PLUS: A quiet pool and pavilion embrace the beauty of restraint
WHERE THE LAND LEADS
A collaborative design team expands a hillside cabin near Crozet
SIMPLE, WARM A WHITE-AND-OAK KITCHEN PROVES TIMELESS CAN STILL BE FRESH
LIGHT FOR LEARNING AT UVA, A NEW STUDENT CENTER BLENDS DESIGN AND PURPOSE PLUGGED IN THIS NEW ONLINE RESOURCE HUB CONNECTS VIRGINIA TO CLEAN ENERGY
THE OUTCOME IS EXCELLENCE
Our foundation was built on brick and stone, and so is our reputation. We’ve since branched out to offer expert design build services, bringing the same commitment to quality and craftmanship that defines our new construction, additions, and renovations.
CRESCERE FARM
$6,950,000 | MLS 660037
746 breathtaking acres located in Madison County with long frontage on the Rapidan River, and numerous ponds and streams. This rare large tract offers excellent Blue Ridge views, with numerous stunning building sites, abundant fenced pastures for grazing livestock, with automatic waterers, fertile bottom land for crops, extensive road, and trail system, and well maintained barns, and a recently updated brick home for a farm manager. The property is in six tax map parcels, and is an ideal candidate for a conservation easement. This unique property combines beautiful land with amazing topography, complete privacy, long river frontage, no conservation easement, and within 2 hours of Washington.
JUSTIN H. WILEY | 434 981 5528
HATON RIDGE
$ 1,495,000 | MLS 622451
Nestled at the end of a tranquil country lane, this exceptional residence is situated in one of the most serene and picturesque locales of Albemarle County. The 50-acre property boasts an Alexander-Nicholson built, Georgian inspired residence offering 5 bedrooms with the possibility of a primary suite on the first floor. The spacious living room and dining room are sited off the kitchen, creating an inviting layout perfect for entertaining or simply relaxing with family and friends. Beautifully proportioned rooms with exquisite millwork and oversized windows to take advantage of the quintessential Virginia views. Additional acreage available. One of Albemarle County’s most bucolic, peaceful areas.
PETER A. WILEY | 434 422 2090
IRONWOOD
$3,750,000 | MLS 657943
CASTALIA
$ 405,000 | MLS 661712
A charming Belmont home on a quiet street, within walking distance to all the neighborhood restaurants and the downtown mall. The house retains much of its original character and, while livable, is a perfect candidate for restoration. Original hardwood floors and architectural detail. Useful side porch for storage. The exterior envelope is in good condition. While just off Monticello Avenue, the home is surprisingly protected from road noise.
PETER A. WILEY | 434 422 2090
CHERRY SPRINGS
$2,700,000 | MLS 658045
448 private acres centrally located between Orange and Gordonsville, with great views of the South West Mountains, and ample frontage on Madison Run Rd. The land is a mixture of open pasture, hay fields, and mature hard wood forest, with approx 6 mi of ATV trails.. The land is further improved with four wells, pond, under ground electric, roads, trails, long frontage Madison Run stream, and a small multistory home w/ fireplace, full kitchen, laundry, bath, and roof top office, that is being sold in "as is" condition. The property is currently being used as a cattle farm, and is currently in land use. The property is not in a conservation easement and can be subdivided
JUSTIN H. WILEY | 434 981 5528
Private estate minutes from Charlottesville and the University with wonderful Blue Ridge views. The 1888 traditional farm house has been completely renovated and decorated by a well known interior decorator, yet retains the charm and woodwork of the original house. The main house includes 3 bedrooms with private baths, large kitchen with high end appliances, family room, large living room with fireplace. Other improvements include a new guest / pool house, pool, and 2 car detached heated garage with charming office and a half bath. Also included is a tenant / manager cottage, chicken coop, and bee hives. All the improvements are beautifully situated on the 21 acres with complete privacy.
