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 […]
For years, you’ve dreamt about your wedding day. Or maybe now that you’re actually getting married, you’re scanning social media and wedding websites for ideas—and so is your partner. But what if your ideas about your dream wedding don’t align … or don’t match your real-life budget? This is where a wedding planner can help. […]
Five days after their November 22 wedding at Potter’s Craft Cider, Rachael Kesler Palm and Carolyn Warhaftig got an email: The New York Times wanted to interview them for its Mini Vows section. At the encouragement of a fellow yoga instructor, Rachael had filled out the application to be featured earlier that fall, never thinking […]
How often do architects get asked to redesign their own work? For long-time Charlottesville architect Robert Paxton, principal at Dalgliesh Gilpin Paxton Architects, a home he had designed near Ivy in the late 1990s had been purchased by a new owner who loved its style but had some other elements in mind. The qualities that […]
New survey data shows that only 2.8 percent of Charlottesville’s homeowners are under the age of 25—a number that’s notably lower than state and national averages. According to a recent report from the web-based consultancy Construction Coverage, the share of home purchase loans that originated in Virginia in 2024 was 4.4 percent. That ranks 29th […]