In Dick and Sandi Averitt’s kitchen, beauty lives in the details. And the details in this mountain home are all wood: beams across the ceiling, paneling on the walls, and rich red oak floors running throughout the space. The Averitts’ cabin, their second home, underwent a complete renovation over the last 14 months that focused on keeping the feel of the nearby Wintergreen nature views while adding a touch of modernity.
Take, for instance, the granite countertops on one side of the kitchen, which plays off the wide white enameled country sink on the other. Flecked with a deep wine color, they’re reminiscent of the hills that surround the open-floor-plan cabin, and they include specks of white and silver seen in the stainless appliances.
Sandi, an avid cook, didn’t want to give up modern amenities, like a top-notch stove.
“I wanted a gas stovetop,” she said. “I have long found that I prefer gas cooking. That was an absolute must.” The stovetop sits in the middle of a long slab of countertop that looks directly to the center of the dining area—perfect for entertaining.
The dark, rich tones of the wood—both in the walls and on the floor—are complemented by several window panels and a massive screened-in porch that has 180-degree views of the surrounding wilderness and seats the Averitts’ extended family of three kids and seven grandchildren.
ALLOY Construction, a design-build firm based in Charlottesville, oversaw the renovation, which took a little over a year, including a weather-related delay when a strong summer storm knocked a century-old tree onto the cabin, thankfully without devastating damage.
Because this is the Averitts’ second home, they didn’t skimp on amenities. They installed an elevator, added a grand, two-story fireplace, transformed the loft into the master bedroom, and adorned the outside of the cabin with a 12′ wrap-around porch.
But the kitchen serves as the home’s hub because of its accessibility. The Averitts worked with ALLOY to make sure the layout was logical: The dishwasher sits next to the sink so that putting dirty dishes away is easy. The oven is encased next to the stovetop, so that steaming casserole dishes can move from one to the other without much effort. And revolving shelves adorn both corners of the counter, complete with accordion-fold doors and two round shelves to maximize cabinet space.
When Sandi is at the cabin, cooking becomes a daily occurrence—on purpose.
“I am just delighted about the way the kitchen turned out,” she said.