JUSTIN H. WILEY | 434 981 5528
BUNDORAN FARM RESIDENCE
$2,200,000
A sought-after Bundoran Farm residence sited to take advantage of one of the most dramatic, protected viewsheds in Albemarle County. The EarthCraft certified, 3-bed home was built in 2010 to exacting standards by Abrahamse and Co. A first floor primary allows one-level living with two additional bedrooms upstairs. An additional 800+ sq ft on the lower level could be easily finished. Equally impressive is the owner’s extensive native garden, offering bursts of color and a canvas for pollinators and wildlife. An easy 15-minute drive to Charlottesville in a completely tranquil setting. 90% of the 2,300 acre Bundoran farm is protected from future development. The beautiful landscape is traversed by 14+ miles of exceptional trails
PETER A. WILEY | 434 422 2090
New Offering
A cabin grows in Crozet 18
When a beloved family gathering spot started to feel too snug, a local couple called on familiar collaborators to help it grow— without losing its rustic charm. See how a team of architects and a landscape designer transformed a tight holiday hub into an expansive retreat that embraces both family and farmland.
c-ville.com/category/abode
ABODE, a supplement to C-VILLE Weekly, is distributed in Charlottesville, Albemarle County, and the Shenandoah Valley. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. ABODE Editor Caite Hamilton. Contributors Carol Diggs, Laura Drummond, Shea Gibbs, Claudia Gohn, and Rachael Kesler. Copy Editor Susan Sorensen. Art Director Max March. Graphic Designer Tracy Federico. Advertising Director Bianca Johnson. Account Executives Brian Hrozencik, Gabby Kirk, Candace Stevens. Production Coordinator Faith Gibson. Publisher Anna Harrison. Chief Financial Officer Debbie Miller. A/R SPECIALIST Nanci Winter. Circulation Manager Billy Dempsey. ©2025 C-VILLE WEEKLY.
The Bulova Clock
The Bulova Clock
Making a splash
A new generation set out to update their longtime family retreat—without disrupting the views. The solution? A quietly modern pool, thoughtfully tucked into the landscape.
LINCOLN BARBOUR
Blueprint
Design in all its many forms
Making the kitchen
work
Going from good-enough to a perfect fit BY CAROL DIGGS
Acouple came to Charlottesville looking to buy a condo for their weekend cycling getaways, but they ended up buying a house that became their age-in-place home. One spouse had always dreamed of one-level living, while the other wanted a home that was intimately connected to its setting. “Within minutes” of viewing this 1950s one-story house in Meadowbrook Heights, they recall, “we said, ‘This is the house.’”
The house had been updated by previous owners, but still needed work, so the couple modernized some features and added a wing for their grandkids. The previous owner had renovated the master bedroom and kitchen. It “was lovely,” the couple notes, “but it wasn’t our style.” Even with a large picture window overlooking the backyard, the space felt closed in. Besides the aesthetics, for people who like to cook together there were definite operating flaws: The garbage container was around the corner in the hall, and the husband kept hitting his head on a stove hood that was too low.
The pair contacted Karen Turner of KTK Design, who specializes in kitchen design and has worked on a number of homes in the Meadowbrook Heights area. Right away Turner saw the kitchen’s issues. “It was outdated,” she recalls, “with an awkwardly placed skylight, dark cabinets, and a wall of low bookcases and columns that divided the kitchen from the more open living spaces.” While the picture window gave the space some of the light and connection to the outdoors that the couple sought, the other side of the room (on the house’s front elevation) was blocked off with a galley pantry that made the kitchen feel shut in.
The clients’ ask: a kitchen full of natural light, an open and modern feel, an emphasis on natural and durable materials, working spaces for two cooks, and a place for both to work remotely. To Turner, two cooks meant two islands—and that meant the walled-off pantry had to go.
