I remember when I used to hit the gym, but after some time away, it felt like the gym hit me. Undergoing several significant life changes put a pause in my fitness routine. In fact, I struggled to find a sense of routine in general. It didn’t help that my children, who truly are two of my life’s greatest joys, happened to be the world’s worst sleepers: it was three full years before I slept every night of the week without waking. A lack of sleep combined with a reliance on caffeine and quick meals resulted in my gaining back every pound of baby weight. It was clear that I had to make a change.

After resuming steady sleep and ditching the drive-thru, I found my way back to the gym. Some days I’d run, other days I’d use weight machines—every day felt random. I was certainly more active, but I was lost on how to proceed. Pinterest boards and YouTube videos provided plenty of ideas, but they didn’t provide direction.

You should get a personal trainer, I told myself, but I worried about the expense. Plus, what could a trainer do for me that I couldn’t already do for myself? Still, I figured I could sign up for a few sessions and the quick results would be motivation enough to move forward independently. It took my willingness to head into personal training with a positive attitude and a true commitment to my workouts for me to dispel my previous misconceptions.

Misconception #1:Trainers are tough.

Truth: Not all personal trainers are drill sergeants. “A lot of people think that personal trainers are mean and just out to get people,” states Gentry Washburn, manager of Cornerstone Fitness.

Ben Crosswhite of Crosswhite Fitness agrees: “The biggest misconception with our group is that we are going to put them through a rigorous workout the first day.” Randi Abell, Association Director of Community Health for the YMCA of Central Virginia, added that “if you want to be yelled at, you can find someone to do that, but if you want someone who will be more reserved and gentle, there are personal trainers out there to meet those needs.”

Misconception #2: A personal trainer won’t make that much of a difference.

Truth: What I needed most was some direction, some accountability, and some reachable goals, and I’ve gotten this from my sessions.

Washburn points out that a trainer can help you get into a daily fitness routine, learn exercises safely, and challenge you both mentally and physically. Abell adds that a good personal trainer can assist clients in setting realistic goals and develop safe, effective, and fun programs designed to help you meet those objectives.

Working with a trainer has given me a better understanding of how to (safely) add difficulty to my workouts; on the other hand, I now know how to ease back into things if I’ve been out with the flu for a week. Aside from said flu, since I’m paying for these sessions, I want a return on my investment. I show up and do the work. And because I’m goal-driven and a bit competitive, I want to see myself perform five more reps, push through to that final set, or even hold a plank for ten seconds longer than I did before.

Misconception #3: Once I start working with my trainer, I’ll instantly see results.

Truth: I’d heard stories about fast-track changes, so I thought that once I started a training program that I, too, would see changes sooner rather than later—but that wasn’t the case.

It turned out that I needed to complete the exact program my trainer developed for me several times a week in order to see any progress.

Trainer Scott Whipple offers these encouraging words: “You SHOULD NOT be frustrated if you don’t progress at the same rate as your neighbor. If you stay consistent with your workouts, your body will change.” Crosswhite agrees that training isn’t just a quick fix. He also points out that you will probably lose inches before you see a smaller number on the scale. “There are a lot of factors to losing weight and getting into better shape.”

Misconception #4: Personal trainers are expensive.

Truth: Personal training services aren’t free, but they don’t have to break the bank.

Most fitness facilities in the greater Lynchburg area offer services in personal training and have trainers on staff. They offer different packages, usually in half-hour or one-hour sessions.

Abell points out that even an occasional session can make a difference in motivation and accountability when it comes to sticking with a routine.

Don’t just randomly sign up with a trainer. Ask questions like you would in any job interview: what’s their experience? Are they certified? Do they have a degree in a related field? Abell notes that many personal trainers specialize in a specific area and suggests that clients with specific needs request a trainer who focuses on that particular area.

Misconception #5: I’m in good shape. I don’t really need to work with a trainer.

Truth: Anybody can benefit from working with a trainer, but whether you need to work with one or not depends on your needs and desired outcomes.

In 20 years of training clients, Whipple says he’s come across a handful of reasons someone chooses to work with a trainer. Some common reasons include: “I know I won’t/can’t challenge myself working out alone,” “If I have a scheduled appointment, I know I have to go,” and “I need someone else to hold me accountable.” Washburn also hears many clients say that they’re looking for someone to push them past the point that they would push themselves, (or as Crosswhite puts it, clients who are looking to bring their fitness to the next level).

I’m much healthier and stronger than I was when I began working with my trainer several months ago. Sure, I’ve gone down a dress size, but I genuinely enjoy my workouts and even use equipment in a section of the gym I used to shy away from. I’d say I’ve made a few small achievements I can be proud of. Not only have I shed about 20 pounds, but I also shed my preconceived notions about the gym—and it all started with hiring a trainer.

In many ways, Emaleigh Blankenship is just like all 9-year-old girls: she’s in third grade, she loves music, and she takes her dog out for walks. And like many other young girls, Emaleigh has a problem with people who stare, a sentiment that stemmed from her frustration with strangers staring at her through the years.

Her mother, Adrienne Blankenship, shares that same frustration and adds that “don’t stare, just ask” has become Emaleigh’s signature catchphrase. As Adrienne reminds us, “We’re all different in our own way; some you can see, and some you can’t.”

You see, it’s more than her golden hair and sparkling blue eyes that make Emaleigh stand out from the crowd—she has an extremely rare progressive overgrowth disorder known as CLOVES Syndrome.

Children who have CLOVES often have fatty tissue masses on their torsos, asymmetric growth, dilated veins, scoliosis or a tethered spinal cord, and other physical issues. In Emaleigh’s case, her thin, muscular upper body contrasts her feet and legs, which contain more fatty tissue. The syndrome occurs in utero when a part of a developing cell mutates, thus causing the cells in that specific body part to grow rapidly.

In 2009, Adrienne was pregnant with twins and attending prenatal checkups. She and her husband, Christopher, learned something wasn’t right with Emaleigh’s feet at the 18-week ultrasound. While twin brother Michael was unaffected, Emaleigh’s other symptoms emerged when the twins were born at 28 weeks. Initially, the Blankenshipsʼ medical team at UVA thought Emaleigh might have Proteus Syndrome, but after scouring the internet for conditions with similar symptoms, the family reached out to Boston Children’s Hospital (where CLOVES was first discovered). They headed to Boston that spring, and Emaleigh was officially diagnosed with CLOVES.

It wasn’t long before the bones in Emaleigh’s feet grew uncontrollably, necessitating several foot surgeries (including toe amputations at the tender age of 2). Because Emaleigh’s feet are two radically different sizes, it’s difficult to find shoes that both match and fit. Adrienne and Christopher have had to develop creative solutions for Emaleigh’s footwear; in the past, they’d use heat to stretch out different pairs of Crocs.

Right after her surgeries, Emaleigh was diagnosed with Wilms’ tumor, a rare kidney cancer that affects children and is more common in children with overgrowth syndromes. After four months of chemotherapy, doctors saw that one of the kidneys wasn’t responding to the treatment, which ultimately determined the need for a nephrectomy (kidney removal).

“We say remission right now because the cancer’s not active,” Adrienne clarifies. “It’s kind of a hold your breath and see what happens—which is what we have done with CLOVES Syndrome anyway. It never ends. You may be done with chemo, but you always have secondary effects, or you have late effects from chemo. This is a progressive syndrome—we manage symptoms as they arise with the knowledge that her legs will grow uncontrollably.”

