Author: c-ville-abode

Ashley Hightower is nothing if not driven. She’s got her own catering business, Dinner at Home; she and her boyfriend, Carter East, just started a second business as in-home personal trainers, Fitness at Home; and they’re both dedicated athletes who log miles running and biking.

In their spotless house off Avon Street, where Hightower’s lived for two years, the kitchen is quite an ordinary space but, she says, plenty serviceable for an off-duty cooking pro. “For a small kitchen it has a good layout,” she says. “It works well; I’m used to it. It’s also easy to clean.” Near the tightly drawn work area is a small table looking out through glass doors to a deck and a classic Albemarle view.

Inside, it’s function first. “I’m not a gadget person,” says Hightower, who nonetheless confesses love for her Cuisinart, immersion blender (“Carter’s been making his weight-gainer thing with it”) and convection oven (“It roasts potatoes better than my oven”). And, she says, “I have a lot of bowls. And sheet pans.”

Knives are lined up on a magnet strip on the wall. “My sister came and was like, ‘All right, that’s scary,’” she says. Of course that’s how the pros do it, but Hightower can work her magic in all kinds of kitchens—whatever her clients happen to have. “Sometimes you show up and it’s the greatest thing. On the other hand I’ve worked in kitchens that are like a galley.” Having no gas stove at home isn’t her first choice, but being flexible on the job prepares her to make the best of what she finds.

So what do the pair eat at home? Says Hightower, their meals are influenced by her travels in Italy, where “everything was so simple.”—Erika Howsare

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“I want to be a good cook with natural stuff. Have a bigger garden [and cook] whatever I can pull out of the garden or get at the market. I read [Barbara Kingsolver’s local-food bestseller] Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and was like, ‘O.K., we have to do this.’

“We had a [CSA] share from Roundabout Farm. [I’d say] ‘We have to use this Savoy cabbage. I may not feel like cabbage, you may not feel like it, but we’re having fried rice and cabbage.’ The food starts to dictate the meals. But I found some great recipes. When we had eggplant I’d grill all of it; tonight we’ll have it with pasta and cheese, next night we’ll have it with something Asian. Now that [the season] is over I’m like, ‘No, no, I’ll have to go back to the other way [buying food at grocery stores].

“We sure get a lot done in this kitchen. Carter’s boss gave us a basket of tomatoes and we ended up canning them. We had tomatoes covering countertops and jars everywhere. It’s a little bit of a hassle but it’ll be so exciting to open a jar in the middle of winter.

“[Carter’s way of eating] is the carb/protein/vegetable balance for the athlete. He’s so regimented with this amount of protein, this amount of carbs…I’d be like, ‘I had a long ride but I just want salad and lots of bread.’

“It’s frustrating to have a bunch of food for someone else’s party and then one little corner—‘There’s our beet greens!’ One day this refrigerator is totally stuffed, the next day it’s empty. There’s weeks where I cook dinner every night and weeks where I make scrambled eggs and toast. You clean as you go; by the time dinner’s ready, there are only two plates to be washed.”

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.

 

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

 

From start to finish

Question for Tim Swetman from Swetman’s Amish Furniture & Gifts: When choosing among finishes for wood furniture, how do you test them out before making a commitment?

Answer: It’s tough to tell from the can whether your finish of choice will look lovely or lousy on your wood furniture. Unfortunately, according to Tim Swetman, who carries some unfinished furniture at his store along with many finished pieces, once you start applying a finish, there’s no turning back. “It’s not possible to just cover over previous finishes,” he says —especially if you start out with a dark stain but decide you want to go lighter. Unlike paint, stains—though they change the color and shine of a piece of wood furniture—don’t do much to hide what’s underneath, making indecision costly.

How do you decide on a finish? Tim Swetman advises secret experimentation.

