Author: c-ville-abode

You’ve got your bed. Now you need the other pieces to let your bedroom hit a certain middle C between dull (so that you’re not kept awake by overly flamboyant furnishings) and interesting (so that, well, they’re not too dull). Find the blend that’s right for you, starting with these pieces from local stores.

TOP Good knight. Round table from the Artful Lodger ($265, 970-1900); Off the wall. Floor mirror from Kane Furniture ($599, 296-5594); Bedside buddy. Nightstand from Artifacts ($1,195, 295-9500); MIDDLE Bed-end bench. Stools from The Second Yard ($335 each, 295-6054); Sweet sheets. Linens available from Yves Delorme (Prices vary, 979-4111); Alarmingly cool. Clock with MP3 dock from Best Buy ($99, 977-1578); BOTTOM Sock drawer and more. Dress from Classic Furniture ($1,699, 973-1578); Light the page. Wall-mount reading light from Timberwood Lighting ($252, 872-0400); A good read. Armchair from And George ($1,670). 

GREEN EYE
Long-haul gardening
Gardeners, are you thinking beyond the simple tomato plot? Once again, the Blue Ridge Permaculture Network will offer a permaculture design course this spring. Over four weekends starting January 13, learn how to think deeper about plants, houses, and even human communities as you create systems that work with the natural rhythms of the earth to promote true sustainability. Everything from renewable energy to medicinal plants to watershed restoration falls under the permaculture umbrella, which can help you improve your own home as well as your neighborhood.

The course is 72 hours total, and it’ll be taught by permaculture experts like Dave Jacke, Christine Gyovai and others. It takes place at Montfair on January 13-16, January 27-29, February 18-20, and March 3-4. Cost is on a sliding scale from $995 to $1,200. To register, see blueridgepermaculture.net, or contact Terry Lilley at tygerlilley@gmail.com or 296-3963.
If you’re interested but not ready to commit to the entire course, there’s a permaculture potluck on January 14 at 6pm, followed by a presentation by Dave Jacke at 7:30. See the website above for details.—Erika Howsare

BY THE NUMBERS
44

That’s the number of acres of forest Virginia’s losing each day, according to the state Department of Forestry. Sprawl and development are partly to blame, but so are insects like the gypsy moth and ash borer. To fight them, residents should watch out for diseased trees (brown tops, missing bark, holes in leaves or trunks) and call a professional if they spot problems.

Source: wamu.org

EVER HEARD OF…?
Better than baggies

(File Photo)

The green-minded dog owner—especially one who lives in town and has to curb her pet—might wonder if there’s a more eco-friendly way to dispose of pooch poop than throwing it, enclosed in plastic, into the garbage. Yup: It’s called the Tumbleweed Pet Poo Converter.

If you’re familiar with the concept of a worm farm (fancy term: vermiculture), you’ll recognize the basic idea. The converter is a plastic container made of stacking layers, filled with bedding such as shredded newspaper or coco fiber. The worms live, breed and eat in the top layer, while their waste drains into the bottom. That waste makes a fertilizer that’s extremely valuable to gardeners.

So, essentially, you feed the poop to the worms, who look at it as food (how’s that for a good attitude?) and turn it into something you can actually use. Waste from cats and other pets can go in, too. One caution, though: If you’re already raising worms on kitchen scraps, don’t add pet waste to the mix. It contains pathogens that need to be digested by exclusively manure-fed worms.

The converter is easy to maintain, is said to be odorless, and costs $120 through Fifth Season Gardening.—E.H.

TIPS FROM BETTER WORLD BETTY
Pantry raid
Take a moment and consider how much coffee, chocolate, and flour you go through every week. Unfortunately, from farm to cup and bean to bar, chocolate and coffee (along with other staples) both involve an intense process to reach our mouths. This new year, green-raid your pantry and replace accordingly!

Phyllis Hunter of Spice Diva can help you build a more sustainable pantry. (Photo by Cramer Photo)

Coffee
Fair-trade, shade-grown, organic. It’s hard to keep track, and it’s about to get harder with the recent split between certifying organizations Fair Trade USA and Fairtrade International. For now, these labels are the best way to protect against land loss, help smaller producers have access to resources, promote sustainable practices, and ensure a fair wage. Significant acreage of rainforest is lost every year due to cheap, monoculturally-grown coffee. Bird- and forest-lovers (isn’t that all of us?), look for the Smithsonian Bird-Friendly and Rainforest Alliance labels. The good news: Locally roasted coffee is readily available.

Chocolate
Again, fair-trade organic chocolate is best. Divine Chocolate is 45 percent owned by the Ghanaian farmers who supply its cocoa beans.

