Everything’s illuminated: Think outside the standard window pane to add natural light to your home

Skylights get a bad rap, according to Charlottesville Glass & Mirror owner Dwight Corle. That’s because years ago, they were poorly constructed, and that blinded a lot of folks to their benefits. “Like with everything, the technology has boosted the quality,” Corle says. “Most of the new skylights are tempered glass, and they look great.” […]

Solar gain: A prairie-style house makes the most of the sun

Ray Gaines has been involved with sustainable architecture since the energy crisis of the 1970s—long before “sustainability” was a term du jour. So when an old friend approached him about building a house with passive solar functionality and other green attributes, he was more than ready to accommodate. “We talked in generalities,” he says, as […]

‘My favorite bite’: Hamming it up with Jon Bray

While Jon Bray says he can’t pinpoint which particular dish got him into the food industry, he can specify a time (he was 14), a reason (“my parents repealed the Weekly Allowance Act”) and a place (Bellair Market). It was the beginning of a nearly 20-year career in Charlottesville kitchens, bars and dining rooms (you’ve likely […]

In good spirits: Ragged Branch is ready to pour

On a picturesque, 92-acre hillside ranch in southern Ivy, native Virginian Alex Toomy and two partners have launched an enterprise centered on a perfect pairing: bourbon and beef. Craft distillery Ragged Branch, now open for business after five years of preparation and two more of whiskey-aging, is poised to make its mark on the Virginia […]