Tucker Yoder steps back into the kitchen

“I take good stuff and try not to screw it up.” That’s chef Tucker Yoder in 2013, the year C-VILLE Weekly named him as a rising star chef. It was a humble response for a man overseeing the Clifton Inn’s Relais & Chateaux kitchen, but it was as clear then as it is now: Rather […]

Apple pie for president!

How do we like them apples? In cobblestoned layers beneath a tender, flaky crust, that’s how. Which is why, this fall, we’re voting for a slice from The Pie Chest, which owner Rachel Pennington packs with Granny Smith apples first marinated in a cinnamon and sugar mixture, then sautéed in a caramel made with Southern Comfort and baked in a […]

September Abode: The eyes have it (special issue!)

This month’s issue of Abode is on stands now—with a peek inside not one but three local houses, a look at a western Albemarle landscape designed in phases, a chat with designer Alana Woerpel and more. Here’s what you’ll find: Landscape architect Mary Wolf‘s recent work. Warming up to the idea of new insulation. Designer Alana […]

For Mary Wolf, landscape architecture affords variety

Just as a home has a history, so, too, does a landscape. Only, a landscape’s story, as Mary Wolf attests, is multilayered. Take, for instance, her grandmother’s property, a Civil War battlefield site where she spent her weekends growing up. The appeal of that spot of land—that it connected our national, geological and human history […]

Natural instincts: At home with designer Alana Woerpel

Designer Alana Woerpel says she’ll tackle anything. When asked what she’s afraid to DIY, she says there isn’t anything she won’t do. “On my most recent whole-house installation I found myself re-installing ill-fitting toilet seats for the client,” she says. The can-do attitude (not to mention good taste) pays off—her work has been featured in […]

C-VILLE Family, er, Village is on stands now!

Naming your kid is a pretty big deal. If, as they grow up, you look at them and think, “Well, you’re not a D’Artagnan at all,” it’s fairly difficult to about-face. Publishing, on the other hand, isn’t like that. So when, as we were putting together this issue, we stumbled upon a moniker that communicated […]

Rock on! A local drummer delivers the hits

Penny Shuster started playing the drums in fifth grade, with the snare in her school band. But she made the switch to a drum set last year, when she started at St. Anne’s-Belfield School, because it afforded her more opportunities to play different kinds of music. “Plus,” Shuster says, “it’s cooler.” She takes lessons at […]

August ABODE: On stands now!

In this issue, you’ll find a an artist-architect, a symmetrical Fluvanna pool, Vinegar Hill’s second act and more. Here’s what’s inside: Jessie Chapman‘s visual approach. Vinegar Hill’s second life in film. Why your home might benefit from a portico. Michelle Adams‘ design influences. A pool we love! A city home in need of reconfiguration.   […]

Jessie Chapman connects sketch and structure

In a way, one might say Jessie Chapman is getting back to basics. While many architects have gotten out of the practice of sketching their designs as the use of computers becomes more prevalent (and more time-effective), she prefers to put pen to paper. She says it helps her see more carefully. “When you draw […]