Sugar
I recommend agave nectar, honey, stevia, or organic varieties like Florida Crystals. 

Flour
Virginia has its own mill: Wade’s Mill, sold at local markets!

Tea and spice
The same designations are important here. What better time to make the switch? The new Spice Diva at Main Street Market is offering a 30 percent discount to folks who bring in their spices to exchange.

Want to know more about specific brands or other food producers? I love these two websites: www.localharvest.org and www.greenamerica.org. Find local sources of sustainably grown food in your area along with green brands and companies.

Check out Better World Betty’s green living resource list at betterworldbetty.org and blog at http://cvillebetty.blogspot.com.

GARDEN GREEN
Winter work
Each season gives us a chance to catch the cycle of growth at another revolution and place ourselves safely in nature’s orbit. Climate change notwithstanding, we’re not a jungle yet. Plants still go dormant and most of our vegetation succumbs to colder temperatures. Take advantage of this dormant time to assess the garden’s structure, from the ground to the skyline. Here in the hollow our winter work is laying out paths in the vegetable garden and limbing up a few larger trees.

(File Photo)

Since we erected the deer fence a few years ago, our vegetable garden has consisted of two 16’x 24’ squares bisected by a gravel path. Without interior footpaths, however, soil was needlessly trampled. The solution is to lay down permanent paths with cardboard. Ideally, it would be topped with shredded hardwood mulch, but straw and pine tags are what’s on hand, so we’ll start with that, though I’m afraid it might be too slick. With three paths in each square, running at right angles off the central walk, planted rows can be tended from either side, allowing the soil to build up into natural raised beds as repeated foot traffic gradually sinks the paths.

If you followed last month’s admonitions, your saw blades are clean and sharp and it’s time to contemplate some judicious pruning. Have a reason for every cut and you’ll not go wrong. I’ve been walking around our old ash since summer deciding which branches to remove to raise the canopy for easier tractor access and to open up the view to the east meadow. It’ll amount to three well-considered cuts.

Trees are often disfigured in the mistaken belief that they all should have their lower branches removed as a matter of course. As any knock-kneed naked holly or leaf-littered Southern magnolia will testifiy, this is not the right approach. Not all trees have the shade tree habit, naturally growing into a single trunk supporting a crown beneath which we can disport ourselves upon a grassy sward.

JANUARY IN THE GARDEN *Prune deciduous trees during dormant season. *Shade tree or screen tree? *Save the date for PLA.

The red maple has a rounded shape; Japanese zelkova is upright like a vase; and willow oak has a massive horizontal branching structure (see the ones in Jackson Square by the old courthouse). All are fine shade trees, though each has a different outline against the sky. Often we can encourage natural habits with a few important cuts—removing lower branches as the tree ages, or thinning crowded branches on a young sapling.

Other trees, however, are best left with their skirts down, as privacy screens. Pin oaks and beeches have typically drooping lower branches; when they’re removed, the next tier will also grow downward. There’s nothing denser than a screen of twiggy oaks. They hold their handsome brown leaves through winter, making a bold contrast with dark green hollies and American boxwood.

Save Thursday, February 16 for the 29th annual PLA Seminar (www.piedmontlandscape.org), at The Paramount Theater. Speakers include the Smithsonian Institute’s white tail deer specialist and the curator of the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens.—Cathy Clary

Cathy Clary is a gardening teacher and consultant; she tends ornamental beds and a kitchen and cutting garden at home in a hollow south of Charlottesville. Read more about her at hollowgarden.com, and e-mail her with questions at garden@c-ville.com.
 

Begin again
I was recently asked to provide some advice for young alumni in 2012. In addition to the usual “manage your finances responsibly” piece, I told them that each New Year yields an opportunity for growth and change. January is a time when we head back to work, the holiday buzz wears off, the lights dim, and the credit card bills are neither merry, nor bright. In addition to my annual vow to lose 30 pounds, I like to start fresh at home. As the holiday decorations come down, the New Year is a perfect opportunity to do a low-budget spruce-up for your old home in the New Year.

(Photos by John Robinson)

Color me happy: There’s a reason they call it the bleak midwinter. In a vast sea of grey, white, and dead, it’s no wonder we crave color. Bringing some new color into your abode is a surefire, simple way to add positive energy and a feeling of renewal to your space. If you’re lucky enough to be able to paint, go for it. Add a deep red to your bedroom for passion, or if you’re all set in that department, go for a cooling blue. With paint, the possibilities are endless.

If your lease requires you to return the space to the original color, go for lighter, softer tones in your paint selection; they’ll be much easier to paint over. If a paintbrush isn’t in the cards, you can still splash color on the walls. Try hanging pieces of wallpaper on poster hangers. Frame colorful scarves and fabrics for a graphic art piece. Hang drapery panels from a hospital track to mask a dull wall.

