News on the state of the formal dining room is conflicting. Some area designers see more and more people repurposing their formal spaces, while others insist a core group will always demand a place for nice meals. “We’re seeing the traditional buyer that has the heirloom piece and the formal set with leaves, and they […]
News on the state of the formal dining room is conflicting. Some area designers see more and more people repurposing their formal spaces, while others insist a core group will always demand a place for nice meals. “We’re seeing the traditional buyer that has the heirloom piece and the formal set with leaves, and they […]
At first, Cole Burrell was hesitant to pursue landscape architecture. He’d spent his life (since childhood, when he was, as he says, “a bona fide science nerd”) studying botany and horticulture, nurturing a curiosity about nature that has since taken him all over the world to lecture on plants and ecology. But, eventually, an interest […]
Be the envy of the neighborhood and tempt buyers at the same time. Seems like there is always one home in a neighborhood that’s just nicer than all the others. It’s cheerful by day and has nice lighting at night. It looks attractive. It looks cared for. It looks loved. While it’s not always easy […]
Almost every day you hear discouraging stories of the ever-higher costs of higher education, but it is usually a wise investment. The U.S. Census Bureau says males with a college degree earn 80 percent more than male high school grads and female college graduates earn more than twice as much as women with only a […]
“It is a great art to saunter” – Henry David Thoreau, Journal, April 26, 1841. What a great place to take a walk! Blessed with an abundance of natural beauty, Central Virginia is flush with parks, trails and wilderness areas that beckon fitness buffs and nature lovers of all ages and experience levels, from families […]
Home owners preparing to sell their house often ask what repairs they should do to make it more saleable without spending more than they will get back at closing. Several variables such as the seller’s motivation, budget and time frame impact this decision. However, there are some general guidelines that apply to most situations. The […]
The town of Scottsville, home of Albemarle’s first county seat, is located at the intersection of Routes 20 and 6 straddling the three counties of Albemarle, Fluvanna, and Buckingham. Though set in the midst of a rich agricultural area, it is part of the Charlottesville SMSA and offers an easy commute to jobs there. It […]
Few things make a bigger impact on your home’s appearance—whether new construction or remodeling—than the siding you choose. Not only can the right siding make your place look great, it protects from damage from wind, weather, humidity, and insects. Unlike the Three Little Pigs, few people in Central Virginia make their homes of straw or […]
The July issue of Abode is on stands now! Here’s what you’ll find inside: A Q&A with architect Julie Dixon, whose firm Rosney Co. designed this year’s Southern Living Idea House at Bundoran Farm. The 250 interchange (better known as Meadow Creek Parkway) was not without opposition, but the finished project is a success thanks […]
You know you have a special site when you hire a landscape designer and his primary goal is “Don’t mess it up.” That’s what John Meaney told himself when he contemplated the charge from clients Shahir and Nancy Kassam-Adams, who wanted to add a pool and poolhouse to their Nelson County property. The 51-acre site […]