Month: December 2008

Are you hoping for a kindler, gentler holiday season this year? Something that feels good AND looks good, no matter the temperature, and goes great with last year’s haircut? Trade the flashing lights for glimmering candles, and the plastic packaging for home-spun, hand-made gifts.

While commercial messages may insist that season’s greetings are only available through manic mall spending, in fact our wilder places (and even our own backyards) provide plenty of inspiration for those who trouble to look. Coupled with local food and drink, woodsy treasures can set a scene that is both timeless and very, very central Virginia. Here’s your guide to homespun holiday cooking, decorating and gifts.

Decking the halls

When imagining holiday decorations, do yourself a favor by clearing some surfaces and stashing a few things away for the holidays—suddenly your home may look like a stylish photo shoot with no more effort than throwing some pears on a wooden platter. Clear space on the refrigerator for displaying holiday cards that arrive in the mail, or homemade holiday mantras (“Out with the old, in with the new”? “All we need is love”?).

A wreath on the door is an obvious symbol of hospitality and cheer (and painstaking spotlighting!); for the folks in house, consider decking the inside of an oft-used door with a fragrant wreath like cedar, bay laurel, white pine, or any green interspersed with dried herbs and bells. Each time the door is opened, your room will be blessed with a waft of olfactory and auditory cheer.

Make arrangements

To get started on a foraged arrangement, take your favorite companion for a walk in the woods, and bring gloves, clippers, a thermos of something warm, and some bags or baskets for your booty. Keep your eyes open for treasure as you walk! Early winter is wonderful for admiring the texture and silhouettes of trees; look up for orange persimmons, hanging on bare branches like Christmas decorations and just getting sweet enough to eat.

Look for cedar, bay laurel, white pine, and juniper if you aspire to deck your own halls with homemade wreaths or swags (more about this on our Your Garden page); collect acorns, pinecones, feathers, Osage orange, black walnut, deer antlers, and anything else that lights your fancy. Watch where the squirrels go; they are foraging for bright red, succulent berries that are ripe this time of year, like holly, dogwood and magnolia.

Consider making each arrangement portable; that is, easy to pick up and relocate in case cookiemaking takes more of the table than you imagined. In a larger space (like a table) big baskets, oversized bowls, or a diagonally sliced piece of wood from the back

Go outside and see what you can find to dress up your table, mantle or doors.

forty can sit atop odd napkins and among garish ornaments. Smaller spaces will be brightened by several bowls or small baskets of nuts and citrus, which can be moved and used to tie together place settings, party favors, menus and mantle dressings. 

Begin with a container to fill and find the best spot for it—perhaps a side table, coffee table, dining room table, or even a trunk or wooden wine box.  Use a holiday-flavored cloth or bag (or tissue paper) underneath the vessel—and don’t worry if it looks awkward at first! Think of it like dressing for cold weather: This is a base layer and there is plenty of room to accessorize. 

First, select your largest (or favorite) foraged or food object, like Osage orange (or large pinecones, pomegranates, blushing grapefruits) and pile them in the middle of your vessel. When you feel good about the base shape, wind some ribbon in and around the pile (or even a string of small lights—make certain they’ll reach an outlet!). Leave plenty of extra material hanging out on each side to “tighten up” later.
 
Next, choose something slightly smaller and in a contrasting color, like pinecones (or pears, apples, magnolia seedpods, or even smaller citrus like lemons and limes); strew these jewels about the larger pile and around the base of the vessel. If kitsch is your thing, mix in ornaments from the ‘70s, gaudy glistening stars, overstock shot glasses, and other holiday bric a brac. 

Finally, use a combination of greenery (pine boughs with cones, magnolia leaves, ivy) to frame the base of the pile and to soften the area around and underneath it, perhaps even twining some through the arrangement. At this point, you either have an inspired seasonal centerpiece or a steaming behemoth—either way, press on and add some feathers, votives and glitter. Another option: Line the outermost layer with edible items, such as nuts, clementines, and candy—but don’t be surprised if a guest starts nibbling a pinecone.

