Living

State Enologist Bruce Zoecklein has been a major force in helping winemakers understand what can grow well in Virginia.

The wait is over: Gearhart's Fine Chocolates, in the Main Street Market, recently debuted its dark chocolate caramels, which owner Tim Gearhart says customers have been requesting for years.

The Festy Experience kicks off this weekend in Nelson County. This year’s lineup was curated by the Infamous Stringdusters, and includes local acts like Trees on Fire, and Devon Sproule and Paul Curreri (who will play together), and national acts like Railroad Earth and Toubab Krewe. Most exciting for many folk lovers is the Idaho-born […]

One brick at a time In the process of updating or demolishing a building? Here’s a handy source for finding and disposing of reclaimed materials—PlanetReuse. Think of it as a supplement to our local resource, the Habitat Store. The folks at PlanetReuse match up buyers with sellers, work to find materials within 250 to 500 […]

Bowled over Made from 100 percent recycled material in a family-owned Cairo workshop, these food-safe bowls incorporate both style and function. $6.50 each at Artifacts. (111 Fourth St., NE, 295-9500)                 Wrap it up   There’s something exciting about unwrapping a new gadget. The perfect hardware, the glossy […]

 All summer, while humans have been eating, and weeding, and watering gardens and farms, a more subtle and profound transformation has taken place in pastures and hardwood pens across the Old Dominion. Domesticated animals have been working long days harvesting, storing and distributing energy on our behalf.  Cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and poultry are able […]

The terrace is one of the thoroughly modern touches on Jobes’ house. Railings are constructed from boat canvas on pipe rails and a shadecloth-and-trellis system overhead blocks 80 percent of the sunlight. Every renovation project hits a snag sooner or later. But Bill Jobes had a problem with his house on King Street that could […]

 During the housing boom, sellers spent big on luxe touches like granite countertops, spa bathrooms and walk-in closets—splurges meant to increase the value of a home.   These days, such luxuries are bringing lower returns than they once did. What’s to blame? A glut of new homes on the market, tighter lending and appraisal restrictions […]

When it comes to fixing up a rental, I believe we have to play more of a magician than master carpenter, opting for a bag of tricks and a magic wand instead of a sledgehammer and chainsaw. Even if you have a landlord who gives you free run of the place and tells you to […]

 Nothing is more frustrating than embarking on a home repair or improvement project and discovering you don’t have the right nail, nut or hanger for the job. Having to schlep to the hardware store for one measly 10 cent screw is never satisfying. You can avoid this recurring problem by stocking your toolbox with a […]