With two working parents, two kids, three pets and extensive travel back and forth to Charlottesville, Cincinnati, and Boston for medical appointments and treatments, calling the Blankenship family busy is an extreme understatement. Still, they try to find the joy in their frequent trips north. For example, after growing weary of hotel stays, they purchased a camper to make a routine visit feel like more of a road trip experience. When time allows, they travel to other attractions along the way to break up the monotony.

Over the course of time, the family has had to adjust their lifestyle, but Adrienne explains that they each find strength in one another. “Over the years, we’ve just had to step back, refocus our priorities, and regroup as a family unit and know that our support is right here.”
She adds that Michael is a great support to his twin sister and has taken on the big brother role. “He knows it’s his job to help stand up for his sister!” she says.

As far as the future and prognosis, Adrienne says there just isn’t enough information yet. With that in mind, the Blankenships are on a mission to raise awareness. When the family first heard of CLOVES, there was very little information available. Fueled by their desire to provide other parents of CLOVES patients with access to better information and to help raise money for the costly travel and lodging to and from the Boston Children’s Hospital, the Blankenships set up “The CLOVES Foundation,” a nonprofit focused on improving the lives of CLOVES patients by funding Overgrowth and Vascular Anomaly research. The foundation is committed to raising public awareness, providing member resources, and establishing support networks within the medical and overgrowth communities.

Adrienne and Christopher are considering Emaleigh’s possible participation in a clinical trial for a new oral medication. If successful,
the medicine could reduce the fatty overgrowth and potentially eliminate the need for future surgeries. In order to take part, Emaleigh will need to make monthly visits to the hospital in Boston, causing her to miss Thursdays and Fridays from school every week for months on end.

The trial will also require regular bloodwork, MRIs, and other examinations, not to mention concerns about potential side effects from the new drug. To help reduce the need for regular travel and the number of school absences, Emaleigh’s doctor at UVA has offered to carry out the necessary testing and is currently reaching out to the medical team in Boston for approval.

Without a cure in sight, future surgeries will be required to maintain Emaleigh’s quality of life. “We really are trying to make sure that some of these decisions are hers … the things that aren’t life-threatening. We don’t want to push her in any direction,” Adrienne says. In the meantime, she has a simple request from the community—stop staring. “Having a daughter and knowing that her life is going to be harder—I just want people to be kind. We’re all working to overcome something.”

Learn more at CLOVESFOUNDATION.ORG.

Vintage Meets Modern in “The Christmas Elf’s” Colorful Home

By Charlotte A. F. Farley | photos by Heather Kidd

On a quiet street in a secluded Boonsboro neighborhood, a white center-hall Colonial with black shutters presents the perfect background for colorful Christmas decorations. Blue lights drape over tree branches and Kelly Green bows wrap the light pole and add the final touch to an evergreen wreath.

These fun escapes from traditional red and green have appeared throughout Carter Bendall’s home ever since she and her husband Richard purchased it nearly four years ago. “We have retouched every single surface,” she explains. The Bendalls have created a lively, traditional, and comfortable home for themselves and their daughter, Lawson, and Carter creates especially memorable scenery for the holidays.

Contemporary geometric wallpaper serves as the backdrop for treasured antiques in the front hallway. A hot pink Christmas tree bedecked in silver bells lives atop a small antique half-moon console, and an otherwise traditional swag cloaks the banister, filled with ornaments in shades of cobalt, fuchsia, red, and robin’s egg blue.

In this space, and throughout her home, Carter combines her passion for all things vintage with her love for color and pattern—and it works. Carter painted her living room a cheery shade of robin’s egg blue and hung sunny coral draperies on the window. “When my mother helped me with this room, she said that her mother—and this would have been in the 60s—did the same exact colors,” Carter admits.

Carter added some charm to the space through the purchase of her faux mantelpiece.

“Because this house was built in the 1990s, there wasn’t any architectural interest, so we went to an antique mall in Staunton and picked up this bad boy, and we have scraped [off] I cannot tell you how many layers of paint.”

A vivid garland of magenta and tangerine glass balls sprawls across the mantel—another juxtaposition of vintage meets modern. Three stockings hang from the fireplace: one for Carter, one for her husband Richard, and one for their daughter Lawson. A thin white tabletop tree provides the perfect perch for faux peacocks, canaries, and cardinals that add whimsy and color. In the corner, pink, teal, and red accessories enliven a full-sized white tree, and a few oversized ornaments dress up the window.

Across the hall from the living room, a dining room with saffron-colored walls transforms into what the Bendalls jokingly refer to as “the forest” thanks to Carter’s tasteful displays filled with her bottlebrush tree collection. She’s been gathering them for years. “Whenever I see them, I buy them. Half are vintage, and half are from what I find at Target.”

One vignette serves as a centerpiece; another dwells on the sideboard. The myriad bottlebrush trees range in hue from traditional green to gold, pink, and teal, and some are even snowy, frosted trees with miniature decorations. Two small Christmas trees top the china cabinet, which also receives the holiday treatment—Carter fills pieces of silver, porcelain, and crystal with small decorative baubles. Additional ornaments dangle from the chandelier and sconces.

Enter through the kitchen and you’ll notice a series of Virginia landscapes that Carter found at the annual Lynchburg Art Festival. Even this room finds itself dressed for the holidays as Carter places a few mini trees on the island.

Carter incorporates more traditional Christmas décor in the den. Presents sit under a tall, full green tree adorned in silver, gold, and pinecones. The theme carries over onto the mantel’s pinecone trees and lush garland. “We live in here, and this is where Santa comes,” Carter points out. A complete nutcracker army lines the top shelf of built-in bookcases, remnants from when Carter’s mother owned a flower shop. “She sold Christmas decorations, too,” Carter explains. “That’s one way I got into it—I would go with my mom to market in Atlanta and help her pick out ornaments.”

As she recalls, it all started with those ornaments. “I remember being dragged in and out of antique stores, and my mother found a way to get me excited about [those shopping trips] when she noticed that I seemed to like Christmas ornaments, so I started collecting them as a kid. From about third grade on, I did all of our Christmas decorations in our house—I’d decorate the tree, I’d do the mantel, and I just loved it.”

Carter truly has a lifetime of experience in holiday decorating, which is evident through her tasteful displays and careful consideration of placement, color, and overall design. Even though she has a huge bounty of decorations stored in the garage, the decor doesn’t feel like it’s too much—
it all reads vibrant and happy. In fact, she’s developed such an excellent reputation for holiday decorating that others have asked her for help.

As “The Christmas Elf,” Carter helps people decorate their homes for the holidays.

“I just love doing it. I do their trees, I do their mantel, I do their tables,” she explains.

She’s even been asked to shop for extra decorations, which she loves doing. From estate sales to Target and every place in between, Carter shops around. One of her favorite places to find treasures, however, is a locally-owned shop. “My buddy Troy Deacon owns High Cotton, and he’s always got cute things in there,” she says. Whether hanging greens or browsing for centerpiece items, Carter offers a complete service, including “un-decorating.” “I take it all down, put it up in the attic, and they’re done with it!”

In her own home, Carter begins decorating on Black Friday and finishes within a week—and she points out “that’s not full-time!”(Carter works part-time as a nurse.)
She admits that by the time Christmas comes, she’s “pretty much done with it,” so she begins disassembling the décor the day after Christmas, explaining that her grandmother was always superstitious about getting it down by the New Year. “That is always my target, to get it down by New Years,” she says.

