gkimth@gmail.com

JohnJonesHomes.com

juliadkeep@gmail.com

Steve Wisotzkey 717.319.2453

Catina Wright 540.815.1413

SWisotzkey55@gmail.com

Re/Max Lakefront Realty, Inc. | 800.233.9004 | 540.721.3555

remaxsmithmountainlake.com

sellingthewrightway@yahoo.com

THE AREAS LARGEST SELECTION OF OUTDOOR FURNITURE

Award Winning Custom In Ground Pool Builder

CONTENTS Smith Mountain Lake HOME 2018

80 40

66 20

STOCK YOUR DOCK Everything you need for fun in the sun BY CHARLOTTE A.F. FARLEY

HEART OF THE KITCHEN Island options for form and function

SHOWCASE HOMES

THE COOPER HOME Spectacular lakeside residence is filled with fun touches BY RORY RHODES

BY C H R I S T Y R I P P E L

BY RYAN TIPPS

SPOTLIGHT ON STONE Rocks and boulders define a lakeside landscape

THE CRUISE HOME Starting from scratch to create a dream retreat

BY J E S S I E TH O M PS O N

BY RYAN TIPPS

KATHERINE GRACE MANOR Historic bed & breakfast welcomes guests and visitors BY N O E LLE M I LAM

THE MARQUEZ HOME Water features and expanded views update family getaway Cover photo by Craig Shaffer at the home of Eddie and Vickie Turner. Landscaping by Southern Landscape Group.

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Sm it h Mount a i n L ake H O M E 2018

DESIGN

28 LAKE DECOR

Organic elements evoke beauty of nature

BY MEGAN BRUFFY

53 CRYSTAL CLEAR

Specialty windows enhance your view

BY KATHERINE FULGHUM KNOPF

88 LOVE YOUR LAUNDRY

Design and timesaver tips BY CHRISTY RIPPEL

IMPROVE

50 OUT OF SIGHT

Spots to stash your lake gear BY RYAN TIPPS

77 CULINARY CONSERVATION

Smart strategies save trips to the store BY SARA WARRENDER

GARDEN

32 CURB APPEAL

First impressions matter BY BECKY CALVERT

56 THE THREE-SEASON GARDEN

Staggered blooms for continual color BY MITZI BIBLE

86 RAIN BARRELS

Simple and eco-friendly

BY ALEXANDRA REYNOLDS

LIVE

36 PITCHER DRINKS

Tasty libations will please a crowd BY SLOANE LUCAS

94 PASS THE PASTA

Recipes for flexible, no-fuss meals BY KATHERINE FULGHUM KNOPF

96 SML FISHING TIPS

What to know and where to go BY JERRY HALE

111 LAKESCAPES

Local artists paint appealing scenes BY RORY RHODES 14

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THE DATEJUST 41 The new generation of the essential classic, with a new movement and design that keep it at the forefront of watchmaking. It doesn’t just tell time. It tells history.

OYSTER PERPETUAL DATEJUST 41

rolex

oyster perpetual and datejust are ® trademarks.

building healthy

smiles

DR. BRYAN G. SICHER, DMD 15 Westwind Road, Moneta • 540.721.3800 • smldentist.com

A FULL-SERVICE PRACTICE, offering complete, family-focused care for everyone from toddlers to seniors, with services ranging from routine cleaning and exams to implants and bridgework. NEW PATIENTS WELCOME!

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EDITOR’S note Anyone who spends time at Smith Mountain Lake has probably heard visitors say, “It’s so relaxing here!” And of course they’re right; from the stillness of quiet winter days to the call of crickets and frogs on long summer evenings, the lake has a tremendous capacity to restore and refresh… and also, to entertain. Whether sipping a cold drink at the water’s edge, tugging an inflatable full of squealing kids behind the boat, or dropping a fishing line off the dock or at a favorite fishing spot, the lake provides a myriad of ways to spend time with family and friends. To the delighted visitor, a well-run weekend may seem effortless. But the fact is, there’s an element of work that goes into enjoying a lake lifestyle. With attention and upkeep required on everything from boats, docks, and shorelines, to the more traditional home and garden concerns, extra visitors during the season can keep a host hopping. Being prepared and knowing the tricks to simplification will help keep the focus on the fun. Take a look at our tips for a well-stocked dock, which will ensure that everyone is comfortable and save trips back to the house. Our articles on reducing grocery waste and organizing that lakehouse constant, laundry, will cut down on chore time. Our recipes for pasta dishes and delicious pitcher drinks can easily accommodate a few extra folks when a boat pulls up. And for when it’s time to put the toys away, we’ve got ideas on where to stash water gear like tubes, tackle and kayaks. With the inevitable focus on the water, it’s easy to forget the front garden. Our article on curb appeal will give you

some creative ideas to spruce up this often-overlooked area. In the landscape, rocks and boulders are the ultimate in lowmaintenance appeal, while three-season garden displays provide months of blooms to enjoy. Inside, we’ll show you the latest trends in kitchen islands and specialty windows, along with charming ways to bring nature’s beauty into your home through organic decor and local art. And for inspiration, take a peek at how several local residents have transformed their homes into idyllic retreats. However you choose to spend your time at the lake, relaxation should always be one of the goals! We hope this issue of HOME magazine will be a part of your plans this season. Until next time… — Rory Rhodes, Editor rory@westwillowpublishing.com

at area stores: Kroger Food Lion White House Corner

Look for the book...

at Welcome Centers: Smith Mountain Lake Bedford

S ee the company

who wrote the book.

whether buying or selling

at Marinas: Mitchell’s Point Parkway Virginia DARE .......................... Online at LakeRetreat.com

Lake Retreat Properties, Inc

540.297.6002 • 800.421.6980 6760 White House Road Huddleston, VA 24104

Jeanette M. Childress, Broker 540.309.6002

Wil Childress, Associate Broker 540.312.7002

smlhomemaga zine .com 17

HOME SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE

T H E B EST DE CISIO N WE EVER MADE.

2018 ANNUAL EDITION PUBLISHER Julie Pierce EDITOR Rory Rhodes ART DIRECTOR Edwana Coleman

MAINTENANCE FREE LIVING. FINANCIAL PEACE OF MIND. TIME FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS. Retirement doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to be boring! Discover new talents by experimenting with bold colors in our painting class. Try a Tai Chi class or stroll along our beautiful nature trail. Travel with friends! Discover all you can do at Westminster Canterbury and experience life refreshed. Call Laura Hunter to schedule a tour (434) 386-3305 501 VES Road, Lynchburg, VA 24503 WCLynchburg.org

WC-HML-18014

Experience Life Refreshed!

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Mitzi Bible Megan Bruffy Becky Calvert Charlotte A.F. Farley Jerry Hale Katherine Fulghum Knopf Sloane Lucas Noelle Milam Christy Rippel Jessie Thompson Ryan Tipps Sara Warrender CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Meridith Ingram PHOTOGRAPHERS Kevin Hurley Michael Patch Craig Shaffer GRAPHIC ARTIST Donna Collins Moore OPERATIONS MANAGER Colleen Miller

Interior Design Flooring Cabinetry Lighting Furniture Decor Blinds & Shades

ADVERTISING SALES Kirsten Morey Becker Julia Belvin Anne Marie Poore CONTACT

Smith Mountain Lake HOME is published annually by West Willow Publishing Group, LLC. For advertising information please call (434) 386-5667 or email sales@smlhomemagazine.com. To discuss coverage of an event relating to home or garden, please contact Smith Mountain Lake HOME at info@smlhomemagazine.com.

WEST WILLOW PUBLISHING GROUP, LLC (434) 386-5667 westwillowpublishing.com

Monday - Friday: 8am - 5pm All other times by appointment only (540) 719-1431 | www.bydesigninteriorsofva.com 12925 Booker T Washington Hwy, Suite 102, Hardy, VA 1 8

Copyright 2018 by West Willow Publishing Group, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from West Willow Publishing Group, LLC. All pictorial material reproduced in this magazine, whether in a produced ad or by itself, has been accepted on the condition that it is with the knowledge and prior consent of the photographer or the artist concerned. As such, West Willow Publishing Group, LLC is not responsible for any infringement of copyright or otherwise arising out of publication thereof. The information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. However, West Willow Publishing Group, LLC makes no warrant to the accuracy or reliability of this information. Opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of ownership or management.

S m i t h M o u n t a i n L a ke H O M E 2 0 1 8

PUBLISHER’S note

my love affair with

SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE I lived in Lynchburg for nearly seven years before visiting Smith Mountain Lake, but all it took was one relaxing, sensational weekend at the lake and my family couldn’t get enough. Within six months we purchased and renovated a small weekend cottage and, less than a year after that first visit, we were all in. Our summers revolved around how much time we could spend at the lake, on the water. That was eight years ago, and the lake now owns a big piece of my heart. It is truly my happy place—a feeling any SML homeowner will understand. It seemed only natural to bring a part of my business here as well, especially because many of our readers and business partners connected to Central Virginia HOME magazine, in greater Lynchburg, and Roanoke Valley HOME, had been asking us to share our love of all things home, garden and life with the community at SML. This issue marks our fourth annual edition of Smith Mountain Lake HOME, and I’m thrilled that it’s become the goto resource to provide ideas and inspiration to the homeowners of SML. We showcase local style meant to inspire you, and connect you with the businesses that can help you execute your plans and projects. I appreciate all the new friends we’ve met along the way, and value the contributions we’ve received from local professionals, whose personal commitment and interest have further improved our content. I’m especially thankful for you, our readers, who have provided some of our best content. We love getting your ideas for stories and interesting lake homes to feature. Please keep them coming! Send me a note—I’d love to hear from you! Now, read on! I hope the ideas, tips and businesses presented on these pages of Smith Mountain Lake HOME will inspire you to do something new and fresh this year. — Julie Pierce, Publisher Julie@westwillowpublishing.com

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EQUAL HOUSING

LENDER

smlhomemaga zine .com 19

THE WELLSTOCKED DOCK BY C H A R LOT T E A . F. FA R L E Y

There are few things more relaxing than sitting on the dock, listening to the gently lapping water, breathing in the vistas, and dipping your toes in the water. Indeed, the dock is the new it-spot for getting together on the water. More than just a landing pad for coming out of (or going into) the water, the dock is a place that more and more people are using as a multipurpose outdoor space to fish, boat, dine and gather.

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12 IDEAS FOR ENJOYING YOUR DOCK AT NIGHT 1. Show your children the constellations on a clear night. 2. Have s’mores from the fire pit on the first weekend of fall. 3. Host a fireworks-watching party. 4. Do a little night fishing. 5. Have a glass of wine and enjoy the sunset. 6. Watch the sunrise.

PHOTO: MICHAEL PATCH

7. Grab a blanket and curl up with a book by flashlight. 8. Look for shooting stars and make wishes. 9. Check online for expected meteor showers, and have a meteor shower party. 10. Bring out the guitars and some local craft beer (or root beer) and have an oldfashioned singalong. 11. Have a cookout. 12. Play a game of cards—you can even play “go fish” with the kids to keep the theme!

To outfit this outdoor structure, approach it the same way you would approach furnishing the inside your home: Size it up and determine its purpose. Aside from viewing your pier as simply a place to access the water, think of all the other possibilities the landing has to offer. Do you dream of having a quiet place to read a book, a spot for quiet al fresco dining, or a place to have a picnic or a party? Take some time to consider how you and your family would most likely enjoy this kind of spot, and measure it to figure out how much space you really have to work with. This is the time to be exact; oftentimes docks are smaller than traditional rooms or decks, and inches become precious. Bring these measurements with you into stores as you hunt for whatever furnishings you have in mind. Whichever way you choose to treat it, this isn’t the place for formality; comfort and durability are the names of the game here. Be certain that your outdoor furniture can withstand the elements of sun, wind and water, and don’t forget the benefits of laying 2 2

down an outdoor rug or carpeting to protect your feet from splinters and heat. A dock used for relaxation purposes begs for cozy perches, like a couple of Adirondack chairs or a hammock. On the other hand, a dock for parties and occasional dining requires a table or two along with places to sit. Whether you want to dedicate a section of your space to serve as your own personal tiki bar or as a floating-on-the-water dining room, choose the best seats for the purpose at hand. You might be content with a traditional built-in dock bench, which lends itself well to an L-shaped dock, but if you plan to spend hours vegging dockside, you might want something plusher. Some companies specialize in furniture just for docks—there are even new swivel chairs on the market that install at the edge of the dock, so you can have a comfy place to sit with back support while dipping your toes in the water— that’s the life! Don’t forget to furnish the space with a small table for your dockside snacks and beverages; if space is tight, garden stools can do the trick. S m i t h M o u n t a i n L a ke H O M E 2 0 1 8

DRE A M IN B L ACK

Sleep is more than a necessity and a mattress should represent something more than utility. Beautyrest Black® is where technology and luxury intertwine to take you far beyond mere comfort. HUNDREDS OF COOLING CARATS Micro Diamond™ Memory Foam works with the AdvancedPocketed Coil® Technology to create our best conforming back support. Micro diamonds in the foam work to conduct heat away from the body to prevent overheating.

WESTLAKE OUTLET On Rt. 122 at Westlake Village Open Wed.-Sat. 10-5 & Sun. 12-5 Full Service Mattress Selection www.grandhomefurnishings.com smlhomemaga zine .com 2 3

If you love spending time right at the water’s edge, you’ll want some kind of protection from the sun. Keep plenty of waterproof sunscreen stashed away in a basket down at the dock for easy application—your guests will appreciate the thoughtfulness, and you’ll save yourself a trip back to the house. While keeping your skin protected from the sun is a must, you’ll also need relief from the heat at some point. Thankfully, there are a number of shade structures available in every price point, from pergolas with shade cloth to gazebos and canopies. Select the kind that meets your needs and your preferred aesthetic. You might also want to examine the different kinds of outdoor drapery on the market, which can provide protection from the sun as well as a sense of privacy and a dose of elegance to the dock. Whether your family spends hours in kayaks or whether you just want to take a dip to cool off, be prepared for having fun in the water. Since you’ll likely host a variety of guests, keep life jackets in a range of sizes on hand; these are a safety necessity when you’re out on the water. It’s also wise to keep lots of extra towels handy for yourself as well as your guests, who will especially appreciate the kind gesture if they’ve forgotten any gear. Store any towels, flotation devices, and watersports gear right on the dock in a storage box. The kind of box you use ultimately depends on how frequently you and your family get in the water and how much time you anticipate spending on the dock. If you plan to get out there on the daily, invest in a dock box that attaches to the dock to store all your stuff. And of course, remember to install lots of rod holders and a few extra poles for the fishermen and fisherwomen to use. While you consider how you’d like to entertain on the dock, also take into consideration how far it is from your kitchen to the dock. Do you have climb what feels like miles of stairs to reach

the main house, or can you get in and out in a matter of seconds? Do you want to have a small bar and countertop for preparing snacks and drinks, or do you simply need a cooler or some insulated bags? Would a mini-fridge work, logistically speaking? Take it all into consideration, and once you determine what works best with your style, stock up on bottles of water, sodas and sports drinks—and remember to grab a few of your family’s favorite non-perishable snacks (pretzels, nuts, chips) while you’re at the store. If space is limited, look into what it would require to install a pontoon picnic table near your dock (as long as this wouldn’t interfere with the actual docking of boats, of course!). From those picnics to cocktails, remember to forgo anything breakable (like china and glassware) or flimsy (like paper or Styrofoam). Melamine is the serving ware of choice: It’s sturdy, unbreakable, and won’t blow away when you set down your plate to excuse yourself for a moment. For drinkware, keep sturdy plastic cups (like Tervis tumblers) on hand—they’re perfect for everything from iced tea to piña coladas. When the sun goes down, that doesn’t mean the party has to stop—it just means that the party needs light! Again, the lighting you select depends on your taste and your budget. Custom accent lighting can include anything from paper lanterns to wrought-iron, farmhouse-style lanterns as well as string lights, LED landscape lighting, and hanging lamps. Provided that your dock isn’t in a shady spot, you might want to set up solar lamps to provide light for when the sun goes down, and look into installing solar dock marking lights to illuminate the edge of the dock in the evening hours. When you entertain waterside in the evening, the more light, the better—not only will it provide a warm glow, but it will also serve as a safety feature.

From the Marquez home, featured on page 98.

PHOTO: MICHAEL PATCH 2 4

PHOTO: CRAIG SHAFFER

PHOTO: MICHAEL PATCH S m i t h M o u n t a i n L a ke H O M E 2 0 1 8

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If you really want to light up the water near your dock, install underwater dock lights—these are especially essential if you enjoy night boating or the occasional evening swim. Decorate to your heart’s desire; there are no rules here. For some, peaceful and serene is the name of the game with teak furniture, a sisal outdoor rug; for others, a nod to all things nautical keeps things classic. It’s totally fine to even kitsch it up a bit if you want to impart a fun, whimsical nature to your dock decor. The way you approach dock decorating is up to you. Be sure that your decor can withstand exposure to the elements—especially the wet element! Bring out light throws in fun patterns to bring warmth to chilly evenings or mornings and to offer a splash of texture and color. You can even add a few pots of plants for touches of green; just be sure to stick a brick in the bottom of containers to make sure they won’t blow over out there. Citronella candles add a bit of a glow while also keeping the bugs at bay—and keep some bug spray nearby to keep the mosquitoes from biting your guests. You may choose simply to take in the vistas and sip a glass of something cold and sweet in the quiet of the evening, or you may invite friends to feel free to hop in their boats and come visit you by water. Whichever way you choose, you’re sure to enjoy using your dock more than you ever have before. ✦

As a part of the Smith Mountain Lake community for more than 30 years, our agents' mastery of the local market will surely find you the home of your dreams. Call or visit us today and work with a company you can trust.

www.SmithMtnLake.com

540-721-8659

©2018 BHH Affiliates, LLC. An independently owned and operated franchisee of BHH Affiliates, LLC. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of HomeServices of America, Inc.® Equal Housing Opportunity.