Wick and flame

Light a candle while you are cooking, or cleaning, or wrapping presents.  Candles say the party has already started, and also provide soothing light and a warm holiday feeling. Encased in glass, candles are perfect for portable atmosphere—now in the bathroom, now in the guestroom, now in the garage when the lights go out. By grouping candles on plates or trays, you can easily move them and clean up the drippings. For single candles, line a small plate or saucer or wine glass with homemade snowflakes—tin foil will magnify the light, while wax paper will be more soothing.

Good enough to eat

Let’s face it:  The best eating of the year happens around the holidays.  If food is an inspiration to you, consider using it as a centerpiece and a theme in and of itself. There are edible items that can be displayed on and around your table; their cunning shapes and the natural variety in color and texture provide a palette of edible, sustainable decorations and party favors. Consider nuts, apples, pears, pomegranates, citrus, herbs and nuts to be the multi-tool of your holiday season, serving as snacks, party favors, and decorations. 

In sourcing your wintertime citrus (and other exotics like tea, coffee and oil) check out Local Harvest (localharvest.org)—it’s also a great resource for buying food gifts for loved ones far away. For locally relevant durable goods gifts (like clothing and housewares) check out Charlottesville’s own Locallectual (locallectual.com).

Piedmont party platter

Bagna Cauda (or “Hot Bath”) is a Piedmontese party event that coincides with the end of the grape harvest and the advent of the strongly flavored fall vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower, fennel, cabbage, and turnips. Bagna Cauda is served as finger food, and is best appreciated by a lively, hungry group that doesn’t mind standing around the table. For a twist, set up multiple bagna cauda stations throughout your party pad, and watch as mingling magically happens. One could even ask guests to bring something to contribute to the feast—any vegetable or bread that goes well with garlicky anchovy vinaigrette. Thanks to a long, mild autumn this year, many of these items are still available from local farms, so get on the phone and see if you can find them.

Sweets on display

If yours is a cookie and dessert home, put the goodies on display so as to encourage people to take one or two for the road (casual droppers-by, the mail carrier, carolers…). If temptation is a problem for your children, lift the plate up and out of their sightline to save them from the holiday haze of ribbon candy, iced snowmen, and Russian tea cakes.

Over the river and through the woods

When invited to wassail at someone else’s home, consider extending your earthy holiday spirit to their celebration by offering to bring a local spin on a holiday classic, like eggnog (see recipe) or a plate of perfectly poached apples with whipped cream. While many hosts will deflect your offer, letting them know that you are willing AND able to whip the cream by hand on site (!) may just raised an eyebrow and some interest. If the eggnog seems like too much (and believe it, it really is!) choose locally made Starr Hill or Blue Mountain brews or a fine Virginia wine.

Truly local gifts

If you want to give a gift that outlasts December and looks toward greener times, consider a CSA subscription, which will usually cost around $500 and last from May until October (buylocalvirginia.org). Usually there is an option to split the share amongst two households, giving you a great excuse to collaborate with your friends on a weekly basis. This is a gift that requires participation, enthusiasm, and cookery, but pays dividends in nutrition and community. 

What to get the all-knowing foodie? Feast! in the Main Street Market  (feast virginia.com)

Bagna Cauda is a Piedmontese tradition that welcomes in cool-weather begies and encourages your guests to munch and mingle.

offers a package called the “Year of Cheese,” which delivers a monthly dose of local, domestic and international artisanal cheeses and a complementary local seasonal item (think Mozzarella di Bufala with local heirloom tomatoes in August). 

Or, give the always-welcome gift of spring. To force a bulb to bloom in the winter, it must be convinced that it is springtime; the tuber must have been chilled for two to three months and then gradually awakened in the right environment to put on a show for the holidays. Most garden centers will have “pre-chilled” bulbs on hand; let them know that you want to “force” it for the holidays and then ask for instructions. In general, plant the bulbs in a crowded, shallow manner for the best display, then start them at your house in a warm and partly sunny space where you can keep the soil moist. If this is a gift item, consider writing or printing a card with care instructions (including storing and “forcing” the bulb again the following year) along with a wish or quote that you would like to propagate in the coming year.