Rather than wantonly attacking your tabletop with brush and varnish, Swetman suggests a wilier, more underhanded approach—literally. “You would want to apply it on a hidden or less exposed area,” he says. While exposed, outside slip-ups are tough to correct, Swetman suggests that picking a less visible section of your furniture, such as the back or bottom of a shelf, will allow you to test out different finish options without having to worry about splotchy mistakes. Once you’ve got your secret spot, Swetman says “go ahead and experiment” to find just the right finish before applying it to the rest of your piece.—Lucy Zhou

 

Space with a purpose

Incorporating bunk-beds into a dining room wall to save space in a holiday home? Sounds tacky, but Small Homes by Carles Broto demonstrates how to maintain charm while making use of every bit of space. Peek inside the life of a family who utilizes the ultrasimple ladder, staircases being too bulky. Then there’s the jumbo lego block in Juelsmand, Denmark, actually a vacation home limited in square meters, but packed with ingenious design features.—Suzanne van der Eijk

What a dish

A grouping of mini Japanese dishes from Artifacts brings a clean but eclectic look to your coffee table, windowsill or bookshelf. Or, if you like, pick one favorite and bring home a matched set of several. We’d go for the “splash” version—you?

 

Marooned under marshmallows

A holiday table seems one-dimensional without the rich orange of ipomoea batatas, referring to both yams (moist and dense, distinct skin) and sweet potatoes (dryer and mealier, monochromatic inside and out). When properly prepared, these tubers don’t need the sickly sweet marshmallow cloak to be festive—instead simply season them sweet or savory and accentuate the flavor with apple cider, crème fraiche and nut oils.
 

At home, sweet potatoes and yams should be used within a few days of purchase and kept in a cool, airy spot that is NOT refrigerated.

While not related at all to potatoes (but rather to morning glory, as the sprawling growth habit and purple, heart-shaped leaves suggest), these sweets are native to the tropical Americas and thrive especially in Southern areas with long, sunny summers. They tend to be difficult to grow and store, as they require a curing period before putting them to bed for the winter.  At home, they should be used within a few days of purchase and kept in a cool, airy spot that is NOT refrigerated. With some practice, sweet potatoes are surprisingly versatile and can be boiled and beaten, layered into a gratin, fried into fries, roasted as wedges, crafted into casserole, pushed into a pie tin, and (of course) served with a bird.—Lisa Reeder

Contain yourself

The season of leftovers is upon us! Renovate your freezer and refrigerator by culling out your old condiments and ditching the mystery items; in plasticland, match tops with bottoms and recycle the orphans (or keep them around for segmenting your produce section). Aside from the startling news about leaching plastics, having a serviceable set of food storage containers will make cooking (and cleaning up) more fun.

Nesting glass containers are ideal for freezer storage—and leach-free.

In general, Pyrex and ceramic sets are terrific for cooking purposes (both baking and stovetop) and double as fridge vessels, but are not ideal for freezer storage because they are not transparent. Keep your eyes open for sets at yard sales and thrift stores and church functions—or ask older family members if they would like to pass down their Corningware set! For cold storage (freezer and refrigerator both) choose rectangular nesting glass containers with interchangeable plastic lids. If you are serious about food storage, keep a marker and masking tape in your kitchen and label like the professionals—don’t forget the date.—L.R.

 

Death in the garden

If life draws us into the garden, death—not to be too dramatic about it—waits there too. That’s part of the gardener’s education. Take leaves, for instance.

As the great Brit Graham Stewart Thomas wrote, with admirable English restraint, “If you garden hand in hand with leaves—either green and growing or brown and decaying—you will find gardening much easier.”
 

November in the garden Shred or mow leaves. Recycle plants. Bye-bye, Bambi.

Blazing autumn colors reflect exposed sugars and carbs that leaves were producing all summer under their cloak of chlorophyll. When they fall, bacteria and fungi break it all back down into basic nutrients of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium (the iconic N-P-K you see on fertilizer bags) that complete the cycle by replenishing the plants that produced them.

Decaying organic matter, whether “hot” compost cooking in layers with bacteria and nitrogen from manures, grass clippings and a sprinkling of top soil, or a “cold” leaf pile moldering along with only fungi, is a genuine magic elixir for the garden: life into death into life. It nourishes soils and roots, breaks up heavy clay for better drainage and tilth and has nothing to do with petroleum. What’s not to like?