Replacing the pantry wall with an island opened up the exterior wall for a large window with a sink beneath it, one corner for a coffee station/bar setup, and wall cabinets by Bill Marks of Marks Fine Woodwork on both sides for storage. The island’s top is Taj Mahal quartzite (a fully natural stone with a warm hue) with a waterfall edge. The cabinets are rift-sawn white oak—again, a warmer and natural surface to fit the clients’ preferences. (“I wanted white, and my husband likes the look of wood,” the wife recalls, “so Karen said, ‘Let’s do both.’”) Armac Martin stainless steel pulls add a touch of modern tech.
One of Turner’s specifications—installing an induction cooktop—took some getting used to. “We’d had gas cooktops for so long, we were really used to them,” the client says. “But [an induction is] fast, beautiful, super easy to clean.” Another benefit that Turner had figured out: The flat surface of the induction cooktop means the island can serve as a buffet table for the couple’s frequent entertaining.
The existing working area got its own makeover, with the same rift-sawn oak cabinets and Taj Mahal quartzite. Turner moved the refrigerator to be accessible for both cooking spaces, and found a more central location for
The homeowners of this Meadowbrook Heights project asked designer Karen Turner for a kitchen full of natural light with an open and modern feel, an emphasis on natural and durable materials, and work spaces for two cooks.
the garbage. She added a steam convection oven (“We didn’t even know it existed,” says the client, “and now we use it all the time—we gave up our microwave and never looked back.”) The induction cooktop has a flush-mounted hood, for a more open look and no threat to anyone’s head.
The clients especially appreciated Turner’s attention to details: “We’re left-brained people, so she helped us pick the backsplash tiles [marble and limestone from Sarisand Tile].” Turner used white-washed wood paneling along the cabinet wall and added crown molding to help integrate the kitchen with the style of the rest of the living spaces. The oak flooring has darker pegging to give it an interesting texture.
For the couple’s remote working space, Turner extended the main island’s edge so that both of them have room to sit next to the large picture window. In a master touch, the small cabinet space by the picture window actually holds the couple’s printer, paper and ink supplies, and other office must-haves that no one really needs to see.
“Karen managed to combine the aesthetic and the function,” the clients note. “This space brings us a lot of joy.”
STEPHEN BARLING
Jim Faulconer 434.981.0076 jfaulconer@mcleanfaulconer.com
EDGEMONT
$12,500,000 | MLS 576150 | North Garden, VA Court Nexsen, 646.660.0700
GREY OAKS
$3,995,000 | Free Union, VA Court Nexsen, 646.660.0700
ROBIN HILL
$2,500,000 | MLS 663005 | Charlottesville, VA
Katherine Leddington, 646.593.0333
Nexsen 646.660.0700 court@mcleanfaulconer.com
OLD KESWICK
$10,800,000 | MLS 659320 | Keswick, VA Charlotte Dammann, 434.981.1250 CURRENTLY FOR SALE
FARMINGTON
$3,900,000 | MLS 660849 | Charlottesville, VA Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076 Will Faulconer, 434.987.9455
THOMSON RD
$2,495,000 | Charlottesville, VA Court Nexsen, 646.660.0700
FARMINGTON
$7,500,000 | Charlottesville, VA Court Nexsen, 646.660.0700
GONE AWAY FARM
$3,450,000 | MLS 658352 | Charlottesville, VA
Jim Faulconer, 434.981.0076 Will Faulconer, 434.987.9455
MECHUM BANKS
$2,350,000 | MLS 661814 | Charlottesville, VA Charlotte Dammann, 434.981.1250
Mark your calendar
The best place to find local art? Just down the street. The Charlottesville area has more than its fair share of talent, and these two art-focused events are a good place to start your collection.
