We love The Flat. How could we not? It’s just so cute, and the spot—a diminutive brick box tacked on the back of the Jefferson Theater—seems so perfectly suited to what’s served: a simple menu of fluffy warm crêpes folded into fan shapes and served in no-frills napkins. We had ours with tomato, feta and […]
We love The Flat. How could we not? It’s just so cute, and the spot—a diminutive brick box tacked on the back of the Jefferson Theater—seems so perfectly suited to what’s served: a simple menu of fluffy warm crêpes folded into fan shapes and served in no-frills napkins. We had ours with tomato, feta and […]
Two thoughts on the subject of trees: First, when I lived in Aspen, my constant argument against all those people who kept gushing over how beautiful Aspen was amounted to, “Beautiful? But it only has three kinds of trees!” (aspens, cottonwoods and pines). I would then treat these poor people who were so unschooled in […]
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 […]
Ever wonder how Thomas Jefferson might decorate his dream house today? Warrenton-based designer Barry Dixon has an answer, and it’s writ large in the 2007 Southern Accents Showhouse at The Homestead Preserve (adjacent to the resort of the same name), two hours away in Bath County. "Our inspiration was a direct link to Jeffersonian ideals," […]
What on earth? This is what we first thought when we encountered Maggie’s Soap Nuts—dried fruit from the Chinese Soapberry tree—billed as an all-natural, biodegradable replacement for chemical laundry detergents. We examined the box skeptically, plucking out a few of the brown, raisin-like things and wrinkling our noses at their distinctly unclean vinegary smell. The […]
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 […]
Good news for current and future owners of energy-efficient homes: The City of Charlottesville is working to cut you a deal on your real estate tax. Following in the footsteps of Roanoke, a subcommittee of the Citizen Committee on Environmental Sustainability is at work on a proposal that would offer a tax break to homeown-ers […]