What might have been Thomas Jefferson’s original vision for the Monticello rooftop railings is almost restored. Years ago, when the balustrade on TJ’s mountaintop home rotted away, it was replaced with a new design. Last year, working from paintings, sketches and notes, architectural firm Mesick Cohen Wilson Baker Architects was able to re-create the original […]
One man’s trash is another man’s funky countertop. That is, if the other man is Evolution Glass founder Bill Hess. “We take locally sourced bottle glass and transform it into amazing, blow-your-mind countertop surfaces suitable for homes and businesses,” Hess says. And he isn’t the only local creating exciting new materials that let homeowners take […]
The verdict is in from the nation’s biggest kitchen and bathroom expo—kitchen sinks are trending modern. And there’s probably nothing Charlottesville can do about it. According to local designer Amy Hart of Albemarle Cabinet Co., a visit to The Kitchen & Bath Industry Show in early January and her clients’ recent purchases indicate most folks […]
When Lynne Roberts and her partners looked to start a sister restaurant to Route 29-based Timberwood Grill, they wanted to create a unique space while hinting at the original. The key link between the two? Look no further than the name. “The other restaurant has a lot of wood in there—the ceiling, the tables,” Roberts […]
If you’re the type of person who’d like to drop five grand on a toilet, you are living in the right age indeed. Toilets have come a long way, and these days features include advanced water-saving flushing systems, hands-free flushing, self-opening and closing lids, self-cleaning bidets, drying wands, heating elements in the seat and foot […]
Heated floors are less popular than they used to be, according to local builders, but that doesn’t mean they don’t still have their place. “In this climate it’s not economically real feasible as a primary heat source,” says Wayne Stinnette, vice president of Abrahamse & Company Builders. But “you see a lot of in-floor heating […]
Bitters are back, baby, and one local is looking to get in on the action. Wait, bitters? “The traditional recipes for a cocktail up to the late 1800s were all the same—bitters were a part of almost all cocktails,” says Kip McCharen, founder and owner of McCharen’s Bitters. “It’s a seasoning. It serves the same […]
Average high temperatures in Charlottesville don’t dip below 50 until well into December. So what do you need to enjoy the outdoors right up to the holidays? Nothing more than a small, well-built fire pit. “It’ll certainly keep you warm, especially if you’re standing around it,” says Matthew Cox, owner of Crozet’s Appalachian Landscapes, which […]
If homes aren’t getting more high tech around Charlottesville, they’re at least getting more connected, according to Ben Feiner of local home integration specialist ProLink. Where at one time appliance and gadget manufacturers focused on making their own products more interactive, they’ve since focused on playing well with others. “Once the iPhones-slash-iPads came out, most […]
You’re at a tailgate party outside Scott Stadium taking down dogs and burgers two at a time. You’re thinking, “I don’t want to pay a bunch of money inside for food. I’ll fill up now.” This year, you might want to think again. According to Matt Smythe, director of operations for Aramark’s UVA dining program, […]