It’s no easy task when you consider that she also has various themed trees throughout the house. The guest room contains a souvenir tree; another room showcases a UVA tree (Carter’s an alumna). A frog tree and a paper mâché angel tree make appearances, too.

Upstairs, even Lawson’s bathroom has a themed tree: Lilly Pulitzer ornaments float beside the theme du jour, which is whatever Lawson’s interests are at the time. “I’ve got a couple of themes I kind of rotate through but Lawson’s tree is always the same and has plush ornaments, and I just like to mix things up,” Carter says.

Following in her mother’s footsteps, Lawson decorates her room’s tree herself, choosing plush ornaments. “Lawson does her tree because all of the decorations are plush, so she can get in there, and she’ll do what she can reach!” Carter laughs. Even the nativity set in her room is plush. The room is absolutely charming, with two reupholstered twin beds (a find from a Langhorne Road estate sale) and a yellow floral rug reminiscent of Scandinavian folk patterns, which is another memento from her mother’s store. “I love to antique, I love to go to junk stores. I remember being dragged, and my poor daughter gets dragged now!” she says with a smile. Like her mother, Carter has found a way to engage her daughter’s interest while out on “hunting” trips. “Lawson loves snow globes,” she says, “She’s gotten into that. That’s kind of her contribution into things.”

Carter calls herself “The Christmas Elf,” and she couldn’t have chosen a more appropriate name. It takes an elf of sorts—or a figure with magical powers—to set such a scene for memory making, and Carter has done that very thing so well as she has embraced traditions, found ways to make them her own, and passed that love down along the way.

An Eclectic Bedford Home

By Charlotte Farley photos by Heather Kidd

Before Patrick Ellis and Mitchell Bond bought their home in downtown Bedford, they had visions of living a more simplified and creative life that might tie in their seminary education. “We referred to it as ‘moving to Kansas’,” jokes Mitchell.

It all clicked during a Christmas visit to Montvale.

“We said, ‘Well, maybe this could be Kansas’,” recalls Mitchell, a Bedford native. After years of living and working in D.C. (Mitchell was a higher education administrator and Patrick was an educator), the two made the move to Bedford with the idea of purchasing a frame shop in town and also using it to hold artist retreats.

Their plan took a different course when Mitchell and Patrick announced their plans to show local art. “Folks showed up out of the woodwork,” Mitchell explains. They purchased a larger building on Court Street in order to support the needs and interests of the growing Bedford creative community. Goose Creek Studio—their custom framing business—emphasizes work by area artists and houses artists’ workshops.

One could argue that their Victorian house is a gallery, too: more than 425 pieces of artwork hang from walls and shutters or sit on shelves and sills. Nearly every door finds itself adorned with art.

“To be honest, we’ve traded, bartered, or acquired most of what you see in here,” Mitchell points out. He and Patrick have personal connections to the artists and artisans behind each piece; Mitchell says it’s like “being surrounded by your friends.”

They are surrounded by friends here indeed, both in the flesh and by way of their original visual representations. Many attribute the creation of the Bedford Artisan Trail to Patrick and Mitchell. However, Mitchell indicates that the art and the creators were present long before he returned to his hometown.

“We just brought a little organization and a little butt-kicking to the process to get people talking to each other and working together. Everything we do mission-wise, through the house and through the shop, is to get these folks together and make connections, so yes, we were part of the instigation for the artisan trail, but we didn’t build it; it was already here.”

At home, Patrick and Mitchell have a dedicated gallery for hosting select shows. A quiet, light-filled space that overlooks a garden, the walls are filled with their personal collection of artwork when not featuring art for a special show. “It’s all art that’s kind of at the intersection of faith and spirituality, and when we say spirituality we just don’t mean Christian,” Patrick says. Even the windows contribute to the chapel-like feel of this space—Patrick made the functional shutters in the shape of gothic church windows for that very reason. “We think all art has a spiritual component,” he explains.

The gallery neighbors the kitchen, a space that was used as a knitting classroom during one of the building’s former lives. Patrick and Mitchell transformed it into a functional kitchen by installing cabinets, countertops, a sink, and appliances. Form and function marry here, with pots suspended overhead for quick access and frequently used items occupying open shelves/shelving. The custom island features marble from Mitchell’s great aunt’s house, and Patrick built the rest of the island to go around it. A local artisan fashioned a settee from an old twin bed; the rest of the kitchen is furnished with yard sale finds and, of course, art. It’s not common to find so much artwork in a kitchen, but it’s also not out of place here since Patrick and Mitchell see walls as prime real estate—Patrick likes to joke that “the kitchen is really in need of a serious remodel, so we just hang lots of artwork on the wall so you don’t notice it!” One particularly eye-catching display includes a fun and quirky series of puns based on the Warhol soup cans made by George Wachob. Patrick points to one: “This is ‘vegetable beef,’ because the vegetables are fighting.”

While the property was otherwise move-in ready, another room on the main level underwent a different kind of transformation. Mitchell turned the sun-soaked dining room into his personal studio. “It didn’t make sense to have a dining room we never used when we both needed space to work,” Patrick points out. Here, Mitchell makes fused glass, stained glass, and mosaics. While they don’t walk around barefoot in this room, they do dine in here occasionally. The blue dining table was a gift from a customer; custom pottery by Nancy Blankenship serves as dinnerware. Paintings of their dogs (Simon, Luther, and Sidd) dress the doorway, and over the window hangs a board holding a series that depicts the O Antiphons, separated by washers to tie them together visually.

It is fitting to the property’s history that Patrick and Mitchell continue to conduct business there, through their studios, since it accommodated a series of businesses for more than 20 years. Patrick’s studio is adjacent to Mitchell’s. He possesses an undergraduate degree in art from the University of Georgia, and says his art has evolved over the years. “I was doing these studio things, and now I’m doing these constructions—found objects assemblages,” such as the totem poles flanking the Goose Creek parking lot. A prime piece in Patrick’s studio: a cabinet he built that features Mitchell’s mosaic work. Other works of art nod to different themes from religious literature: Adam and Eve are over a storage cabinet, and artist John Pfluger’s miniature animals live on a shelf under a verse from Genesis, done in graffiti art.

Step into the wide main hallway and find arched entryways, an original staircase, and a two-story foyer. Patrick confesses that one of the reasons he loves this house is because the foyer offers enough wall space for an oversized piece of artwork spread across three canvasses.

Upstairs is a cozy den and a warm, inviting guest room with eggplant-colored walls. “Our friend has a guest room she uses as a prayer room, and we wanted to create a space that was meditative,” says Patrick as he points out the hand-painted images of various saints. The end of the hallway leads to a room that a massage therapist used to rent back in the property’s more commercial days. “We joke that half of Bedford has been naked in this room!” Patrick laughs. Nowadays, it’s an eclectic, art-filled master bedroom complete with a full-length church pew and Mitchell’s collection of cookbooks (“I love to read cookbooks—better than a novel!” he admits).

The way out the back door reveals a lush garden comprised of perennials: rosemary, lavender, coneflowers, Russian sage, asters, butterfly weed, irises—all are at home here. Native stones from Montvale’s Goose Creek Valley and pottery from a friend provide added visual interest, with the back of the garden anchored by columns that once were part of the cupola at the Bedford County Courthouse. Patrick salvaged the columns during the cupola replacement. “They were put up there in 1946, and they were just going to throw them away,” he recalls. “I thought they were neat, just a cool little feature.”

