Thomas Jefferson hated stairs. Not personally. Architecturally. A design nut who conceptualized Monticello and parts of the Virginia State Capitol, Jefferson disdained the space stairs took up. According to the Monticello Foundation, he favored narrow, steep stairs with tight turns so the hulking masses wouldn’t rob him of space for more exciting design features. These […]
Thomas Jefferson hated stairs. Not personally. Architecturally. A design nut who conceptualized Monticello and parts of the Virginia State Capitol, Jefferson disdained the space stairs took up. According to the Monticello Foundation, he favored narrow, steep stairs with tight turns so the hulking masses wouldn’t rob him of space for more exciting design features. These […]
We asked Stedman House interior designer Nicole Fagerli to tell us about her design influences, her favorite room and growing up in the furniture business. Antique or modern? Antique for sure. I love the patina that antiques add to a room. City or country? Country. I just love the city life, but I am a […]
This is a full circle kind of story. A couple of years ago, on this very page, we got some advice from local contractor Troy Yancey about renovating an Earlysville ranch house that was then on the market. Troy recommended opening some walls to improve flow, adding a fourth bedroom and a few other fixes. […]
This month’s issue of Abode is available now. Here’s what you’ll find inside: Patricia Kluge’s former Albemarle estate opens to overnighters. STOA’s Justin Heiser shares his influences. A check-in with designer (and shop owner) Laurie Holladay. Why your fireplace doesn’t have to be so plain. The oldest home in Albemarle (it’s not exactly livable). PLUS: This […]
Upholstered walls. A bright red hallway. Gilded chandeliers. When Holly and Kevin Davis bought their house in Fry’s Spring in 2012, it was, in an endearing way, over the top. “The house just evoked so much color and charm,” says Kathleen Conroy, a designer with Kenny Ball Design. Along with her colleague, Chloe Ball, she […]
When you’re building a new house on a wooded hilltop—a house whose design prioritizes views of the outdoors—the landscape is a crucial piece of the puzzle. From within Ron Harris’ Fluvanna County house, the woodsy surroundings are a constant presence, especially through the south wall, which is made almost entirely of glass. Finished in 2007, […]
Often, brand-new houses are dubbed “homes” by real estate agents. That’s an untruth, because if it hasn’t been lived in, it’s nobody’s home. Findowrie, as its atmospheric name would suggest, dwells on the far opposite end of the spectrum. It’s been unoccupied for decades, but nonetheless it’s dripping with habitation, layered with time, all but […]
It has long been established that there is an inexorable link between architecture and the community it serves. But, for architect Justin Heiser, that link was never more apparent than in grad school at UVA, when he studied under American architect Samuel Mockbee, a visiting professor from Auburn University. It was Mockbee who, with a […]
Talk about a house being great for entertaining. When opulent Albemarle House was built in the early 1980s by Patricia Kluge and her then-husband, media mogul John Kluge, they aimed to create a mansion fit to welcome royals and celebrities. As fate and fortune would have it, 30 years later, the 45-room home has become […]
You might love your fancy modern fireplace, but in this area, that’s just one of a few options when it comes to heating your hearth. While the modern fireplace brings with it a number of finishing options, tradition hasn’t gone completely up in smoke. Mike Ball, president of Element Construction, says at least half his […]