S m i t h M o u n t a i n L a ke H O M E 2 0 1 8

Gardeners Unique screen walls walls & &arches arches Unique plants plants •• Vegetative Vegetative screen Ornamental Native trees trees and and shrubbery shrubbery Ornamental topiaries topiaries •• Native Perennials/annuals Mulch •• Stone Stone •• Boulders Boulders Perennials/annuals •• Mulch Local Simply Southern Southern apparel apparel Local gifts gifts & & crafts crafts •• Simply

1000 Tel:(540) (540)875-6118 875-6118 1000Grove Grove St. St. Bedford, Bedford, VA VA 24523 • LibertyLandscapingVA.com LibertyLandscapingVA.com •• Tel:

DESIGN organic style

natural surroundings

BRING ORGANIC TOUCHES TO YOUR INTERIORS

BY MEGAN BRU FF Y

Growing up, my dad and I spent every available moment at my uncle’s lake cabin. From nearly anywhere in the house you could look east and catch a glimmer of water framed by weathered pine trees. Those views imbued the space with a stillness and tranquility. It was our waterfront sanctuary—except for the dark wood paneling and well-worn furniture.

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SOFT SHADES THAT COMPLEMENT THE NATURAL SURROUNDINGS CERTAINLY EXUDE A SENSE OF SERENITY.

Admittedly, as much as I love that home, I spent many a dreary afternoon on the screened-in porch, breathing in that sweet lake air and daydreaming about how I would redecorate it. Even then, I heard the siren call of neutral color palettes, cozy textiles, and subtly nautical furniture. As my mom would say, an anchor and a few fish-shaped pillows does not lake decor make. In late spring, store shelves swell with this type of aquatic accoutrement: oars, fish, buoys, anchors, ships, compasses, and the list goes on and on. While I admittedly harbor a deep love for thematic accessories, authentic lakeside style craves subtlety— furnishings that enliven that beautiful vista waiting outside your window. Allow me to explain.

Add light

English essayist Joseph Addison once said, “Colors speak all languages.” So, what do you want your lake house to say? I naturally gravitate toward muted hues—pale blue, crisp white, lemon chiffon—colors that say, “Welcome to paradise. Here’s a mint julep.” Well, maybe they can’t say all that, but soft shades that complement the natural surroundings certainly exude a sense of serenity. Try fresh oyster shell trim with coastal blue walls to accentuate the nearby water. Then, weave rich colors into your accessories: grass-green throw pillows poised on the couch, pink peonies perched on the end table, buttery yellow chairs

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positioned under the dining table. After all, even neutral palettes need a little flair. Before you look out, take a minute to look up. Ceilings are often overlooked opportunities for brightness. Instead of placing an airy blue on the walls, try it up above. When you walk into the room, the ceiling’s calming color will draw your eye straight to the nearest view of the water. Add softness

Ever since I was a little girl, my favorite part of swimming has always been coming in the house, drying off, and putting on soft sweatpants and a sweatshirt. To be cocooned in warm, soft fabrics after a swim is a truly divine experience. In a lake house, the right textiles can conjure that feeling all the time. Think chunky, organic textured throws and cushy oversized couch pillows with machine-washable covers. Remember, you’re at the lake, which equals water and humidity. It’s critical that any creature comforts have durable construction. While windows are great for capturing those peaceful vistas, sometimes privacy is needed. I adore long, flowy sheer white curtains, or a breezy linen option, that provide a bit of a buffer but also allow the room to be flooded with light. Hang them well above the window frame, close to the ceiling, to give the illusion of higher ceilings. Well-chosen and

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thoughtfully placed drapery can offer seclusion without stifling the view. Flooring sets the tone of a lake house. In high traffic areas, nylon carpet is known for its durability, resilience and easy maintenance. If you choose hardwoods or tile, add a soft area rug for comfort and function. Consider a nubbly jute rug in creamy khaki for a living room, a flat weave rug with thick blue-and-white stripes for the hallway, or a circular handhooked rug in a light coral ombre for the dining room. The possibilities are infinite.

magnolia

Add texture

Get creative with your accessories. Baskets woven from wood or rope add texture and storage to a space, while metal-and-glass lanterns placed in front of a stacked stone fireplace create an intriguing juxtaposition of materials. For a historic touch, print a large, black-andwhite map of the lake on linen, canvas or silk, and hang it in the dining room for a great dinner conversation starter. Don’t forget about furniture! As the fourth generation of a furniture manufacturing family, I’ve heard more than once: Choose the right wood for the space. In humid environments, durable materials like wicker, rattan and teak evoke an earthy, seaside feel—think of a wicker couch with plush cushions, or a naturally brown teak table and chairs stained driftwood gray. These pieces are a great addition to any indoor or outdoor space. (Pro tip: Apply a coating of teak oil once a year and your pieces will look beautiful for generations to come.)

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Add freshness

I treasure the sweet scent of lake air— fresh, crisp, inviting. To complement that aroma and keep things fresh inside, I recommend candles or an oil diffuser with crisp fragrances like linen or ocean breeze, or a delicate floral. It’ll be the finishing touch. From the moment the door opens, enjoying a lake house is a sensory experience. You see the light, feel the softness and textures, smell the air. As you seek new additions for your waterside haven, remember: Organic decor engages the senses so you can be comfortable indoors while fully immersing yourself in your natural surroundings. Happy decorating! ✦

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GARDEN front garden focus

the front view HOW TO BOOST CURB APPEAL AT THE LAKE B Y B E C K Y C A LV E R T

With most of our time at Smith Mountain Lake spent on or around the water, focus on the front entrance of our homes tends to get lost. It’s no wonder: With the wonderful distractions the lake holds, it’s easy to overlook an area that doesn’t see much more than basic comings and goings. It’s easy to forget that the front yard is part of the greater neighborhood landscape, and helps create the transition from public to private space. Giving this area a little bit of attention goes a long way toward creating a beautiful expression of welcome to your family and guests.

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The shape of hardscape

Start with the view from the street. The driveway is the first official entrance, so make it memorable with plantings. You’ll want the space to be easy to maneuver in and out of, so don’t plant anything too large. Tall planters filled with blooming annuals offer a festive greeting. Shrubs—either evergreen or something blooming like an azalea or rhododendron—make for a more formal appearance. Or go with something like an ornamental grass for a more dramatic statement. Be sure the house number is displayed clearly at the entrance for the convenience of visitors, whether it be on a post or pillar devoted solely to that purpose or incorporated onto the mailbox. And speaking of the mailbox: It needs to be easy to access, but it should also blend with your surrounding landscape. Plantings around the base help soften it, particularly something with some height, but not tall enough to obstruct using the mailbox. If possible, whatever is planted around the mailbox should fit into your greater landscape plan, but could also just be a few pots of blooming annuals at the base. A small hanging planter of trailing petunias, hung from underneath the mailbox, is an unexpected and charming way of softening the appearance of the post. Keep in mind you’ll need to water whatever you plant, so be sure you’re able to access it easily with either a hose or watering can.

path leading up to your home points attention directly to the front door, while a more curving path encourages one to slow down and take in the surroundings. Maintaining your path, so that it’s clean and in good repair, is helpful for attractiveness as well as safety. A stone, brick or concrete paver walkway, laid in a stepping stone manner with ground cover planted in between is both informal and charming, creating a lush appearance that is easy to maintain. A low creeping perennial keeps better than mulch or pea gravel, won’t need regular mowing, and can help crowd out weeds. If you do go with a ground cover plant between stepping stones, there are a number of hardy specimens to choose from—moss, creeping thyme, creeping Jenny and a variety of creeping sedums. Choose the one that will be best suited to traffic and sunlight patterns in your yard. These same ground cover plants can also be used to create definition to the edges of your pathway, softening the edges while blending it into the surrounding landscape. If you prefer more definition or something taller, consider lamb’s ear, liriope, lavender, or a perennial geranium—all low-growing, hardy, attractive and easy to care for. Shrubs could also be planted, creating a more formal appearance, but will need to be maintained to avoid crowding the path over time. Light the way

A pretty path

It is important for pathways leading to and around your home to be easy to navigate, while also being welcoming. They may be utilitarian in purpose, getting you from one place to another, but they also help set a tone for the entry into the house. A straight

Lighting is another important consideration for our front paths and entries. Solar lanterns set along a path, a few inches above the ground, are an easy and inexpensive option without being too obtrusive. If there are any steps or grade changes on your path, you’ll want to be sure you have some sort of light illuminating

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them at night for safety. Uplighting architectural features on your home can be lovely, but downlighting is the best method for safely illuminating walking paths at night. When choosing light fixtures for nighttime walking safety, be sure to choose fixtures that shed their light down and out. Downlights placed high in trees can be used to illuminate an entire area, giving a softer glow than a floodlight on the side of a house or other building. Tie your home into the surrounding landscape with some plantings around the foundation. Foundation plantings help soften the appearance of a home, giving it a sense of belonging. These plantings aren’t limited to shrubs; a combination of shrubs, ground covers and small trees makes for a more interesting look. Care must be taken when planting close to the house; a good rule of thumb is to consider half the expected mature spread of the plant for determining the planting distance. For example, a bush that could grow eight feet wide should be planted about four feet from the house. Annual appeal

With the basics covered, annuals can be used to add bright pops of color in your front yard. Window boxes, hanging S m i t h M o u n t a i n L a ke H O M E 2 0 1 8

planters or other porch and front step container gardens add color and charm while helping give a lush appearance. Geraniums, begonias and impatiens are hardy blooming annuals that can hold their own during a dry spell, tolerate sun or some shade, and will bloom from spring straight through to the first frost of fall. Annuals can be planted individually, or grouped together for a spectacular display. While there is something classic and welcoming about a single geranium in a pot, the interest of a several annuals planted together cannot be beat. When creating a container garden, go for a variety of heights and colors. Place a taller plant in the center—an ornamental grass, coleus or tall blooming plant like salvia—and surround it with a hardy blooming plant, like a begonia, smaller coleus, petunia, or heliopsis. Tuck a trailing plant or two— sweet potato vine or petunia—along the edge, to give a cascading effect. Welcome home

All of this leads up to the primary focal point: the front door. A fresh coat of paint in a bright color can make a great statement. Consider something fun and

unexpected like school-bus yellow. Or orange, purple or bright blue! Contrasting it with the other colors in your exterior palette will set it apart and distinguish it from the street. A wreath or hanging swag on the front door adds a welcoming, homey touch, as does a cheerful welcome mat. Displaying the house numbers clearly near the door is also helpful for visitors. There are many options available for house numbers, including individual numerals in traditional, script or modern fonts and address plaques in any manner of finishes. For a polished appearance, coordinate the finish of your house numbers with the hardware on the front door. It’s the details that help pull a look together. The most important aspect in all of this is going for low maintenance items. It is, after all, the lake. And you’re not there to spend hours doing yardwork every weekend; you’re there to enjoy the tranquility of the lake. However you wish to personalize the front entrance of your home, consider it the red carpet of your lake house—both announcing and welcoming you and your guests to your home. ✦

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LIVE pitcher drinks

PRETTY PITCHERS

serving up cocktails for a crowd BY S LOA N E LU C A S

Summertime entertaining calls for copious cool cocktails and other refreshing drinks. But as hostess, you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always want to be on-call to mix and serve. Instead, whip up large batches of tasty beverages in advance and allow guests to serve themselves, as thirst requires. Pitcher drinks are fun, festive and fabulous for multiple types of parties. For garden parties, they can be set out in decorative pitchers in a shady place, ready to pour over ice. For boating, they can be stored more practically in large lidded plastic containers. Even indoor entertaining can be made more seamless with a corner bar set up with a few ready-to-go signature drinks.

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With a little advance planning, you can have all your cocktails and mocktails set up beautifully at a self-serve table to wow guests upon arrival. To make for stress-free event planning, select recipes that can be made ahead, so you can mix them up them the night before, let them chill, and then serve just before guests arrive. This will also keep them colder during your event. Choose appropriate serveware for the type of event you are hosting. For a shabby chic outdoor garden event, choose colorful pitchers, mix and match glasses, and festive napkins. For boating events, find fun and festive plastic cups for deck safety. For a dinner party, keep it classy with clear glasses and pitchers. You

can even offer a “salad bar” of garnishes, with bowls of fresh cherries, sliced strawberries, various citrus wedges and sprigs of fresh herbs. Be sure to have additional ice on hand, with nice spoons to scoop it into glasses. As for what to serve, have a mix of both non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, so guests can choose appropriately. In addition, have plain water, sodas and sparkling waters on hand, along with assorted beer and wine—so when pitcher drinks run out, guests have other options to help themselves and you don’t have to pause mid-party to mix a fresh batch. After all, a key benefit of pitcher drinks is maximum time for the hostess to mingle with guests.

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RUM PUNCH (serves 8–10)

Recipe inspired by Bobby Flay and Food Network

Channel that Caribbean vibe with a pitcher of this classic creation.

1 cup lime juice 2 cups grenadine 2 cups Jamaican white rum 1 cup light rum 2 cups pineapple juice 2 cups orange juice Fruit for garnish (orange slices, pineapple wedges, cherries, etc.) Mix all ingredients together in a large pitcher and chill for a minimum of one hour. Have garnishes sliced and ready for guests.

BEE’S KNEES

Inspired by a recipe from A Practical Wedding

Taken from the Prohibition-era slang for “the best,” this cocktail offers guests a vintage treat. This recipe is scalable to serve however many guests you have by multiplying the ratio. Simply measure, mix and chill in a pitcher until serving.

2 parts gin ¾ part lemon juice ¾ part honey simple syrup

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To make your own honey simple syrup, mix equal parts honey and water in a pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes until honey dissolves. Remove from heat, cool, and chill for several hours before serving.

MINT AND SAGE LEMONADE (serves 6–8) Inspired by a recipe in The Washington Post

Take advantage of fresh garden herbs to create a unique version of this classic summer beverage.

About 9 lemons, squeezed, to make 1 ½ cups fresh lemon juice About a dozen sprigs of fresh mint leaves (any variety, or mixed, such as spearmint, chocolate, pineapple, or apple) with leaves removed from stems About 6 sprigs of fresh sage, with leaves removed from stems 1 cup of granulated white sugar

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Mix the lemon juice and herbs together in a glass or plastic (not metal) container and allow flavors to marry for at least three hours at room temperature. Do not chill yet. Strain mixture to remove and discard herbs. Pour infused lemon juice into a gallon-sized pitcher. Stir in the sugar until dissolved. Add just enough cool water to yield a full gallon of lemonade. Chill for several hours. Serve alongside additional (washed) herbed sprigs and lemon wedges for garnish.

STRAWBERRY-BASIL ICED TEA (serves 6–8) Inspired by a recipe from Down Home with the Neelys and Food Network

A mix of herbs and fruit helps infuse fun flavors into a summer sipping staple.

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8 good-quality, non-flavored black tea bags (with any paper tags removed) 16 ounces fresh strawberries, washed, hulled and cut into halves or quarters ¾ cup granulated white sugar 1 cup fresh basil leaves, stems removed S m i t h M o u n t a i n L a ke H O M E 2 0 1 8

Boil four cups of water in a saucepan. Turn off heat, add tea bags, and let steep for about five minutes. Remove tea bags before tea becomes too strong or bitter. In another saucepan, bring one cup of water and sugar to boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, add basil leaves, and steep for approximately 10 minutes. Put strawberries in a large bowl and strain sugar mixture over the fruit, discarding basil. Toss fruit to fully coat with sugar mixture. A red syrup will begin to form. Let it cool for about half an hour. Pour tea into a large pitcher and add sugared strawberries (including any syrup). Refrigerate until chilled. Serve with washed basil leaves and sliced strawberries for garnish.

½ vanilla bean pod, halved lengthwise 5 additional pieces of mixed (or same) stone fruit (such as apricot, nectarine, plum or peach) About 2 dozen fresh cherries (pitted, but whole) Sparkling water Start by making a fruit purée. Peel all fruits, remove pits and coarsely chop. Puree with lemon juice in food processor or blender until very smooth. (Alternately you can leave peels on, remove pits, coarsely chop and use a hand-cranked or electric food mill to separate peels and to puree. Add lemon juice after using the mill.) Transfer the mixture to a large pitcher.

Always a popular choice, sangria can be kicked up a notch with delicious, ripe stone fruit.

