Susannah Vierra and her family didn’t have a small kitchen. Some might’ve called it a large kitchen. But the space wasn’t as functional as it could have been, and just behind the wall across from the sink was an unnecessarily expansive laundry room. Vierra is the first to admit she didn’t have all the answers […]
This place has been called The Cottage since it was built in the 1930s. A small house on about two acres in Cismont, its first incarnation was four rooms with an attic. Over time and owners, The Cottage grew and changed. The kitchen was modernized, and a wing with a living room and primary suite […]
Birdwood Mansion opened its doors as a boutique, seven-room hotel on June 11. It was the culmination of a project nearly 18 months in the making for a property with history dating back to the early 1800s. The mansion was built between 1819 and 1830 and reflected Jeffersonian ideals: a four-over-four brick structure fronted by […]
The Glass Building on the railroad tracks downtown was home to breakfast joints for more than two decades, most notably during Bluegrass Grill & Bakery’s storied 19-year run. In early May, the folks behind Aster unveiled the former greasy spoon as a modern, upscale dining room and kitchen. Aster bills itself as a “restaurant designed […]
What is the Caspari style? “There are certain themes,” says Gaea Rich, head of design, licensing, and product development for the store. “Our inspiration is international—Chinoiserie, classic French, botanicals, textiles from India and Asia, ceramics, European 19th century but also modern influences…” Mark Bergadon, director of marketing, retail and e-commerce, nods: “You know it when […]
Kate Chambers Beck has followed her passion for architecture from Charlottesville to the Midwest to Alabama and—finally—back home to the Blue Ridge. The C’ville native recently opened a local office for her firm, ’bama-based Tippett Sease Baker Architecture, and took time to chat with Abode about the homecoming. Abode: What made you want to bring […]
COVID had Chip and Betsy Tucker thinking things over after living in this area for four decades. A combination of practicality and the post-pandemic real estate market made them consider their next move. Was it time for a smaller house? A transition to one-floor living? The Tuckers began exploring their options, and found a 1920s […]
A historic house doesn’t have to be a saltbox Colonial or a gingerbread Victorian—houses built in the late 20th century are also pieces of history, especially when they were designed by notable local architects. And while they may not have historic designation, they often present the same challenges—and satisfactions—as renovating a much older home. That’s […]
The pandemic changed directions for so many lives. For Chad Pelton and Christie Bazemore, it sent them to a new town and a new home. “We were ready for a change after COVID,” Bazemore recalls. “My business lease was coming due, and we’d fallen in love with the Staunton area. Chad’s father lives on a […]
Blacksmithing is an ancient craft, but metalworker Edward Pelton has carved out a modern niche during his three decades in the studio. Pelton Metalworks produces architectural sculpture ranging from the functional to the ornate for contractors and designers, homeowners, and art aficionados. Pelton, who lives in the Charlottesville-area home where he grew up, recently spoke […]
“This was our first house, and we were excited to make it feel like home,” says Nicholas Wilson. He and his wife Rose had spent five years working abroad, mostly in the Middle East, then they lived in the San Francisco area for a time. When they moved to Central Virginia with their young son […]