Crozet Spring Arts and Crafts Festival
May 10-11 A festival so nice, they hold it twice! Now in its 45th year, the Crozet Arts and Crafts Festival is an annual (or bi-annual!) must-do, with more than 130 fine artists and contemporary craft artisans from around the country—not to mention local food and drink vendors, live music, and children’s activities. $6-12 (kids under 12 attend free). Claudius Crozet Park, 1075 Claudius Crozet Pk. Crozet. crozetfestival.com
Charlottesville Arts Festival
May 24-25 Hosted by the IX Art Foundation, the Charlottesville Arts Festival features more than 50 fine artists and artisans, plus food vendors and live performances, all celebrating the beauty in creativity, diversity, and community (as well as in the artworks themselves). $7-20 (kids under 12 attend free). IX Art Park, 522 Second St. SE D. ixartpark.org/ arts-festival—CH
People power Local orgs launch hub to help homeowners with energy needs
With funding from the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County, Community Climate Collaborative and Local Energy Alliance Program in the spring announced the launch of Energy Resource Hub. The site provides local homeowners, renters, and businesses with information on federal, state, and local rebates and incentives related to energy efficiency improvements.
“Federal, local, and utility incentives make energy efficiency improvements more affordable. But finding the right rebate, incentive, or tax credit for your specific situation is often a challenge,” reads the website.
Log on to energyresourcehub.org to input your specific real estate type (home renter, homeowner, commercial) and find the incentives that are right for you, or schedule a meeting with an Energy Navigator for a free assessment.—CH
Down to business
Darden’s residential buildings underway
Construction has begun on two residential buildings at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. The project will include 218 studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments for a total of 350 beds.
Students in Darden’s full-time MBA program currently live primarily off Grounds. The addition of on-Grounds housing, in addition to The Forum
Hotel (which opened in 2023), will ultimately generate financial returns that Darden can invest in strategic priorities to further its mission.
UVA’s Office of the Architect, Robert A.M. Stern Architects, and Clark Construction, each contributors to the Darden Goodwin Family Grounds in 1992, will collaborate on the estimated $150 million project.—CH
Annie Gould Gallery
Art by Suzanne Keith Loechl by Keith
R O W I N G with the T I M E S
PHOTOGRAPHY BY Michael
Stavaridis
A family’s homey retreat evolves into a place they can all gather
BY CAROL DIGGS
Large windows throughout the home help bring the outdoors in, while natural elements add warmth and a more palpable connection to nature.
IIt’s a common problem: A family loves getting together, but as the family gets bigger—children grow up, find partners, and have their own kids— the gathering place seems to get smaller.
A local couple faced this same issue. The log cabin/hunting lodge on their horse farm outside Crozet was too crowded when everyone came for holidays and vacation breaks. Their charge to Cecilia and Robert Nichols, principals of local architectural firm formwork: Maintain the character of the cabin (a favorite place for Thanksgiving), while adding more space in a way that allowed more daylight into the basement rooms, better connected the house to the setting, and created living spaces in the landscape as well.
The Nichols had worked with the clients before, so were familiar with their style and preferences. Looking at the Crozet residence and considering the ask, Cecilia Nichols recalls, “we knew we’d need a landscape architect;” they decided to partner with Mauricio del Valle of MDV Design Inc., who also had done previous work with the clients.
The first challenge was finding a way to integrate the three existing elements—the cabin, the swimming pool behind it, and the pond below the slope to the southeast. Their solution: Carve out the slope so that the residence could be expanded out toward the pond, and incorporate large window walls to bring light and landscape into the lower-level living areas.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 23
THE TEAM Construction: Ilex Construction | Lighting Design: G2J | Concrete: Advanced Concrete | Cabinetry: Vaneri Studio | Stonework: Cogswell Stone | Horticulture: Michelle Smith Fine Gardening | Landscape Installation: Earth Tones
Cecilia and Robert Nichols achieved the homeowners’ request to create living spaces within the landscape with lavish porches, window walls, and elements of nature in the design and décor.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21
As a result, the setting was re-made around the existing house. The gravel parking area in front was moved back to create a large circular lawn with a wandering stone pathway to the front door. This provides the west-facing log cabin, with its large wraparound porch, more visual impact. The front lawn also better integrates the small gym/workout building set on the edge of the woods. (The couple wanted to keep their exercise area separate from the residence, Nichols notes.)
