2025
Charlottesville, Virginia
Architecture
Interiors
Furnishings
Lighting Design
Art Consultation
Public / Residential
Kip Dawkins
Design Develop, LLC
KLH Designs
Michelle Smith Fine Gardening
Dunbar
Line and Grade Civil Engineering
Lee Construction Group
Jefferson Guest House, located in the center of Charlottesville's Downtown District, was built in 1920 as a single-family residence and has undergone multiple changes in the past century. Each aspect of the design was collaborative with formwork in the lead design role. This extensive renovation included new exterior facades, landscape design, lighting design, art, interiors and furnishings to convert the building into a guest house for high-end short-term rentals.
The project's core design principal is to restore the aspects of the house that have survived while updating those that no longer existed creating a dialogue between old and new..
The guest house features the work of local artists whose work in turn, produced the foundations for the color palettes of the individual rooms. The interiors color palette is reduced to a few neutral white tones that make a tranquil backdrop for the more expressive art and furnishings.
As a hospitality venue, the design anticipates that Jefferson Guest House will see a lot of use over the years. It is designed to be both comfortable and lasting.