A final “cool little feature” Patrick points out is a sign by the back porch that reads The Portiuncula Guild, a nod to St. Francis’ church in Assisi. “It means ‘the little portion’,” he explains. This is how he and Mitchell see their home, as well: a home that focuses on living simply, sharing work, and building community—and they are thankful for it. “We’ve been just amazed at what we’ve found in this area,” Patrick says. “You know, it’s just amazing.”

Connect with Nature… Without Sacrificing Comfort

My husband is an Eagle Scout who spent lots of time backpacking throughout Virginia; thus, he digs camping. I didn’t last a day in Brownies back on my native Long Island and have never actually been camping. Now, while the notion of telling ghost stories around a fire, playing music, roasting hot dogs, and making s’mores appeals to me, the idea of spending the night in sleeping bags and tents does not. No AC, no running water, no bathroom? No thank you!

So the question looms: how can my husband and I enjoy the great outdoors together? Glamping! Glamourous camping combines the best in modern luxuries with rustic settings and views aplenty, and Virginia is home to several properties that each has its own unique (and posh) spin on the glamping concept. Sign me up!

Look Out from a Treehouse

The Primland Resort in Meadows of Dan is known for its remarkable 12,000 acres of secluded Blue Ridge mountaintop complete with top-rated cuisine and first-class service. Over the past several years, guests have had the chance to take advantage of the resort’s newest accommodations: three luxury treehouses.

Primland vice president Steve Helms says the idea came from one of the resort’s owners who knew Mr. Alain Laurens, famous for his treehouse work in Europe. Laurens, who has built more than 200 treehouses throughout Europe, accepted the invitation to visit the resort and look for a great tree to use as the first treehouse. This project at Primland became Laurens’ first treehouse project in the U.S. He designed and built the Golden Eagle house for Primland in 2011. “It was constructed in France and shipped to Virginia in two containers, and it took only two weeks to reconstruct the treehouse on site,” says Helms.

All three treehouses are located at the end of a ridge point with a view of Kibler Valley 1,500 feet below. According to Helms, the treehouses are “great for couples looking for a peaceful getaway or for celebrating a special occasion. The deck is also a perfect spot for a proposal or writing the next best seller!” Guests stay upwards of 1,300 feet high and enjoy privacy and stargazing in addition to having access to all of the amenities of the greater resort.

Any season is perfect for staying in a treehouse, says Helms. “Spring has more in bloom along with baby fawns, turkey chicks, and wildlife coming out. Summer has lush greenery and cool mountain breezes. Fall has the mountainsides transforming to vibrant red, orange and yellow as the leaves change. And winter allows for clear views and the ability to see the rock outcroppings on the mountainsides.”

Booking Tip:
Bring the kids to Primland, but not to the treehouses, since children are not permitted in these accommodations. Also, the treehouses are closed in January and February.

Channel Your Inner Nomad

Ever since I saw A River Runs Through It, I thought fly-fishing looked like fun (and no, it wasn’t just because I was a teenager and the film featured a young Brad Pitt). What looks like even more fun to me is staying in one of the new, modern yurts at Rose River Farm in Syria, Virginia.

Fly angler and outdoorsman Douglas Dear purchased 20 acres in the Rose River Valley (two hours north of Lynchburg) about 10 years ago and transformed it into Rose River Farm, a nature retreat for lovers of fly-fishing and the great outdoors. Guests stay in one of several yurts, which are circular tents typically made from canvas or wood that perform well in high wind terrains. Yurts originated in Mongolia, but Dear first saw them on a fly-fishing trip to Patagonia. “I liked them, and I kept thinking about them when I came back to the States. I just loved all the space that they offered—there’s no wasted space at all,” he explains.

Dear wanted to offer his guests the opportunity to stay in a yurt. “With our mountain views, they would fit the site really well, but with our climate in Virginia, canvas would get mildew,” he says. He contacted a company in Washington State that fabricated alternative yurt components, and a local contractor assembled them.

Each 1,100-square-foot yurt is made from steel and 2,500 separate pieces of cedar hand cut to fit. They feature full kitchens, Wi-Fi, and high-end club furniture. Fly anglers from around the world come to enjoy the Farm and families can fish on the stocked catch and release pond (or even take private fly-fishing lessons). If you don’t fish, don’t worry—you can still find immense enjoyment at Rose River Farm. Couples and families come to hike Old Rag Mountain, check out the wineries, or just kick back and read a book and relax. “We supply firewood for the fire pits every night, and that just becomes a big family event,” Dear says.

Booking Tip:
Make your reservations several months in advance and up to a year ahead of time for the October and November season.

Book a Tiny Cabin

When people hear that I’ve never been camping, they ask, “Would you stay in a cabin?” Evidently, cabins are the gateway to camping, and I’d be up for a weekend at a cabin for sure. One stellar example is Tim and Cindi Spaulding’s adorable tiny cabin in Big Island.

A few years ago, the Spauldings were hiking in Bedford County and started wondering what land would cost up near the mountains. They stumbled upon an old hiker’s loft that was in rough condition and thought, “Could we make it work?” In order to purchase the 2.5-acre property, they’d have to delay their planned kitchen renovation. “We decided to go with it and have some fun,” explains Tim. The Spauldings and their three young children spent every weekend up at the house, completely renovating the whole thing. “It was really a team effort,” he says.

Because the Spauldings originally purchased the cabin to use as a family getaway, they didn’t spare any expense or overlook any detail. However, it is a “tiny house,” with just 308 square feet of living space. To make it work for their family, “we decided to maximize the space as much as possible,” Spaulding says, so they deliberately designed the home to be bright, airy, and functional for everyday living (such as including a washer/dryer).

The Spaulding’s property is located near the Blue Ridge Parkway—ideal for hikers. The inside features a wood burning stove and a loft with a queen-sized bed; step outside and enjoy al fresco dining at the picnic table or a dip in Battery Creek. A swimming hole in Arnold Valley is just 10 minutes away. With wildlife, greenery, hammocks, and a fire pit right there, Spaulding says, “it’s a great place for a weekend getaway.”

Booking Tip:
The cabin is open year-round, but plan on making a reservation at least three months in advance in order to accommodate your desired date. You can find the Spaulding’s cabin on Airbnb: Airbnb.com/rooms/18385835.

Experience Native American Culture

For the past six years, outdoor enthusiasts have been taking advantage of the canopy tours, paddle boating, and mountain biking at Sandy River Outdoor Adventure and Retreat in Rice. With grounds that highlight a 3-hour tree top adventure (complete with tight ropes, swinging bridges, and zip lines), accommodations ought to fit the scenery. Interested guests can choose to stay in a cottage, one of the rustic log cabins, or one of four luxury tipis on the property, which are the newest additions to Sandy River.

That’s right: a luxury tipi. (It’s not an oxymoron.) Each comes with radiant heated floors, AC, a kitchenette, queen-sized beds, and a full bathroom. They also feature Wi-Fi and televisions with Netflix as well as fire pits, picnic tables, and grills.

Booking Tip:
The tipi fabric does not block daylight, so plan on waking up with the sun. A tipi rental also gives you 20% off on any adventure activities you book during your stay.