The log cabin’s façade remains essentially the same—on the right side of its porch is the door into the foyer of the new addition. That foyer, which connects to the cabin’s first-floor dining room, leads to an expansive gathering area with floor-to-ceiling screening on three sides, opening the room to the view over the outdoor living area, the pond, and the field beyond. Optional sliding enclosure walls make the room just as usable and comfortable in colder weather, helped by the stone-clad fireplace with exposed metal flue. The addition’s roof is angled up to the south; clad in copper to match the cabin, it’s formed of overlapping plates with a rounded edge “like an airplane wing,” Nichols says.
These rooms, on a level with the cabin’s first floor, are actually the upper floor of formwork’s addition. Below them are a large kitchen/dining/ living area and two bedrooms with baths. The west side’s retaining wall to set the new grade becomes the exposed river stone wall of the downstairs great room, and perpendicular to that extension, a retaining wall along the back of the house forms the exterior wall of the bedrooms and a border for the log cabin’s back lawn leading to the pool. To echo those lines, del Valle installed a third, low wall in the outdoor spaces, parallel to the back wall and helping to both define and link what Nichols calls “precincts,” the outdoor spaces for entertaining, sitting, sunbathing, playing, and swimming.
What’s fascinating is how formwork has tied together the two very different parts of the residence with details that reinforce the sense of connection. The two-story great room of the existing house is classic cabin: dark wood walls, comfy furnishings, large fireplace, touches of
wildlife décor, and an open stairway to the second-floor bedroom. But there are elements both contemporary and whimsical—an eyecatching modern chandelier and original pieces of art like the three almost life-sized puppets on the landing—that reflect the couple’s eclectic taste in both décor and art. Nichols carried their style throughout the addition, acting as art consultant on pieces as varied as a custom tapestry by Annette Cords and a ceiling installation of butterfly shapes by her sister, artist Cristina Hernandez.
The dining room has some of the rustic style of the great room, with larger windows looking out toward the pond, but then touches of levity in the framed art and prints. Over the large table is an eye-catching wave-form lighting fixture made of cast-glass with embedded gold flakes. From the foyer, with its reclaimed wood floors and Cords’ tapestry/wall hanging, a staircase leads down into the fully modern areas of the addition. “The charge here was to provide a separate living space for these family gatherings,” says Nichols, “and to bring natural light into these lower levels.”
One enters through the wall kitchen with island (white marble counters by CogswellStone, lots of storage in custom cabinetry by Vaneri Studio) into the great room, with glass walls facing east and south. Beyond the kitchen is a dining table big enough for a dozen guests, and then a huge seating area for gathering in one group or many. The poured concrete floor flows smoothly out to the patio, where an outdoor kitchen along the stone retaining wall and scattered tables and seats provide an outdoor entertaining space. Featured are large cypress and resin sculptures/seats (designed by del Valle), whose material echoes the cypress siding of the cabin.
Formwork included two bedrooms in the lower level, one for the kids (with built-in bunk beds) and one for their parents. The palette is neutral, but with touches of color and of wood paneling “that adds warmth and helps link these rooms to the outdoors,” says Nichols. Large windows bring the outdoors in, and between the bedrooms is a door leading to the patios, pond, and pool with Hernandez’s butterflies fluttering overhead.
After all, the landscape is a large part of what draws the family here—that, and shared memories.
Keeping in character
A family farm gets a pool that fits right in
BY CAROL DIGGS
This 300-acre Afton property had been the family’s country “home away from home” for more than 40 years. When a new generation took over in 2016, they decided to update the original farmhouse while keeping its character; the additional garage and guest house had been arranged around the central drive/parking area to keep the feeling and spirit of farm outbuildings clustered around the main house.
The clients also wanted to add a pool. They asked landscape architect Anna Boeschenstein of Grounded LLC, who had worked on the overall site plan, to design a modern pool that would fit with the farm aesthetic and take advantage of
the views of woods, meadows, and mountains, with a shaded place to sit and work.
