This Couple Renovated a 1,400-Square-Foot 1950s Cabin in the Spectacular Shenandoah Valley
Not Quite Right
"I wanted a place where we could be outside with the kids for hours, and it was perfect for us then," says Jenny. But after two years in the house, a few things became apparent. "The living really happens outside here," says Jenny. "And we have guests visiting almost every weekend, so the place gets crowded," adds Tod. The homeowners weren't necessarily looking for more space but wanted to reconfigure and maximize what was already there.
They turned to Julie Dixon and Keith Scott of Charlottesville-based Rosney Co. Architects, who made the layout more efficient, adding 257 square feet to accommodate a bunk room, a mudroom, and the reworked back deck—now a sweeping 673-square-foot porch. Creating a home that felt "Western style" was an important part of the architects' commission too. "I had saved a substantial binder of mountain-house pictures from magazines over the years," says Tod. The rustic face-lift involved replacing the exterior's old lap siding with pine board-and-batten. They also clad the interior walls and fabricated millwork using reclaimed wood from an old barn on the property. Elements that couldn't be salvaged came from nearby Virginia sources. Tour the Childresses' little slice of Shenandoah Valley heaven.
Sold on the location, the homeowners were determined to turn this hidden gem around.