 

Local, step by step

Hot Apple Cider Room Perfume

1 gallon local apple cider
2 cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces
a few cloves or cardamom pods
a few gratings of citrus zest (grapefruit, tangerine, Clementine, and/or orange)

Place all ingredients in a heavy bottomed pot on low heat. Bring gently to a simmer (making your home smell delicious!) but not above; the object is not to cook the cider, but to infuse it with the aromatics and to perfume your home. The cider can be served warm or strained and stored in the refrigerator for drinking, hot or cold, or for mixing into other drinks.

Bagna Cauda

Any combination of:
broccoli, cauliflower (cut into bite-sized pieces)
fennel (shaved raw on a grater or mandoline)
cabbage (torn into chip-sized pieces, each with a bit of stalk to provide rigidity)
radishes (served whole, or cut in half)
turnips (served raw if small, or boiled in salt water until slightly tender, then sliced into 1" wedges)
potatoes, sweet potatoes (boiled in salt water until slightly tender, then sliced into 1" wedges)
carrots
celery

For the “hot bath”:
Mince 4 cloves of garlic and cook them lightly in 1 1/2 cups of olive oil—do not let them brown. Add 12 minced anchovies (drained and rinsed, but reserve the oil in case you’d like more fish flavor at the end) and cook on low heat until the anchovies begin to dissolve. Taste a bit of the mixture to determine if you want more salt, or some anchovy oil. Finally, add 3 Tbs. butter and serve the dip over a low flame to keep it warm. Surround the Bagna Cauda with prepared vegetables and crusty bread like ciabatta.  Optional garnish: lemon wedges around the vegetables, in case a squirt is wanted.
 

Poached Apples (or Pears)

1 bottle sweet wine, like Gabriele Rausse’s Maquillage
cranberry juice and apple cider to cover apples
12 apples (Virginia Gold or Albemarle Pippin would be perfect)
brown sugar
honey

Peel apples using a sharp paring knife; then core apples from the bottom, leaving the stems intact (or all the way through using a corer). Drop apples into a non-reactive pot along with wine and enough cranberry juice and cider to just make the fruit float. Add a few teaspoons of brown sugar and/or honey, along with “infusion” spices like cardamom, black pepper and star anise. Cook at a simmer until fruit slides right off of a sharp paring knife (about 30 minutes); take pot off of heat and let the apples cool in the poaching liquid (apples can be stored in the poaching liquid for up to 5 days). To serve, use a slotted spoon to pull out each apple and place it on a platter; ladle out a cup of poaching liquid and reduce it until it thickens, then taste and adjust for seasoning (may need more sugar, or more acidity in the form of lemon juice or sharp white wine) before drizzling atop the reclining beauties.

The Real Eggnog (with local eggs and whiskey!)

12 eggs, separated yolk from white
(reserve both)
1/2 cup sugar
1 qt. whole milk
1 qt. heavy cream

Three days before serving, beat yolks with sugar until thick and lemon colored. Beat heavy cream until thick but pourable. Stir both into up to 7 cups of any ratio of bourbon, white rum and brandy (this is a great chance to try Laird’s Apple Jack and Apple Brandy, distilled right in North Garden!). Stir together. Beat egg whites until almost firm; fold whites gently into yolk/cream/booze mixture, then pour into lidded glass jars to season in the refrigerator along with a broken cinnamon stick and broken nutmeg and a bit of citrus zest in each container. Taste before serving; it make be wise to add a bit of vanilla, more milk, or some honey to balance the taste. Shake the large jar (or use a cocktail shaker to make frothy, individual concoctions) and garnish with fresh nutmeg.

Alternate: As you prepare the above, mix half the quantity of booze with just one half of the ingredients; on the day of serving, use the unspiked half as breakfast, to pacify children, and to even out the boozy portion.

 

 

We think this place in the Rugby neighborhood looks just perfect for entertaining. No idea whether there’s an open floor plan inside, allowing hostess to chat while fixing cocktails—it’s more that the front porch looks so nicely sheltered for summer afternoons, and the house’s solid form and lovely trees are as inviting as could be on a winter’s eve. We’d accept an invitation anytime.