Other Glamping Sites In Virginia:

Seasonal glamper cottages at Blue Haven 151 Farm in Roseland

Custom luxury glamp sites by Solid Ground Shelters in Ruckersville

An old watch house and kayak tour with Southeast Expeditions in Chincoteague

Cabooses by Grassy Creek Cabooses in Fancy Gap

Cabins, pods, yurts, tipis and more at Explore Park in Roanoke County

Finding ideas for color, pattern, and your own sense of style from two of the industry’s top voices

Lynchburg Living writer Charlotte Farley sat down for an exclusive interview with Steele Marcoux (style director at Country Living and former editor-in-chief at Coastal Living) and Meg Braff (Long Island-based interior designer) when they were in town for Design on Stage, presented by the Academy of Center of the Arts. Charlotte, Steele, and Meg discussed the best ways to refresh your space. They talked everything from how to use trendy colors to imbuing your space with personality and timelessness—and according to Steele, farmhouse isn’t going anywhere yet.

Summer is a time to slow down and savor. From taking long-awaited (and much-needed) vacations to trying out new summer cocktail recipes, we look for ways to relax and refresh ourselves in the summertime. Before you settle down with a glass of lemonade and a Pinterest marathon, see what renowned designer Meg Braff and style director Steele Marcoux have to say about revitalizing your home (and yourself) this summer.

Incorporate Trends Without Going Overboard
From chintz to farmhouse, there’s a kind of design that speaks to you, and it can be tempting to go a bit, shall we say, overboard on trends. After all, you want your home to look like it belongs to you and not Mrs. Everybody Fixer Farmhouse, so how can you incorporate a trend (such as the ubiquitous but enduring) farmhouse look or millennial pink and make sure your home doesn’t look stuck in 2018?

Steele explains that she looks to trends for color inspiration. “I was just at market in New York and saw a lot of yellow, so maybe I’ll bring in a yellow pillow or accessory to freshen things up because I don’t currently own a single yellow thing. But I’m not going to go full tilt with (something like) lemon patterns everywhere,” she points out.

According to Meg, one great way to adapt to trends is to look to professional designers that you admire and take cues from them. “If you have a monochromatic living room and lavender happens to be the color du jour, you could have a pair of lavender lamps, or add some artwork with some lavender in it, or even just a cashmere throw on your sofa. It kind of takes you in a different direction.” That’s one advantage of having a very neutral, monochromatic house, she says: you can always play around with your décor and palette.

Approach trends with small changes, just as you would with your fashion. Meg says, “if there’s some great new wedge heel out, you might buy a pair and find that it updates the rest of your outfits, and that’s the same with interior style.”

Earthy is Always in Style
By adding a few small touches, you can enliven your space without taking on the task and investment of a major overhaul. The experts agree that fresh flowers and plants can add a great impact for little effort. “Bring in flowers! Anyone can go to the grocery store and pick up a seasonal bouquet,” says Steele.

Meg points out that ferns last for a long time and don’t require a lot of fuss. “I have ferns all winter in my house. I bring the outdoors in to keep it feeling fresh,” she explains. Following that train of thought, don’t be afraid of using other earthy elements throughout the year to speak to the season.

Look in Unexpected Places for Insight
Something Steele always tries to channel is the mantra of returning to the things you’ve always loved. For example, she loves china. “I love tabletop, and sometimes I feel like things need a refresh, so I’ll go back and look at china patterns that I love and pull a color from there. Because that’s something that I’ve always loved, I can find inspiration there.”

Of course, it’s ok if china isn’t your thing—but it’s a good idea to figure out what is. “If you have things you collect, or a rug that you love, or if you love art—go look towards that for a new idea,” Steele suggests.

Also, look at your wardrobe—what color do you see repeated throughout? Do you have more polka dot dresses than you have places to where them? Is there a certain pattern or fabric that you keep reaching for? You can always go and evaluate your closet for insight and ideas.

Reorganize to Achieve Elegance and Relaxation in One Space
The phrase “timeless style” refers to a style that, like a true lady, never reveals its age. “Timeless style” weds elegance and panache into one relevant space. Sounds lovely, doesn’t it? So how can you breathe new life into your space for a look that’s both timeless and of-the-moment?

If you have a collection of some kind (and most of us do), consider how you have it displayed. Is everything simply stacked together on a shelf, or is it a truly eye-catching arrangement?

Try exhibiting your otherwise traditional collection in a way that’s a bit more modern.
Meg believes that—along with a blue and white palette—items made from organic materials never go out of vogue. A beautiful farm table with a rich patina, an intriguing grouping of stoneware—these are enduring elements of style, as are mainstays like paintings that portray scenes from nature (such as landscapes) or artwork sculpted from natural materials. “People look to country living or beach living as aspirational, in a sense that those are relaxed environments,” she explains. As time goes on, modern living, even with all of its amenities, has more of us yearning for something simpler, so when we see reminders of those places, we, in turn, establish a more relaxed setting in our homes.

Not everything has to be Whole Foods–organic, of course. Everything from antiques to modern sofas can look timeless—the trick is all in how you look at it, literally. Juxtaposing a piece of fine furniture against a piece of modern art or layering textures creates visual interest. Steele refers to Meg, the master of mixing textures: “Some of her greatest spaces have really beautiful antiques—with a jute rug. That just takes the edge off of everything.”

Figure Out What Makes You Happy
It doesn’t matter what time of year it is—we all want to come home and unwind at day’s end. The summer, with its bounty of daylight, begs us to linger a bit longer over cold drinks and conversation, so it’s the prime time to create a great space at home to do just that.

According to Steele, creating the right surrounding for yourself can really affect your mood, and Meg agrees that the right arrangements can help make you feel rested as well as more productive. She believes that figuring out who you are and what you need to feel fulfilled to start your day is so important.

To guide your direction, ask yourself what you want to see when you wake up in the morning: Do you like a lot of spare space or do you want to have all the things that you love around you? Do you want a room that’s completely monochromatic, or do you prefer contrasting colors?

“Start with the core of what makes you happy and build it out from there. You can start with visuals, and you can find that in a magazine,” says Meg.

Steele strongly suggests that you study a space that draws you in. “Ask yourself—what is it about this room? Study it.

Is it the color? The furniture? The level of accessorization?”
Having a space that’s well-organized and tidy is the best starting point, of course—getting rid of messes and visual clutter has an instant and calming effect. After that, Meg advises that we should be mindful about what new items we’re bringing in. “Most of us don’t live in such enormous places where you have a space for everything. You have to be selective and think about your choices.”

The next step: make sure you have warmth and personality—which Meg describes as bringing in a variety of textures and items. “Have a good balance of things you love and things that are functional, things that are upholstered and things that aren’t, and you’ll achieve balance. Finding balance is important,” Meg says. “Stay true to what you love and what feels good to you, and what you feel best represents you.

Give Yourself Plenty Of Time
It’s so tempting to want to have your house done pronto, especially if you’ve spent time poring over loads of images for inspiration. Just remember that you’re not on a deadline for having your home “done.”

Steele advises all of us to slow down. “That was advice that a really good friend of ours gave me when I bought my first house. She said, ‘Just go slow. Add a piece here or a piece there and have the confidence to go slow’.”