Swap meet: I’m always inspired by the holidays—the one time of year we put away our everyday things to make room for special, seasonal items. Adopt this principle year-round. Think of your home as a rotating gallery. Keep your furniture as anchor pieces holding the scheme together, but swap out your accessories. Purchase some new, inexpensive pillows or pillow covers to revive a tired sofa. Browse Artifacts or Quince for some fun new accessories to adorn your tabletops. I even like to swap out photos. On the fridge or on the wall, you can continually honor the past but incorporate new, happy memories in a matter of minutes.
Organized chaos: As always, the New Year is a prime time to get organized. I like to think of fun and aesthetically pleasing ways to stay organized. Organize that junk drawer: Place your spools of string or twine in sugar shakers, threading the loose end through the spout to stay untangled and ready to use.

Now that the holiday cookies are all eaten, try a dessert stand for all of your daily items (eyeglasses, keys, watch, etc.). Even out in the open, everything can have its place.
If you really want to stay organized, steal a trick we use backstage in the theater for props. Line a drawer with brown butcher paper. Lay out the items that will be housed in the drawer. Using a black Sharpie, trace each item, providing it a designated spot. Store seasonal items, recycle old magazines and get rid of clutter that weighs you down.—Ed Warwick

Before joining the ABODE team, Ed Warwick was the author of “Simply Cville,” a blog about D.I.Y. design, entertaining, and home improvement projects. A UVA grad, Ed currently works as the Coordinator of LGBT Student Services under the University’s Dean of Students.

TOOLBOX
The keepers
If you’re purging stuff in the New Year, you might wonder: When it comes to your home tool kit, how does one determine what stays and what goes?

First off, tools are not like clothes hanging in your closet. Even if you haven’t used them in a year, it doesn’t mean that you should toss those wire cutters. There’s nothing quite as frustrating as finally needing a tool, only to realize that you took it to Goodwill six months ago along with last year’s bubble skirt.

Here’s my list of must-have tools in your home tool kit:
Cordless drill with set of quality bits (including at least two Phillips head bits, in case one gets stripped) and an extra battery
Utility knife with extra blades
At least two quality, drop-forged flat-
head and Phillips head screwdrivers
Small screwdriver set for itty bitty screws and bolts
Wood glue
5-minute two-part epoxy adhesive
Roll of blue painters’ tape
Roll of gaffers’ tape
Needle nose pliers
Adjustable wrench
Hammer
Rubber mallet
5-in-one painters’ tool (scrapes, opens, seals, etc.)
Various screws and anchors
Jar or box o’nails and wire brads
Sandpaper or sanding block with grits: 60, 100, 150, 220
Safety glasses and gloves
Locking pliers/vise grips
Rubbing alcohol
3-in-1 oil
L square
Level
Small metal file
At least two clamps (one-handed “Quick Clamps” are my fave)
Sharpie and pencil
Measuring tape
Wire cutters
Oh yes, and a toolbox, bucket or bin to put all this stuff in.—Christy Baker

Christy Baker is a local Jane-of-all-trades. Whether it’s fixing furniture, building a chicken coop or maintaining her roller skates, this creative mom of two always keeps a toolbox (or at least some duct tape) handy.

 

(Photo by Andrea Hubbell)

Local builder and craftsman David Kurtz has a soft spot for anything that comes from the past. The way he and his wife, Kirby, have renovated and appointed their 1935 house reflects Kurtz’s passion for accumulating timeless, functional treasures. In their living room, that means a wood burning stove, antique peach crates, two metal architectural chests of drawers, and even antique suitcases used to carry children’s clothes during World War II.
“I love patina. You don’t get this stuff at IKEA and you can’t go out and buy this stuff. You come across it and have an eye for it,” Kurtz says. Specializing in sustainable building, he’s got no qualms bartering or finding deals. In fact, it’s an area where he flourishes.
“My parents didn’t give me an allowance after I reached an age that I could use a lawnmower. They gave me a lawnmower and helped me pass out fliers to start a lawn mowing business. So from an early age I’ve never had a problem knocking on doors and offering a service.”

One things for sure: Kurtz is a collector. His space includes a vintage brass lamp he got in eighth grade, strips of wood that he kept from the house he built in North Carolina, and a wooden trunk he traded for an antique piece of his own. Each element has a history, like the house itself. “We bought this house because it was built in 1935. It’s real 2x4s, it’s not inch-and-a-half by two-and-a-half. It’s real plaster, so the walls aren’t flat. If you flash the light down the wall, it ripples. You see somebody’s hand in that. Every time I tear something out of the wall, I find people’s initials on boards who were proud of what they were doing at the time.”

