Issue 8

October 2009

Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4
Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8

Building Swap Affects Three Round Hill Businesses

Round Hill Arts Center, Round Hill Design Studio and Savoir Fare Boast New, Improved Space

By KIM RAMSEY
Editor, News aRound the Hill

Three Round Hill businesses are redefining and expanding their operations as part of a building shuffle that began in September when the Round Hill Arts Center left its location in the Old Furniture Factory on West Loudoun Street.
By the first of October, the Round Hill Design Studio had moved from the Patterson Building on the corner of Main and Loudoun streets into the Old Furniture Factory, and after Thanksgiving, the space the Design Studio vacated will become an expanded dining room for its neighbor, Savoir Fare Restaurant and Wine Bar.
The board of the Round Hill Arts Center is excited about its new location: the Hill High Orchards building on Route 7 just west of Round Hill.
The Center will occupy part of the building behind the Country Store. "There's a potential synergy between the Arts Center and the marketplace," said RHAC Board Member Frank Etro. "It's a great location."
The Round Hill Arts Center is currently renovating the Hill High space to meet its needs.
According to RHAC Executive Director Frank Naylor, the new location will be "quality space designed to be an art center from the ground up with room to grow."
The space will include a brand new state-of-the-art pottery studio, art studios for classes and room for a new gallery, which will be run by the artists themselves. This will be the first and only artists' cooperative gallery in western Loudoun County.
As a non-profit, the Center operates on income earned from programs and classes, as well as funds from donors and grants. Recently, it was a recipient of a matching grant from the Town of Round Hill and the Virginia Commission of the Arts (VCA).
The Center hopes to be fully operational in its new home before the holidays, but in the meantime is holding classes in off-site locations, including Notaviva Winery and the Purcellville Train Station.
For more information, visit www.roundhillartscenter.org.
During the last few weeks, Wally Johnson has been working to set up his high-end kitchen design and sales business, Round Hill Design Studio, in the Old Furniture Factory building, which Johnson has owned since 1985.
According to Johnson, the Old Furniture Factory will also be home to David Norton’s pottery classes and Genesis International, as well as the monthly bluegrass jam sessions that have over the last seven years “become an institution in this building.”
Genesis International, which Johnson founded with his wife, Carolyn Kruger, supports preschool education and health programs for orphans and vulnerable children in the African countries of Malawi and Zambia.
Genesis is in the process of applying for non-profit status, and Johnson said that proceeds from the monthly jam sessions and a portion of the profits from all programs in the Old Furniture Factory building will go to this organization.
Johnson is also open to having the rest of the building fill “whatever the community’s needs are, focusing initially on music.”
“We're not looking to compete with the Round Hill Arts Center or Franklin Park Performing and Visual Arts Center,” Johnson said.
“We're small and have no stage or sound equipment, so we're looking for a more intimate, coffeehouse sort of feeling.”
A group of volunteers, called the Friends of the Old Furniture Factory, is being established to help plan events and programs for the building.
For more information, visit www.roundhilldesign.com, www.genesisintl.org, and www.theoldfurniturefactory.com.
Since its opening last spring, business at Joan Wolford’s Savoir Fare Restaurant and Wine Bar has been, in her words, “unbelievably successful.” So it's no surprise that she jumped at the chance to expand into the remaining first floor space of the Patterson Building.
By making only minor modifications to the building's floor plan, Wolford expects to be able to double her dining capacity while still keeping her mellow, relaxed atmosphere.
Diners will still choose from four entrees, which will change weekly, as well as small plates, soups and salads.
Starting Nov. 1, Savoir Fare will be open Wednesday evenings in addition to the current Thursday through Saturday nights. Lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.
Wolford expects the new dining space to be available sometime after Thanksgiving.
Wolford will also continue to operate her Savoir Fare, Ltd., catering business, which celebrated its tenth anniversary on Oct. 20, from the same location.
Of the Restaurant and Wine Bar, Wolford said, “It’s a dream come true for me. It’s pretty awesome.”
For more information and weekly menus, see www.savoirfarelimited.com.
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4
Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8
About News aRound the Hill

Current issue as PDF file