It’s all about compost. As the great Brit Graham Stewart Thomas wrote, “If you garden hand in hand with leaves—either green and growing or brown and decaying—you will find gardening much easier.”

You can buy compost or just make it yourself. Panorama Farms in Earlysville has used City of Charlottesville leaves for quite a few years, mixing them with turkey litter as the basis of their legendary Panorama Paydirt compost, but as long as you have a bit of ground and some growing things, you can recycle spent plants back into the ground. Make a bin from straw bales or wooden packing palettes. In smaller spaces, use stacks of plastic trays or barrels with a crank turner to suck up kitchen waste like eggshells and coffee grounds. Chop up larger stalks before you add them to speed up decomposition and turn it all frequently for good air circulation. Contact the Extension Agency (vtpp.ext.vt.edu or 872-4580) for their handy how-to compost handouts.

Some people tuck away free-standing cylinders of chicken wire in the back of beds to fill with fall clean-up litter: leaves, weeds not gone to seed, small twigs, etc. It begins to decay over winter and you can spread it out as nourishing mulch when you wake the beds in the spring.

If you’re overwhelmed with heavy oak leaves, consider mowing them into bits or shredding with a rented leaf shredder to reduce their bulk. If they don’t smother the grass, leave them on the lawn to feed the soil.

Keep as much as you can from the garden and import as little as you must. If you do purchase fertilizer, look for organic products instead of petroleum-based chemicals.

After a couple of decades here in the hollow, I’m getting serious about growing vegetables, and that means dealing with the deer. The pressure of the herd has steadily increased over the years to the point where a few strands of wire at knee length and an energetic Jack Russell (they make their peace eventually) just don’t cut it. A friend in Crozet has a special permit to shoot deer that threaten crops, but that’s a bit more death in the garden than I care to deal with.

Ten-foot-tall plastic netting is affordable and works well in woodland gardens where it blends in with trees, but out in the open it’s not particularly attractive and our two small vegetable beds are very prominent, flanking the main path into the larger ornamental garden. So with aesthetics and practicality firmly in mind, the search for the perfect deer fence begins. The winner announced next month.—Cathy Clary

Reptile rex

Called by turns “mother-in-laws’ tongue” or “snake plant” for its slim, sharp-pointed, vertically-growing leaves, this herbaceous perennial is a lot nicer than either of its names suggest. For one thing, it reduces indoor air pollution by absorbing poisonous air-borne substances. 

Snake plants don’t want too much agua.

The sansevieria (official name) needs only infrequent watering (fortnightly) because it holds a lot of water in its leaves, adding to their toughness in the face of neglect. If overwatered, it has a tendency to rot and attract bugs.

Choose from ‘Hahnii’ or ‘Golden Hahnii’ varieties for small settings like 6" pots, or the larger ‘Laurentii’ as a stand-alone specimen. Favorite soil: three parts loam, one part sand.—Lily Robertson

 

Let’s go do the hop

If you’re itching to fulfill your cultural quota, now’s your chance to bounce through the local studio scene and score some tasty bites to boot: November 15 and 16, 10am-5pm, the Artisans Studio Tour returns for its 14th year of crafts and snacks.

Offering tourgoers the chance to see artisans at work in their natural habitat, the tour features 17 studios paired with local food vendors like C&O Restaurant and Breadworks. Laurie Duxbury, a participating artisan who works with textiles, describes the tour as an opportunity to get an insider’s glimpse of the creation process, and to fully appreciate what it is you’re getting when you purchase a piece. “We love to share what we do,” she says. She invites tourgoers to talk to the artisans and find out about the raw materials and design considerations that go into their work—from handmade furniture and instruments to jewelry to stoneware.

Artisans like Nancy Ross will open their doors for a weekend of chatting, browsing and buying.