 

Chances are, more of you reading this are currently on shaky ground with your mortgages than two years or even one year ago. It’s not likely that you’re feeling too great about it, either.

But you’ve got to face facts. Shelley Murphy, director of program services at the Piedmont Housing Alliance, will tell you in no uncertain terms that ignoring the problem is really a bad move. “Don’t wait until you’re six or seven months behind,” she says. “If you’re one or two months behind, you should be working with us and talking to the lender.”

Asking PHA for help will get you, first and foremost, a education about your options for a “workout”—that’s the umbrella term for a whole variety of solutions that help homeowners

avoid bankruptcy and foreclosure. We asked Murphy to break down some of the terms we’ve all heard more often since the housing crisis began, including some common types of workouts:

Upside down/underwater. Murphy’s seeing lots of folks in this situation: owing more on their house than it’s worth. “People bought a house in the last two or three years,” she explains. “They probably bought at the high end, and with the market change they’re going to owe more now.” If you’re upside down and unable to make payments, you may be facing a…

Short sale. Essentially, this means selling your house for less than you owe and convincing your lender to forget about the difference. “Say the mortgage balance is $200,000, but because of the market [the borrower] can only sell for $185,000,” says Murphy. “The lender is going to agree to accept less than what is actually owed to them.” Naturally, lenders are reluctant to do this, so they impose conditions: For one, your house must have been up for sale for a certain time period.

Forbearance. You can possibly avoid having to move if your lender will agree to give you a break from payments for a few months—but you’ve got to catch up on those missed checks all at once when the forbearance period ends. “For example, [a lender might say] I’m going to suspend October, November, December,” says Murphy; “I want all my money in a lump sum January 1.”

Loan modification. This is another solution meant to keep you in your house. “We’re having great success with loan modifications right now,” Murphy says: getting lenders to change mortgages’ interest rates, terms, or payment amounts so they’re manageable for borrowers.

If you just plain bought too much house, though, modification probably won’t save you. “If there is no money coming in that house to make that mortgage payment,” says Murphy, “the chances are kind of slim. It might be better to sell the house and look at scaling down.” She says that rental prices are going down, so that “someone that has a mortgage payment of $3,000 might be able to rent a similar house for $1,600 or $1,800. They’ll be living within the means that they have.”

Deed-in-lieu. This workout is, says Murphy, “very tough to get.” The borrower, quite simply, gives the house back to the bank, losing all equity but avoiding foreclosure. Again, Murphy says, strict conditions apply.

A final note: Murphy warns that, with many homeowners in trouble, scams that promise mortgage help, but deliver just the opposite, are “running rampant.” Scammers might claim, for example, that for $1,000 they can stop foreclosure, but Murphy says plainly that “if you’re not dealing with your direct lender or working with a HUD-approved housing couselor agency, you are going to get ripped off.” She has seen two local borrowers who had signed over their houses to scam artists without realizing it, and were essentially making rent payments they believed to be mortgage payments. “People have to start paying attention,” Murphy says.

Above all, don’t put off getting help. PHA is at 817-2436 or piedmonthousing alliance.org. “People are scared, embarrassed, feel like they’re failures,” says Murphy, “but you gotta keep the roof over their head. It’s a lot harder to help someone when they’re homeless.”

The Willoughby subdivision holds a secret: Hidden in Joelle and Michael Meintzschel’s backyard is the treehouse of dreams.  

At a glance Distance from Downtown: 2 miles Distance from UVA: 2.8 miles Elementary Schools: Jackson-Via/Cale Middle Schools: Walker & Buford/Burley High Schools: Charlottesville/Monticello Homes sold in first half of 2008: 10 Median sale price: $263,870

Composed of four levels, built by Mike’s own two hands, the structure is snug and watertight, the haunt of not only Joelle and Mike’s two daughters, but all of Willoughby’s children and, occasionally, its exiled husbands. Mike says that passers-by often see the house through the trees and come knocking, asking to take a look. Of course, all are welcomed in. The Meintzschels, residents since 1993 of a slope-roofed Cape Cod near the neighborhood entrance, are nothing if not welcoming people, making a community feeling palpable—from the beaming green siding of their home, to the Vespa Mike drives to deliver neighborhood newsletters, their dog Lina in the sidecar, along for the ride.

