Usually, when tackling a kitchen renovation, homeowners and contractors assume that the first step is to gut the old kitchen. But not always. Last year, Todd Buck and his team at Weston Construction completed a kitchen redo that left nearly all the existing cabinetry in place—and yet completely updated the space. The house, built in 2005 in […]
Usually, when tackling a kitchen renovation, homeowners and contractors assume that the first step is to gut the old kitchen. But not always. Last year, Todd Buck and his team at Weston Construction completed a kitchen redo that left nearly all the existing cabinetry in place—and yet completely updated the space. The house, built in 2005 in […]
“This was a typical ’60s ranch house,” said architect David Day of Kamilla Schenck’s Bellair residence. As the floorplan dictated, small rooms crowded the space, making the living and sleeping quarters feel disjointed, so the house was gutted. “The only things that remained were the main floor structure, the basement, the walls, and most of […]
After a prolonged wet winter, there will be mud. In the long run, this is a good thing, as steady moisture nurtures roots and flower buds for what should be a spectacular show this spring. Many tasks await as gardeners make their first stirrings, but beware trudging about in the muck too soon. Digging or […]
How do you design a landscape for a house that sits within a stunning landscape? Gregg Bleam, whose firm envisioned the exterior approach to Elk Run Ridge, understood the problem as “trying to do the most with the least.” The hilltop site affords panoramic views: fields, woods, and distant ridgelines. What’s more, the house was […]
What sort of modern house might be at home in a cattle field? That is just one of the many questions illuminated by Churchville’s Elk Run Ridge, designed by Jim Burton for clients Fred and Kathryn Giampietro. It is a house that embodies many contradictions, and does so gracefully. It’s a private retreat that can […]
Resides in: Albemarle County 1. Antique or modern? 60/40. 2. City or country? City with a bit of country infusion. Although I would take the French countryside over Paris any day. 3. Which colors do you gravitate toward? It tends to change with whatever the project directs, but currently I’m into shades of ink and […]
Trained as an artist, Tate Pray was working as a carpenter until he moved to Charlottesville nine years ago. “I came across an opportunity to build formwork for a precast concrete company here in Charlottesville. I’ve been loving it ever since,” he said. Pray stepped into the new decorative market in Charlottesville and carved a […]
Alexander Kitchin wants to get your mind off the floor. “Most people are stuck down there,” he said. He’s referring to the common perception of how concrete is used in architecture. A UVA grad with a master’s degree in the discipline, Kitchin has devoted his 20-plus-year career to elevating the art of concrete design. Today, he […]
Having been in the business of selling vacations for 19 years, Julie Arbelaez was ready for a getaway from her workspace. “I felt like a change of scenery,” she said. The challenge was symbolized by the slash in her business name: Peace Frogs Travel/Outfitters. The company is a hybrid, both travel agency and retail store. […]
We caught up with the co-founder of Formwork Architecture to see what she’s currently working on, why she loves practicing in Charlottesville, and how a line of Brazilian modernist furniture in her childhood home helped hone her aesthetic. Why architecture? It makes me very happy most of the time I am practicing it. I consider architecture to […]