Erika Howsare

Sometimes a design trend looks attractive as heck on the surface—and then when you start to consider actually implementing it in your house, problems arise. We’ve noticed open kitchen cabinets everywhere from design rags to the chic-er local kitchens we’ve visited: simple shelving with no doors, showcasing rather than hiding cabinet contents. There’s no denying […]

A new book says point, click and color your world. We recently got an eyeful courtesy of Sally Fretwell, an architectural psychologist (how ’bout that job title?) who until recently lived in Charlottesville and has just published a book called The Power of Color. Filled with photos of tropical fish, Venetian canals and showy flowers, […]

When lightning strikes, it’s time to keep the fridge shut, plug in a vintage phone and write a letter to your auntie. Specifically, that number reflects Dominion customers in Charlottesville and Albemarle who were affected by storm-related power outages in August 2006. Clearly, this time of year is high season for thunder crashing, lightning flashing […]

A trend in some larger cities right now has neighbors restoring the old-fashioned front porch culture that once flourished in most towns. That means they sit in plain view of passers-by, exchange niceties with those on the sidewalk and hold gatherings that welcome neighbors stopping in. What makes this possible in some ‘hoods, while others […]

Mark Jones of Cismont, with the help of friends and neighbors, is in the process of building an outdoor oven from cob. The material is also used to build houses and other buildings. Never heard of cob building? No surprise: It’s a lot more common on the wacky Left Coast than in these parts. In […]

Says Gay Beery, owner of A Pimento Catering, this is a salad for steamy soirées: “Serve this on a hot summer evening alongside a piece of grilled fish or chicken, and with a fresh loaf of bread!” Makes sense to us: There’s enough flavor (between the arugula and fennel) and substance (blue cheese) here to […]

Sarah Owen and Andrew Sherogan are the latest in a very, very long line of people to occupy their house. Once a kitchen or cook’s house on a 1,020-acre plantation owned by the uncle of Meriwether Lewis, “The Farm” was built as early as the 1730s—some say it’s the oldest house in Charlottesville—and has a […]

Terry Lilley’s son Isaiah mows the old-fashioned way—more practical in a small lawn space. We are living in a new age of green. All things sustainable, carbon-neutral and energy-efficient are hot; locally, new groups are forming to promote the green agenda and institutions like UVA and Albemarle County are making public commitments to sustainable construction. […]