Natural fit: Clifton Inn’s chef mixes health and food

You’ll find Yannick Fayolle, Clifton Inn’s executive chef since October 2015, on Instagram @superman_chef. It’s a moniker that speaks to his kitchen chops, of course, but also hints at his other passion: natural body-building. He’s currently preparing for his second competition. “It keeps me close to a healthy lifestyle where I can think clearly,” he […]

March ABODE: On stands now!

This month’s issue of Abode is on stands now. Here’s what you’ll find inside. And, below, find a digital copy of the magazine. Waterstreet Studio’s Bill Mauzy on the intersection of photography and architecture. A fully loaded octagonal house. A Q&A with designer Wendi Smith. The latest in home security technology. This month’s featured house: […]

Playing with form: A Nelson County house makes room for fun

Tom Davidson and Marilyn Mars love to laugh, and their house shows it. When they moved to Nelson County from Florida, they sought a modern dwelling, commissioning Marilyn’s brother Randall Mars, a McLean-based architect, to design it. Though clean lines attracted them, Marilyn says, this house—full of colorful, detailed art and objects—is anything but minimal. […]

Ground control: Prepping your garden for its spring awakening

Spring comes to us variously—covered in mud, blasted through on dry winds, smuggled beneath the skirts of late freezes. It has been known to rise gloriously from a burgeoning earth like the first day of Eden, which seems likely this year. Abundant moisture from rain and snow portend a spectacular flowering of classic favorites: dogwood, […]

Finishing touches: At home with Wendi Smith

Wendi Smith has been in the design business for more than 20 years, beginning with commercial design work in New York City—from the Chase Bank trading floor to a standardizing two floors for Citibank in the MetLife Building on Park Avenue. “I have done everything from a brand new, 17,000-square-foot space to just helping first-time […]