Studios will offer demos and chances to both buy and commission work—but bring that checkbook, since some don’t accept credit cards. Check out a map and schedule at artisancenterofvirginia.org.—Lucy Zhou

A little friendly advice

“Some people just need their own ideas backed up,” says Kenny Ball. You might think that you’d be in for withering criticism if you hired a noted interior-design guy like Ball—who’s owned Kenny Ball Antiques for more than 20 years—to cast his eye on your own house. But in fact he and his partner in Kenny Ball Designs, Kathleen Blick, describe what they do as more of a romp through your room, your attic, or both. “It’s amazing what people hoard in their closets,” Ball says.

Usually, Ball and Blick will spend two or three hours with each client (at $100 per hour), rearranging a room and sometimes adding pieces from other parts of the house, but they’re up for more far-reaching projects too: sourcing furniture and fabrics or making lists of items a client could buy. “We don’t want people to live in a stage set,” says Blick, who likes finding family heirlooms and personal stuff, stashed out of sight by design-shy homeowners, and bringing them into a room to be enjoyed.

Bring your own brocade: Kenny Ball and Kathleen Blick will dish on your digs.

The two of them are an energetic pair, finishing each other’s sentences. “We have this great working energy together; we bounce ideas off each other,” Ball says. “People really want Kenny’s opinion,” adds Blick.—Erika Howsare

Back in time is back

Why does ABODE care that the National Museum of American History—part of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington—is reopening after a massive two-year renovation on November 21? Well, for one thing, we always like to see newly spiffed-up buildings, whether they house local families or national treasures. For another thing, the museum’s collections include lots of things any interior-design enthusiast would covet, from Tiffany lamps to high-concept salt shakers.

Complete with tablecloth, Julia Child’s kitchen soon goes back on display.

And then, too, there’s Julia Child’s kitchen. Donated as a whole in 2001, the famed chef’s kitchen—complete with the oven that could handle two 25-pound turkeys at once—was formerly in Cambridge, Massachusetts before it was moved to the museum to be drooled over by visitors. Wondering how to organize your knives? The answer is, “Like Julia did.” Check out americanhistory.si.edu for more.—E.H.

A funny thing happened on the way to the forum

When I say we were construction newbies at the time we bought our house, what I mean is that we owned a 1970s-era homebuilding manual, had our dads on speed-dial, and (in my case) had used a hammer while hanging picture frames. My husband had a bit more experience than I, but was still essentially learning as he went. He is, however, a very savvy Internet user, and thus he quickly found himself enmeshed in several online forums dedicated to various home-repair subjects.

First there was the tiling forum at johnbridge.com. Here we picked up some new vocabulary words—deflection and Ditra, bricksand and underlayment—which came to define several weeks of our life as we framed a bathroom floor, laid it with natural stone, and tiled the shower surround. The tiling folks, he found, were responsive, friendly and invariably helpful.

The plumbers weighed in on the drain pipes and the tilers walked us through the floor frame.

And then there was the plumbing forum. We needed advice on running supply lines to the new bathroom, reconfiguring drains and a host of smaller questions. And we did get information at plumbingforum.com, but it came with frequent and frustrating admonitions to just hire a professional plumber already. (Why a bunch of plumbers were glued to their computers all day remains another mystery, but it’s fair to say we owe them our properly-functioning toilet drain.)

We also got roofing advice at contractortalk.com, and—once we were a little more settled in—firewood advice at arboristsite.com. There’s a forum for everything; just like when taking advice from a neighbor leaning over your fence, it’s all a matter of believing the right bits.—Spackled Egg

What’s on your browser?

This month’s surfer: Architect Fred Wolf

What’s on his browser: trendir.com

What it is: A revolving collection of new home products as they hit the market, from faucets to tiles to windows—essentially, it’s idea central.

 

Fred Wolf

Why he likes it: “It’s a cool place to go and see different things coming out,” says Wolf. “Some of it’s really nice and some of it’s appalling. You can see things other than what you might see if you walked into Lowe’s or Ferguson’s.”

 

We’ve long admired this house on JPA—it’s an island of tranquillity on its well-traveled corner. It’s not just the stone construction and cottage profile that make it so romantic; it’s the exuberant garden that surrounds the house and pushes back against the JPA traffic. A small bridge over a stream, gravel walks, flowering things galore …proof positive that a less-than-secluded site can still be a retreat.