CBC Blog

A staircase does more work than almost any other feature in an older home. It carries foot traffic every day; it anchors the entry or the center hall; and in many historic homes in Northern Virginia, it's one of the last original pieces of craftsmanship still standing. So when that staircase starts to show its age, the question homeowners ask is fair: is this something worth saving, or is it time ... Continue Reading

Loudoun County's western landscape is unlike that of almost anywhere else in the Washington, DC, region. Rolling hills, stone walls, working farms, historic villages, and properties that have been in families for generations define a character that draws buyers specifically because it is so different from the subdivisions and townhome clusters that dominate eastern Loudoun and the broader Northern ... Continue Reading

For owners of historic homes in Loudoun County and across Northern Virginia, the desire to add space is completely understandable. A farmhouse built in 1880 was not designed for a family of five with two home offices, a mudroom, and the expectation of a primary suite. But the thought of adding on raises concerns that do not exist for a typical suburban home: Will an addition damage the historic ... Continue Reading

Purcellville-based Loudoun Stairs enters an exciting new chapter after being purchased by a group of local business owners with deep roots in Loudoun County. Scott Carpenter, Charles Beach, Paul Ferrari and Benjamin Carpenter purchased Loudoun Stairs, with the sale officially closing on April 30. Scott Carpenter and Charles Beach, lifelong Loudoun County residents, own Carpenter Beach ... Continue Reading

Budget anxiety is the single most common reason homeowners delay a historic renovation they genuinely want to do. And it is understandable. Unlike building new construction or remodeling a predictable postwar ranch, renovating a historic home carries a layer of financial uncertainty that no spreadsheet can fully eliminate. Walls hide surprises. Systems fail inspection. Materials take time to ... Continue Reading

Renovating a century-old home is one of the most rewarding projects a homeowner can undertake, and one of the most complex. Unlike a straightforward remodel of a newer house, a whole-house renovation on an older property involves layers of unknowns that don't reveal themselves until work begins. The bones may be magnificent, the character irreplaceable, but the systems behind the walls are almost ... Continue Reading