We did our level best, but the results were less than level. Next time around, we broke down and hired a drywaller. We are more than a little proud of our D.I.Y. ethic, but on a couple of occasions, we’ve taken the big step of admitting that we’d be better off hiring someone for a […]

Got condensation? Mom was right: Use a coaster! Now that you’re a grownup, no longer will a folded-up newspaper suffice for functional décor. For a simple fix, put that paper (and a few other materials) to use and make a set of decoupage coasters that would make even Mom proud. Materials: Four ceramic tiles, craft […]

Where once there was a wall, we had a gap in the flooring. We put down a plywood subfloor (top) and then laid slabs of soapstone, sanded and polished (bottom). We dubbed our latest endeavor the Thanksgiving Challenge because of the rush we felt to get it done before a dozen turkeys—er, loved ones—arrived for […]

Head of the class Location: Louisa Price: $324,700 MLS #: 456973 “Gracious” is the word that comes to mind here, even if the phrase “former maid’s quarters” is a bit too patrician for your taste. (The FMQ is now an office, by the way.) This is a lovely 1912 foursquare in the town of Louisa […]

Top table lamps Matt Pamer, a local graphic designer with concert posters and C-VILLE covers in his portfolio, guides us to three of his favorite table lamps from Charlottesville stores.       Gargoyle lamp from Artifacts “The combination of the plain shade and the ornate gargoyle base shouldn’t work well together, but it does,” […]

  Join the club Calling all county dwellers: Are those weekly trips to the McIntire Recycling Center getting to be a drag? Are you, in fact, putting them off until you have a mountain of glass and plastic that brings shame on your family and clutters your porch? Ponying up for curbside recycling might be […]

  Speed racers Neither Zack Snider nor Dan Zimmerman, co-founders and licensed contractor and licensed architect and contractor, respectively, of local design firm Alloy Workshop, won the 2008 IRWIN Industrial Tools Ultimate Tradesman Challenge this year, but we’re proud of their lightning-fast drilling skills all the same. Snider and Zimmerman were two of 20 semi-finalists […]

Fit for a king (or queen, or full) Question for Anita Davis, owner of Pillow Mint: What do I need to know about buying the right sheets to fit my mattress? Answer: In terms of length and width, Davis says, the simple twin/full/queen/king system for sizing sheets is fairly standardized: just find the right sheets […]

Lie down with lamb While the term “lamb” usually connotes spring, in this hemisphere we’re much more likely to have fresh, local lamb in the late fall and winter.  Technically speaking, baby lamb would The Shebeen serves Sosatie with green lentils and yellow rice; choose pastured lamb for a stronger characteristic flavor. be born in […]

Deck the halls This time of year, nothing marries indoors with outdoors more than the particularly human practice of bringing greenery in to spruce up the house. It reminds us that not everything is dead just because the trees are bare. The Yuletide tree has center stage, of course, but wreaths, garlands, swags and kissing […]