Though just a stone’s throw from Fifth Street traffic, both the treehouse and Willoughby as a whole feel secluded, even sheltered, from the usual buzz of Charlottesville city life. Built by R.D. Wade in the ’80s and ’90s, Willoughby is its own world: The entire neighborhood lies shaded by trees, sloping through the hills in a series of cul-de-sacs, private and quiet despite proximity to I-64, UVA, and Downtown. With only a tri-color sign to mark its entrance, it is hard to imagine that more than 200 homes, a mix of townhouses, detached homes, and duplexes, lie just beyond the curve of the entrance road. Residents call the neighborhood “the hidden gem” of area real estate, full of quirks and small surprises—a creekside trail, a neighborhood boulder—that are being threatened, some feel, by the advance of city growth.

Fraternal twins

Willoughby is chock full of idiosyncrasies. For one thing, there’s the neighborhood’s unusual location: Curving off the intersection of Fifth and Harris Street, two miles south of Downtown, Willoughby squarely straddles the Charlottesville-Albemarle border, the only neighborhood that does so.
 
On a practical level, this means available utilities can vary oddly from block to block. For the Meintzschels, city residents, it means that, come snow season, their street is plowed hours earlier than those of their county neighbors. Joelle Meintzschel says her county-dwelling neighbors have seen “the plows come in and drive right up to the county line, then turn back around and drive away,” Joelle Meintzschel says. “They won’t go an inch further.” Recycling and trash pick-up are available for the Charlottesville section of the community; for county homes, they are not. Additionally, many parents choose to live city-side to have access to Charlottesville schools.

But county residents don’t necessarily get the short end of the stick. David Storm, county

When Michael Meintzschel built this treehouse, he found it attracted curious neighbors from throughout Willoughby. Now it’s a landmark for neighborhood kids.

resident and employee Downtown at LexisNexis, says that he and his wife, Audrey, preferred the county properties when they were looking for a home in 2003. “For people in the county, it’s like living in the city but paying the county tax rate,” Storm says. Furthermore, since county homes were part of a later wave of construction, they tend to be larger and newer.

While geographically, Willoughby’s single entrance and enclosure create an island effect that unifies its residents, the city/county disparities create a community divide, which varies in intensity depending on who you ask. On the whole, however, Willoughby’s two sides seem to sit peaceably hand-in-hand, with a contingent of longtime homeowners in addition to a steady turnover of University and hospital employees throughout. Joelle Meintzschel, who’s not just a homeowner here but a Realtor who lists houses in the area, says that the neighborhood’s convenience has made it increasingly attractive to a diverse crowd over the years. Nonetheless, the character of the neighborhood has remained steadily throughout her time there.

Surprisingly, Willoughby has no neighborhood association. But even in the face of the city/county split and a sprawling layout, Willoughby has managed to retain a sense of sociability which began, perhaps, with its developer, who constructed a children’s playground, installed sidewalks, and continues to provide mowing services.

“There’s a lot of friendliness,” says Storm. “A lot of waving and talking.”

There’s also a lot of walking, with residents frequently taking advantage of Willoughby’s self-containedness for routine exercise. Many walk or bike to work Downtown, or to nearby shopping areas, including the newly renovated Food Lion. Proposals for a shopping complex on Avon and Fifth Street, which promises green-friendly construction, “big-box” shops, and a walkway connection to Willoughby, have many excited, though others are concerned that this expansion may leave the community exposed to more traffic than residents are willing to accept.

Steady as she goes

With 10 homes sold in the first half of this year, with a median price of $263,870 based on Joelle Meintzschel’s figures, real estate sales in Willoughby are consistent with third quarter city averages of $265,000, and considerably lower than the $320,000 county average. Considering all that Willoughby has to offer—a blend of privacy and convenience to city hot spots—many residents feel pleased with the square footage they’re getting for their money.