Of course, Kirby has brought her touch to the mix. When two partners have equally strong opinions about how a space should look and feel, it can be tricky. But they seem to have made it work. “Kirby is Veranda. And I’m Dwell magazine meets Foxfire, which is where they build things out of twigs. I know what I like and I know what I don’t like, and so does she!”—Cate West Zahl

“We got the wood burning stove off craigslist. The house has no insulation in the walls. Sealing up this house would have ruined the charm of the house. So if you’re going to be throwing money at heat, you might as well be getting the cheapest heat you can get. And wood is pretty cheap, or at least it is around here with all the microbursts that cause trees to fall down.

“When we first moved in, everything was white. Everything. The plaster was all cracked, it was completely falling off. So, I learned how to plaster. Every time there is a crack in the plaster you have to make that crack a half inch wide and press it through to the wooden lath behind it, and then redo it. It took weeks. I’ll never do it again—I’ll get a bucket of sheetrock mud and slap that up there!

“I built a house out of compressed wheat straw panels that are made out of agricultural waste. The owner was the head of air quality and standards for the EPA, so she wanted this super green house. So I said that I would be the one to do that. These blueprint cabinets were her grandfather’s. She gifted them to me when the house was completed.

“I can’t afford having things that just look good. We don’t have enough space to go fully form over function, so everything that I have really is something that I couldn’t part with. The stereo console I made out of old peach crates that I got from an estate sale and a piece of wood that I saved from an old tobacco barn I disassembled.

“If you meet the right people, the ones that are looking out for fellow builders and appreciators of pragmatic living, you can find people who will help you out. There are plenty of ways to skin a cat. I take a common sense approach to building and design that helps me out in the long run.”

 

 Rachel and Shawn Gerber have been excitedly planning a Baby Gender Reveal Party for their third child, who is due in a few months. “This is for sure our last child,” Rachel said. “We wanted to do something different. I knew I wanted it to be more of a surprise.”

(Photo by John Robinson)

How does this kind of party work? “We took a sealed envelope [from the ultrasound tech] to the bakery, and they’re making a cake. It’s either going to be pink or blue icing in the middle! My family is Skyping in from Pennsylvania and Indiana. I think it will be really fun.”
When asked what’s in his mommy’s belly, their son Connor (3), who seems to have some inside information, exclaims, “A baby. A baby girl!”

The Gerbers’ 1,600-square-foot townhouse near Riverview Park can sometimes feel a bit tight on space with two young sons (Connor’s brother Owen is 5) and two busy parents. Welcoming a new baby into their home will require a little bit of rearranging and creative thinking.

“Our current setup is just challenging, period,” says Rachel. “We don’t have a basement and we just have this little storage thing out here…Then there’s the whole plethora-of-toys situation. I’m up to my ears in toys and books and the artwork that they bring home from preschool.” Her solution? “You’ve got to find systems.”

One organizational method that Rachel uses is accordion folders, one for Connor and one for Owen, that contain mementos and artwork with a section for each year of their lives. “Those things that I come across that I know I want to save, I know where to [put] it,” she explains. “I don’t worry about organizing it or keeping it in order—I just dump it in.”

Another tactic that the Gerbers employ is to go through things regularly—taking inventory, and figuring out what they can get rid of. “Every three months I feel like it’s purge mode. That’s part of living in small spaces: You just have to go through things periodically.”

Knowing what to get rid of with another baby on the way has its own set of challenges, especially when the gender remains a surprise (at least until the reveal party). “Logistically, just talk about all of the boy clothes. If I don’t have to haul those out of storage and I can just give them away, [it’s] so much easier to do that before the child comes!”

It’s a common dilemma for parents of young children: how to keep the stuff under control and still maintain a balance of quality time with your family.

Rachel smiles knowingly, with one hand on her pregnant belly, “I heard it once said, that trying to keep a house clean with small children is like trying to brush your teeth while eating an Oreo. It just never works.”

She continues, “You can’t expect perfection, it’s just a matter of keeping things in whatever your balance is. Laundry is always there, dishes are always there, and I just have to continue to remind myself that it’s a good thing because I have people to care for.”

You can read more about Rachel’s perspective on parenting and life in general on her blog: www.everything-belongs.com.—Christy Baker

MINI-STORAGE
Art file
What to do with your preschooler’s third finger-painting this week? Take a cue from the Gerber family and use this simple yet stylish legal case from Staples ($12.99) to keep artwork and keepsakes organized. With 19 sections, you’ll have space for dozens of art projects and plenty of birthday cards.—C.B.

