Donna Dunn
As I write this, I’m on the train home from a quick visit to New York City. While the Big Apple is like no other place on earth, it’s good to come home to the rolling hills and beautiful forests of Central Virginia. Especially as we look to fall, I think there’s no better place to be than right here: HOME!
This issue marks my one-year anniversary as editor for HOME. I’ve enjoyed getting to know our readers and advertisers more through this past year. A year ago, my father was in the hospital at Virginia Baptist, and I got to talk to a couple of traveling nurses — one from Atlanta and one from New Orleans. They both said Lynchburg had the nicest people they’d met … and they’d gone to quite a few places in their caring profession.
Our fall issue not only provides a smorgasbord of home-related articles for your enjoyment, but an introduction to some phenomenal people running local businesses! Our Readers’ Favorites lists are a who’s who of service providers who work every day to make our homes and our community more beautiful. Each of these favorites were voted on by our readers, and we’re so glad to showcase them.
In this issue you’ll also find articles to help you transition into fall and celebrate all it has to offer. From fun family activities to warm, comfort foods, we’ve got you covered. We offer the latest trends in exteriors and making your home look inviting for fall.
We also recognize that in life we all have big moments to celebrate and to mourn. As I write this, I have a wedding and a funeral to attend in the next week. These are truly life-changing points in a life. How do we show up for the people we love in these crucial moments? How do we demonstrate our care in practical ways that are meaningful? This article offers some helpful thoughts on how to show love and kindness.
As always, we have a beautiful, local showcase home to feature, along with tips and trends for your home. One topic that’s gotten a lot of attention in the last year, especially, has been artificial intelligence. While this can be a scary concept in regards to privacy and security, when it comes to improving and designing our homes, some technology can be helpful. Augmented reality (AR), especially, can help us visualize our spaces with different landscaping, paint and flooring.
I hope you enjoy this issue of HOME and find some new ideas for enjoying your home this fall. A quick shoutout to HOME’s incredible team of writers and photographers — I appreciate you all so much! Happy pumpkin spice season!
Donna Dunn | donna@jamesrivermedia.com
