As you approach the pea-gravel motor court of this home, with its painted-brick exterior and striking mansard roof, you?d be forgiven for thinking you?ve been transported to the outskirts of Paris. Twenty years ago, a couple who?d lived in the French capital for many years returned to Virginia and hired Dalgliesh Gilpin Paxton Architects to design a house in Charlottesville for them that would reflect their love of classic Gallic architecture. In 2020, the stately, 17-acre property passed to a new owner, a single mom of three who helms her own interior design business in town. To ready the home for its next chapter, she knew just the architects to tap for a few updates.
?We?ve been in business since 1933 so it?s not uncommon to get those calls,? says Robert Paxton, one of the firm?s principal architects. ?It?s fun to go back to something we?ve done and give it life for a new family.? Returning to the scene gave the firm a chance to revisit the project with fresh eyes. Originally, the 3,700-square-foot home featured a central section connected to a garage on the left and a trellis-topped terrace to the right. ?Essentially, it was three parts of what would normally be a classical five-part composition,? Paxton explains.
Given the opportunity to design a more balanced façade, he and project architect John Peterson conceived a substantial right wing to mirror the home?s left side, bringing symmetry and harmony to the configuration. The 2,340-square-foot addition would house th...