 My brother just got his first solo apartment and lacks some of the basics—like a broom and mop. If that special someone on your holiday list is a bit further along on the householding journey, she’d probably appreciate gifts of a more refined nature. Delight friends and relatives alike with these gems from local shops.—Erika Howsare

Click to enlarge

Little wings Child-sized "Swan" chair from And George ($425, 3465 Ivy Rd., 244-2800); Under ware Paper placemats from Créme de la Créme ($1, Barracks Road Shopping Center, 296-7018); That whistle blowing Tea kettle from The Happy Cook ($50, Barracks Road Shopping Center, 977-2665); On the fringe Cotton throw from Patina Antiques ($89, 2171 Ivy Rd., 244-3222); Say when Champagne glasses from The Curious Orange Store ($72, set of 6, 2845 Ivy Rd., 984-1042); Bright glow Candle holder from Ivy Nursery ($40.95, 570 Broomley Rd., 295-1183); Back and forth Rocking chair from Blue Ridge Eco Shop ($295, 313 E. Main St., 296-0042); Press here French press from The Seasonal Cook ($49.95, 416 W. Main St., Main Street Market, 295-9355); Terry Christmas Bath towels from Yves Delorme ($33, 311 E. Main St., Downtown Mall, 979-4111); Perfectly clear Pitcher from Artifacts ($42, 111 Fourth St. NE, 295-9500); Hip to be square Alarm clock from Roxie Daisy ($54.95, 101 E. Water St., 202-8133). 

(File photo)

GREEN EYE
Gifts from here
Missing your weekly local kale fix? The farmer’s market heyday might be over for 2011, but locavores in the know have shifted their energies to holiday shopping, and they’re not heading to Target. Each Saturday in December, the Holiday Market delivers the buy-local vibe from 8am to 2pm, right up through Christmas Eve. Check it out in the City Market spot between Water and South Streets. Buy a locally made gift, and you’re giving back to the local economy too.—Erika Howsare

LEAP loans at 0 percent
There are fewer and fewer reasons not to upgrade your house’s energy efficiency. Now you can cross “loan too expensive” off the list, because LEAP and the UVA Community Credit Union are offering PowerSaver loans at an extremely reasonable 0 percent.

This offer’s for residents of Charlottesville and the five surrounding counties who sign on to the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program through LEAP. You can use the loan money for stuff like better insulation, new skylights, HVAC upgrades, and so on—the kinds of improvements that make your house tighter and your energy bills lower.

Best contact LEAP soon if you’re interested; this offer’s for a limited time. See leap-va.org, e-mail Lesley.fore@leap-va.org or call 227-4666 for more info.—E.H.

(File photo)

GARDEN GREEN
A gardener’s yule
What does the gardener dream of, dozing by the Yuletide fire? Favorite tools that need tending or replacing, a longed-for extravagance like a load of compost (and someone to spread it)? Perhaps plans for spring.

My favorite tools are three: a long, narrow “poacher’s spade” that will slip out a sliver of plant in a heartbeat; a soil knife with a boxwood handle carved by an old friend; and the “Clawdia,” which fits snugly in the palm of your hand and looks exactly like it sounds, invaluable for scuffing through small weeds around new seedlings and breaking through a dried pudding skin of ground. Composed of a plastic grip that allows your fingers to wield a hand of curved metal spikes, it is nearly indestructible, but the wooden handles of the others could use a light sanding and rubbing with a rag dipped in linseed oil.

Another timely tool-related task is to see to the saw blades. I am loath to admit I share with our previous president an appreciation for the therapeutic benefits of brush-cutting. Through this dormant season I want implements sharp and clean for cutting back the redbud that’s getting too close to the house, thinning witch hazel trunks (sculpt a crape myrtle if you have one) and cutting up fallen trees and shrubs that lay along the creek bank.

I prefer a folding saw with a curved blade for pruning larger branches because it’s easier to fit in narrow angles and more maneuverable than a straight saw. Long-handled loppers are handy for smaller offshoots, hand shears for the little stuff. For saws, if the tips are broken or the blades dulled, buy new ones from the hardware store or garden center. If they’re dirty and stained from sap, give them a little alcohol rub and a squirt of WD40. Hand shear blades can be sharpened if you know what you’re doing and like to putter, or taken to Martin Hardware, which sends them on to a local sharpener.

DECEMBER IN THE GARDEN Inventory and tend tools. Cut back invasives. Plan spring beds.

If not brush along a waterside or woodland, you may have a problem with invasives like bittersweet, Japanese honeysuckle, multiflora rose, or English ivy. This is a much better time to rogue them out than when they’re threatening to strangle you in summer. Save herbicides for then when they’re actively growing and can suck that poison down. For now, cut and mow everything as close as possible.

