An architectural masterpiece built in 1853, meticulously restored by Gepetto craftsmanship honoring the original materials and techniques. A douse of imagination and thoroughly great taste add modern amenities like washers, driers and luxury bath amenities . Windows, woodwork, staircases, floors and plaster moldings all original design restored or renewed by Gepetto’s historic millwork services. You might see “Over-sized” windows bringing gorgeous views of the changing weather patterns over the bay into every room but then you’d remember this was built before light bulbs and realize how the architectural elements add natural light to almost all corners of the home. These details add up to living in the historically significant property. It’s not just luxurious living, it’s living closer to nature. The Impressive estate property can be upkept with a simple call to the craftsmen here who helped restore it, or you can add your own design or finishing touches with our master builders help.
In 1642, the land of Glen Roy was patented by a 600-acre land grant patented by English King Charles I. During the Civil War it was the site of the Battle of Glen Roy when the house was the headquarters for Union Soldiers. Today, Glen Roy encompasses almost sixty acres of farmland, woods, and sweeping lawns that extend to the shore of the Ware River in Gloucester, Virginia. Set high up and back from the water as historically safe from flooding.
The classic Greek Revival proportioned manor house presents the characteristic four-over-four Georgian floor plan with a three-section center hall. The central staircase will weave it’s tendrils around your heart as it winds three floors up to a sky-lit cupola with widow’s walk. The custom restored skylights are a unique bit of carpentry that manages airflow, moisture and light in a brilliant design that taught us some things about how well thought out builders of the era practiced their craft.
13 total rooms – with 15-foot ceilings downstairs and 14-foot on the second floor give spacious and airy feel to timeless proportions. Elegant and comfortable room size does not overwhelm but allows a moderate feel to a very spacious house. Along the west elevation on the river, the hall, living room and dining room open to a sixty-foot glass conservatory. The moderate room sizes are designed to be heated by the 12 working fireplaces as dictated by the time period. Living in the modern age, these small architectural differences show the natural elegance of architectural design that incorporates environmental factors.
The nineteenth-century carriage house was converted to a seven-room guest house with two bedrooms, dining room, living room, kitchen, and two marble bathrooms. The spirit of the original structure was preserved by transforming the front carriage entrance into an over-sized window, dramatizing the interior space and giving a full view of the water. The oldest building, with east gable entrance and west gable end chimney above a raised brick cellar, features oyster shell mortar, 5-course common bond, beaded weatherboard, and six-over-nine double-hung sash windows. Once a doctor’s office, it has been restored to a delightful library. Adjacent are the fascinating ruins of an early, circular brick dairy. The frame, two-bay garage has two rooms on the second floor – now smart offices — with bath and kitchen on that could accommodate household staff or security. The striking, antebellum grain barn displays a rich, picturesque patina. Also, included are an early 20th-century frame stable, sheep shed, and lawnmower shed.
Historic Restoration Builder
Exquisite original architecture, estate presence, and coastal lifestyle, Glen Roy exemplifies the ultimate Chesapeake Bay country experience.
The book “Plywood A Material Story” came across our desk recently with this awesome video from a wood mill in 1954.
Plywood is an astonishingly versatile material, made by gluing together layers of cross-grained veneers, creating a pliable board that can be stronger than solid wood. Stylish and practical, plywood offers huge possibilities for experimental design, and it has been used to make a wide range of products, from aeroplanes, boats and automobiles to architecture and furniture. This book traces the history of plywood from its use in 18th-century furniture through its emergence as an industrial product in the 19th century, to a material celebrated by 20th-century modernists such as Alvar Aalto and Charles and Ray Eames. An ideal material for the digital age, plywood has become popular again in recent years and is widely used in contemporary design and manufacture. (quoted from the book)
At Gepetto we haven’t done a lot of ultra-modern plywood shaping, but if you want to order a few hundred chairs, we’ll tool up our assembly line to produce them for you!
Build your Pinterest Dream
Pinterest Plywood idea
Of course Pinterest always has a lot of crazy cool pictures – and if you live in Baltimore, Washington, Richmond, Philadelphia, or even on down to Charleston, Savannah or anywhere on the east coast and you’ve fallen in love with a “p interest” picture – contact us to fabricate a similar design!
We can match plywood specifications with any style of face-grade from light maple like shown on the right – to a dark mahogany or walnut.
If you’re a stylish Virginia Commonwealth University student looking for a loft bed, funky book case or other custom dorm room furniture – give us a note!
