Built-ins add value

Built-ins—permanent installations of anything from shelving to bunk beds—can be space savers or space makers, adding convenience, value, and personality to a home. “Today’s buyers want homes that are open and uncluttered,” declares Kelly Ceppa, a REALTOR® associate with Charlottesville’s Nest Realty Group. “Built-ins can make a home look ‘finished’ or custom built.” There’s no […]

High on the hill: A house prizes flow, along with the views

Robin and Mary Felder like to call their place Monte Piccolo, meaning “tiny mountain.” That’s in deference to Thomas Jefferson, whose home was, of course, the “little mountain.” And while it may not be Monticello, there’s nothing small about the view from this elevated site in Ivy; you can see all the way to Wintergreen, […]

Perfectly Victorian: Rooms with a view in historic Staunton

Anyone with a fondness for Staunton—its well-kept, homey neighborhoods, walkable and engaging downtown and intact historical fabric—can appreciate the appeal of living a couple of blocks uphill from the center of town. Imagine it: You emerge from your house on foot and all but roll down to Beverley Street to partake of whatever pleasure (cappuccino, […]

Subtle and simple: In neutral shades, a kitchen for the moment

Buildings reflect priorities. In 1949, when Jennifer Greenhalgh’s house on Park Street was built, kitchens were not the centerpieces they’ve become today. She and her husband Blake bought the colonial-style dwelling in 2008 and immediately set about making the kitchen more relevant to their contemporary lifestyle. “The kitchen was much smaller,” she remembered, standing with […]

At home with… Jeannette Andamasaris

Local designer Jeannette Andamasaris wasn’t always into design. In fact, when she graduated from Ohio University, she had a degree in Marine Biology. But traveling around the world as a dancer honed her interest in architecture and other cultures and, while working as a performance artist, she had the opportunity to get involved with the […]

Positive steps for beating the winter blues

Let’s call the REALTOR® “Joan,” since she’d rather not use her real name. She says that after the activity and energy of the December holidays, she always felt like she’d hit the bottom of a roller coaster in January and February. At home she felt lazy, slept late, and skipped her daily mile-long walk in […]