“We wanted the pool to have the views [from the hilltop site], but not to be the view,” explains the client. “So, we didn’t want it traditionally close to the house.” Boeschenstein took advantage of the “farm complex” approach to place the pool off to the side of the guest house, a short walk from the back door of the main home.
This placement solved a number of problems. It meant the pool and pool house did not intrude on the views from the main house. It also meant Boeschenstein could keep the pool complex minimal, by taking advantage of the nearby guest house bathroom and kitchen. An outdoor shower was installed along the walkway to the guest house.
Because they saw the pool as a quiet spot to work and dine outside while enjoying the daytime views and the night sky, “we didn’t want a big pool deck,” says the client. “We wanted it to blend into that farm setting.” Boeschenstein’s solution: positioning the pool at grade on the upside of the hillside slope, and supporting the outer corner with a stone retaining wall, which is the only feature of the pool visible from the main house. (The drop is 30 inches maximum, she notes, so there’s no need for a guardrail that would impede the view.)
Boeschenstein took a cue from the complex’s farm aesthetic, and designed the pool house in the manner of a horse shed—a simple opensided structure to provide shade. The cedar pool house has sliding side and back doors that can be positioned to block the intense late afternoon sun. They also provide shelter—the client notes that the pool sits on a high point, “and we do get some wind up there.”
Keeping it simple, the saltwater pool is a 16foot by 36-foot rectangle ranging from 2.5 to 7.5 feet in depth—no hot tub, no diving board. For the decking, Boeschenstein specified ipe, a naturally dense and bug-resistant hardwood. The decking ages to a silvery gray that fits the country setting, and matches well with the limestone pool coping. Both materials tend to stay cooler underfoot, which was a specific client request: No hot decking.
The pool house is now comfortably furnished with a sofa, coffee table, and two lounge chairs from Restoration Hardware. The clients, whose main residence is in the Washington, D.C., area, come to the farm often and use the pool as a place to work remotely while soaking in the views, to enjoy with their children, and to entertain friends.
“We’re really pleased with the pool,” they say. “It fits right in—it really is the perfect spot.”
Historic charm meets modern luxury
Reopening Spring 2025 to the Charlottesville Downtown Mall area, 200 South Street boasts 18 beautifully appointed bedrooms that sleep up to 36, each with ensuite bathrooms, alongside a chef-designed kitchen, dining space for up to 40 guests, and a stunning new outdoor pool.
Whether you’re planning a family reunion, wedding, or corporate retreat, 200 South Street puts you in the heart of Charlottesville’s cultural scene. With antique shops, boutiques, cinemas, and several award-winning restaurants just a quick walk away, the city’s charm is yours to explore. www.staycharlottesville.com
Coming up
New neighborhood nearing construction in Scottsville after others falter
By Sean Tubbs
One purpose of urban planning is to determine appropriate places for people to live, but in many localities, elected officials have the final say.
For instance, the Town of Scottsville Comprehensive Plan calls for around 1,000 people to reside in that community by 2040.
“Growth of small towns more often occurs in periodic jumps, with specific development projects, than in a smooth linear fashion,” reads a plan last adopted by the Town Council in 2018.
Scottsville’s population has been declining, dropping from 566 in the 2010 Census to 522 in 2020. To try to reverse the trend and provide new residents with ways to walk to restaurants and shops, council adopted a small area plan during the pandemic for the property around the former Hyosung Tire Plant, which closed in 2009.
“We can look to our history to find a healthy and sustainable path forward,” reads the plan. “New homes to welcome new residents to share in our community, small business spaces to create jobs and wealth, and parks and trails for everyone to enjoy life on the James River.”
At least three proposals have been made in response to the rallying cry, and one of these broke ground in February. Southern Development and Scottsville Community Investments LLC began early site work for a new neighborhood of 36 single-family homes on Bird Street. The 12-acre West Village project is a few blocks away from businesses on Valley Street, the city’s main thoroughfare.