Add wine and liqueur to fruit purée. Scrape out seeds from vanilla bean and add the sliced bean to the pitcher. Remove pit from additional fruit pieces, cut into chunks or wedges and add to pitcher. Add pitted cherries to pitcher. Chill mixture for a minimum of an hour, and a maximum of two days.

3 pieces of stone fruit, mixed or same (such as apricot, nectarine, plum or peach) 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 750-ml bottles rosé wine 2 cups elderflower liqueur

To serve, fill glasses 2/3 full with the sangria mixture and fill the remaining 1/3 with the sparkling water. Alternately add the same ratio of sparkling water to the pitcher just prior to serving. ✦

STONE FRUIT SANGRIA (serves 10–12)

Recipe inspired by Bon Appetit Magazine

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FUN, FOOD, FRIENDS AND FAMILY

LAKESIDE LIVING AT THE ULTIMATE GETAWAY

BY RORY RHODE S Photography by Craig Shaffer For Steve and Donna Cooper, spending summers and weekends at Smith Mountain Lake means not only days spent relaxing, but also quality time with family and friends. To that end, the Coopers have poured considerable time and effort into creating a home that welcomes and delights. Positioned in a quiet cove in Huddleston, the 3000-square-foot main house features ample space to enjoy Donna’s culinary skills and plenty of thoughtfully appointed guest rooms. The lakeside layout, designed and built by Southern Landscape Group, is one of the most phenomenal entertainment spaces on the lake. It’s the kind of home where memories are made, which is exactly why the Coopers come here as often as they can. 4 0

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rowing up, Steve, a Michigan native, spent summers at his grandmother’s vacation home on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. After college, he moved to Washington D.C., but always wanted a lake house. In the early 1990s, he bought a waterfront parcel at Smith Mountain Lake, in part because it reminded him of Lake Winnipesaukee. “It was the mountains, the trees, the higher elevation with cooler air and cooler nights,” he explains. He’s not alone in noticing the similarities between the two— “What about Bob,” the 1991 movie starring Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss, was set in Lake Winnipesaukee, but actually filmed at Smith Mountain Lake. Donna was born and raised in the D.C.-Maryland area, and says, “I’m used to the shores and the beach; that’s what I grew up on.” Steve and Donna are a blended family, with a total of four children—now in their teens and early 20s—between them. 42

Though they live in Fairfax, Steve, a partner in an Arlingtonbased IT consulting firm, and Donna, who founded a children’s enrichment center and now works as a human resources consultant, come down to SML during the summer and as time permits throughout the year. The Cooper property has undergone a series of transformations over the years. The original lake house was built in 1994, and has been completely renovated in several stages—although the renovations weren’t always planned. The kitchen was updated in two phases between 2011 and 2013, but during a deck addition in the winter of 2015, temperatures were so cold that pipes burst inside the house. The Coopers weren’t there at the time, so water flooded multiple areas for about a week before anyone noticed. “We lost everything except for the kitchen,” says Donna. Since almost everything needed to be redone, Steve says, “We decided, let’s do what we’ve always wanted to do and add a bedroom out to the side.” S m i t h M o u n t a i n L a ke H O M E 2 0 1 8

The kitchen renovation was important to Donna, who enjoys hosting a crowd. “I love to cook, and we often entertain groups of 30 people,” she says. “I do all the cooking, so I needed a big work surface.” An autographed Julia Child cookbook on the counter is proof of her passion for cuisine, and the well-appointed space includes maple cabinets, Silestone quartz countertops, and a custom center island. Two dishwashers help handle the crowd, and there’s also a 60-inch double oven with griddle, liquid propane Wolf range, prep sink, and appliance garage. The refrigerator and pantry are located where a powder room once stood, and a trestle table sits in front of glass doors leading out to the covered deck, which was finished by Southern Landscape Group and features two more tables and a grill. Next to the trestle table, a doublesided stone fireplace is flanked by a pair of arched doorways leading into the great

The kitchen is equipped to feed a crowd, and opens onto the covered deck, which features additional grilling and seating areas.

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room. In addition to the fireplace, the room features vaulted ceilings, a pair of Bali cabinets from Steve’s parents, who lived in Asia for many years, and a piano. Steve is a keyboardist in a band, and musical items and mementos appear throughout the Coopers’ home, including an orange amp next to the piano, which adds a fun retro accent. Off the adjacent foyer, a powder room contains posters from Maryland and places where Donna vacationed during childhood summers. Another doorway leads to the master suite that was expanded and reconfigured after the 2015 flood. The interior work in the suite was done by Jared Gowen, of JW Gowen Builder in Lynchburg, who also oversaw the kitchen upgrade and basement refinish. The suite includes a double office, painted a vibrant blue and warmed with radiant heating stone floors. “We needed an office space, because we work from home a lot,” Donna says. One of Steve’s favorite music mementos is here—a 1975 letter from John Lennon to Waylon Jennings. Steve says, “Lennon wanted Waylon Jennings to cover one of his songs, so he typed up this letter. I won it in an auction at Jennings’ estate a few years ago.” The suite also features a custom walk-through closet with black shelving that Donna and Steve designed together, and Steve built. The master bath has double sinks, a large open shower, and a soaking tub, in addition to plenty of builtin cabinetry. The step-down master bedroom is decorated in shades of orange and turquoise, with exotic accents like Moroccan lanterns. “I’m Middle Eastern, so we wanted to put a Mediterranean flavor into the space,” Donna explains. The room has a closet that conceals a washer and dryer, and also features some fun and high-tech elements. Color-changing LED lights 4 4

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The master bedroom features exotic Mediterranean accents which reflect Donna’s heritage.

run along the ceiling of the bed alcove, and a large panel in the ceiling is a fiberoptic “starscape” which Steve designed and built, using LED light and fiber bundles, with constellation patterns drilled into the panel. Opposite the bed, a large arched window sits over a wall of sliding glass privacy doors, which change from frosted to clear in an instant at the touch of a button on the remote. The sliders open to a small patio which overlooks the infinity pool, with the dock and lake beyond. The home’s other bedrooms are downstairs on the terrace level. The main room here is what Steve refers to as “the pop culture cave,” and is filled with autographed musical instruments— including guitars signed by Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan—

and a variety of musical and movie posters. The space is outfitted for fun, with two foosball tables, a pool table with purple felt, a retro video arcade game, and a seating area with two gray leather sofas and a durable concrete coffee table, perfect for watching movies on a retractable screen. Three guest rooms, a laundry room, and a bathroom open off the main space. The bath and bedrooms are all whimsically named: the Pineapple Bathroom, the Fish Room, the Bali Room, and the Blue Room. The Fish Room has tropical blue walls, and two sets of full-sized bunkbeds. For the beds, Steve thoughtfully designed and built niches into the wall, each equipped with a reading light, an outlet for charging electronics, and space for a glass of water or other necessities. The Bali Room is named for

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The terrace level features several guest rooms and a pop culture-themed hang-out zone.

a Balinese door—brightly gilded and painted in shades of pink, coral and green—which accents the space, along with carved wood furniture. The bedding was made by Donna, and the room’s two windows look out onto the covered patio. The Bali Room has an en suite bathroom with two sinks, a built-in tub and separate shower, and the spacious closet contains a surprise—a bunkbed for when families come to visit. And of course, each bunk has one of Steve’s custom niches. Custom details abound in the exotic Blue Room, so named for its deep blue paint. The room features matching blue bedding atop a custom-sized Balinese bed, made of carved wood painted a glossy black. The bed is somewhere between a queen and king in width, but slightly shorter in length. Steve says with a chuckle, 4 6

“We used to have a king mattress on there, but it would squirt out the sides,” so Donna had a custom mattress and sheets made. For a fun touch, LED lights that glow in different colors have been installed underneath the bed (similar lights are under the bunks in the Fish Room) and, like the other rooms, there’s also a bunk bed if needed. The laundry room, featuring more cabinetry and Silestone counters installed by Gowen, houses the home’s second washer and dryer, as well as two stainless steel refrigerators, an ice maker, and lots of storage space for handy lakeside items such as picnic baskets and coolers. From here, it’s an easy walk out onto the terrace, an expansive space designed and built by Mark Maslow of Southern Landscape Group, and outfitted in bluestone pavers. S m i t h M o u n t a i n L a ke H O M E 2 0 1 8

Tucked beneath the upstairs deck are two groupings of unusual outdoor furniture, made from pieces of Balinese boats, that the Coopers found in Edenton, North Carolina. “We saw it and loved it so much, we had to get some,” says Donna, adding, “Steve picked out most of these pieces. We thought it would be something different to the standard patio furniture.” It’s coincidence that the furniture, like their indoor pieces, is from Bali. “Maybe we should just go to Bali,” Steve muses, making Donna laugh. Moving out onto the open terrace, it’s clear that the Coopers’ lakeside landscape is the ultimate in entertaining. Two outdoor dining tables are stationed near a Belgard Chicago brick pizza oven, which Steve says they use often. The area is strung with cafe lights and accented with large urn planters, torches, fire bowls, lush landscaping and, strikingly, six metal palm trees that light up. “We found them at a show in Scottsdale, Arizona, and loved them so much that we had them shipped back here,” says Steve. To the left is the infinity pool off the master suite, complete with swim jets and lights for night-time. Ahead, the hardscape

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descends gradually to the lakefront, with rock ledge steps, a fire pit, and plenty of landscape lighting to illuminate the long summer evenings. At the shoreline, a sandy beach offers chaises and a thatched umbrella. During the warmer months, the water is their playground, with kayaks, paddle boards, a pedal boat, and even a water trampoline all on hand to amp up the fun. As if that isn’t enough, the two-story dock features a tube slide that Steve built, with a hatch door on the upper level. “It’s a little bit of a Swiss Family Robinson,” he says modestly, “But it seems to work.” The dock was the only thing here when Steve originally bought the property, and it has been put to good use. In addition to the slide, he also built a long, narrow picnic table which provides seating on the lower level, along with a porch swing at the end of the dock that looks out over the lake. The space is outfitted with creature comforts like a fridge and cable TV, and also houses their MasterCraft Maristar 230 VRS wakeboard and sport boat. Upstairs, a tiki bar and additional seating offer expansive views of the water, as well as the hatch to that slide. The top of the dock is decorated with flags representing the family’s colleges: Hope College in Michigan for Steve, University of Maryland for Donna, University of Mary Washington and JMU for the kids, as well as the Maryland and Virginia state flags, and placeholders for the youngest two. “It makes them proud of their institutions,” Steve says.

The Coopers’ lakeside landscape, with its lush and stunning design, is the ultimate in entertaining.

For the kids, for family reunions, for friends from D.C., or just for the two of them, the Coopers’ extraordinary home is designed for pleasure. With no detail left to chance, Steve and Donna have created both a playground and a retreat that invites and delights. From the foyer to the dock, their home is filled with welcoming details and whimsical surprises, and it’s easy to see why the Coopers visit every chance they get. ✦ 4 8

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IMPROVE lake storage

GATHER UP THE GEAR storing your lake stuff B Y R YA N T I P P S

PHOTO: CRAIG SHAFFER

Summer is clearly the peak time at the lake, but our location on the map also affords us a lengthy season to play in the water or on the golf course. It gets warm early in the spring, and the sunshine and high temps can stretch into harvest season. It’s the kind of thing that leaves the folks at places such as Lake Michigan or Lake George or Lake Winnipesaukee feeling envious of our jewel. The long recreation season also means that there’s ample opportunity to try out new toys on the water—which then leads to those toys starting to accumulate. Storage becomes an issue. You can’t very well leave your stand up paddleboard sitting on the dock all winter, where a powerful snowstorm can snatch it from you or where the sun’s rays can fade or warp it. Nor can you leave your fishing tackle sitting out on the table where the grandkids will mess with it during the holidays (You get a pass if your gear is sitting out because you’re making your own flies—we can all get behind that.)

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There needs to be appealing, practical and out-of-the-way places to keep your lake gear, to prevent clutter from taking over your residence or boathouse. If you take a moment to look high and low, near and far, you should be able to find the right place for everything, especially when the off-season rolls around. Benefitting at the boathouse

If you haven’t already enclosed the area above your boat slip, then make this a priority when seeking out more storage. Everyone’s dock is styled differently, but most can use the exposed rafters to create a ceiling with storage, which can be ample depending on the pitch of the roof. Floor racks can be installed so that paddleboards and similar equipment can be stored on their sides for protection and to take up minimal real estate. Think carefully before choosing to store kayaks in this location, however, as their hulls are susceptible to extreme heat and freezing temperatures (consult your dealer about storage recommendations). Your new boathouse attic gets bonus points if a pull-down stairway is installed—that way inflatables and life vests are easily accessible at the waterfront, while the space is truly out of sight and mind when not needed. The attic solution offers fringe benefits as well, such as the opportunity to install more elegant lighting and ceiling fans, while keeping the wiring hidden in the new attic space, and there’s no chance of birds roosting above your boat and leaving you “presents” that you have to clean off. Shed the clutter

Many properties at the lake are on steep slopes, are heavily landscaped or don’t allow much room between neighbors. But if there’s a 12-by-12-foot space that can be leveled for shed installation, this might be your ticket to keeping the cumbersome stuff out of the main house. While there are perfectly nice prefab sheds available on the market, it’s also possible to have them custom-made to coordinate with your home (and not break the bank). Sheds are all about maximizing storage opportunities, which means multiple layers of shelving, an array of hooks, pegboards and cabinetry will be vital to keeping your tackle organized, your tools off the ground and your wetsuit hung up. You can even get creative if you have exposed studs in the shed, adding smlhomemaga zine .com 51

shelves between them or using thin retaining boards to turn them into pockets for fishing poles or oars. Free-standing containers

If you immediately jump to the idea that you’re limited to drab gray plastic when talking about deck storage containers, it’s time to do a little research. These days, they’re available in a variety of exteriors, such as light and dark woods, wicker and mock stone. Some of them have a bench-back and armrests or have space for cushions, allowing you to double-down on your need for storage and seating, especially during the summer months. These containers are typically waterproof, so they can be used for towels, water sports items, and inflatables, without worrying about opening up a musty mess weekend to weekend. Using ‘dead space’ effectively

With many lake homes having at least two stories, it would be a waste not to use the space under the staircase to stash the gear. This is where cubbies (or cubed shelving) and hooks could do wonders to organize your smaller items, while also creating individualized nooks that grandchildren could each call their own. But don’t stop at storage below the staircase. Be creative. These kinds of features, along with more traditional shelving, can be added to unfinished space you may have in the basement. There are more than a few homes that have breakfast nooks off of the kitchen that incorporate seating with storage inside of them. These built-in benches can be quite long (as much as six feet) and can fit items such as life jackets for the littlest youngsters to put on before heading down to the water’s edge.

Your Day Starts In Your Closet…

Snazzing up the garage

From hooks to nets to ceiling-mounted drop-shelving, there are dozens of ways to get your gear off the ground and out of the way in the garage when the time comes. To be able to allow for larger items, such as kayaks, boards, oars and coolers, installing overhead storage platforms are the way to go. Metal shelving can not only provide out-of-the-way storage but also offer numerous attachment points to hang clothing (like a wetsuit that needs to dry), bikes, golf clubs and mesh bags with water toys. Pick your placement properly, and you’ll still be able to pull your car all the way up to the wall. Take your stuff off-site

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If the off-season arrives, and you simply have too much stuff to store comfortably in your house or at the dock, self-storage facilities are also a popular option. If you only need to get to your things from time to time, there are more than half a dozen selfstorage sites located around Smith Mountain Lake. Remember, though, that while proximity is important, security should be the priority. Many of these facilities are gated, and being well-lit and equipped with plenty of cameras is a plus. Storage options can—and should—be tailored to each individual’s home, and for custom houses, storage solutions should be factored into the design. We’re all familiar with the phrase, “Out of sight, out of mind.” Yet when it comes to lake living, we may want our water toys, safety equipment and recreational items out of the way, but we certainly don’t want them (or the lake) out of mind—at least not for long! ✦ S m i t h M o u n t a i n L a ke H O M E 2 0 1 8

DESIGN specialty windows

ENJOY THE VIEW

window and door options offer new outlooks B Y K AT H E R I N E F U LG H U M K N O P F

Windows and doors are vital to any home, but at the lake, the views can be showstopping. We all want to capture the best view possible. This means keeping our windows and glass doors clean and up to date. Although we want to see as much of the scenery as possible, privacy needs must also be considered. As we refresh and renovate our lake homes, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good idea to look to the experts to see what options we have in windows and doors today.