If you’re a mom, wondering how you can keep your entryway or hallway from continually being cluttered – have us design a coat, shoe, bookbag built-in storage unit made of plywood!
Small — well designed pieces made from affordable plywood are better than going searching at Ikea or Walmart for pre-built and breakable pieces in chipboard.
Just because we specialize in historic woodworking, doesn’t mean we can’t manufacture your small project to any specification or modern design:
The country charm of the rolling blue ridge hills opens in to a delightfully designed 19th century farmhouse. The reclaimed barnwood used for paneling has dated period newspaper adhered to the finish for an authentic dated feel. Gepetto Craftsmen finished the kitchen counters with solid walnut counter tops, contrasting with bright white finish on the cabinetry. Joining the small kitchen space to the dining room is a custom butcher block style countertop. We crafted a solid wood live or raw edge dining table with three inch thick hardwood top. Solid wood counter tops in the bathroom and other antique chic features unify the rooms throughout the house. Richmond Custom Kitchen Builder Services.
Reclaimed Barnwood for Wall Paneling
You’ll notice the wall paneling in many rooms was speckled with period newspapers which we found while cleaning out the walls. To build the legend of the house, as well as period color to the walls we ripped and pasted sections into the old boards as we sealed them for final install. The pant chips are authentic and the final patina a priceless touch that both unifies the rooms while adding unique details that are worth bending over to read. If you are designing a country house look and feel contact us to discuss techniques to build the story, legend and look in your finished project.
We have brought the unique texture and feel of reclaimed wood installations to office space construction, creative restaurant building, hospitality spaces in hotels, and rustic bar fabrication. If you have a barn on your property you would like to convert it to furnishings for your kitchen cabinets, tables, wall coverings or any other design elements for your new construction drop us a note to start your project.
Custom Woodworking for summer vacation home : Country Chic Style by Virginia Craftsmen Gepetto Millworks. Have Gepetto design and build your kitchen, dining and wood paneling to meet your budget and your design aesthetic! Here we used reclaimed barn wood for the kitchen/dining area walls to bring together the front hall and original wood floors that were refinished in renovation.
Renovate your historic property with the organic look and feel of #reclaimed lumber on the walls, floors or as purpose built furniture! In this property tour you can see how the #CountryChic elements blend together with the weathered and faded walls built by Gepetto from an old barn. The country farm house kitchen was built by the space conscious farmer of the 19th century. To bring it to modern standards, our #Kitchen#Designer brought the small space between the stove, sink and fridge out into the dining room by adding the cart style island allowing the chef to determine the cooking space, or entertaining space with the roll of the casters. Gepetto built the family length dining table to fit the space using solid wood joinery. We fashioned a clock from the same reclaimed panels and tied together the staircase, sitting room, and dining area using the reclaimed paneling. If you are looking to source a medium or large project, give us a call @ (804) 938-2094 and chat about your specific needs, and we’ll scour the rich #virginiacountryside for the right #reclaimedlumber for the job.
I was hired for this large home hybrid kitchen design project by a local contractor I have years of experience working with. Trust is a valuable and scarce commodity in the building industry unfortunately. I write these articles in the trust building process with you, as you consider hiring your contractor, because creativity and successful design come out of a trusting working relationship! The theater room hybrid project showcases a design suggestion made by the Gepetto Craftsman after looking at the plans drawn by the architect for elliptical windows topping off the glass doors to the porch. When I got the architectural drawings and took a look at them I felt that the drawings were leaving out a huge opportunity in the woodworking in the room. Let me give you a picture to set the stage:
The arches are a repeated architectural theme throughout the home and I felt that the architect didn’t draw this wall with a grasp on the abilities of a skilled modern woodworker. Drawing on the relationship I have with the builder and client, I suggested some changes to the plans to include a solid wood arched raised panel to finish the look of the wall. The builder and client agreed with me that the warmth, classicism, and functional results of my proposed drawings would be a great direction to refurbish this 1920’s home.
Eliptical raised panel – all solid wood – no veneeering – click to enlarge
A solid wood, arched raised panel is a difficult construction challenge because the solid wood used in construction doesn’t naturally conform to the designed arch. I have to measure precisely and use old world wood bending techniques. The highly technical machinery setups to manufacture the wooden arc of trim would baffle less accomplished craftsmen.
Arched Panel Detail – click to enlarge
While I am very proud of the arched panels – they’re only the beginning of the mixed spaces designed into this home renovation. Take a look at three more detail pictures and then let’s move on into the kitchen.