Meg agrees: “You don’t have to have it done! I’m still doing my house, and in theory, I moved in 18 months ago. I mean, I’m still doing my dining room. I can’t figure out my dining room!” she laughs. “It does take confidence to feel like, ‘oh, my friends are coming over, and I’m having a dinner party, and my dining room isn’t done.’ We’re all a work in progress, and the house is a work in progress, too.”

The moral of the story here: don’t forgo having people over just because things aren’t photo-ready.

Steele laughs, admitting that’s the mistake she makes. “I won’t have anyone over because I don’t have curtains in my dining room—and no one cares whether there are curtains up or there or not!” she laughs.

So, this summer, maybe you’ll get around to hanging those curtains up, or changing them out, or taking them down altogether. Take your time to enjoy freshening things up, enjoying the process, and doing what you need to do in order to make your home feel lighter, fresher, and more you.

Driven by visions of sunny afternoons and backyard barbecues, we spend the spring preparing our homes for the warmer weather by sweeping off the porch, shopping for new patio furniture, and filling planters for the deck. This is an annual weekend ritual for many of us, but we tend to leave out one important component of our homes’ exteriors: the front door.

In…or Out?

When you’re in the throes of spring cleaning, evaluate your entryway and determine if the door is in good condition. Examine the bottom corners of wooden doors for rot or dents and look for rust on metal doors. Edward Coleman, owner of Anything Doors, points out that doors rot at the bottom corners where the threshold and doorjamb meet. “The only way to really fix it is to take the whole thing out and reframe it—you can try to patch it, but it’s like putting a band aid on the situation,” he explains.

Did you determine that your door needs replacing? Don’t just run out and buy any old exterior door—take advantage of the chance to change or add some style. Coleman notes that Chippendale doors are very popular in the Lynchburg area—in particular, the Williamsburg and the Monticello designs (see Cindy Greer’s great Chippendale door on page 21), according to Michael Pearl of Bailey Spencer Hardware. Pam Smith from Sentry Exteriors adds that many customers are coming in with requests for Craftsman-style wooden doors.

Also, don’t forget to look at your storm door. Is there a quick repair you can make that you just haven’t gotten around to yet? Now’s the time! Maybe it’s in good shape, but it needs some cleaning. If it’s rusted, broken, or otherwise taking away from the appeal of your entryway, you can replace it or just remove it. Storm doors are optional and totally a matter of personal preference.

Add Some Color

If you aren’t in the market for a new front door, but you recognize that yours could look lovelier than it does right now, why not make it a new color? Do not feel like you have to paint your front door to match your shutters. While that makes for a cohesive appearance,
it’s not a design necessity.

Check out these charming color combinations:
• Black shutters with a red door
• Brown shutters with an aqua door
• Navy shutters with an orange door
• Wooden shutters with a gray door
• White shutters and a green door

Smith notes that, surprisingly, yellow doors have become more popular recently. “It looks so pretty on a brick house especially—that or Tiffany blue—but you really have to love it,” she says. She suggests a dark stain on wood doors for a rustic look; if you’re interested in painting your door, Smith always recommends black. “It looks classic, timeless, and makes everything look clean and fresh—and your wreaths will pop!” she says.

If you go with a dark color for your door, be sure that the entryway has some sort of awning or covering over it. Coleman likes to remind homeowners that “if you paint your doors a dark color, it won’t last as long because the sun beats down on them, and if you have a storm door on top of a dark color, you’re just baking the door.” Not only will the paint inevitably fade and peel faster, but the door will also age faster, develop problems sooner, and ultimately not last as long.

Hardware and Accessories

Now that you’ve decided whether to keep, paint, or replace your door, consider updating your door’s hardware. After all, hardware can be both beautiful and functional, and many designers see hardware as furniture’s jewelry. If you’ve scoured the aisles or the internet looking for the just-right drawer pulls for your kitchen, have you thought about doing the same thing for your front door?

Pearl’s store carries solid brass hardware and hinges in five different finishes. “Some people hear solid brass and only think shiny yellow, but with other finishes (as in bronze or satin nickel), they can have rust-proof hardware that can withstand the seasons of Virginia.” Whether you choose brass, brushed nickel, wrought iron, or something else entirely, make sure that your metals match. Sure, mixing metals is en vogue right now (and Rolex has been doing it forever), but the one place where the mis-match looks like a mis-take is on the front door. From doorknockers to house numbers to the actual doorknobs themselves, keep it streamlined and down to one finish.

The door is new or clean and colorful, the hardware is gleaming—you’re almost there. Add a new welcome mat and, perhaps, a wreath, and you’re finished. (At least for now—there’s all the rest of that spring cleaning you need to do!)

It’s easy to recreate any look you see in a magazine or on TV with paint—and there are plenty of blog posts out there that will teach you how to do just that, step by step. After a while, though, those looks—those trends—grow tiresome. You start seeing the same paint color, the same backsplash, and the same mirrors at all of your friends’ houses, and it all becomes ubiquitous—not personal. You might have considered stenciling a wall, but that sounds like a lot of time (and a lot of work). What will you do?

Try wallpaper.

Using the right wallpaper in strategic places is one way to set your home apart in the sea of HGTV replicas. When you approach the way you decorate your home the same way you choose clothing for yourself, you select the right color, size and pattern that looks the best to you—and looks the best in your home.

What wallpaper can do for you

“Today’s wallpaper is fresh, new and clean, and can even look like wall texture or a painted-on design,” says interior designer Moyanne Harding of Interiors by Moyanne. Sydney Stephens, wallpaper specialist at James T. Davis, agrees and says there are wallpapers available now that have the look of tile, wood—even shiplap.

“There’s been an increased demand for wallpaper over the past year, especially from the younger generation,” Stephens reports. Millennials come in frequently, requesting wall coverings in grass cloth and geometric prints such as trellises.

What advantages does modern wallpaper have over paint?

• Revamps and refreshes your space
Harding likens wallpaper to a work of fine art. “It can transform a room like nothing else in an instant,” she explains.

• Conceals
“Wallpaper is really great for covering imperfections and unevenness in the walls,” says Stephens.

• Protects
Durable heavy-duty vinyl paper can be wiped and washed off, making it perfect for a kitchen or bathroom (or house with young children).

Fear not

While peel-and-stick and pre-pasted wallpaper are still available, a more popular option is the paste-to-wall product, which is what Stephens normally recommends since it’s easier to work with. “You roll the paste on the wall like a paint and then just stick the paper to it.” She also notes that the product stays wet for a little while, so you have some time to move it around if necessary. Today’s easy-strip products are also much more user-friendly than their predecessors were, so it won’t be as painful when the time comes to re-do a room.

Best applications

• Foyers, stairwells and bedrooms will make a grand impression with the right wallpaper, says Harding. She also likes to use it in closets (such as linen closets or larger walk-in closets) for a nice surprise, and in bathrooms.

• Stephens finds it really striking in dining rooms and kitchens.

• Thinking about an accent wall? Wallpaper adds a natural focal point when used sparingly.

• You can also use it in smaller applications, like framing wallpaper as art or adding punch and visual interest to the back of shelves.

Other tips and wisdom

After you put this magazine down and type in “wallpaper ideas” into Pinterest, Stephens recommends getting in touch with a professional so you can make sure you have the right products and the right directions on how to either hang or remove wallpaper.

If you’re still on the fence about the idea, ask yourself if you want your space to go from “ok” to “wow.” Harding shares this: “I always get a chuckle when I hear a resistant client because I know I am going to push them over to the other side of loving what wallpaper can do.”

