A neighborhood like Glenmore exerts a powerful force on everything within it. The gated golf community east of town is one of those places understood to be more than a collection of houses; there is also a social and aesthetic norm here that can hardly be flouted. Aesthetic conservatism is the byword. Perfect appearances abound as […]
New construction or remodeling projects can be exciting, but also intimidating. What to build? What permits are required? How much will it cost? How can I protect myself? How can I find a contractor I can trust? The Virginia Department of Occupation and Professional Regulation is a particularly useful resource in this area. Their detailed […]
Being able to jump into a back-yard pool during the summer is a wonderful perk for many people, especially if you have children on summer vacation and family and friends who come for the occasional cook-out. In-ground pools can be lovely additions, however they are expensive to install and maintain and they are definitely permanent. […]
Last year, Travel & Leisure included Charlottesville as #9 on its list of America’s Top Ten Mountain Towns. Not surprising. Most of us feel that subtle gravitational tug of the Blue Ridge to our west, relishing that blue mountain horizon visible for miles. Many of us succumb to the call of the mountains for recreation, […]
The goal of any seller is getting top dollar for their property. However, many homeowners have an inflated idea of what their homes are actually worth. Anne Burroughs, of Montague Miller & Co. (www.anneburroughsrealtor.com), tells sellers that “once you put your house on the market, it’s no longer your home – it’s a commodity.” And, […]
The June issue of ABODE is on stands now! Here’s what you’ll find inside: A Q&A with local architect Christopher Hays, whose global travels inspire his work in Charlottesville and beyond. An historic downtown property, the former Martha Jefferson Hospital goes residential—with 43 new places to live. The latest trend in countertops? Color! But not […]
It’s no wonder that travel is a running theme in Hays+Ewing co-founder Christopher Hays’ explanation of his journey to architecture. The Greenville, South Carolina native has lived in Japan and Italy and journeyed to the Netherlands, Spain, France and Greece for both work and study. It was a trip to Vienna during an undergraduate exchange […]
Who wouldn’t want to live a short walk from the Downtown Mall? That’s an easy question to answer. Slightly trickier: Who wouldn’t want to live in an old hospital? In creating Locust Grove Apartments within a portion of the former Martha Jefferson Hospital, developer Octagon Partners aimed to make the building’s history a plus for […]
Charlottesville isn’t always on top of the latest trends, but that’s not really a bad thing. Several local kitchen designers say our area runs contrary to major national countertop trends in multiple ways, all of which come down to one central theme: color. Or, rather, the lack of it. Soft, muted colors. Bright pops of […]
A true renaissance woman. That’s the best way to describe Elfi Frankfurt, because, while she has been practicing interior design in Keswick for more than 25 years (and in London before that), she’s also designed in arenas from fashion and jewelry to fabrics and carpets—all over the world, including Austria, France and Switzerland. In fact, she […]