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Pella Windows/Smith Mountain Building Supply

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In terms of window trends, Mark Robertson, director of sales, windows and doors at Smith Mountain Building Supply, says, “The South has always been a predominately double-hung market with the more traditional style homes.” Double hung-windows means there are two same-sized frames of glass that sit one on top of the other and slide up and down. Casement windows, on the other hand, are a solid piece of glass with hinges on the side and a crank to open them. They offer the advantage of more ventilation and an unobstructed view. Robertson says, “What we see quite often here is a mixture of the two, where the front of the house will have the more traditional look with double-hung windows, while the lakeside will feature casements.” For door styles, Robertson has found that French doors remain popular. This style has two identical glass-paned doors, which lock in the center where they meet. An option for additional visibility is to install matching stationery glass side panels. He says that conventional sliding doors declined in popularity when some of them developed issues with hazing glass. Also, economy sliders sometimes proved difficult to slide along the tracks, and provided little security. But Robertson says, “New sliding door products have improved tremendously, and one should not expect to sacrifice function, comfort, or security when choosing them.” He notes that a homeowner should consider their floor plan and functionality expectations—a sliding door will consume less floor space and will not be swinging into furniture or walls, but will generally offer less space for opening than French double doors. As far as specialty features go, John Morgan, millwork sales manager at Capps Home Building Center, says, “Of all the products we sell, Andersen Windows and Doors offer the most options. Lately, blinds in the glass have become a popular choice.” Blinds or shades are available in both picture and casement windows, and hinged or sliding doors. “There are color options for each,” he adds. “In most of their products, the blinds or shades are installed in a panel that attaches to the sash or frame. This allows you to have both insulated glass and the blinds, giving you a triple pane.” Morgan notes, however, that sliding doors come with blinds or shades inside the insulated glass panel, because the doors must be able to slide by each other. Morgan has some screen suggestions as well. Retractable screens allow you to pull the screen down only when you need it, keeping your view crystal clear the rest of the time. Alternatively, Andersen’s TruScene® screen is made with a micro-fine stainless steel mesh, which is said to improve the clarity of the view by 50 percent. With lake homes, large walls of windows and doors are popular. Andersen has several lines of “Big Door” products to help blur the line between inside and outside. Bi-parting doors are sliders that split in the middle instead of at one side, creating a nice wide opening. Four panel bi-parting doors provide even more view, featuring four individual panels, with the two in the center sliding to each side. Lift-and-slide doors can take that a step further—Morgan says that for a 20-foot opening, five or six lift-and-slide door panels can be installed, which all slide to stack up in front of a single panel. And finally, folding doors open outward and fold up like an accordion. They can be made up to 10 feet tall and 48 feet wide, so your room truly becomes part of the outdoors. Bi-parting and folding Andersen doors are on display at the Capps showroom. Likewise, Robertson says that a significant trend in the industry is the "Scenic Doors Line” offered through Marvin S m i t h M o u n t a i n L a ke H O M E 2 0 1 8

Pella Windows/Smith Mountain Building Supply

Windows at Smith Mountain Building Supply. There are multiple configurations available, including pocket door and stacked panel configurations, and accordion-style doors. Robertson agrees that these options, which can span openings of up to 50 feet wide and 10 feet tall, offer expansive views that will bring the outdoors into your home. White remains the color of choice for exterior window and door frame materials, and factory pre-painted options have been offered by a number of manufacturers for many years. Although this is more costly, it can be less expensive than paying a painter to apply primer and two coats of paint after the windows are installed. As black and red trim increases in popularity with sleek industrial and contemporary designs coming into vogue, manufactures now offer a variety of trim colors. “We have also seen a growth in pre-stained interiors, as people have realized they can get a furniture grade finish on their window interiors at a reasonable price,” Robertson says. “While pre-finished

interiors are certainly a viable option for new construction, it is even more so for remodeling or replacement applications, where it eliminates the multiple trips required of the painter, and also eliminates the lingering odor of paint or stain in the rest of the house.” When selecting windows and doors, Morgan recommends that you choose a product with high performance insulated glass. He notes, “If more energy efficient glass is needed, the SmartSun™ option is available. This glass helps block heat and most UV rays, and helps prevent the fading of floors and furniture.” Andersen also offers a high performance sun glass that is tinted, to block even more heat if needed. So when considering your new window or door, take some time and visit these two local companies to see the displays and talk with the experts who sell them. Your next sunset could be even more stunning as you take in a panoramic lake view through your new windows and doors. ✦

Come visit our window and door showroom at

INSPIRED DESIGN DESERVES CUSTOM DETAILS.

13080 Booker T Washington Hwy, Hardy, VA 24101

540.721.3453 www.SmithMountainBuilding.com

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GARDEN seasonal displays

non-stop blooms STAGE A FLOWERING PERFORMANCE FOR THREE SEASONS

BY M IT Z I B I B L E ome things in life are just too good to come to an end. We get so excited to see those beautiful blooms arrive in spring, as tulips and daffodils add a range of vibrant color to our yards. But it isn’t long before summer draws the curtain on our most stage-worthy specimens and we bid them farewell until the show returns next spring. Your tale doesn’t have to have such a dreary ending. What if the same garden spaces could burst with color through summer and even into the fall? Just like anything hard that we work at, gardening is about doing the best we can with what we have. And nature’s best often surprises us. If you choose the right varieties of flowers and plants with staggered, long-blooming periods, you can keep continuous color in your garden throughout all three growing seasons. 5 6

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Rule of threes

With some keen knowledge on the longest-blooming plants that thrive in our region, you can design a garden that casts them in leading roles, taking turns from early spring to late fall. You can choose a mix of perennials, annuals, small shrubs, and even container plants. Because there are so many options for flowers and plants that bloom in our area each growing season, we’ve outlined suggestions for a basic, lowmaintenance flowerbed that only calls on perennials for this tough task. Yes, they have a short bloom period (some only two to three weeks), but you’ll be amazed at what you can achieve by combining early, mid-season, and late-blooming varieties. Plant taller flowers and flowering shrubs, which can add structure to the garden, in the back of the flowerbed, and then stagger your other varieties down to the smaller plants near the front so the whole show can be seen at once. Broader, thicker shrubs can fill out and line the outside and back edges. Perennials are best planted in clusters, but if your three-season garden doesn’t end up as full as you’d hoped, that’s where annuals can come in. You can use them to fill in any bare spots or plant them in decorative containers that can be moved as the different perennials grow and spread out. You may find that after a few years, when the perennials have had time to reach their potential, you are spending less money and time on annuals. The ideas here adhere to a “rule of threes,” meaning we have broken it up not only by what you can expect each season in our area, but also by three different height categories, or tiers (tall, medium, short). We’ve given you multiple options for each. A garden planted in this fashion works best against a permanent structure, such as a house or a fence. But it can be customized for any size garden, by adding multiples of the same plants for larger spaces. The rule isn’t steadfast, of course, but a concept that can be easily adapted for even the casual gardener who enjoys having their own show to direct. Planning a garden with perennials will take some careful research on your part, too, as generally you will need to plant spring-flowering perennials in late summer or early fall, and plant late-summer or fallflowering perennials in the spring. But it is a good idea to check exact planting times for each plant that you purchase as well as maintenance and pruning tips. You will also need to make sure your soil is well-prepared for perennials (The local extension office provides many resources for this.) Before heading to your local nursery, it’s also a good idea to take measurements of your garden space, then sketch it out on paper to determine roughly how many plants you will need. Many of the varieties here come in different colors, so keep your colored pencils handy, too, if you want to create a different color palette with each tier.

SPRING

camellia

virginia sweetspire

grape hyacinth

Act I: Spring Paints the Scene

Start the season with large bursts of color at all three tiers of your garden. In the back—the tallest level in your garden—try a spring-blooming camellia (there are also fall- and winter-blooming cultivars) which produces large flowers that are great for cutting; the old-time favorites azaleas and rhododendron; hibiscus, for a tropical feel; or Virginia sweetspire (or the Virginia Willow), a deciduous flowering shrub that can grow from two to five feet and features attractive reddish new growth in early spring, then has drooping white brush-like stem flowers later in the season. It keeps green foliage through the summer and then puts on a show of nice red foliage in the fall. In the middle level, use plants that grow typically shorter than the shrubs. Go with the ever-faithful daffodils and tulips (best planted in bunches). The lowest level is where you can use border plants, and even groundcover. Enter crocus (one of the earliest bulbs to bloom); grape hyacinth (best to plant in groups of three to four dozen); or baby’s breath Gypsophila (a star in the garden because it can start blooming in late May and, if cut back after first bloom, can even repeat and bloom through to fall).

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Fabulous Finds

Repurposed, Vintage, Decor & More

361 Scruggs Road | Moneta, VA 24121 Mon — Sat 10 to 6 | Closed on Sunday 540-719-0670 | fabulousfindssml@gmail.com : Fabulous Finds at Smith Mountain Lake 5 8

As the spring-blooming shrubs begin to lose their blooms, their foliage will stay green through summer, making a perfect backdrop for more color to enter the scene. You can go right to work on your mid-level plantings to go in front of the shrubs, choosing from favorites such as gladiolus (a showy perennial that sometimes grows best as an annual); German bearded iris (another wonderful cut flower); Asiatic or Oriental lilies; sedum “Autumn Joy” (another star because it can bloom in mid-summer to late fall); or salvia, a mainstay of flowerbeds and cottage gardens for its simple, country wildflower appeal. Many of these are great perennials to bloom in front of the spring bulbs as they die off and can run cover for the dead foliage. Oakleaf hydrangeas will bloom in early summer (other hydrangea varieties will bloom mid-summer). Note: There are many cultivars of hydrangeas, coming in all sizes and blooming in blue, pink or white. Their best attribute may be that their fall foliage can turn a red-maroon and help you continue your colorful display into another season. Other hardy summer favorites are Shasta daisies (often blooming and reblooming up to three times during the season) and black-eyed Susans (these may bloom through fall, until the first frost). Or consider the ever-popular evergreen daylily that has been dubbed the perfect perennial for its year-round foliage and rainbow of varieties. Other plants you may want to try for long-blooming color include aster, coreopsis and yarrow—all blooming about 10 weeks. For the border, try monkey grass (liriope), which has thin stalks of blue, purple or white blooms in late summer; summer phlox; and hosta (which can provide attractive edging at your border but can also play versatile roles as a follow-up to the spring bulbs).

SUMMER

Act 2: Summer Saves the Day

bearded iris

hydrangea

liriope S m i t h M o u n t a i n L a ke H O M E 2 0 1 8

chrysanthemum

sedum

oakleaf hydrangea

Act 3: A Fall Finale

If you choose wisely from these lists, several plant varieties will be still be putting on a show for you with their blooms and foliage in the fall as they turn shades of yellow, orange and maroon. Remember you can always dress up the scene with varied shades of potted mums. Then when winter begins to set in, assess your gardening year and make notes for adjustments next season. Maybe you want to go with different colors, expand your space, or add more variety next year. Sit back and enjoy the last blooms before the frost comes—and give yourself three cheers for three seasons of beauty. ✦ SOURCES

FALL

“Essential Perennials: The Complete Reference to 2700 Perennials for the Home Garden” (Ruth Rogers Clausen and Thomas Christopher); “Flower Gardening 1-2-3” (Meredith Books); “Creative Beds and Borders” (Fine Gardening Design Guides; Taunton Press)

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kitchen islands

N E W D E SI G N TR EN DS B OOS T S T YLE AN D F U N C TI O N

BY CHRIST Y RIPPEL

Kitchen islands have become so popular in new builds and kitchen remodels that you can hardly find a new kitchen without one. Why are islands on the “must have” list for so many homeowners? For starters, they are a multifunctional workhorse that can provide a cooking area, an eating zone, a prep space, an entertaining hub, or all of the above. They also provide an opportunity to make a unique design statement, whether with a contrasting cabinet or countertop color or decorative elements, like pendant lights. We talked with some of the area’s most popular kitchen designers and cabinet makers to find out the latest trends in kitchen islands, and give you some food for thought on your next kitchen project.

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Super sized and double islands

Kitchen designs of the past often incorporated small prep islands, sometimes in conjunction with a peninsula area for bar seating. As styles have evolved, kitchen islands have grown larger and multi-functional, and peninsulas have largely disappeared. Dan DeNeal, of DeNeal Cabinets in Moneta, has built custom cabinets for area clients for more than 30 years, and says about 90 percent of the new kitchens he designs and constructs today have large islands. “The trend has also changed to a single height island, instead of bi-level,” says DeNeal. Sheri Howard of The Cabinet Gallery echoes these thoughts, and says the benefits of single-level islands include a continuous sight line, more prep space and a modern look. The larger the island, the more functionality it can contain. A popular layout is a large rectangular island that has a prep zone along one side, often including either a sink or cooktop. The other side of the island has bar seating for casual meals, with seating all facing in one direction. Because the island seating often negates a breakfast table, some islands are designed with a table area at one end, where chairs face one another for ease of conversation. With this set-up, the table area may be at a lower height than the rest of the island, or the material might be different, like a butcher block to contrast with the stone prep area. This type of bi-level island is different than the bi-levels of previous decades, when the island was divided in height horizontally, spanning the length. And when today’s islands are multi-level, new LED lighting technology allows for some stunning effects. “For a recent kitchen, we did under-cabinet lighting beneath the lip of the raised part, which highlighted the backsplash,” says Howard. A new trend in island design is to break up a large rectangle by creating two smaller islands of the same size, with room to walk between them—often a solution for better flow. One island can be for seating and the other for kitchen work, or seating can be at both, like small restaurant tables. In a very large kitchen, two large islands can fill in space nicely, while creating an entertainer’s dream layout. The island closest to the living area can contain buffet space and seating, while the island nearest the kitchen can function as the work zone. smlhomemaga zine .com 61

Appliances, storage options and tools for electronic living

As islands have gotten larger and multi-functional, designers have come up with fun ways to make them work for modern families. Lee Ann Carter, of Carter’s Cabinet Shop, says, “All appliances can be put in the island, now that there are microwave drawers and refrigerator drawers—and dish dividers in drawers have eliminated the need for many upper cabinets.” Refrigerator drawers, separate from the main refrigerator area, can be covered in cabinet panels to disguise them, and are great for storing snacks that little hands can reach. They can be placed at the end of an island so people can grab a snack without interrupting the cook. Other popular island appliances include wine and beverage fridges, ovens, and cooktops. Recent kitchen trends include fewer upper cabinets, which are often replaced by open shelving. As Carter mentions, deep drawers designed for dish storage can make upper cabinets unnecessary, which means larger or additional windows can be installed in a kitchen. This is a plus, especially if the view is a treasured one.

Large and heavy countertop appliances, like mixers and juicers, no longer have to occupy valuable real estate in the kitchen, because special cabinets with lifts that raise to counter level in the island can disguise these appliances until they are needed. Of course, these can be installed in perimeter cabinets as well, but if the island is the main cookie-baking zone, why not have the mixer where you need it most? Another ingenious island prep zone idea that Carter has used is a trash chute, sometimes called a “compost hole.” On a recent kitchen design, Carter cut a trash chute circle into the island’s butcher block counter, so that bits of food and other waste could be swept directly into a bin underneath. A fact of modern life at the lake and elsewhere is a collection of chargers and laptops, phones and tablets. Any island should have ample plugs in the seating zones for plugging in devices during use, but hidden charging zones can keep things clutterfree while devices are juicing up. Options include charging drawers or a charging cabinet, which can be placed at the end of the island. PHOTO: TERA JANELLE PHOTOGRAPHY

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Trends in island styles and looks

While the options for functionality have made islands a kitchen staple, they are also valued for the chance to make a big design statement in the kitchen. Many people prefer to use a contrasting color on the island—recent popular colors include navy blue, watery blue-greens, and shades of gray. A popular look includes white or off-white perimeter cabinets contrasted with a color on the island cabinets. This opens up design possibilities, including echoing the island color in the kitchen backsplash or other accessories. Some homeowners opt for the same color cabinets throughout the kitchen, with a contrasting countertop on the island. Another possibility is the “tuxedo kitchen,” with darker base cabinets throughout (including the island) and white or light-colored upper cabinets. There are so many customization options that a kitchen can truly be a unique expression of the homeowner’s personal style. Homeowners will find no shortage of countertop options for the island, including granite (both polished and honed), soapstone, concrete, marble, wood and quartz, among others. Some surfaces require sealing and maintenance, while others are virtually indestructible. It’s worth considering how the island will function before committing to a countertop surface. For example, wood is beautiful and can be an inexpensive option, but if

Satisfying Every Budget & Style

COUNTERTOPS CABINETRY CLOSETS (540) 719-0128

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you’ve included a sink in the island, you might want to consider something waterproof. Have an island cooktop? Soapstone will allow you to place hot pots directly on the surface without harming it. Quartz comes in a variety of colors, and many are made to mimic natural stones like marble, but without the upkeep. Granite now comes in leathered and honed finishes, which are matte and provide a more modern look that many house hunters covet, so keep it in mind for resale purposes. Whatever material you choose, you’ll be seeing a lot of it on a large island, so pick your own slab when possible and consider the decision carefully. In addition to choosing a countertop material, you have some other options for customization, including the bold statement of a waterfall finish, in which the countertop material also covers the side of the island and goes all the way to the floor. It’s a great solution for high-traffic areas, where the ends of the island are likely to show wear and tear the fastest, while durable stone can be wiped year after year and won’t show its age. You can also opt to increase the thickness of the island countertop, which can add visual weight and presence—especially in a room with vaulted ceilings—and can distinguish the island nicely from the rest of the kitchen. A recent trend also includes dressing up the island cabinets with different materials, and designers at the lake are fielding these requests. “Sometimes we use reclaimed wood or shiplap on the back or side of the island, to offset it from the rest of the kitchen and accent the eating area,” says DeNeal. For big style oomph, pendants over the island are like icing on the cake—they can provide that finishing touch in the room. There are so many pendant styles to choose from that there is bound to be something to meet the needs and style of every designer and homeowner. One caveat—at the lake, views are a precious commodity. Be sure that pendants don’t disrupt sight lines. In those cases where pendants would be disruptive and clunky, recessed lighting is a better bet. If you’re embarking on a kitchen renovation or building your lake house, designers say that kitchen islands are here to stay. Think about what functions and styles suit you and your family best so you can plan a kitchen you’ll enjoy for years. As it turns out, you can have an “island life” at the lake! ✦ S m i t h M o u n t a i n L a ke H O M E 2 0 1 8

