Traditionally, a sawhorse—a trestle with two A-frames for legs—is used to support a piece of wood for sawing or cutting, but there’s so much more to this toolshed beast of burden. Place two sawhorses together with a wide plank between, and you have a scaffold to support all kinds of projects. You can used […]
Elk Hill is the kind of place where, after you’ve rung the doorbell, you just happen to notice a plaque informing you that the property is part of the National Register of Historic Places. Commanding a bluff south of Nellysford, the 1805 house presents a formal face to drivers passing below on Rt. 151: white […]
Compost curriculum Attention, novice soil-makers: Are you mystified by the notion of putting vegetable scraps into a pile or container, and weeks or months later, taking out beautiful dark stuff that makes your garden grow? You now have a chance to get smart about compost, absolutely free. Blue Ridge Eco Shop will offer a free […]
Cutting board: The seasonal Cook, $89.95 Glass to glass The Green Glass Company in Richmond makes drinking glasses from reclaimed beer and soda bottles. We suggest pouring your favorite wine or beer, but a nice mango-peach nectar works too. Available at Sustain. Looks like rain Combination gadgets can […]
Eggs are in fashion, and in season Eggs were a symbol of springtime, fertility, and rebirth long before Christianity sanctified the celebration of Easter. Our modern Easter Bunny is a hybridization of two older harbingers of spring—the notoriously prolific bunny and the neatly packaged egg, literal and figurative symbol of life. The yolk of […]
Cubbies beyond the classroom Problem: Curbing shoe and coat chaos Left to right, Meme Kattmann, 4, Finn Kattmann, 9, Oscar Kattmann, 7, family friend Jack Vigilante, 7, and Prentice Kattmann, 11, show off their personal cubbies in the entryway to their home. No matter what the size and shape of your home, if you have […]
Not a fan? Let’s face it: A major design issue in a lot of rentals is lighting, whether it be dated, unattractive fixtures, or a complete lack thereof. Many of us spend our days in offices with harsh, fluorescent lighting that makes us look like the before photos on makeover shows; we shouldn’t […]
Three years ago, Kevin and Beverly Sidders left San Francisco to move into a big house on Rugby Road. They didn’t know much about its history when they arrived. But, as they embarked on a multi-year renovation, the past gradually emerged. With the help of Daniel Bluestone—UVA professor and an expert on Eugene Bradbury, […]
The benefit to living in an old, not-at-all-well-preserved house is that one feels free to add almost anything into the mix that one bloody well feels like adding. You wouldn’t do this at, say, Montpelier, but our house is not “historic,” it’s just old. So we gleefully throw in an element here, an element there, […]
Winter greens What better way to keep the springtime spirit alive during winter than growing an indoor garden? Chives, cilantro, and parsley aren’t too fussy and require just a little water and light. If you don’t have a sunny corner, use reflector lights with fluorescent bulbs to give your plants some artificial sunshine. For the […]