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[A WORD FROM CHIP]
,
Summer in the Virginia countryside is an inspiring sight. Green leafy trees line shady gravel lanes, and horses, cows and occasional sheep dot the verdant landscape. In this issue we focus on two recent - and very different- Gruver Cooley projects in Virginia horse country. The first is the dramatic conversion of horse stables on the famous Mellon estate in Upperville into accommodations for visiting scholars of the newly established Oak Spring Garden Foundation. The second is the renovation of a 100 year old farm house to better meet today's needs while staying true to its past. In addition, I would like to introduce you to Creighton Farms, the elegant Leesburg community where Gruver Cooley was recently selected as a Preferred Builder. I am sure future issues of this newsletter will feature homes we have built in this community...and possibly yours will be among them!
I hope you enjoy this summertime newsletter journey into scenic rural Virginia. As always, please contact me if we can meet any of your homebuilding or remodeling needs. It is our pleasure to assist you in any way we can.
Sincerely,
Chip Gruver
President, Gruver Cooley
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[Building The Mellon's Legacy]
Please click the image above for more photos.
When well known philanthropist Rachel (Bunny) Mellon passed away in 2014, a key provision of her will was that her beloved Oak Spring Garden estate in Upperville, Virginia would be converted to a center for the study of horticulture. During her lifetime, Bunny, a devoted gardener, created stunning gardens on the estate, amassed a collection of priceless horticultural manuscripts and helped design the famous White House Rose Garden. One of the challenges of achieving her vision of a center for horticultural learning on her estate was the need to convert the Mellon's existing stables into hotel-style rooms for visiting scholars. Working with
Architect Karl Riedel of Leesburg,our Interior Designer Cathleen Gruver, and Peter Crane, President of the Oak Spring Garden Foundation and his wife Elinor, Gruver Cooley transformed spaces that had once housed race horses into comfortable rooms which fit seamlessly with the spirit of the Mellon property.
The original barn was designed in 1949 by New York architectural firm Cross and Sons, which was responsible for many notable buildings there. Although the barn's purpose changed dramatically, the exterior façade was maintained as originally conceived by Mr. Mellon. In the interior, the flooring, wainscoting and some millwork were fabricated using Oak Spring Farm grown timber in maple, oak, walnut and poplar. The desks within each room were also fabricated on site using wood grown on the estate. The barn is ADA accessible and 20% of the rooms meet ADA standards.
Making comfortable hotel-style rooms required a number of new systems to be integrated into the structure and provided the opportunity to use sustainable best building practices. Geothermal wells were drilled to provide energy efficient low impact heating and cooling. All ductwork is insulated and sealed, icynene insulation is used on all walls and attic areas and ground level floors are insulated with R6 insulation. Low water toilets and low pressure showers are used in each of the new bathrooms, and all windows are high efficiency advanced low e glass.
As you click on the picture above to see more of the project, we think you will agree that the Mellon Legacy has been well preserved while moving the property responsibly into a new chapter of its storied history.
For more information on the Oak Spring Garden Foundation,
CLICK HERE.
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[Gruver Cooley At Creighton Farms: A Perfect Pairing]
To see more of what Creighton Farms has to offer, click the image above.
We are pleased to announce that we have been selected as a Preferred Builder at Creighton Farms outside of scenic Leesburg, Virginia. Creighton Farms is an active, gated community - one that promotes healthy lifestyles through the use of a wide range of on-site club amenities, including the Jack Nicklaus Signature
Golf Course, tennis courts, extensive fitness facilities, resort-style pool complex and a full calendar of social events. No other community in Northern Virginia offers both the quantity and quality of these amenities, as well as the privilege of using other Southworth
clubs and resorts.
At Creighton Farms, there are a number of ways to create your dream home.
Homesites range in size from the
1 acre Nicklaus Village Homesites to
3-7 acre Legacy Homesites. All offer spectacular views of the surrounding Piedmont area and provide a perfect place for your ideal home.
If you
are interested in learning more about this upscale healthy lifestyle in an idyllic setting not far from Washington,
D.C., please click
here and contact me to arrange a tour of the property. I would be happy to spend time with you to discuss your vision for your custom home.
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[Farmhouse Revisited]
Please click the image above to see more images of the addition.
The owner of this one hundred and fifteen year old Philomont farm house came to us to relocate the basement laundry area and to create an additional first floor bath off an existing family room. These changes were for convenience and to allow for the possibility of future one floor living if needed. Additionally, it was important that the new section look as if it had always been a part of the original farm house. With these goals in mind, Gruver Cooley worked with
Architect Bruce Hutchinson and our Interior Designer Cathleen Gruver, to achieve them perfectly.
Working closely with the owner, plans were made to add a bright laundry room with scenic views, hallway and full bath to the rear of the house. White subway tiles and mosaic accent tiles from Tile Bar were used in the bathroom shower to enhance the natural light available through the PVC clad, waterproof window. A custom wood over-the-sink drying bar was added to the laundry to facilitate care of hand washables. The majority of the addition was able to be completed before breaking through to the existing house, making it a more comfortable process for the homeowner.
Once the old and new sections were connected, we were delighted to find old wood floor under the aging black and white tiles in the family room. This floor was refinished to create a warmer look in the family room and to visually connect it with the wood floor in the new addition. The spaces were freshly painted, and as you can see when you click on the photo above, the finished product is a very functional, light and cheerful space which meets the homeowner's needs. From the outside, it appears that the addition has simply been an extension of this quiet country home for the past hundred years.
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