VISIT OUR SHOWROOM & EXPANDED SLAB SELECTION

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WEEKENDS COME INTO VIEW RICHMOND COUPLE CREATES RESTFUL LAKESIDE RETREAT B Y R YA N T I P P S Photography by Michael Patch

What sold Mark and Lisa Cruise on their property near Marker R47 was the viewâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a lush and inviting vista that stretches eastward across the main channel of Smith Mountain Lake, perfect for sunrises and weekend serenity. SML is a place where the couple, who have been married for 36 years, never imagined they would one day have a home. The Cruises spent a weekend in the early 1980s at Crazy Horse Campground, during an era when fishing cabins, getaway cottages, and mostly untouched lands still dominated the shoreline. Stores were few and far between. It took two decades for the Richmond couple, who were exploring possibilities for a second home to enjoy on weekends, to rekindle their connection to SML. When they did, they saw a region that little resembled what they encountered the first time. 6 6

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THE PROPERTY WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PLACES THE CRUISES VISITED. "AT THE TIME, THE HOUSE ITSELF DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF FEATURES, BUT WE COULDN'T GET PAST HOW BEAUTIFUL THE VIEW WAS," SAYS LISA.

t was a long path to their ideal destination. Lisa loves beaches, so they began by looking at the Outer Banks. A home on the Chesapeake Bay or Lake Gaston was also considered. “We wanted something that we would actually use and that would be an easy getaway on the weekends. We were getting frustrated because we hadn’t really found what we wanted,” Mark says. “Then one day, I suggested, ‘Why don’t we go up to Smith Mountain Lake.’” This was 2006, and the Cruises were impressed by what the 21st century had ushered into the region. “Once we started looking up here,” Mark says, “I think it was obvious pretty quickly that we had made the right decision.” Working with real estate agent Di Jarrard, the couple began to navigate the winding roads and various nooks and crannies that define the shores of SML. They walked through 63 homes, and drove past many more. Mark is an engineer and took a methodical approach to the home buying process. Building and property features were cataloged into a spreadsheet and ranked. The Cruises looked for specific characteristics that would draw them in: the option to have a pool, deep water for the boat house, at least four bedrooms and a view that faced west so that they could see the sunsets across the water. Their current spot in Hardy was one of the first properties that they looked at. “At the time, the house itself didn’t have a lot of features, but we couldn’t get past how beautiful the view was,” Lisa says, even though it looks east over the water instead of west. The original home that stood here was about 2,900 square feet, though much of that was unfinished or needed to be refurbished. It had been vacant for at least two years, and the dock was falling in. Yet it felt right. It positioned the Cruises relatively close to family members, and the neighbors and community were welcoming and genuine. They saw that there was potential to renovate the home to better fit their needs, but after living here a while, they took it a step further: The original house was completely razed, and foundations were removed. The Cruises decided to start from scratch to create their dream home. “We’d been here a couple of years and thought, ‘This is the most relaxing place on Earth. We could definitely retire here,’” Mark says.

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The Cruises enlisted VC Design & Build to start the project from the ground up. Work began in 2015, with Tom Sterne at the project’s helm. Despite being a few hours away in Richmond, the couple were able to work seamlessly with the builder. A project like this was new to the Cruises, but Sterne skillfully tackled issues that arose and anticipated any pitfalls—though Mother Nature threw a particularly rainy season upon them, which caused some difficulties along the way, especially as foundation work was being done. “At first, we would only come up once a month during the construction phase, on a Saturday, just to see how things looked,” Lisa says. “As it progressed and got toward the end, we came up a lot more.” The rains delayed the overall project, which took nearly 18 months to complete. Sometimes, with loan deadlines to meet, the Cruises found themselves up against the wall. But the builders and the landscaping company, CLC Inc., stepped up. Mark says that CLC powered through weekends and evenings with the lights on to finish the job so that the bank could see results. “Chris and Trevor Templeton [of CLC] did a really good job with the function of the landscaping,” Mark says. “And it was a tough situation, particularly with all the rain that we had.” The Cruises wanted both the home and property design to be spacious enough so that there wouldn’t be any bottlenecks for things like pool or shower access. They didn’t want to worry about air mattresses or roll-away beds, or concerns that there wouldn’t be enough hot water for showering and laundry. “We wanted a home where everyone would be comfortable and have enough space, where nobody would worry about where to sleep or play,” Mark said. Today, Lisa and Mark have a fourstory, 7,600-square-foot home, with six bedrooms, six and a half bathrooms, two separate garages, and a pool that allows them an unobstructed view of the lake. They were also able to buy the lot next door, allowing them to add a beautifully paved driveway that is gentler than initially envisioned. Mark himself built the imposing wooden guard railing along the drive, which conjures images more akin to the Blue Ridge Parkway than of Smith Mountain Lake homes. The driveway arrives at garages with dark 70

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The openconcept kitchen features ample workspace, water views, and hand-scraped hardwood flooring, which covers much of the main level.

wood doors which give the building flair beyond the norm. Similarly, a stunningly tall wooden front door welcomes guests into a living room with 32-foot ceilings and exposed beams. A grand chimney with a seethrough firebox adorns the lake side of the room. Wide, dark-colored engineered hardwood floors that have been hand scraped cover much of the main level. “I wanted this to be a house that we could live in, not a show place,” says Lisa, whose design interests bring together Craftsman styles and antique looks. This living space is also the gateway to the main deck overlooking SML. The serenity of the outdoor seating area, with the opportunity to be close to the fire in the cooler months or to have an overhead fan going during the warmer ones, is apparent. “You go over there at the end of the day, when the sun’s not in your face, with a glass of wine and look out at that lake,” Lisa says. “That’s my spot.” Inside the house next to the living room is the spacious kitchen, created (as with everything else) with comfort in mind. There’s ample counter space for multiple people to work. The glass 7 2

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backsplash adds depth and shine to the space, and the pantry is sizable enough to support large gatherings. On one side of the room is a dumbwaiter that operates between the kitchen and the bar downstairs. “When we first had the dumbwaiter built, we actually asked ourselves, ‘Will we use this, will we not use it?’” Mark says. “We use it all the time.” The main level also features the window-laden master bedroom with open views of the lake, a master bath with ornate countertops and a large tiled shower, a laundry room outfitted with a wall-mounted television and pocket door to maximize useable space, and two guest bedrooms with their own attached bathrooms. Many of the electrical features are accessible at the touch of a button. “One thing that was important for me is the automation in the house,” Mark says. “Almost everything in here, from the heating and air to the fans, is all connected to the Wi-Fi, which is tied into my phone. The sound system is on my phone, as is the backup generator and the security system.” Throughout the main level there are details that will draw you in, from the various metal tables and artwork, to the tile patterns in the bathrooms, to the rock around the fireplace. “Every single room seems to have something in it that I look at and say, ‘That’s my favorite thing,’” Mark says. An especially interesting feature is that the home is predisposed for an elevator. Expecting this to be their home during retirement, each floor has what now appears to be super-sized closets but are, in fact, the infrastructure for an elevator to be installed when the time comes. Room to roam is ample upstairs, where a guest room nestled away from everything is perfect for visits from the Cruises’ son and daughter-in-law and their baby. Another bedroom on that floor is an ode to Lisa’s love of nostalgia, with antique furnishings as well as photography on the walls. Down from the main level is the game room, where a pool table, dart board, bar and living space help to bring friends and family together. On the walls are deer mounts from three generations of hunters: the first from Lisa’s dad, the second from Mark, and the last from the Cruises’ son. Mark is an avid hunter 74

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The wine cellar features an intricate metal gate discovered in a salvage yard. The piece was originally from a pre-Civil War home in downtown Richmond.

and fisherman, and these themes appear throughout much of the home. Off the rec area is the fitness room, which features large sliding doors made from reclaimed barn wood. The room has wall-to-wall rubber flooring, giving the space for weights and treadmills an authentic gym-like quality. The sound system is piped through the room, and there’s a television and several windows. “It’s a whole lot easier to exercise staring at the water,” Mark notes. Off of the bar is the Cruises’ wine cellar, which is entered through an intricate—and appropriately squeaky— metal gate, which was found in a salvage yard and came from a pre-Civil War home in downtown Richmond. The stonework on the cellar walls has a Tuscan ambience, and the cooler itself is equipped to hold 960 bottles. smlhomemaga zine .com 75

A stairway leads down to the subbasement, which, during construction, could have either been filled in or turned into usable space. The Cruises opted not to fill it in and ultimately created the perfect area—complete with ping pong table, refrigerator, and full bathroom—to enter and exit the pool. From the pool, which was built by National Pools of Roanoke, there are unobstructed views of the lake thanks to the use of an extra retaining wall, which eliminated requirements for a railing. Standing in the pool, a shoreline willow tree comes into focus, as does the three-slip boathouse and upper-level sunning deck, which dwarfs what the original owners put in decades ago. From top to bottom, the Cruises’ home was designed to melt stress. Traffic and chaos are common in Richmond and Chesterfield County, but the lake makes them feel comfortable. They trust the people and embrace the surroundings, and look forward to some day retiring in their dream surroundings. “We’ve spent 30 years in Richmond,” Mark says, “but this, the lake, feels like home.” ✦

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IMPROVE meal planning

grocery strategies

SIMPLE TIPS TO REDUCE YOUR FAMILYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FOOD WASTE B Y S A R A WA R R E N D E R

While at Smith Mountain Lake, the last view you want to ponder on a Saturday night is the endless row of products at the grocery store. When warm evenings on the water are at stake, it is essential to reduce food, money, and time wasted while still providing delicious meals for your family. There are several practical ways to save these valuable resources throughout the meal planning, preparation, and storing stages of your weekly grocery routine.

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Alternate uses for leftovers When preparing meals, you’ll encounter scraps of fruits and vegetables after they have been peeled or chopped, bones or remnants of meat which cannot be added directly to a recipe, and many other items which can leave you turning to the trashcan in frustration. Instead of tossing these items, there are clever ways to utilize them, minimizing waste while also saving money. FRUITS AND VEGETABLES Toss fruit, such as overripe bananas or soft berries, into a large bag in the freezer. When you have gathered enough, blend these fruits with some sour cream, yogurt, or ice cream for a smoothie. Bananas which have turned brown can also be used in quick bread, muffins, or other delicious baked goods. Puree herbs and olive oil and freeze to use as the base for pesto or other herb sauces. Save leftover vegetable peelings in a large bag in the freezer. When you have gathered two or three cups of scraps, cook the veggies for about an hour to make your own stock or broth. BREAD Stale bread is almost unavoidable, even in the most food-conscious households. Stale bread (that isn’t completely rock hard!) can be revived in a dampened paper bag warmed in an oven for about 15 minutes. Heat until the bread is warmed through, but be careful to wet the bag appropriately to avoid scorching it. If your bread is stale beyond salvage, repurpose it into breadcrumbs, stuffing, croutons, topping for French onion soup, bread pudding, French toast and grilled cheese sandwiches! CHEESES Hard cheeses which have gained a bit of mold can be scrubbed with a vegetable brush, rinsed under the cold tap, and patted dry with a kitchen towel. Leftover cheese, such as rinds that can’t be grated without grating your knuckles, can be added to many hearty dishes, including soups and sauces for an extra flavor kick.

Before you shop

Meat can be an expensive aspect of feeding your family, so before going to the store, look online or in recent newspaper ads to see what’s on sale. Then, use those items as the basis for several meals. Take a few moments to flip through your favorite cookbooks, planning a weekly menu for you and your family to use and reuse those items in different ways. Yes, this step requires some preparation, but the time and money saved is well worth it. For instance, one meal can be grilled chicken with rice, and the next night those chicken and rice leftovers can be transformed into fajitas by simply adding a few different vegetables and seasonings. Any leftover vegetables from the fajitas can then be the start to a hearty vegetable soup, or the toppings to your family’s favorite supreme pizza! Be sure to only buy in bulk what you know you can use before the item spoils. Another way to reduce clutter in your fridge is to check what you have in excess. Be sure to mark that item on your list as a product you should not purchase to avoid overstocking and wasting food. In that same regard, check your kitchen for staple items you should always have on hand such as olive oil, vinegar, garlic, and Dijon mustard for a quick marinade or homemade salad dressing. Other useful items to always have on hand are pasta, rice, and canned soups that can also be the basis for gravies and sauces. Skip the store

If your family’s fresh fruit tends to spoil before you can eat it, consider shopping at your local farmer’s market or produce stand to get a smaller, more customized supply of fresh fruits and vegetables that are also loaded with homegrown flavor. There is often a noticeable difference in taste and texture between fruits and vegetables which are mass-produced, versus locally-sourced items. Preserve your investment

Before putting the new items into your pantry or fridge, be sure to clean and sort your kitchen and refrigerator contents. Spoiled items should be removed, and items close to expiring should be placed in a highly-visible area of your fridge to encourage their use. When storing your groceries, remember which items need to be refrigerated and which need to be kept at room temperature. For best results, your fridge should be kept at 37 degrees Fahrenheit, and the freezer should be at zero degrees, or just a little lower to maintain maximum freshness and longevity of your items. Note that apples, oranges, grapes and berries need to have their own spot in the fridge. Meat, seafood, poultry and dairy should always be refrigerated, along with fresh lettuce, spinach, green beans and peas. Wrap lettuce and cucumbers (for best results wrap cucumbers individually) in paper towels and refrigerate in a loose plastic bag. Rinse herbs lightly, roll in paper towels, and refrigerate in an unsealed plastic bag. Be careful, however, to give your vegetables their own space. A crowded vegetable crisper will quickly produce rot. Keep avocados, pears, melons and peaches out of the refrigerator until they are ripe. To keep your counter space open while sprucing up the look of your kitchen, consider storing them in hanging fruit baskets. They add rustic charm, color, and help keep your kitchen free of clutter! Onions and garlic are best kept separate and can stay on the counter (or their own layer of the hanging baskets). Remember, onions absorb moisture, so keep them away from the sink as well as from potatoes, which emit gas and moisture that will also spoil onions quickly.

Leftover bits of cheese rinds can also be used for fondue, in salads, or stuffed into meatballs. MEAT Leftover bits of meat (fat and bones) can be stored in a bag in your freezer, then later boiled to make meat stock. To make, place all scraps in a large stock pot, bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to a simmer. Cook up to three hours, then strain solids for a hearty broth. 78

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If you believe your produce, meats or dairy will spoil before you can use them, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget to use your freezer. When wrapped securely in freezer paper and stored in airtight containers, freezing items can ensure many additional months of freshness. For meats, separate into meal-sized portions to preserve freshness and cut down on thawing time (and frustration!). Butter can also be frozen, along with milk, cheese, and more. Additionally, if you already have a garden and bring in baskets of vegetables each season, those items will retain their flavor and nutrients for months in the freezer. For produce, you first must blanch the veggies then chill in ice water (to prevent them from fully cooking), then freeze in an airtight freezer bag. Boiling the produce first prevents enzymes from damaging color, flavor and nutrients, while also destroying lingering microorganisms. For easier thawing, separate the veggies into meal portions before freezing. By utilizing these simple tips and incorporating some careful preparation, you can improve the shelf lives of your groceries, and give many items a second use in your kitchen. Being savvy with your leftovers also reduces waste, which is good for your family, the environment, and your wallet! â&#x153;Ś

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Rockin’ SML Properties Natural elements lend timeless appeal to landscapes BY J E SSIE THOMPSON

For hundreds of years, landscape architecture focused on highly structured, formal spaces and was confined to the highest echelons, like palaces and museums. But as homeowners throughout the world have come to learn, just about any good idea can be modified to fit scale and taste. And as attentions shift outside, landscapers are looking to Mother Nature for inspiration. Rocks have become a prominent design element, in part because they come in so many shapes, sizes and textures. The uses for incorporating rocks in outdoor landscaping can vary as much as the rocks themselves—from functional to purely aesthetic or a combination thereof, and designs can range from the placement of a single boulder to the creation of a fully functioning outdoor kitchen. One thing is for certain: Outdoor space at the lake is beautiful, and homeowners are limited only by their imaginations and their budgets. We’ve talked with a few local experts for ideas and tips on incorporating this look into your landscape… 8 0

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Planning considerations

Two things to consider are how adding rocks will look in the existing surroundings, and to make sure that all of those involved in the project have the same general idea. Chris Templeton, president of CLC Inc., a local design and build landscape firm, says sometimes a husband and wife might have different ideas about what they want or need; other times they agree on a design they’ve seen and would like to replicate, but for various reasons, it might not work for their property. Sometimes a budget isn’t realistic. “We don’t really want the budget to be the driving factor,” says Templeton. “But it is a factor, so we’ll try to figure out a way to make it work. Maybe it’s doing a design and then implementing it in phases, or figuring out the most important area and concentrating on that.” Once those decisions are made, landscape designers can get into the details, the intricacies, of what makes each project unique. Really, landscapers say, anywhere a home may once have had brick, concrete or even wood, stone is an option. Landscapers say they have seen many trends come and go over the years; what is essential when discussing stone is to understand that once it’s installed, it’s staying. Rock: a green choice

One of the main appeals is that rocks, which are incredibly versatile, require almost no work. While low upkeep is certainly a positive in many locales, it takes on even more import at the lake— a place where free time is meant to be dedicated to creating fabulous memories with friends and family, not spending hour upon hour doing yard work. “Rocks require zero maintenance,” says Mark Maslow, owner and president of Southern Landscape Group. “There’s no fertilizing, no trimming, no pruning, no watering.” For some, the option of using stone is a no-brainer, as that zero maintenance has the added bonus of being environmentally friendly. Because rock is an abundant natural resource that can be found throughout the mountains of Virginia and North Carolina, getting rock to the lake doesn’t create a large carbon footprint. (Maslow says some properties in and around the lake are already rich with stone, so the only cost is moving them into place.) smlhomemaga zine .com 81

CLC Inc.

