A lighter touch: Sensory-friendly theater relieves those on the spectrum
Holly Regan sat with her son in a lightened theater last year, watching a Four County Players production of A Charlie Brown Christmas. It was a special performance, and not […]
Please and thank you: Every season is the right season for practicing manners
While it’s true that proper manners can take a lifetime to learn (or is that just us?), Etiquette Empowerment founder Patty Hughson teaches a local four-week course in the foundations […]
Dose of the future: Cale Elementary’s dual language program leads students into the 21st century
Five years ago, Cale Elementary School principal Lisa Jones instituted a Foreign Language in the Elementary Schools program for her incoming class of kindergarteners and rising first- and second-graders. For […]
Adventure underground: Winter is prime time for spelunking
As winter sets in caves offer surprisingly balmy family adventures. With temperatures hovering around 53 degrees, a subterranean visit provides hours of active outdoor fun sans the cold. From paved […]
Warm wishes: A local teen celebrates his birthday with coats—lots of coats
Most teenagers have pretty predictable birthday wish lists … video games, iTunes cards, maybe money to use toward buying a car. Charlottesville’s Ashton Ryan is different. He wants coats. Lots […]
Design time: In a Bellair kitchen, high-gloss finishes set the tone
As a professional designer, Kathy Heiner is familiar with all the twists and turns of the renovation process. So, when it came time to redo the kitchen in the Bellair […]
From the top: A new construction springs from the hillside
Perched high in the surrounding mountains of Crozet is the stunning and solitudinous modern home of Rod and Maggie Walker. Located in Albemarle County and overlooking the Sugar Hollow Reservoir, […]
Finding level: On a mountaintop, Waterstreet Studio carves outdoor living space
The cabin sits on a steep Albemarle mountainside under a tall forest canopy. It was built in West Virginia, probably in the early 1800s; it was moved here in the […]
Be key free: Linking up locks means flexibility and convenience
Home locking technology hadn’t changed much for more than a century—until a few years ago. The advent of the smart home gave folks the ability to take their front door […]
Wall this way: Are painted murals making a comeback?
Design trends come and go. And, sometimes, they come back again. Take, for instance, wall murals. Interior designer Karena Akhavein says she’s been getting more and more requests for 21st […]