Stately Stables

Location: Clifton, VA

Located relatively close to the main home and carriage house, the four-stall stable was carefully sited on the heavily wooded 13-acre estate to accommodate a separate service road with direct access from the stable to the public street. Complete with tack room, service spaces, utilities, storage, hayloft, paddock, pasture, and the latest water monitoring and safety technology, this state-of-the-art facility is no ordinary equine environment.

With an emphasis on “green building,” the stable is constructed almost entirely of natural materials and includes the same stone base and limestone cap used on the nearby residence. The exterior walls are red oak and the roof is Vermont slate that matches the other structures on the estate. The oversized dormers provide light and ventilation to the loft area and the operational louvers can be closed against the elements. The oversized cupola with its copper weathervane is the clear focal point of the stable. The architects incorporated spiral stairs that grant access to the top of the cupola, providing a commanding view of the entire estate.

Interior finishes are first rate. Red oak, walnut, cherry and other wood species are used throughout the stable. The tack room incorporates a walnut grid floor with tile inserts, cherry walls and cherry cabinets with stainless steel tops. The hay chutes and stable doors were custom designed and masterfully crafted. The same banister and rails that grace the main house are used here as well.

Specialty lighting and hand-rubbed bronze hardware compliment the stable while a sprinkler system helps keep the horses safe.