When compared to more traditional landscape options (grass, ground cover, bushes, and even mulch), using rock in landscaping conserves water, uses less energy, requires fewer chemicals to maintain, and reduces waste. These factors may resonate even more with lakeside homeowners, as chemical run off (specifically nitrates) from fertilizers have been linked to problems in water ecosystems. This could be true of a singular, small project, like using gravel instead of mulch in a small bed, and for larger projects, like using gravel to create an environmentally friendly driveway. Unlike conventional driveway materials that use a variety of chemicals which expand and contract as temperatures change (called outgassing), rocks won’t. Plus rocks are impervious to the natural elements; they can withstand water, wind, cold temperatures (including snow and ice), and our hot and humid summers. Size matters

Look for our other local publications! cvhomemagazine.com rvhomemagazine.com

Mother Nature doesn’t limit herself to just one size rock, and if homeowners are committed to landscaping with natural materials, it’s a good idea to learn some of the basic properties offered by different options. Smaller rocks are often grouped together under the heading “gravel.” These rocks can be functional in terms of helping drain areas, or just visually appealing, adding another layer of texture or color. Usually they are installed to provide a combination of the two. A few examples include: decomposed and/or crushed granite, which can range from almost silt-like to small, uneven pieces, less than half an inch in diameter; pea gravel, which is a small, rounded rock usually less than an inch wide; and river rock, which is usually about an inch wide or bigger, and sometimes used to create dry creek beds. All come in a variety of colors. Generally, medium-sized rocks (and there is a really big range here) are utilitarian. One of the most common types at the lake is rip-rap, which is a type of stone used in ditchlines and shorelines to stabilize the soil. Medium-sized rocks can also be used to create hardscapes: think steps, fire pits, or seating areas. They can be cut to be uniform in shape and size, or left natural, depending on the project and the aesthetic. Large rocks are often called boulders. Technically, they can as small as ten inches in diameter, but for conversational purposes S m i t h M o u n t a i n L a ke H O M E 2 0 1 8

they are much bigger, ranging from 2,500 to 6,000 pounds (one to three tons). They can be rounded or flat in shape, and landscapers say each form lends itself to particular projects. Large rocks are a great way to add a more decorative element to drainage and erosion control while pleasing the eye. Creating focal points

Boulders are often used as an aesthetic centerpiece—to give a “wow” factor to a particular view—or for what landscapers call architectural features, which means that in addition to looking nice, the boulder is performing a function, like acting as a retaining wall. This helps with soil retention and erosion control, both especially important for the sloped land so common at the lake. “When designing a landscape, it’s important to make sure to ask ‘Where could I put a boulder so it won’t look like it fell out of the sky?’” says Maslow. “If I’m looking at a single boulder, anywhere from 36 to 42 inches [in diameter], we want it to be recessed about a third of the way in the ground, to make it look like it’s been there for a

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long time. Smaller boulders usually look better in a cluster, with some ground cover, some grasses, some plants that you’d see in a dry environment to creep over the boulders—all to compliment them, to make them look natural.” For companion plantings, Maslow suggests sedums (a succulent, droughttolerant plant with many varieties), carex (grass-like, colorful foliage that is often brightly hued or variegated), creeping phlox (blooms in spring, trails nicely), scotch moss (particularly in the shade), astilbe (tall, fluffy plumes that tower above frilly, fern-like foliage in the shade garden), mazus (mat-like ground cover with blooms from spring through summer), and ajuga (durable ground-hugging perennial, also known as bugleweed, in a variety of colors). Maslow, who has been using rocks and boulders in his designs for years, says one key to incorporating elements into a cohesive landscape is to not make anything too perfect—he tries to replicate what would most likely be seen in nature. A critical component, he says, is choosing the right sized boulders: if they are too big, they can dwarf other landscaping elements; if they are too small, they can get lost. Stone in hardscapes

Another popular way to incorporate rock at area homes is in outdoor hardscapes. Templeton says stairs are the biggest way he sees homeowners using rock in their landscaping. Pennsylvania flagstone, also called bluestone, is incredibly durable, and is readily available in various thicknesses— perfect for stair treads. “You get a lot of bang for your buck,” he says. “With steps, there are anywhere from seven to thirteen risers. We’ll also install a light that covers two risers, on alternate steps. That, combined with the irregular finish of the stone’s edge… it’s beautiful.” Also on the rise: the use of rocks to create walkways—with either very structured cut stone and uniform shape (think slate or flagstone) set in mortar, or more natural looking stone with rough edges and variable shapes and sizes. Because their surface texture is lightly roughened, the rocks offer good, safe traction, even when wet. To add even more texture and visual impact, designers suggest using a different type of rock to edge the walkway, almost like the outlines of a picture in a coloring book. Sometimes the grade of the land will 8 4

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be the determining factor for which type of rock will be the best; other times, it will depend on which rocks resonate with property owners. The same holds true for both the width of the walkway (people can move more quickly and easier on a wider path), and whether it is straight or meandering. As more and more homeowners are adding outdoor living areas, stone is being incorporated into those spaces as well. It’s ideal for seating walls and fire pits because of its durability. Again, the choice of what type of rock to use will be determined by the shape of the property, the surrounding elements, and homeowner preference. Natural beauty is undeniable

It should come as no surprise that homeowners at the lake are looking to nature for inspiration when sprucing up their landscapes. Creating an eye-catching aesthetic, whether formal or bucolic, is possible with the use of carefully placed rock accents that play with scale, color and texture. Using a professional landscaper can help ensure that the positive characteristics of the property are highlighted (think vistas) and any problematic issues, such as erosion, are minimized. Rocks, with their infinite shapes and patterns, lend a sense of permanence to the landscape. Their uniqueness is part of what makes them so appealing. According to Maslow, their charm comes down to one simple thing: they’re natural. “I love rock because it’s a natural material, indigenous to the earth,” he says. “It creates such a rustic feeling, such a connection. We’re helping keep the property in touch with nature in its original form.” ✦

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GARDEN rain barrels

water works

GATHER R AIN FOR GARDEN USE

BY ALE X ANDR A RE YNOLDS

Are you looking for a way to make both your yard and wallet greener? Make a small investment in a rain barrel, a savings-savvy and eco-friendly gadget for your garden. With a rain barrel, you can harness the power of free rainwater to reduce your monthly water bill and increase the health of your home, garden and community. Rain barrels are sizable cisterns that connect to a downspout on your home. When it rains, water is filtered down into the rain barrel and contained for reuse. Homeowners can use the rainwater for many different outdoor tasks, like watering plants and washing cars.

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The practice of collecting rainwater dates back 4,000 years and has stood the test of time for good reason. Environmentally, homeowners who use rain barrels conserve water and reduce runoff. Runoff water picks up pesticides, oils, fertilizers, and other pollutants that contaminate local water sources and can harm plants and animals. Financially, homeowners can benefit by reducing their monthly water bill. Instead of using metered tap water from their hose in the hot summer months, rain barrel users make use of collected rainwater which would have otherwise gone to waste.

order. When you are ready to install your collection system, select a downspout from your gutter system to connect to your rain barrel. Set up your rain barrel in an area that needs water and can tolerate overflow in the event of heavy rains. Some rain barrels connect directly to a gutter for easy collection. Flat-back barrels sit close to the wall of your home, so downspouts may need less modification with this type of model. If you plan to use a barrel with a spigot, make sure that the spigot directs the water away from the foundation of your home. Use and maintenance

Options, features and capacity

There are many options, sizes and features to consider when shopping for a rain barrel. First, consider capacity. The amount of rainwater you will collect is determined by the size and layout of your roof. One inch of rainfall can lead to a collection of approximately half a gallon of rainwater per square foot of your roofâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s surface area. Think about the area of the roof near the connecting downspout when making your estimations. Be sure to protect your rainwater from insects, leaves, and small animals with a debris screen. Mosquitos can be particularly pesky, so remember to seal any gaps or tears in the screen or barrel to prevent them from laying eggs in or near your collection system. Another thing to consider is how you would like to access your rainwater. A closed top will prevent animals and small children from reaching the water. However, if you would like to be able to fill a watering can by dipping it into your rainwater, a lid that opens or can be removed may be the best option for you, as long as the lid can be securely latched. Also, choose whether you would like to use a spigot or a hose connection to release your rainwater. When building or buying your rain barrel system, select features that offer convenience and suit your watering habits. Setting up and locating your system

Before installing a rain barrel, check local regulations and make sure that you are in compliance with municipal ordinances. Inspect your gutters to ensure that they are clear and in working

If you use your rainwater within one or two weeks after rainfall, you will reduce odors and minimize the growth of algae and bacteria in your rain barrel. If you do not plan to use your rainwater shortly after collection, perhaps if you are away from home, keep the spigot open to release the water. Disconnect the downspout if you plan to be away from home or if you do not plan to collect water for an extended period of time. When using a rain barrel, remember that rainwater is untreated, so it should not be used as drinking water for people or pets. During harvest season, be sure to wash all of your produce with tap water before consumption. Regularly inspect your rain barrel for leaks. Pay attention to the maintenance recommendations in your userâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s manual if you purchase a unit. Some instructions encourage users to always keep some water in the barrel to hold it in place. Rinse out sediment from the barrel that breaches the debris screen to ensure your water is clean. Before freezing weather arrives, disconnect, empty, and store your rain barrel. Certain models have a collapsible design for easy storage. Thoroughly clean out your barrel before storing it for the winter, and remember to reset your gutter or downspout to properly divert water from your roof. No matter what size or type of rain barrel you settle on, you can feel confident that you are helping the environment and saving money. Visit your local hardware store to inquire about building or buying a rain barrel, and prepare to reap the benefits of a practice that has persisted through the ages. â&#x153;Ś

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DESIGN love your laundry

sort it out!

DESIGNING AN EFFICIENT LAUNDRY SYSTEM BY CHRIST Y RIPPEL

o matter where you live, laundry seems to pile up quickly. But at the lake, without a well-designed laundry system, it can become an untamed beast. Friends, family and visitors mean extra linens, beach towels, bathing suits and clothing, and who wants to waste time washing when the lake beckons? Having an efficient and pleasant laundry space can help make this task both quicker and more enjoyable. If you are building or renovating a home, you have the chance to design a laundry room for optimal organization and function. Even if you don’t have the budget for your dream laundry room, there are smaller design and efficiency changes that can go a long way toward improving your laundry experience. We’ve got some ideas and tips to help you streamline this space and get back outside. Location and layout

In traditional homes, opinions differ on the ideal spot for a laundry room. Some people prefer it near the bedrooms for easy access to closets; others like it close to the kitchen, where washing can be easily monitored while performing other tasks; and some folks prefer the convenience of having a laundry in the bathroom, where linens often congregate. 8 8

While the lake is no exception in that personal preference rules, the ideal laundry location might be a little different. Often, the best spot is near a ground-level walkout to the dock. This way you can direct soggy friends, family, and pets to this entrance, where dripping towels and suits can be wrangled before making their way into the house. A stacked, front-loading washer and dryer will save space. The extra square footage could be used for shelving that can hold standard-sized laundry baskets, to keep clean and dirty clothes organized and out of the way. Mini chalkboards or other signs for “clean” and “dirty” will ensure that no one drops a dirty towel into a freshly cleaned basket of clothes or towels. You might want to set out two laundry baskets—one marked “wet” and one marked “dirty”—so you can prioritize loads to get to the wet clothes before they get musty. A third basket could hold rolled, clean towels that could be grabbed if needed to dry off or on the way down to the water. If you can carve out space for a second laundry room or laundry closet, consider one closest to the bedrooms, for the easiest cleaning of clothes, sheets and towels. If you have a larger home or multiple levels, this might be upstairs, and used mostly for regular household linens. Alternatively, a laundry chute makes getting laundry down to the wash a snap. S m i t h M o u n t a i n L a ke H O M E 2 0 1 8

For a single laundry room which has extra space, consider installing two washers and two dryers. Like your own personal laundromat, it will save considerable time. Be sure to check Consumer Reports or test washer and dryer models in person to get a sense of the model’s noise level—even some newer machines are considerably loud, and dual washers and dryers will amplify the noise. To minimize space taken up by a drying rack, consider a model that hangs from the wall and retracts, or install a simple bar like one you’d find in a closet, where garments can be hung from hangers to dry. Linen tips

When designing an efficient laundry system, the laundry room itself isn’t the whole picture. To simplify life at the lake, think about using all white (or single hue) sheets and towels for all the bedrooms and bathrooms for maximum flexibility. Purchasing multiples of the same beach towel works too—they won’t be mistaken for anyone else’s. For guest quarters, you might designate a piece of furniture in the hallway or in the actual bedroom stocked with sheets, towels and toiletries so guests don’t have to go hunting them down—an armoire works great for this purpose. If you would like guests to use different towels for indoors and outdoors, again, small signs hanging near the armoire are a polite and clear way to communicate your preferences. Less is better

A way to reduce your time doing laundry is, of course, to reduce the number of loads. Often, beach towels get dropped into a wet

pile after everyone has climbed off the boat or out of the water. Letting them sit guarantees that they’ll need to be washed before they are usable again. But a beach towel doesn’t need to be washed after a single use if it is dried properly and is going to be used by the same person. Try hanging rows of hooks near the dock and every doorway that a bathing suit-clad family member or guest will be entering or exiting. It will be a space to hang a towel to dry, and it will be in the same spot when they want to grab it again to go back out. Mini chalkboards or other labels can also be used here to help everyone remember whose is whose. Retractable clothes lines that can be pulled out in a pinch and disappear when not in use prevent towels from being draped over wooden dock and decking areas, which can damage wood over time. When most people think of permanent clothes lines, they conjure images of the 1950s metal contraptions, or a simple rope tied from tree to house. While these still work, beautifully constructed clothes lines have come into vogue, made of high quality wood and cable with decorative flourishes. Consider installing one on your property and your guests can’t miss the hint. Cutting down on laundry loads is not only a time saver, but is good for the environment, too. With a bit of planning and thought, you can design a laundry system to make the most of your available space. Creating a method for managing the influx of lake-related laundry can help reduce the odds of finding wet piles inside, or having your deck rails covered in towels and suits. It can also help cut down the amount of loads you need to do, which is the best news of all when spending time at the lake. ✦

takeaway tips for laundry at the lake n Consider dual washers and dryers. Running two loads at a time means maximum efficiency. n Purchase towels and sheets in one consistent hue or pattern. They’ll be interchangeable, so you’ll never say, “We have no clean guest towels!” n Mark your laundry baskets. Signs on laundry baskets like “wet,” “dirty,” and “towels for outside” communicate your wishes clearly and cut down on wet or dirty clothes in the wrong places. n Have plenty of places to hang wet towels and bathing suits. You can never have too many hooks or clothes lines! A towel or bathing suit dried in the sun can skip the washing machine a time or two. smlhomemaga zine .com 8 9

TREASURING HISTORY

renovation breathes new life into historic manor BY NOELLE MIL AM Photography by Kevin Hurley

For over twenty-five years, Susan Mitchell Ober dreamed of owning a historic home, preserving it, and operating it as a bed and breakfast in her native Franklin County. An independent business woman and busy wife and mother, that dream felt unattainable for decades until one day she spotted a woman at the end of a beautiful Bradford pear-lined driveway at one of her favorite antebellum homes in the area. The home, Susan had noted over time, seemed to have been under renovation for many years, and she was curious. “I used to drive by the property,” Susan explains, “and one day I spotted someone in the driveway and I stopped to chat.”