As long as the ground’s not frozen you can dig out roots and pile on cardboard, newspaper and foot-thick organic mulches (wood chips, sawdust, stable straw, hardwood mulch, leaf-mold, compost) to prepare a planting bed for spring: shrubs and perennials, trees and groundcover, vegetables. Alternatively, you could keep it mowed on the same schedule as the turf. Or perhaps treat it as a meadow, cutting once each winter to allow wild-flowers to self-seed and keep the woodies down. You might be surprised at what comes up.
Whatever your heart’s desire. This is winter after all, the time for dreaming.—Cathy Clary

Cathy Clary is a gardening teacher and consultant; she tends ornamental beds and a kitchen and cutting garden at home in a hollow south of Charlottesville. Read more about her at hollowgarden.com, and e-mail her with questions at garden@c-ville.com.

 

TIPS FROM BETTER WORLD BETTY
Six ways to shop local
This season, Betty helps you think outside the gift box. Don’t fall into the Amazon trap; instead, give the gift of patronizing local businesses!

(Courtesy Red Rocker Candy)

1. Couch shoppers, head to a cool new online gift shop created by Kate Bennis, Redbud Gifts, which offers local gifts, goodies, and experiences as well as charitable giving opportunities. Purchase a massage or language class, or have a local filmmaker “make your movie.” Everything in the shop originates within 100 miles of Charlottesville. See redbudgifts.com.

2. Visit the Craftacular, a favorite venue of mine for unique hand-made gifts featuring local artists and designers, held this year at Cityspace on December 10 and 11, 10am-6pm.

3. Check out the great selection of upcycled clothing at Firefish Gallery, on Second St. NW just off the Mall.

4. Choose a book written by Virginia authors at Crozet’s Over the Moon Bookstore and Gallery or at one of the many used bookstores in town.

5. Support the local live-performance scene with tickets to a show at the Jefferson Theater, The Southern, The Paramount or Live Arts.

6. Bring your holiday host a fine Virginia wine, or Red Rocker Candy (I’m addicted) made in Troy.

Check out Better World Betty’s green living resource list at betterworldbetty.org and blog at http://cvillebetty.blogspot.com.

Meaningful mix
Pairing heirlooms with “modern flare”
When local graphic designer Stephanie Fishwick conceptualized how to decorate the living room of the charming cottage-style home she shares with her husband James, her initial thought was minimal, modern, and spare. But considering that she’s inherited beautiful antique furniture, she decided that incorporating all of their meaningful items made the space cozy and livable. “When it came down to practical living, the reality of what I actually owned, combined with realizing that it felt more cozy to have a layered look, meant going the more eclectic route,” said Fishwick.

Fishwick’s living room is anchored by a large white bookshelf, doubling as a room divider, that’s been artfully filled with books, music, figurines, photographs and other unique items the couple has collected. “I think we’ve both influenced each other,” Stephanie said. “I’ve chosen the color palette that I want, and decided where to place things. And he’s helped me come to appreciate things, like Oriental rugs and dark wood furniture, that feel more masculine.”

So there are both traditional and contemporary elements in this room: A modern gray rug with a triangle pattern rests below an antique round cherry coffee table. A vintage leather chair with nail head detailing is paired with a zebra print pillow and flanks an oversized modern cone lamp. “I definitely did not want an Ikea house!” said Stephanie. “That would be the death of our space. So I wanted it to feel weighted, sturdy and cozy.”

Stephanie’s favorite aspect of the room is the artwork. Each piece that hangs on the wall or leans on the mantel has meaning. There’s a framed anatomy drawing that the couple found in Paris, an oversized abstract painting she did last year, and a plethora of stunning watercolors, nude sketches and landscape paintings done by her grandmother. “I inherited my Grandmommy’s portfolio and she was a really accomplished painter and illustrator. So I’m blessed to have all her stuff, which I treasure.”

And don’t forget about the music. This audiophile couple with a massive vinyl collection oriented the room around the stereo. “Of course, the biggest thing that influenced how we arranged the room was based on finding the perfect place for the music to sound the best.”—Cate West Zahl

“Whenever I was placing things around the room, I didn’t want it to be too matchy matchy—which is the same way I approach my graphic design work. You want things to have classical rules and traditions, but at the same time incorporate modern flare.

“We both inherited a lot of beautiful antiques, and let’s face it: You can’t really help what you inherit! Some of the pieces are quite exquisite and something that we probably wouldn’t have been able to afford. That said, they aren’t what I would have necessarily chosen on my accord.

