After years of planning and study, Albemarle County’s new courthouse, which opened in downtown Charlottesville in June, represents a step forward in local civic design. Located within the city’s historic Court Square, the new structure addresses long-documented needs for more space, improved operations, and updated security in facilities that date back to 1762. The phases […]
Since 2015, Dovetail has been showcasing Charlottesville artists in its interior design showroom, first on Water Street and now in its current location on Broadway Street in Woolen Mills. “I always liked seeing local art displayed in businesses around town,” says owner and designer Amy Hart. “When we moved into this space, it felt natural […]
It’s a common problem: A family loves getting together, but as the family gets bigger—children grow up, find partners, and have their own kids—the gathering place seems to get smaller. A local couple faced this same issue. The log cabin/hunting lodge on their horse farm outside Crozet was too crowded when everyone came for holidays […]
This 300-acre Afton property had been the family’s country “home away from home” for more than 40 years. When a new generation took over in 2016, they decided to update the original farmhouse while keeping its character; the additional garage and guest house had been arranged around the central drive/parking area to keep the feeling […]
Each year for more than 35 years, Southern Living magazine has partnered with builders, architects, and designers to create custom “idea houses.” In 2024, the home was in South Carolina; in 2023, Tennessee. In February, the magazine announced that this year’s Southern Living Idea House would be just down the road—in Keswick. The selection marks […]
A couple came to Charlottesville looking to buy a condo for their weekend cycling getaways, but they ended up buying a house that became their age-in-place home. One spouse had always dreamed of one-level living, while the other wanted a home that was intimately connected to its setting. “Within minutes” of viewing this 1950s one-story house […]
For many, part of the wedding day is being surrounded by glorious flowers and lovely arrangements that make their special day both beautiful and fragrant. For Sherry Spencer, owner of Southern Blooms, being surrounded by flowers is her daily life—and very much a family thing. “I grew up among flowers,” says Spencer. Her mother, in […]
Clarissa Dulaney admits she was always the kid in school doodling in the margins of her notebooks, and she got her first calligraphy kit when she was in high school. But it wasn’t until she got engaged that she began taking her love of handwriting seriously. “I wanted to calligraph my own envelopes and signage, […]
Ever been somewhere and wondered, How’d they do that? What fun to deliver a couple of head-scratchers for your guests on your big day. From a special sign to romantic cloud cover, here’s how to pull off a few surprising details. It’s a sign The best love stories are destined for the big screen—or at […]
No, aliens are not attending your wedding—that circling drone is one of your photographers, providing a bird’s-eye perspective on your nuptials. “Drones [are] a tool to help tell the story of the couple,” says cinematographer Joshua Hall, whose WhiteFlair Productions includes drones in its wedding photography packages. “A drone shot can help tell the story […]