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The woman turned out to be Darlene Leslie, who, along with her husband Mike, had indeed been lovingly renovating the historic home themselves, a painstaking process that had taken them sixteen years. The couple had come up from South Carolina in 1999 looking for property to build a new house on for their retirement years, but when they saw the shell of what looked like an old English manor home half-choked with vines, they decided to try and renovate it and operate a bed and breakfast. Though the couple had renovated several homes in the past, the scope of this one turned out to be too much for them. After sixteen years and with renovations nearly complete, they were tired and ready to turn over the reins to someone with the energy and drive to take over and run the place as the bed and breakfast and event venue they’d envisioned. Fortunately for them that spring day, the perfect person showed up in their driveway. Susan assumed ownership in 2016, and Katherine Grace Manor (named for her daughter Katherine, and granddaughter Grace) was born. History literally marched through the property, explains Susan. The house, originally built in 1771, was part of a pre-Revolutionary War royal land grant and was built in approximation of an English manor, common to colonial builders of the time: three stories, with rounded brick and dentil molding, and walls stacked six bricks thick and bolstered with metal cables and hand-hewn beams. The home was certainly built to last. According to the Franklin County Historical Society, the first owner was a Jonathan Richeson (or “Richardson” depending on the document). Richeson bought 200 acres in 1768, built the house for his family and established a plantation. During the Revolutionary War, British soldiers marched right through the lower meadow visible from the house. In 1780, Richeson added another 100 acres along Gills Creek, which still runs through the property today. According to historical records, Richeson was a slave owner and the plantation, which produced tobacco, lumber, and ran a gristmill, required the labor of over 300 enslaved individuals at the height of its production. Jonathan Richeson was also both the sheriff and justice of the peace of Bedford, as this area was once part of Bedford County before Franklin County was formed in 1785. In traditional English style, the house was built with the kitchen in the basement, and as one passes through the wood-beamed room that was once the old kitchen, Susan points to a small “closet,” (currently used to house HVAC equipment) that was, at the home’s inception, a jail. “If you were a prisoner and also a resident of his jurisdiction,” Susan points out, “you could be tried right there in Richeson’s home, since he was also the Justice of the Peace.” Throughout the 1800s the home stayed in the family, passing first to Richeson’s wife, Elizabeth Taylor Richeson, then his sons and brother-in-law, Skelton Taylor, who was the founder of Taylor’s Store, a Franklin County landmark. Though the plantation house survived the ravages of the Civil War, the property began a steady decline in the years following, and by the end of the century, as the small, picturesque graveyard adjacent to the driveway still attests, the family slowly died out. Susan walks through the family gravesite and points out the headstones. “This is a piece of history right here,” she says, indicating the graves of two Civil War soldiers, marked with flags, and the headstones of numerous Richeson descendants. “This property has seen so much.” The 20th century was not kind to the house. After the original family died out, the property was purchased by investors, but smlhomemaga zine .com 91

allowed to sit vacant. Without regular care and upkeep, rodents moved into the attic, vines grew up the walls, parts of the roof caved in, and all the windows were broken. By 1999, when the manor was spotted by Mike and Darlene Leslie, the place looked like it was ready for the wrecking ball. The property, just a few miles from Smith Mountain Lake, sits at the crest of a gentle rise. Katherine Grace Manor now encompasses only ten acres, but Susan has preserved its beautiful meadow and frontage on Gills Creek, so that it still feels private and secluded. The terraced lawn where, according to Susan’s research, slave quarters once stood, today features patios and garden beds, including a stunning butterfly garden, a nearby zen garden, and an unusual tree that Susan calls the “holy tree,” a hawthorn variety that has special significance. “Legend has it that the thorns from this type of tree made up the crown Jesus wore on the cross,” Susan explains. “There was a specimen in Glastonbury, England that flowered twice a year—right before Christmas and right before Easter—hence the name.” She believes that the tree was originally imported to the property from England, and it has a few “descendants” of its own scattered around the property. Guests can enjoy the bucolic views of the holy tree and the meadow beyond from the comfortable patio seating, or can stroll down the meadow to enjoy the weeping willow-edged creek, where Susan has installed a forty-foot fire pit area for her guests’ enjoyment. Susan credits her predecessors entirely with the challenging work of resurrecting Katherine Grace Manor. “There are a lot of older homes in this county,” she explains, “but I don’t know of any that have been restored to the shape that this house has been.” She also credits the Leslies with a high quality renovation that included a new roof, new interior walls, refinished floors, new plumbing, electrical wiring, and HVAC. They even reproduced and replaced the plaster walls, and the extensive wainscoting seen throughout the home. “These moldings have seventeen layers of crown,” Susan says, pointing toward the detailed original ceiling of the parlor. In the dining room, they had to reconstruct the intricate moldings from what they could salvage lying about the manor. From a vine-covered shell 9 2

of a house to the structure that visitors can see today, it was what she calls “a labor of love” by Mike and Darlene Leslie. “I furnished it, decorated it, and maintain it,” Susan explains, modestly, “but the renovation was all the Leslies.” Susan owns Southern Lamp and Shade in Rocky Mount, and was able to draw on her decorating experience to furnish and decorate Katherine Grace Manor, but she credits Laurie Hartwell, of Hartwell Design in Roanoke, for help as well. The original home had a classic “two over two” floor plan: Downstairs, a dining room and parlor flank the main entry hall, and the original stairway ascends to a landing that opens onto two large bedroom suites. Since the glass throughout the home was gone after years of neglect, modern replacement windows have been fitted, but the Leslies’ daughter Tanya Leslie, a local artist from Boones Mill, lovingly crafted unique stained and etched glass accents for the windows of each room, including the double doors at either end of the central hallway. From the exterior, the most noticeable changes are the two wings on either side of the main structure. These wings, added in 2010, enabled the Leslies, and now Susan, to incorporate modern necessities such as a large modern kitchen on the ground floor, S m i t h M o u n t a i n L a ke H O M E 2 0 1 8

and amenities for three guest suites. Large bathrooms, complete with walkin showers and claw foot tubs, and large closets are part of the two upstairs and one ground floor suites. The two-story wings also provide each of Katherine Grace’s three suites with generous private balconies. Descending the staircase from the kitchen to the basement level, Susan explains that one of the differences between English and American homes of this era is that the basements of English homes were generally only partially underground. This enabled windows of adequate size for ventilation, which was important since, in colonial times, the cooking was done in a kitchen underneath the dining room. Today, the second staircase from the new kitchen ends in what Susan calls the “common room,” furnished casually with comfortable seating, a game table, and the manor’s only TV. Next to the common room is the home’s original kitchen. Though it has been converted to a cozy guest room, visitors can see the preserved colonialera hearth and the heavy exposed beams

that frame the structure. Susan rolls back the rug to reveal a hatch leading to the kitchen’s old root cellar, still intact beneath the floor. The remainder of the basement level comprises a large, well-appointed guest bathroom, a small apartment that Susan occupies and, of course, the “famous HVAC closet”—the site of Jonathan Richeson’s jail. According to Susan, the jail could accommodate up to six prisoners in wall shackles, but today’s visitors are undoubtedly grateful for the modern heat and air conditioning unit now housed in the space. Susan opened Katherine Grace Manor in October of 2016, and since then has hosted more than 3,300 guests from as far away as Japan and from as close as just down the street. She’s hosted weddings, parties, teas, business meetings, and luncheons in addition to running the bed and breakfast. Susan sees the place as a blessing she is privileged to share, and opening her historic home to the public is part of her mission. Often it is the neighbors, Susan explains, who are the most curious. “Many of the neighbors have said, ‘We always wanted to see the place,’ so I’ve been inviting them to come,

especially since they kind of watched it being restored. I give tours, let them go through and see it, and they are amazed that there’s something like this here in Franklin County, that they can see and come back to and have a lunch, bring their family.” She says that the hardest thing about her first year in business is the fear of doing it alone. Thankfully she has help from family, especially husband Kenny and daughter Katherine, but also the support of close friends who have stood by her from the beginning. Her aim is to make the people of her native Franklin County proud of their history. Preserving and running Katherine Grace Manor is a labor of love for Susan Mitchell Ober, but it is also her way to give back to her community. “When people stop in and say, ‘You have a beautiful home,’ I say, ‘It’s not my home. This place is history. It’s here for everyone to enjoy.’” On Katherine Grace Manor’s website, Susan describes herself as “a southern girl trying to make a dream come true,” and, through both good luck and back-breaking work, she is doing just that. ✦

Welcome Home

3804 Brandon Ave, SW • Roanoke, VA 24018 • (540) 777-5602 • www.brandonoaks.net smlhomemaga zine .com 93

LIVE culinary corner

perfect pasta FOR YOUR LAKE CROWD

B Y K AT H E R I N E F U LG H U M K N O P F

With another summer season at the lake on the horizon, the calendar fills with plans for gathering family and friends. Lake entertaining can be easy, even with a dock full of guests. Just think pasta meals for lunch, easy suppers, or late dinners. With shrimp or chicken made ahead and chilling in the fridge, cooking is minimal, and many hands can help cut the vegetables and shred the cheese to mix it all together. For the hostess, pasta means itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just a short time away from guests before supper can be on the table. Pasta dishes can be doubled easily, and saved for leftovers too. Toss some greens and fix a bowl of fruit. Dinner is served! Speaking of serving, pasta dishes are great to pass family-style; sending the bowl around the table for everyone to serve themselves makes for a relaxed vibe and flowing conversation. The hostess gets to enjoy her guests all day then concentrate on setting a welcoming table; gingham cloth napkins, some flowers from the yard in Mason jars, and a few candles lining the table brings everyone in from the water. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re certain the following recipes will quickly become family favorites!

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LEMON LINGUINE (serves 6)

Adapted from The Summer Book, a cookbook by Susan Branch Lemon Linguine is a simple dish, but it’s light, fresh and perfect for summer. It can also help you use all those vegetables you pick up at the farmer’s market; it’s flexible enough that you can add a variety of ingredients to personalize it for your family’s tastes. For example, you might add steamed shrimp and asparagus spears, or roasted green beans and grilled chicken strips. Some of our favorite add-ins are chopped grape tomatoes, slivered fresh basil, and toasted pine nuts. No matter the season, this is my daughter’s most requested meal! This dish is delicious warm or at room temperature, which makes it a great choice for a potluck or buffet-style meal. Also, if you are following a gluten free or low-carb diet, you can use spiralized zucchini noodles in place of linguine. Just give the “zoodles” a quick saute in a little olive oil first, to soften them and help the dressing adhere to them.

1 pound linguini ½ cup olive oil juice from 2 lemons zest from 1 lemon ½ cup chopped green onion ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley salt & freshly ground black pepper lots of Parmesan cheese Cook linguine in boiling, salted water until al dente; drain well. In a large serving bowl, whisk the lemon juice with the olive oil until partially emulsified. Add cooked pasta, lemon zest, green onions and parsley and toss to coat the pasta. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and Parmesan to taste.

CHICKEN AND ORZO SALAD (serves 10-12)

Adapted from Island Graces: Traditions from the Tables of Pawleys Island. Published by All Saint’s Church, Pawleys Island. This one-dish meal works well for lunch, dinner, or even a picnic on the boat. If you make it a day head, make extra dressing to add just in case the pasta looks dry at serving time. We like to use orange, red and yellow peppers to add color.

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard ½ cup red wine vinegar ½ cup olive oil ¼ cup sugar ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper ½ cup chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried 1 pound orzo 2 pounds chicken, cooked and chopped 1 cup slivered almonds (toasted if you prefer) 1 red pepper, chopped 1 cup celery, chopped 1 green pepper, chopped 1 pound grape tomatoes, halved 1 cup crumbled feta cheese, plus extra for garnish Combine mustard, vinegar, oil, sugar, salt and pepper and basil in a bowl and mix well. Cook orzo, then rinse and drain. Toss orzo with half of the dressing. In a separate bowl, toss chicken, and remaining ingredients and dressing. Add chicken and vegetable mixture to pasta and mix well. Chill, covered. Garnish before serving with fresh basil and feta. ✦

ZESTY TOMATO & SCALLION PASTA SAUCE (serves 8-10)

This recipe makes enough sauce to toss with one pound of pasta. As a no-cook option with a flexible list of ingredients, it’s convenient and fresh—all you have to cook is the pasta! Once combined, it can be served hot or left to cool to room temperature.

2 ½ to 3 pounds ripe tomatoes, cored, seeded, and cut into medium dice (I like a mix of heirlooms for color) 3 to 5 scallions, white and tender green parts, sliced thin 1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced (it’s really about how much garlic you like) large handful of herbs, lightly chopped (I recommend basil, but you could also add mint, chives, parsley or oregano for more flavor) 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (or more or less depending on your preference) dash of balsamic vinegar salt and pepper to taste optional: sliced small red chile, or dash of chile flakes optional: 2 to 3 very thinly sliced baby summer squash. ¼ cup Parmesan cheese (and more to pass at the table) 1 cup thinly sliced zucchini strips Drain the chopped tomatoes in a colander for 15 to 30 minutes to eliminate excess moisture. Place all ingredients except the cheese in a bowl and let sit for 20 to 30 minutes so the flavors come together. Toss with drained, hot pasta. Best served with capellini for a spin on the classic pomodoro, or a twisted gemelli or cavatappi-type pasta to make the dish visually fun. Top with thinly sliced zucchini strips for the extra veggie-summer feel. Add the cheese, toss again, and serve. Pass additional cheese at the table if desired.

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LIVE fishing facts

FISHING at the Lake LOCAL EXPERTS WEIGH IN

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BY J ERRY HALE

“Smith Mountain Lake is one of the few places in the country where you can catch such big fish on medium-weight tackle.” That's veteran fishing guide Dale Wilson describing what makes fishing SML so enticing for homeowners and vacationers, whether they are dedicated anglers or just folks who occasionally enjoy catching (and eating!) nice fish. Boasting deep clear water—about 250 feet deep at the dam and exceeding one hundred feet at many spots in main channels—and over 500 miles of both developed and undeveloped shoreline, SML is a great spot to enjoy fishing for a substantial variety of species.

Wilson has a basis for comparison: He has fished lakes all over the country with various tournament circuits, and has plenty of tips to offer. “There’s no need to go someplace else to find fish,” he says. “SML has large and small mouth bass, crappie, perch, catfish and oodles of striped bass [also known as ‘striper’]. You can fish it year round with good results, though I wouldn’t call it ‘easy’ fishing. There's lots of standing timber still on the bottom, providing deep water cover. The stripers stay down and often feed at night. In winter though, with colder surface temperatures, they will chase shad [bait fish] to the surface. Birds swirling above the shad schools often give away exactly where the stripers are feeding,” he explains. “When you’re using a freshwater rod and 10 to 15 pound test line, there’s lots of excitement when a striper hits,” Wilson continues. “They are strong fighters, often schooling 50 or 60 feet down, and bringing them up on light tackle is both challenging and fun.” 9 6

Wilson has been fishing these waters since before SML became a lake, initially with his dad on what was then the Roanoke River, then when the basin was flooded, as the newly created Smith Mountain Project combined with the adjoining Blackwater River to create Virginia’s second largest lake. At 20,600 acres, it’s about half the size of Kerr Lake, which spans into North Carolina. Wilson fishes exclusively with artificial bait, favoring single hook lures that do minimal damage to the fish and thus dramatically increase survival rates. He advocates catch-andrelease, only netting the ones his charter clients plan to take home for eating. And while state citation fish (20 pounds and up for stripers) are always sought after, the best eating size, he says, are 8 to 10 pounds—about average size for SML. Choose your favorite part of the lake

Kenny Short runs a Sea Born FX25 sport fishing boat with a 300 horsepower Yamaha motor out of SML’s Gills Creek, and S m i t h M o u n t a i n L a ke H O M E 2 0 1 8

while that rig will get him to far distant parts of the lake in a hurry, he favors the middle and upper portions of the Blackwater River side, close to where he usually starts. “Customers generally prefer wetting lines to boat riding,” he asserts. Short has been fishing Smith Mountain Lake since 1985 and began chartering in 2002. He, like Wilson, angled the tournament circuit for a while but has given that up in favor of weekends at home with his wife Tanya and 8-year-old Laci, who also loves to fish. Big fish live here

SML’s striper record is 49 pounds, 4 ounces, caught in 1999. One of Short’s clients hooked a 41-pounder in 2016 and another a near-record 48-pounder in 2000. “Fish size has recovered nicely from the gill tissue parasite that swept through in 2003,” he points out. “Catching 15 to 19 pound fish is not uncommon, especially in spring and fall. Late summer and winter produce consistent numbers of 8 to 10 pounders. A ‘slot limit’ [a size range of fish that must be thrown back] protects 30 to 40-inch fish from November through May, making sure they get thrown back to grow through another summer,” Short says, adding, “That’s not a problem, since smaller fish make for better eating.” Short joins Wilson in advocating a “Let ’em go, let ’em grow!” philosophy. “We’re eager for SML to have a big-fish reputation,” he says. Talking technique, Short says anglers seeking big fish often use planer boards, which pull lines wide to the side of a boat moving at trolling speed. Large gizzard shad bait fish, caught with casting nets, also attract large fish as a rule. Jigging [bait dropped straight down and jerked every few seconds to attract the bite] is good at times. Trolling with deep-running down lines can be effective—

Short can manage 8 to 10 lines out at a time—but casting and reeling, which keeps everyone active and uses basic fishing skills, is quite popular with customers, he notes. Guides will do half or full day trips, but a half day is usually plenty for catching Virginia’s two-fish-per-angler limit. Short, whose charter day begins at 3 a.m. with bait catching and preparing the boat, admits there are days when the fish refuse to cooperate. But should you get skunked, he’ll invite you back for a free make-up trip. Fishing for large and small mouth bass is an entirely different pursuit, Short says. “Along the shoreline, near and under docks, over brush piles and shoals—that’s where they hide out. The lower parts of the lake—below Halesford Bridge and Gills Creek—are best for small mouth.”

