Green Scene: News and ideas for sustainable living

Little house: the remakeecoMOD3 saves, greens, and adds onto historic Fifeville home John Quale says that for the historic house he and his students are renovating, "The worst possible scenario would be to beautify." In 2004, the small, ramshackle house at 223 Fourth St. SW faced a bleak future. The City was considering demolishing it, […]

Back Porch: Color me nervous

My friend Erin has a real knack for color. Whenever I’m at her place, I marvel over the fact that not only did she paint the walls in a high-traffic downstairs room deep pink, but that they don’t look completely ridiculous. And then there’s a green room, which flows seamlessly into a yellow space. Once […]

Get Real: Rising tide

If you’re looking to put a positive spin on the recent hike in property values, try this one out: What’s arguably your largest asset—your home—is a lot more valuable today than it was last year. According to County and City assessors, properties are worth almost 16 percent more in Albemarle than they were in 2005, […]

Homepage: Shelter sites you don't want to miss

Laying the footprints for designwww.DesignYourselfInteriors.com Let’s face it: Sometimes moving into a new apartment is about as painful as a broken arm or a “Road Rules” marathon, and arranging the furniture is one of the hardest parts. If you’re buying new furniture, those 1/4" scale replica drawings offer little help in visualizing your new space. […]

A Room of One's Own: So many books

“Lucky” is the word you apply to Michael Williams as he leads you up the long flight of stairs to his apartment above a Downtown Mall bank. After all, most people don’t get to sit in their living rooms, looking out over the city’s bustling heart, above the fray yet deliciously within reach. But Williams […]

Style File: Design, living and trends for home and garden

How to get the surfer lookTwo websites where you can decorate for less Click on “heck yeah”: Free stuff for your pad is all over local websites. The Salvation Army and Goodwill are wonderful groups, to be sure, but trolling their stores isn’t the only way to snag used furniture and other treasures at prices […]

Neighborhood: Surprising serenity

Turn right off heavily trafficked Park Street as you’re heading away from Downtown, or cross the always-bustling 250 Bypass at the base of Pantops Mountain and continue up River Road, and suddenly you’re within the hushed confines of a real estate mecca known as Locust Grove. “This place has a lot to offer,” says Realtor […]

Ground Rulles: Shear madness

Many a gardener has an inner Edward Scissorhands, but not all shrubs flourish under the shears and in real life as well as show biz, timing is everything. Cut broadleaf evergreens down to size from Valentine’s Day through the end of March, but save the electric hedge trimmers for summer. Now is the time for […]

Abode Features: Hitting the wall

So you’ve decided to repaint a room or two—fantastic. Chosen a color yet? No? You’re sure to wind up in a position that’s both thrilling and terrifying: standing in front of the wall of color chips at the paint or hardware store. Knowing this position bewilders many would-be Picassos, I enlisted an expert to walk […]

Abode Features: Color my world

“Perfect,” you’re liable to think as you pull into the yellow-gravel driveway of the little cottage in Free Union. It couldn’t be more quintessentially Albemarle: Set back from a winding country road in a yard with lovely trees and understated landscaping, it has a cute-as-a-button gabled profile, a sheltered porch in front and an open […]