“There’s an orderly, artful display to the records and the books. We have a lot of books and music and it was hard to find a way to make it into something interesting that doesn’t involve just buying an Ikea shelf and throwing it all in there. There is some order to the chaos. I wanted the books to be horizontal and vertical, so that they felt like they were another aspect of the overall décor.

“The composition of a room is really important. One of the rules in typography is that there has to be a nice amount of space. Things have to be able to breathe and have air around them. The positioning of where the art is placed on the wall has to have enough margin around it, if you will. And I also don’t like things to be too even; there’s an ordered mess that I like.”

SECRET INGREDIENT
Turn up your collards
Warmth becomes a fond memory as December arrives, scattering the last of autumn’s dried leaves and pinching any remaining greenery with frost. Each colder night leaves fewer and fewer plants standing their ground, and the winter solstice (December 22 this year) offers just 9.5 hours of daylight! It takes a vegetable of substance to withstand plummeting temperatures and the threat of even less sunshine tomorrow. It takes dark, leafy greens.

(File photo)

True, veggies in the vast brassica family smell bad and taste worse when stored too long or cooked too quickly—perhaps the leftover Brussels sprouts are still in the back of your refrigerator from Thanksgiving? They’ll turn bitter with rough handling or high heat (see: boiled broccoli). Unfortunately for kales, mustards and collard greens, they withstand the rigors of transport and storage better than the rest of the brassicas and, as such, they may spend more time in the grocery store than you care to consider. The best advice is to embrace them early in their local season, and eat of them often.

The tenderest cooking greens re-appear at farmers’ markets in October, and continue to be available in excellent quality and quantity well into December. Some say that these greens taste the best “with a little frost on them,” deepening their flavor and adding some sweeter notes. Talented local farmers will protect and over-winter their final fall planting, then throw off the row cover in time to arrive at market in the spring with this year’s growth on last year’s plants. So these greens are there for the picking for three months each in the spring and the fall.

So what’s the problem with leafy greens? Nothing that some familiarity can’t remedy. Take the collard, for instance. The collard green is a Southern favorite, often simmered with some smoked pork (or bacon!) for hours on end, and then spiked with plenty of vinegar and hot sauce at the table.

Across many areas of the South, collards are traditionally consumed on New Year’s Day alongside black-eyed peas and cornbread, a delicious and symbolic trifecta. The cornbread represents gold in the coming year (maybe you only have a piece or two, but you’d certainly grab another if you could!) while the plentiful black-eyed peas are the coins that will rattle around in your pockets. The collard greens symbolize paper greenback (money used to be greener than it is now, incidentally), so the more you tuck in on the first of the year, the more you are likely to gather for the remainder of the year.

Not coincidentally, both of these dishes could be slowly simmered overnight atop an open fire or on a wood stove—and if you consider the amount of time spent at the stove in Days Gone By, it would be a holiday indeed if you could simply reheat and eat with your visitors all day long.

RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
Preparations for collards
According to Kathy Zentgraf of local food cart Greenie’s, collards can be sliced very thin and cooked on high heat with garlic, spicy red pepper flakes, and olive oil…but that’s for folks who embrace the rich, earthy flavor and toothsome quality of the collard itself. She also incorporates collards into her Greenie’s Root Vegetable Sammy (available at the City Market—just follow your nose to the smell of cooking garlic!). If all that on a Saturday morning sounds impossible—well, you’ll have to try it.

Beginners might also try adding collards to spinach in a favorite recipe (lasagna comes to mind), or including some ribbons of collards or kale in a hearty soup like Tuscan white bean or minestrone.

Like any other dark leafy green, collards can benefit from the addition of a sweet element, especially if the intended audience has not yet been converted to our winter wonders. The simplest addition is honey, or apple cider, or a sweet vinegar like balsamic or sherry; Sicilian cuisine will often feature dried fruit like raisins, cherries or prunes rehydrated with wine and cooked alongside onions in savory dishes.

Then too, a spicy component can also be welcome in your collard greens, from very simple (crushed red pepper or hot sauce) to the ever-delicious smoked and spiced pork products like chorizo, andouille and kielbasa.—Lisa Reeder

Our kitchen columnist, Lisa Reeder, is an educator and advocate for local and regional food production in Central Virginia. She received chef’s training in New York and currently works in Farm Services and Distribution at the Local Food Hub.

RENTAL RESCUE
Hey, workaholic

After working late one evening, I realized how much time we truly spend at work. With the end of the semester drawing near and daylight savings time a distant memory, I find myself seeing more of my office than my home. As renters and homeowners alike, we spend a lot of effort and energy making our homes into comfortable havens from the rest of the world. If we put some of the same energy and effort into our office spaces, we could feel more comfortable and even inspired during those 40-plus hours a week in our home away from home.

