Paradise Found

One beautiful autumn day in 1993, Skip and Ulita Taliaferro took a drive along the upper Roanoke River part of Smith Mountain Lake to enjoy the fall foliage and look for fishing huts for sale. When they didn’t find anything suitable, the couple ventured to the Union Hall side of the lake in search of a home that had caught their eye during previous on-water excursions up the Blackwater. When the Taliaferros finally located the home, it appeared vacant.
    “We walked down the lane and peeked through the [glassed] front doors, and I was just blown away,” Ulita exclaimed. “You could see right through the opposite windows to the lake and the glorious fall colors. What a setting.”
    Their 13-year-old daughter, Shar, pointed out a for-sale sign.
    “Let’s buy this, Daddy,” she said.
    They all laughed, but the next day Skip tracked down the homeowner’s name, contacted him and, unbeknownst to his wife, made an offer on the property.
    It was accepted on the condition that the house would sell “as is.” The owner hoped to avoid the expense of much-needed repairs to the damaged residence that had been used as a party house.
    Skip, a salesman by trade with an evident gift of gab, was a veteran of major construction on the couple’s mountainside home in Roanoke. Undaunted, he sealed the deal and then broke the news to a shocked Ulita that he had purchased the home on what they had always referred to as “the best point lot on the lake.” With nearly 500 feet of shoreline, the property has picturesque views up the Blackwater River, not even obstructed by the dock, which is located to one side.
    “Can you believe we would buy a home before we ever set foot inside?” she said.
    Built in 1984, the home indeed needed a lot of work.
    “The cedar siding was covered in black mildew and the inside — well, when I finally got to see it, I said, ‘The worse the condition, the better.’ It offered lots of opportunities,” recalled Ulita, an artist and decorator blessed with the ability to see creative potential where others see disaster.
    The Taliaferros gutted and remodeled the kitchen, replaced many of the windows, moved interior walls, added light fixtures and completely repainted.
    “You can do a lot with nothing,” said Ulita, pointing out a huge mirror bought at an antique outlet for $5. There are also a large, sturdy dining table and eight chairs she bought second-hand, then sanded and refinished. Twisted willow branches emerge from large pots, and massive floral centerpieces created by Ulita make an inexpensive decorative statement.
    While the house is only 1,400 square feet, walls of French doors on the lake side make it seem more expansive. All of the ceilings are cedar-planked, adding warmth.
    Outside the French doors, an expansive deck accommodates an intimate coffee gathering or a substantial number of party guests. The deck faces west, allowing sunset views, but numerous tall shade trees provide an umbrella against the afternoon sun. A screened-in, eight-sided gazebo on one end of the house is a cozy spot with a view of the lake.
    “It’s always been one of my favorite spots to relax,” said older daughter Decca, so named because her parents had been married a full decade before her birth.
    According to Ulita, the location of the house was planned according to the trees on the lot, giving it the feeling of a house in the woods. The deck is even built around a large tree.
    In 1993, their lake view was only of trees and fields with no other houses visible. Although some homes now can be seen in the distance, the outstanding lake view and colorful fall leaves on the many trees remain.