Photography by Tera Janelle Auch

While driving down Thomas Jefferson Road in Forest, there are two vistas sure to catch your eye at any time of year: the Peaks of Otter and a sprawling brick Georgian Colonial. When it comes to Christmastime, however, the brick manor steals the show.

Rachel and Wayne Beeler don’t just deck the halls—they garnish the gazebo, embellish the fountain, and make sure that every view indoors and out points to the Christmas season. “I just love being happy, and I love to help other people feel happy—that’s one of the reasons that I do all of this every year,” Rachel explains.

She has always loved Christmas, but she didn’t start decorating for the holiday room by room until the Beelers moved to Poplar Forest and began adding several small Christmas trees in other rooms here and there over the years. That was more than 20 years and 20 trees ago, before the Beelers began looking for a home “with a little land.” Their current home is not only gracious in acreage, but also comes with more square footage, and more rooms means more Christmas trees.

While the rest of us are busy decorating with pumpkins and scarecrows, Rachel starts thinking about Christmas. “The children love to come trick-or-treating here, and not only because I give out the best candy!” she smiles. Kids in costumes are delighted to see a 12-foot tree in the foyer when they stop by. Preparations for the season commence at the beginning of October, starting by bringing all of the accoutrements out of storage. Rachel used to manage all of the decorations herself and didn’t necessarily want help: “I was raised to work,” she explains, starting with her job at Chapstick on the conveyor lines and then spending 16 years working for GE. Rachel remains diligent and has not forgotten her roots, but she has discovered that her energy levels have changed after having had—and beaten—thyroid cancer several years ago. “Now I have a team of 15 to 20 elves that come in over the course of the fall who help me set it all up,” she explains.

From the St. Nick in the fountain and near life-sized nutcrackers, all the hard work pays off. It’s impossible to feel that you haven’t entered a branch of Santa’s workshop or a North Pole satellite location when you pull up the driveway. You might see Kris Kringle and the missus themselves setting up shop in the gazebo, or small elves in the nooks and crannies of bookcases. Chandeliers, headboards, mirrors, even the bath—all receive the special Beeler treatment.

Like most of us, Rachel likes to change up her décor each year, finding new places for treasured adornments, and adding a few updates to her collection. She enjoys shopping everywhere for interesting decorations, but her favorite place to find decorations is Hobby Lobby. She shares that for years she had kept hearing about Hobby Lobby on the radio, but she’d never been in one. So when she and Wayne (owners of Sterling Oil) were out making deliveries one day and they passed by a Hobby Lobby, she just had to get out of the car and check it out. “I thought it was going to be a hobby store—and it is—but I had no idea that they carried home goods, too. I thought I had died and gone to heaven; it was Christmas everywhere in there!” Even though the Beelers arrived at the store with a pick-up truck packed with AC units to deliver to customers, Rachel had the sales clerk package up all of her goods and strap them down to the truck.

“Wayne likes to joke that [stopping at Hobby Lobby] was the ‘worst mistake’ of his life,” Rachel laughs.

A native of Bedford County’s Nicopolis community, Rachel met local Lynchburger Wayne Beeler in the early ’60s when she and her gal pals would have fun cruising Wards Road between checking out Lindy’s Big Boy and The Southern in her cousin Esther’s 1964 Chevrolet. It was on one of those nights that Rachel spotted Wayne driving his red 1963 Chevrolet. “I looked at the girls and said, ‘I’m going to marry that man.’” She was right—the Beelers just celebrated 51 years of marriage this past May. They have a reminder of that Chevy in the form of a figurine they keep in the downstairs TV room, where they like to relax.

Wayne and Rachel, who wed during her senior year of high school, found themselves heading out to Oregon when Wayne was in the Air Force. That’s where they celebrated their first Christmas. While she isn’t sure if she still has any mementos from that first year, Rachel certainly has a fond memory of being a new wife at Christmas.

“I set a small tree on a table, took a picture of it, and sent it home to show my family a bit of our Christmas out West. Well, would you believe that we started getting gifts from my family in the mail? They sent us gifts because they felt sorry for us that we didn’t have much of anything under the tree—they thought it was so pitiful,” she laughs, “but the truth was that we were as happy as could be with our little tree and just being together.”

The Beelers came back to Lynchburg soon after and bought a home off Timberlake Road, which they own to this day. “We loved that house,” she reminisces of the house where they raised their two children, Donna and Mike. All of the family, including the Beelers’ grandchildren, live nearby and enjoy spending time at Rachel’s home, especially during the holidays.

People come from all over the area to see the Beelers’ tasteful and traditional displays. After Thanksgiving, Rachel begins hosting tours of her holiday home for different groups (e.g. church groups and women’s clubs).

“I love seeing everyone’s reactions and the expressions on their faces. People feel happy when they come through; I love seeing that.”

Tours conclude with refreshments in her year-round party room, a former garage that the Beelers converted into a banquet area. Eight round tables and Chivari chairs accommodate 32 guests. This room, of course, receives the special Beeler Christmas treatment, and she keeps it ready for year-round entertaining, switching décor seasonally (they also host Easter and an annual barbecue). This is where the family hosts relatives, close family friends, and her “elves” for a country-style Christmas breakfast.

Her current take on getting her home holiday-ready is very different from her first December as a newlywed; still, she has always remembered that very first Christmas season. Just like the Christmases from her childhood, it served as a celebration of hope, joy and love. All of her decorating stems from this deeply nostalgic and spiritually personal place of bringing joy to others. “We had so much love at Christmas. I mean,
we had a lot of love all year round, but we felt it so strongly at Christmas. Our celebrations were meaningful,” says Rachel.

“Love—that’s what we had at Christmas,” Rachel recalls, and that is what she strives to bring to her home and to her guests every year.

How to Add Color to your home for the holidays

Every year, Rachel Beeler evaluates each room’s purpose and colors to determine its seasonal treatment. For most of us, red and green forms a twosome synonymous with Christmas, but those aren’t the only hues available for holiday decorating. Take a cue from Rachel and add Christmas décor beyond the living room: consider the prevalent palette of each room to find which Christmas color combo will work best for that space. Here are a few to try:

1. White and metallics such as gold or silver (or a mix of the two) offer plenty of shine and glimmer.

2. Gold and purple, the colors of royalty, seem right for this season of heralding a newborn king.

3. White, silver, and forest green evoke the palette of wintry landscape and play well with neutrals.

4. Jewel tones, such as the kind Rachel uses in her holiday dining room, look refined when paired with metallics, but they also provide a dose of whimsy when used with lime green.

5. Sage green and ivory always look elegant and give a nod to nature.

Tour a Custom Home on Smith Mountain Lake

He was born in the land of a thousand lakes, but he chose the one with mountain views.

Minnesota native Dennis Mischel and his wife Gayle have lived in North Dakota, California and Washington D.C., but Gayle admits, “I’ve never lived in a place as welcoming as Smith Mountain Lake.”

And this year, all settled in to their new life, the Mischels are returning the favor as they take part in a major community event—the Smith Mountain Lake Charity Home Tour.

From the Pentagon to the Blue Ridge
The Mischels left the Washington, D.C. area in 2014 when Gayle retired from a career in corporate insurance and private consulting, and Dennis retired from his work as a mechanical engineer with the Pentagon.