And, according to Meintzschel, neighborhood properties have retained their value throughout the years, seemingly insulated from market disturbances: Steady in the face of market slowdowns, Willoughby has also escaped the price spike and rapid development that has seized, for example, Belmont in the past few years, making possible the

Willoughby is a mix of townhouses, detached homes and duplexes, all straddling the city/county line.

neighborhood’s particular brand of community spirit that, she says, inspires cooking clubs and rallies homeowners together to have a gas line installed (though notably in only the city section).

However, questions hover. With the Avon/ Fifth Street Shopping Center in the planning and blasts shaking the hills just north of the community for further townhouse construction in Brookwood, the possibility of increased traffic and the accompanying rise in noise and thoroughfare has become a worry to some residents.

Yet, both Storm and the Meintzschels feel that change is unlikely to rattle Willoughby, whose character has remained steady throughout the years, in addition to its property values. Storm represented Willoughby in March when he spoke in favor of the Avon/Fifth Street project at a county Board of Supervisors meeting. “People who have been living in the neighborhood since the beginning say that they’ve been talking about a shopping center for years,” he says. “They doubt it will really happen.” For now, in any case, Willoughby remains a sort of woodland sanctuary tucked just near the heart of the city, and the Meintzschels’ treehouse remains open: Just come up and knock.—Lucy Zhou

Red and green go green: LED Christmas lights will make the Yuletide less power-hungry.

Green lights

If you’re headed out to pick up a zillion-pack of Christmas lights with which to festoon every corner of your house and a tree in every room, skip the standard incandescents and opt for LED lights instead. At a 90 percent energy savings over old-style lights, they’re clearly less of a draw on Ye Jolly Olde Power Plante. A bonus: They’re cool to the touch, so there’s less chance of a fire starting when hot bulbs come in contact with dry pine needles. And we’re told they last longer too, meaning less waste down the road.

You can get your old lights recycled at holidayleds.com (and a 15 percent discount on new LEDs), and local stores including Blue Ridge Eco Shop have LED Christmas lights too.—Erika Howsare

Tree your mind

Got a yard full of trees you can’t name and wouldn’t know how to care for if your house depended on it? (Which it might: Trees have been known to fall, you know, occasionally on structures.) Or perhaps you can identify your oaks and poplars but want to know more about which species to plant and how to prune. Living in Virginia and not knowing much about trees is kind of like being a Manhattanite mystified by elevators. Up your tree smarts at a Charlottesville Area Tree Stewards class beginning February 24.

One, two three: Learn the basics on the biology (and care) of trees at a Tree Stewards class beginning in February.

At $50 for 14 three-hour classes, it’s kind of a bargain, and you’ll be learning from expert pros in various areas: forest ecology, tree care, urban forestry and more. The catch: You’ve got to have Tuesday mornings, 9am to noon, free. Call 872-4580 before February 14 to sign up.

The Tree Stewards recently did some volunteer work at the Ivy Creek Natural Area, eradicating invasive plants and planting natives, which they intend to maintain indefinitely. The class will equip you not only to look at your own land with a more knowing eye but to help out with volunteer projects like these. So go on—branch out.—E.H.

Energy eaters

While refrigerators were once the main drain on household electricity use, these days there’s a new contender for biggest piece of the bill: the boob tube. As Hummers are to gas, televisions are to your precious kilowatts, despite new EnergyStar standards which slap a government stamp of approval on selected models. Previously measuring only energy consumption in “off” or standby mode (genius!), the new ratings now tally the power your telly needs while turned on, bringing you your essential daily dose of the box.