Let’s face it. Most office buildings aren’t making the cover of Architectural Digest. When we think of work spaces, many of us think of white walls, industrial carpet, file cabinets, and a fluorescent lighting design that makes us all look like the “before” photos on makeover shows. It’s no wonder people take so many coffee breaks. Viewing your office space like a rental opens up great challenge and potential. With a few simple design tips and tricks, you can revive your nine-to-five in no time.

A hipper square
For many, office means cubicle. Although it’s a small space, you can still pack in a lot of style. Most cubicles include large fabric panels, typically in solid or neutral colors. While perfect for tacking up notes and photos, they leave much to be desired. Why not measure the panels and re-cover them with a bold and modern fabric from Les Fabriques or the Second Yard? Just a few thumbtacks or staples to secure the fabric to the panel and you’re in business.
Take the same approach to an ordinary cork board. With a few staples, cover the cork surface with some wrapping paper from one of our great stationery stores. View your flat surfaces and cabinetry like blank canvases. Peel-and-stick vinyl wall decals are a great way to break up a sea of gray laminate.

If you’re really on a budget, create a plaid pattern out of different colors and widths of painter’s tape. Work off the colors you’re given to create a fun color scheme. If your cubicle is gray, add in elements of mustard yellow for a chic and modern look.

The extras
In the same way we accessorize our homes, we should accessorize our office spaces. From paper to files to supplies, our offices have a tendency to get easily cluttered, so you want to keep your accessories purposeful. No one needs 12 ceramic cats on their desk. If your budget permits, swap out a few of the office basics to suit your personality. Pick up a vintage reproduction steel stapler from Rock Paper Scissors. Use cool vintage drinking glasses or barware to hold pencils, pens, and other office supplies.

When possible, ditch the migraine-inducing fluorescent overheads for a desk lamp, perhaps with a funky shade from Cha Cha’s. Framed images from an old calendar make instant, affordable artwork for your office space, adding needed detail to dull walls.

Missing a window? Bring in elements of the outdoors to add some calm—a small trickling fountain and easily maintained bamboo or fresh flowers can brighten the darkest interior space. A few personal photos in coordinating frames can bring a much needed sense of home to the workspace.

With a little imagination, you can take your office space from institutional to inspired in the time it would take you to make a coffee run. The best part? You can take it all with you the next time you’re promoted, or demoted. Well, let’s just say promoted.—Ed Warwick

Before joining the ABODE team, Ed Warwick was the author of “Simply Cville,” a blog about D.I.Y. design, entertaining, and home improvement projects. A UVA grad, Ed currently works as the Coordinator of LGBT Student Services under the University’s Dean of Students.

TOOLBOX
In the snow
Cleaning up after a snowstorm can be an adventure in exertion. The right tools, and some foresight, will save you energy for sledding.

If a heavy snowfall is predicted, gather snow-clearing tools beforehand (stores sell out quickly after a snowstorm). Next, put a piece of cardboard or plastic sheeting over your windshield. Applying an anti-icing agent or de-icer will also save you some work in the morning (Warning: they tend to be rough on the planet).

When it’s time to dig out your car to go on a hot cocoa run, shovel out the areas around the wheels and driver side first. Quality is key when choosing a shovel. The handle should be made from maple or ash; the shovel itself should be a strong, slightly flexible plastic composite or metal. The point of attachment should show good workmanship: not merely glued on or pinched in place.

Once you’ve gotten the tires clear, switch to a broom. Nylon or other synthetic bristles are best for snow removal because they will not absorb moisture or swell like a natural straw broom, and they won’t scratch your car’s finish. Sweep off the roof, hood and taillights of your vehicle. If you were able to think ahead, the sheet of cardboard on your windshield should come right off along with snow and ice. Otherwise, it’s time for the hand scraper.
Your trusty broom should do the trick on steps and walkways, unless the white stuff is wet and dense.

If you’ve got a long pathway, or just like power tools, a snow blower/snow thrower is for you. Gas-fueled and loud, they’ll take care of that uncomfortably muffled silence after a fresh snowfall. If the blower/thrower gets jammed, you must turn the mechanism off completely before attempting to unclog. Use a broomstick (that broom really is useful) or a plastic tool made specifically for breaking up jammed snow clumps.

Finally, don’t let all of your hard work go to waste. A generous sprinkling of salt (I use Kosher salt) and maybe some sand, kitty litter or ash for grit will keep your walkways clear and safe—at least until the next blizzard.—Christy Baker

Christy Baker is a local Jane-of-all-trades. Whether it’s fixing furniture, building a chicken coop or maintain-ing her roller skates, this creative mom of two al- ways keeps a toolbox (or at least some duct tape) handy.