Prior to retirement, the Mischels spent time investigating different locations in order to find their ideal community.

“I wanted somewhere warm year-round; he wanted a lake,” Gayle explains. Since they knew they wanted to be on the water, they began looking at lakes here on the East Coast because both of their grown children, along with their families, lived on the East Coast at that time. The Mischels had never heard of Smith Mountain Lake until one of Dennis’ co-workers at the Pentagon suggested they explore this area. “It took us three times of getting lost before we finally found the place,” Gayle admitted, but the journey was clearly worth it.

“This is an active community and it’s like a small town—it’s what we were looking for. We just fell in love with it,” Gayle gushed.

Once they agreed on Smith Mountain Lake, they began weekend trips to explore the various neighborhoods and find a new home. The Mischels enjoy the amenities and convenience that the Westlake area offers and hired Peggy Hodges from Wainwright Realtors to help them with their home search.

After seeing over 30 homes and finding nothing that met their requirements (including a four-car garage, an open floor plan and a view), Hodges told the Mischels they’d need to build.

“My husband and I looked at each other and said, ‘Okay, well, then find us a lot!’” Gayle remembers. “We were actually looking at another lot in this area and we came down this street, turned around this cul-de-sac, and this lot was for sale.”

A Back Lake
When arriving at the Mischels’ home, visitors can expect to see water, lots of water—the first impression upon driving up to the house is that there’s a back lake instead of a backyard. There is a yard out there (but you just can’t see it).

“I wanted the house to be like you’re on a large bluff overlooking the water, so one of my criteria when we built the house was you don’t see anything but water when you walk through the front and on the main level. I think our architect did a wonderful job in designing that.”

As you walk through the foyer, you notice instantly that the Mischels achieved the wide, open-concept plan they were longing for thanks to Dennis Cooper (Cooper Contractors in Hardy) and architect Eric Buck (Comprehensive Home Design). The rows of windows that span the back wall of the living room, dining area and keeping room showcase the one-of-a-kind lake and mountain views that the Mischels’ frontage (over 100 feet) offers.

The views above are equally impressive: Gayle chose to use various ceiling designs to help define the different living spaces within her open-concept floor plan. For instance, the tray ceiling shares the same shape and dimensions of the island in the gourmet kitchen whereas the keeping room features an octagonal ceiling.

The living room is the first gathering area past the foyer, whose fireplace commands attention as its rock façade reaches up to the full height of the cathedral ceiling. Matching built-in bookcases flank the fireplace, containing a pristine display of beloved items, such as a ceramic coffee urn Gayle’s mother gave her on her 18th birthday to mark her entrance into adulthood.

When you have an open floor plan, you want a sense of cohesion with your décor and furnishings. To achieve this, the Mischels first used the same paint color throughout the home (Benjamin Moore Shaker Beige). They also opted to repeat the look of the rock fireplace in the kitchen backsplash, which helps to create contrast and texture in an otherwise sleek space. Custom cabinetry by Montgomery Woodworkers incorporates shades of ebony, chestnut and auburn into a custom color; the eight-inch hardwood planks contain the same custom color because Gayle wanted the grain to match. The Mischels chose to have a casual dining area instead of a formal dining room, where even if you aren’t facing the water directly, you still enjoy the same vistas as captured in the stained glass piece by Shelly LaTreill that replicates the view from the deck.

Lake living often seems to be all about the lake itself; it’s equally about being there with family and creating memories beside the watery backdrop.

“We built it for our kids and three grandkids and I wanted a lot of space so the little ones can run around,” explains Gayle.

The Mischels’ son and his family recently moved out to California while their daughter and her family live in Virginia.

With family in mind, Dennis and Gayle purposely separated the sleeping quarters from the gathering spaces. They also elected to add an ensuite bathroom to each bedroom for additional privacy.

A hallway beside the kitchen displays oversized metal plates as well as a cutting board with Norwegian rosemaling, a nod to Gayle’s heritage. The hall leads to a closet-turned-office for Gayle, a guest bedroom, a drop zone, and ultimately to the master suite. With lakefront views and a cozy reading area, the room calls for relaxation.

Places to Play
Still, when the family comes to visit, the Mischels spend most of their time downstairs or out on the dock. Outfitted with a pool table, card table and flat screen TV, the downstairs den provides plenty of spaces for entertainment. There’s another fireplace to cozy up to, framed by Gayle’s cherished Norwegian spinning wheel and tine box. Tucked behind the family room is the children’s playroom that houses toys, video games and a sleeper sofa. This room and another guest room share a spin on a Jack and Jill bathroom (a children’s side, a parent’s side and a shower in between).

Behind the den is Dennis’ office—a man cave with a waterfront view—and an indoor sauna. “Dennis really wanted one of these—coming from Minnesota, he likes anything that’s warm!” Gayle joked. Dennis explains that it’s not just the warmth—his father always chose to stay in hotels with saunas, and he has fond memories of traveling with his dad and enjoying the saunas with him. “Plus, yes, it’s warm and relaxing,” he agrees.

A tile path leads from the outside door to the half bath all the way to a mini-fridge stocked with beverages and to the outside perimeter of the family room—this is a sign of careful planning.

“When they come in from the dock, they’re wet and they stand here and drip and then they go back out again,” Gayle says. The tilework makes cleanup a breeze.

The outside door leads out to the Mischels’ dock. They have everything they need for maximum enjoyment of the lake: a kayak, Jet Ski, pontoon boat and wakeboard. The dock also has a storage room with a tile counter and a remote-controlled shade that helps keep the pontoon clean and covered; it also provides an extra level of privacy.

Whether at home with family or out in town, the Mischels simply love where they live, and they are committed to supporting their community. “When we moved here, we were not aware of the large number of people who were in need,” Gayle admits.

As a way to give back, the Mischels chose to open the doors to their home for the upcoming SML Charity Home Tour this October. “This is the largest community fundraiser for a charitable giving on the lake, so if we can give back and can help people who are in need by just opening our front door, that’s what we’ll do.”

The 2017 Smith Mountain Lake Charity Home Tour
October 6-8
For the past 27 years, the volunteer-driven Smith Mountain Lake Charity Home Tour has helped charities that provide services to those in need around the Lake area. People travel by boat, car or shuttle to tour eight different homes; eight charities split the majority of the proceeds generated from the tour’s ticket sales.

DebraLee Hovey, publications director for the tour, explains that organizations undergo a rigorous, competitive process in order to be one of the participating charities. In addition to their mission statements lining up with that of the home tour, the charities must also commit to raising $5,000 themselves and providing all of the volunteers for the tour. “Most of these charities would have not have access to this kind of funding—it’s vital to their programming,” Hovey adds.

Likewise, the SML Home Tour Board strives to find different properties each year that will spark public interest. In addition to contractors, builders and architects suggesting homes with unique or compelling designs, the Board welcomes recommendations for future tours since being on the tour is a one-time-only experience.

Hovey points out that the tour not only hopes to support the charities involved but also the economic vitality of the region.

“A lot of the Lake goes [the] Lynchburg way,” she says.

“We go to your restaurants, your shops—my dentist is actually in Lynchburg!” she laughs.

The 2017 SML Charity Home Tour will take place rain or shine on Columbus Day weekend (October 6th- 8th). Tickets are good for all three days (no refunds). For more information, visit www.smlcharityhometour.com

Photography by Michael Patch