“There hasn’t been a cluster of construction like this in Scottsville since the 1960s,” said Mayor Ron Smith.
But not everyone is on board. When it came time for council to weigh in on this development, there were a pair of 4-3 votes. The first was
in June 2021 to rezone the land from Industrial to Village Residential and the second was a special use permit in March 2022. Opponents of that proposal felt the new development would go against Scottsville’s small-town character.
At one point, the Bird Street project had a maximum of 48 units, but that was reduced to help gain support. A second project on Blenheim Road—which would have seen 24 units—was working its way through town government but has been indefinitely deferred.
In January 2023, Town Council voted 4-2 to deny a rezoning for a portion of the tire factory that would have seen 205 apartment units in a project known as the Scottsville Lofts. Dozens of people spoke and while some expressed support, a majority were opposed, with at least one person warning against “the Charlottesville crowd coming to Scottsville.”
All three are on public water and sewer, often cited as a precursor for urban development.
Scottsville is not considered one of Albemarle’s designated growth areas, but the town is mentioned as a potential partner in contributing to the county’s housing needs. The Weldon Cooper Center for Public Services forecasts Albemarle’s population will grow from the 2024 estimate of 117,790 to 138,523 in 2040.
Meanwhile, Scottsville District Supervisor Mike Pruitt told the Board of Supervisors earlier this year that several businesses have recently closed their doors and he’s hopeful economic development efforts can be made.
“I have serious concerns about the economic vibrancy of that region and what we can do collectively between the Town Council and the board to really catalyze economic activity,” Pruitt says.
The future site of the West Village neighborhood in the Town of Scottsville. Also visible is the former tire factory where one recent development proposal was voted down.
Home Sweet Home
The big idea
Each year for more than 35 years, Southern Living magazine has partnered with builders, architects, and designers to create custom “idea houses.” In 2024, the home was in South Carolina; in 2023, Tennessee.
In February, the magazine announced that this year’s Southern Living Idea House would be just down the road—in Keswick. The selection marks the second time Southern Living has built a home in the area (the last was in 2015, in the Bundoran Farm community just south of Charlottesville), and the second time it selected Rosney Co. Architects to design.
In collaboration with builders Alexander Nicholson, designer Charlotte Moss & Co., and landscape architecture firm Waterstreet Studio, the 2025 home will ”highlights the beauty and
tranquility of the Charlottesville region,” according to Rosney partner Julie Dixon.
“It is built around the concept of homesteading—of a peaceful retreat in the country,” she says. “I can’t help but tie that to Jefferson’s original vision for our country at large.”
Dixon says that when the Idea House opens to the public for walkthrough tours on August 14, visitors can expect something unexpected: actual rooms.
“This is a real departure from the ‘open concept’ which has defined so much residential design of late,” she says. “You can also expect smaller spaces than what we’ve grown used to over the years. There are intentional adjacencies—both inside and out—that allow for larger gathering, but these rooms are sized for daily use by the occupants. I like to say they are human scale.”
Bigger Picture
Experience matters during real estate transactions. Under tight timelines, you’re faced with making big decisions while managing important details. At Montague, Miller & Co., we’ve seen it all, and we take pride in our ability to guide clients to successful, satisfying outcomes through professionalism and honest counsel. As a threegeneration family company, we’ve been serving Charlottesville and surrounding communities for seven decades. With deep roots in Central Virginia, we’ve been a part of the region’s evolution and growth, helping to develop some of the area’s established residential communities.
CONSIDERING A CAREER IN REAL ESTATE?
LOOKING TO BEGIN A NEW AND DYNAMIC CAREER? Sign up for our Principles of Real Estate class. Come learn from the experienced and talented teaching staff of Montague Miller - Barbara McMurry, Rives Bailey and Pat Sury. This course is for those looking to begin a career in
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