But, buyers beware: The ratings, in action since early November, pick out sets that are energy-efficient for each class of TVs, meaning that even sets with the EnergyStar logo may not be exactly thrifty. Your new 50” plasma screen, for one, is still burning up more power in five hours than 30 CFL bulbs and prompting more than half a ton of CO2 emissions per year—even though it may do better than others in its class. It might better behoove you to downgrade to a smaller set and reconsider “Gossip Girl”’s central role in your life. Just saying.—Lucy Zhou
 

Wrapper’s delight

Let’s face it. The holiday season can be Mother Earth’s worst nightmare, from the plastic toys made overseas to the copious paper products. This season Betty helps you think outside the holiday box with creative and green gift-wrapping ideas!

If you’re a saver like me, you have a head start. But don’t fret; it’s not too late to start saving all things paper and festive for next year including boxes and ribbons. Make reuse part of your family tradition.

My rule of thumb is to begin with what you have, i.e. nothing NEW, especially paper (otherwise known as dead trees). Scour the attic for last year’s boxes, your closet for shoe boxes, or the recycle bin for an appropriately-sized cardboard box. Otherwise, the local Salvation Army or thrift shop should have old tins or baskets.

As for wrapping paper: newspaper comics, old tissue paper, a cut-up paper grocery bag, even a scrap of cloth will work.

Next collect odds and ends like old ribbon, feathers, twigs, string, shoe laces, magazines, tea bags, cinnamon sticks, leftover tissue paper, postcards, old maps, even game pieces. Don’t forget to forage in the great outdoors—holly bushes and rosemary twigs make great gift garnishes.

Now you have assembled your supplies, the fun part begins!  With scissors, a hole punch, tape, glue gun (optional), and your collection of found objects, the gifts will become recycled works of art. With your imagination, the possibilities are limitless.—Better World Betty

Having a back porch is all well and good, but when one’s kitchen is tiny, one may start to eye up the verandah as an area ripe for colonization. Such was the case at landscape architect Gregg Bleam’s 1938 house in Lewis Mountain.

Designed by Milton Grigg, the original structure had a cramped 8’x8′ kitchen. Now, with the former porch incorporated into a redrawn floor plan, designed by W.G. Clark and built by Alloy Workshop, the kitchen (and the eating area it includes) still isn’t large, but it achieves a serene feeling of space.

Clark and his associate Josh Stastny brought their distinctly modernist sensibility to the project, but blended the new room seamlessly with the cottage-style structure. In the backyard, Bleam has carved a small flat area ending in wedge-shaped slopes planted with ground cover. From here, the new kitchen might as well be a screened porch original to the house. But when you draw closer, unmistakably contemporary touches reveal themselves: for one, a counter-height mahogany ledge running the length of the room that wraps itself into a bench at one end.

Clockwise from top right: From outside, the kitchen still resembles a back porch. The front of the house gives no hint of the modern addition in the rear. A ledge that transitions to a bench, and the kitchen cabinets, are simple elements in a room that feels more spacious than it really is.

“I liked a lighter wood because the house is so dark,” says Bleam, referring to the simple, clean cabinets and plywood ceiling built by Cavanaugh Cabinets: “Maple, juxtaposed with something precious like mahogany. It’s really rich.” The ledge, he says, is useful for staging while cooking, as a buffet, or just for setting off a bowl of fruit or something else good to look at.

Whereas many new kitchens feature almost byzantine arrangements of countertops and cabinets, this one is disarmingly simple: one long work surface on one side, the ledge along the other. The original beadboard wall is retained above the countertop, helping to integrate old and new as does an opening into the living room.

“Everything appears to float and hover, which I think feels wonderful,” Bleam says. That

effect is in the details: A stainless steel countertop fabricated by Charles Yeager is separated from the wall by a narrow channel; the mahogany ledge’s metal supports end in slim pins that visually disappear. But it’s also in the large-scale plan. Full-height

windows along the entire exterior wall preserve the porch sensation, as though one were halfway outdoors. And most of the kitchen’s storage space is tucked away in floor-to-ceiling cabinets at one end of the room, meaning no upper cabinets over the sink and stove.

Bleam says the room still feel spacious even with a crowd of visitors, despite a less-than-4′ width between ledge and cabinets. “[Grigg] is an architect of rooms, but I’m interested in space,” says Bleam. “W.G. said you will never use your dining room again and it’s really true.”