SML FISHING RESOURCES FISHING GUIDES Dale Wilson 4185 Smith Mountain Lake Parkway, Huddleston captaindalewilson.com Kenny Short Gills Creek Marina, Wirtz kennysstriperguideservice.com TACKLE Captain’s Quarters 16525 Booker T Washington Hwy, Moneta smithmountainlakeboats.com Franklin Outdoors 13326 Booker T Washington Hwy, Moneta franklinoutdoors.online

Learn from the experts

When it’s time to buy tackle, guides tend to recommend either Captain’s Quarters or Franklin Outdoors. “Tell us what you’re after and we can pretty much fix you up with the right tackle,” says Gary Nichols, weekday manager at Franklin Outdoors’ Westlake store. “Everyone who comes in has fish stories to tell, so we generally know who’s catching what, and where. Live bait and terminal tackle—hooks, swivels, leaders and sinkers—are our biggestdemand items.” But there’s no substitute for dayin, day-out angling experience. Says Wilson, “You learn to catch fish on SML by fishing SML. And if you pay attention, you can learn more in a half day with an experienced guide than in a couple of years sporadically trying on your own. You’ll have a great time on the water, and you’ll very likely bring home fish for dinner!” ✦

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WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE

UPDATED HOME OFFERS VIEWS AND VACATION FUN

BY RYA N T I P P S Photography by Craig Shaffer

When Dario and Wendy Marquez bought their home in The Waterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Edge community, the house was as much about potential as it was about reality. Where there were heavy, dark furnishings, Wendy channeled her vibrant vision. Where there was an aging water feature, landscape artist Norman Tharpe developed an elegant, flowing garden. Where there were obstructions, the couple created openness. The goal was to have a home that would serve as a destination for far-flung family members to come together, where they could splash and lounge and laugh with the beauty of Smith Mountain Lake as their backdrop. And it would need to be a place where the Marquezes would feel comfortable retiring. Getting the home to that point was going to take time, and they were taking it piece by piece. 9 8

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The road to SML

The Marquezes live full-time in a condominium in Northern Virginia, where Dario runs two businesses. When they considered buying a second home, a friend recommended Smith Mountain Lake. Soon afterward, it seemed like they were meeting lots of people who had ties to the lake, and it sounded ideal. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We needed to find a place to have family gatherings and where the grandkids could come,â&#x20AC;? Wendy says. And with seven kids and 14 grandkids, they wanted someplace bigger than a condo that they could all retreat to. It was serendipity that they ended up here, she says. They visited the area and, clad in shorts and baseball hats, popped into a real estate agentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office unannounced on a Saturday afternoon. Dario admits that the agent on duty, Lyn Atkins, was trying to politely size them up to understand their wants and 10 0

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The home had plenty of room, a gently-sloped lot and a sandy beach away from the main channel, which made it a good fit for a family with young grandchildren.

price range. “We spent a lot of time looking around with him,” Dario says. “Lyn took us out on a boat to show us different parts of the lake. At first, we couldn’t find anything we were happy with. We must’ve looked at 12 houses over a period of weeks, going back and forth between Northern Virginia.” Coming from a condo, a place where their family could have room to run was key. The house had to be large enough to sleep many guests, and the couple didn’t want the slope of the land to be too steep. Wendy also said they didn’t want to be on the main channel, so that the little ones who visited could swim without the grown-ups having to worry about them so much. At one point, frustrated that they weren’t finding the perfect fit, they began looking at land and considered building their dream home. Finally, they came across their home in The Water’s Edge, situated on 1.5 acres. Though the interior didn’t resonate immediately with Dario, Wendy saw the potential. What really sold her? “The view of the lake, that’s it,” she says. Sean Doherty, of Doherty Interior Design, has been the Marquezes’ designer for four years, and says, “I think the way

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the house is situated on the lot is really key. When you have these views, that’s really the star. Everything else you have becomes the supporting cast.” Years of renovations

The couple went to work on transforming the 8,000-square-foot house and making it their own. Their lake style differs from their Northern Virginia style in a way that captures the freshness and lushness of life on SML. Instead of heavy carpets, drapes and armoires that blocked windows, the Marquezes favored hardwood or tile flooring, a bright, clean appearance to rooms and clear sight lines to the lake. They opened up doorways and added skylights, as well as hung artwork that befit their tastes. And while it didn’t take long for this sixbedroom, seven-bathroom home to begin to show their tastes, the full renovation took several years. The first room through the front door was perhaps the most challenging to revamp. When Dario and Wendy purchased the home in 2011, this undefined space embodied the personality that was originally throughout the residence: muted colors

An undefined space was transformed into a grownup cocktail room, with 10-foot glass sliders offering expansive views of the lake.

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and small doors that didn’t capture of the home’s expansive views of SML or the laid-back sense of lake life. As Doherty explains, the room was functional, but it wasn’t really working. It was a great room that wasn’t coming across so great. So out came the six-foot-tall doors that exited onto the deck; they were replaced with 10-foot sliders that allow you to see both the water and the sky simultaneously, creating beautiful horizontal and vertical panoramic views of the lake. The first thing you see today upon entering the home is a more complete picture of the serenity and allure of SML. Completing this room involved two rounds of furniture selection—the Marquezes donated their first choices of chairs and tables after Doherty was hired—and from there, the room’s signature came together. The light and welcoming formality of the updated space has made it the perfect spot for a grownup cocktail room, particularly while the extensive family is visiting. The room that long lacked an identity ultimately became a showcase for how this home has been transformed. “It’s more of a

Residential and Commercial CONSTRUCTION SERVICES Serving Southwest Virginia | Roanoke | Smith Mountain Lake

We make construction easy for our customers. 404 Walnut Avenue SE, Roanoke, VA 24014 | (540) 427-2001 | www.pitmanconstruction.com smlhomemaga zine .com 103

The home’s art hails from exotic destinations such as St. Croix and Peru, and includes an image composed from the word “hope.”

warm contemporary look, so it looks clean. That’s something that Sean has been very good with, giving us that warm, temperate feel with clean lines throughout,” Dario says. Construction in the kitchen was done by Pitman Construction, Inc., and included tearing down walls to give the room a more open feeling, in keeping with the rest of the home's renovation. New, beautifully patterned granite countertops and richly detailed cabinetry are by Ideal Cabinets. High ceilings help to usher light into the room, and seating at the island for four people is a clear draw. Today, the kitchen is a place where visitors congregate—as Wendy notes, “There’s a lot of family time that takes place in the kitchen.” 104

Among the lengthier projects was redoing the deck with stonework, while enlarging the space by about 40 percent. Renovations by M.H. Eades Custom Builders improved accessibility to lake views, brought more meal opportunities closer to the living room and kitchen, and created a better flow to social gatherings. “The way the previous owner set up the home, it was difficult to see everything, like the way it is now,” Dario says. “We like it to be light, and we like the idea that when you sit down in most places throughout the house, you can see the lake.” The footprint of the 1990s-era home hasn’t changed, but its aesthetics have been revolutionized. Paintings throughout S m i t h M o u n t a i n L a ke H O M E 2 0 1 8

Smith Mountain Lakeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top custom home builder of new construction, docks, and remodels. M.H. Eades, Inc. is your top quality contractor for Smith Mountain Lake and surrounding areas if you are building a new home or dock, adding on or remodeling an existing home or just need minor construction. The goal of M.H. Eades, Inc. is to provide customers with the best possible construction, building products, attention to detail, and personal service available.

540.719.4306 | MHEades.com Home Design Showroom located at 14114 Booker T. Washington Hwy. Moneta, VA 24121 smlhomemaga zine .com 105

The spacious master suite features a window-lined sitting room, offering views of the water.

the home were purchased from exotic locations such as St. Croix and Peru. Another painting, which hangs on the wall of the revamped study, was commissioned by the Marquezes and made entirely using a stamp of the word â&#x20AC;&#x153;hopeâ&#x20AC;? that comes alive with the striking face of a Latina girl. A statue of St. Francis watches over the front door. Rare signed images from famed German-born photographer Fritz Henle grace one of the downstairs walls. Down the hall from the front door, the Marquezes have a spacious bedroom with a window-lined sitting area that allows them to absorb the views of the water. Hardwood and tile flooring is spread 1 0 6

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throughout, and the master bathroom has plenty of elbow room. Five guest rooms, including one suite that nearly rivals the size and airiness of the master bedroom, are on the lower level adjacent to a recreation area. “We like to tell people that we invite to our house, ‘You really have your own space.’ You can walk directly out to the lake, you have all the amenities you need,” Dario says. The lower level boasts a fireplace with an intricate iron screen surrounded by leather furniture to create a cozy seating area. Nearby, there’s also a card-game table, rubber-floored exercise room, a well-stocked wine cellar featuring exposed brick and a tasting table, and a wood-topped wet bar with eight chairs. “I love having a bar—I love sitting at the bar, I love entertaining at the bar,” Dario enthuses. The lower level spills onto a beautifully landscaped yard. Snaking from the exterior of the front doorway to the backyard is a flowing water feature that collects into a small pond just above the sandy beach and spacious dock suitable for entertaining. The water garden was fully redone by Norman Tharpe,

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An enchanting water feature flows around the property, from the front of the house to a small pond above the sandy beach in back.

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the award-winning owner of Water Garden Designs by Tharpe, and features waterfalls, creek beds and redesigned ponds to enhance the property. “This new artistic and tranquil design helps bring the landscape to life, and creates a place for relaxation and reflection for this beautiful home at SML,” Tharpe says. The water features complement the wooded surroundings, which are distinctly different from the couple’s Northern Virginia home. “Sitting here,” Dario says, “I feel like I’m a part of what’s outside. I feel like I’m experiencing the nature.” Most of all, Dario and Wendy have created the cherished family getaway destination that they sought from the beginning. With the kids so spread out—from New York and Chicago to Virginia and South Carolina—family time is particularly special time. During the warmer months, the Marquezes spend almost every weekend at the lake. Each Memorial Day, Dario and Wendy hold a family event they call “launch to summer” around their flag pole by the water, upon which hangs a flag that had previously flown over the U.S. Capitol

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The lake is a fun-filled escape for the Marquezes’ 14 grandkids. “That’s why we came here,” says Dario, “because it gave them a chance to all be together.”

building. Members of Franklin County High School’s ROTC program show up to help the celebration. “The lake is fantastic. Just being around the water, the kids love it. It’s full-time entertainment for them,” Dario says. “That’s why we came here, because it gave them a chance to all be together.” One of Dario and Wendy’s favorite photos is from their family’s visit to the lake, where one kid tackled another, and then others piled on until everyone was filled with smiles and happiness. It spoke perfectly to what the couple was trying to achieve with their new home: family time, serenity and a new place for lasting memories. “Especially after living up in Northern Virginia, getting away to the lake is so relaxing,” Dario says. “Your blood pressure goes way down. It’s beautiful.” ✦ 1 1 0

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STOGNER

art at the lake

area artists capture local landscapes BY RORY RHODE S

The stunning vistas and seasonal changes of Smith Mountain Lake are a natural draw to both local and visiting artists. Likewise, local paintings are popular with residents and visitorsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;all of whom seek to capture a favorite scene, a moment in time, a special memory. Water, in particular, has always held a particular fascination for artists. The changeable colors, the light and the weatherâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;all provide endless opportunities to experiment and to create that scene which draws in the viewer.

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For centuries, landscape artists have often painted their scenes in the fresh air, directly from the view before them. Known as “plein air,” the style remains popular today, and Smith Mountain Lake offers endless opportunities to practice the craft.

he Little Gallery at Smith Mountain Lake has a large selection of the region’s most beloved artists, including 65 to 70 painters from Virginia and North Carolina, according to gallery owner Pam Bryant. Each piece is hand painted and one of a kind, offering collectors an exclusive opportunity to acquire something unique. “Every artist has their own style and personality, and each painting evokes some type of emotion,” says Bryant. “We love supporting local artists because it contributes to the creative nature residing in our community, and enables us to support their businesses as well as other local businesses like printers and framers,” she says. If art is about a sense of place, what better than to capture the local vistas of our region? Whether you live here or are visiting, having a local lakescape or landscape evokes the joy and serenity of this beautiful place. Here are several artists painting the surrounding vistas… 1 1 2

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Dana Phillips

Dana Phillips is a Texas native who spent several decades in California before becoming a resident of Smith Mountain Lake. Initially a recreational painter, Phillips took workshops with various Bay Area artists, and has been involved in shows and competitions in both California and North Carolina. Many of his landscapes feature sailboats and life on the water. The farmland and rolling hills surrounding the lake, with their classic, rural vignettes, are also favorite subjects. “I moved to the lake from California, and my painting style is best described as California impressionist,” Phillips says. “The lake and the water are compelling subjects, and every day I see new and enchanting nuances of light and color and atmosphere. My ongoing challenge is to adapt my style to my visual discoveries.” David Heath

David Heath is a son of Virginia who began his career in commercial art. In the early 1970s, he began studying painting, focusing on 19th century American landscape painters, infusing traditional technique with his own modern style and aesthetic. He enjoys experimenting with plein air techniques to create scenes that elicit an emotional response in the viewer, and gravitates to what he calls “the solitary landscape”—a scene untouched by man and contemporary life. His landscapes are

atmospheric; they offer an impression of a place rather than a literal interpretation. His work often captures fleeting moments of dusk and dawn—early morning mist on the lake, autumn across the mountains, the verdant banks of local creeks and rivers—while evoking a timeless serenity. Heath, who now lives in nearby Bedford, has often painted Smith Mountain Lake because, he says, “I lived here for close to 20 years, and I’m always drawn to it. I love the mountains next to the lake, the variety of scenery—it’s very peaceful.” Jane Duncan Stogner

Franklin County artist Jane Duncan Stogner has been painting regional vistas for several decades. A lifelong art lover, Stogner has a degree in art, is a professor emeritus at Ferrum College, and founded Bald Knob Artists, a group of 50 to 80 Southwest Virginia artists. Her works are notable for her use of both brush and palette knife to create paintings full of vibrancy and seasonal detail, and her paintings often feature recognizable landmarks. Stogner says she always has a camera on her hip, and enjoys taking photos of potential lakescapes while out on a boat because it offers an angle from the water you don’t see on land. “I have been inspired by the natural beauty of the lake for many years,” she says. “The sunrises and sunsets are often spectacular from the wide-open water point of view. I

try to capture the moment in time in my oil paintings.” Stogner also says she enjoys painting on a large scale, and at her studio she is currently working on several 36 by 48-inch pieces. Her works have been featured in private collections from coast to coast, and she was one of the first artists at Little Gallery. Robert Shepperd

Robert Shepperd lives a little outside of Smith Mountain Lake in Evington, Virginia. He moved to Central Virginia as a child, and in the 1980s learned to paint during a class taught by the late artist Buck Tyree. Shepperd works in acrylics, and his landscapes are notable for their level of detail. Many feature verdant scenes of trees and rippling water—not only of Smith Mountain Lake, but also local vistas of mountains and bucolic farmlands. “I enjoy the beauty of Central Virginia and have lived here for 50 years,” says Shepperd. “I don’t have a lot of formal training; I’ve built my own style and developed my own technique over the years.” He has painted the Peaks of Otter over one hundred times, and Smith Mountain Lake more than 150 times. “When I started painting Smith Mountain Lake in the 1980s, I did it for commercial reasons, when there weren’t many artist painting it,” he explains. But now? “I’ve just always enjoyed the water. I go to the state park, I like to swim,” he says.

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McNUTT

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Ed Hatch

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Ed Hatch is an artist grounded in his rural Virginia roots. He lives in his childhood home, and his studio was once his great-grandparents’ general store, which they opened in 1915. In his work he explores not only local vistas and landscapes, but ranges farther afield to capture scenes across Virginia, and beyond. Hatch says that he seeks to find the “extraordinary beauty in everyday moments,” to capture an ephemeral moment that draws the viewer into the world of the scene. “I strive for visual poetry in my landscape paintings,” Hatch says. “I want people to participate in my paintings—to be caught up in the scenes as much as I was when I stopped to paint them—to feel the depth, the fleeting light and the mist, to wonder what is around the bend.”

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Carrie McNutt

Water Garden Designs by Tharp Landscaping. . . . . . . . . 109

Carrie McNutt’s oil and watercolor landscapes often feature a sense of movement—in the arch of trees, the gentle blur of stone and water, or the sweep of clouds. The Roanoke-based artist is a Kansas transplant who studied interior design at university, and this training infuses her often vibrant compositions. Several of her works hang at the historic Peaks of Otter Lodge on the Blue Ridge Parkway, as well as at Roanoke-area venues. ✦

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Call to schedule your consultation 434.851.9421 Moyanne Harding, Interior Designer moyanne@moyanne.com 1225 Commerce Street | Downtown Lynchburg | 434.384.6844 | www.moyanne.com

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