Casa Nueva
Photos By: Daryl Calfee & Kelsey Schwenk
It seems fitting that the ease of a wedding experience at one of Lynchburg’s newest event venues, Casa Nueva, also characterized its founding. As Erica Kerns-Calfee and her husband, Daryl, enjoyed one of their customary meandering drives through Lynchburg, Kerns-Calfee was struck by the sight of a building on Fort Avenue with a glass-block facade. After making a U-turn, seeing a “For Sale” sign, and making a call, the couple found themselves walking through the building that same day, imagining the possibilities it held that evening, and making an offer the following day.
Kerns-Calfee recalls that entering the building, which was formerly the site of a Clean Craft Cleaners dry cleaner’s that closed in the 1980s, for the first time was “like walking into a time capsule.”
“The entryway was dim, with low drop ceilings and every inch crowded by household items, old furniture, and commercial washing machines—relics of decades gone by,” she noted. “Then, through a second doorway, the space suddenly opened [with] soaring cathedral ceilings and a row of high windows pouring in luminous, almost ethereal light. Because the building had sat untouched for so long, nature had begun to reclaim it—vines creeping in, water finding its way through—giving the whole place a strangely enchanting, jungle-like atmosphere. The backroom was also packed with racks upon racks of clothing covered in plastic. It felt like discovering a hidden world.”
Of course, the considerable work involved in converting such a building into an industrial chic event space wasn’t easy, but the couple went into the project uniquely prepared for its particular quirks and challenges; just months before, Daryl and his Penny Lane Properties team worked with Kerns-Calfee to convert the former Elliot’s Cleaners building on Bedford Avenue into her business Palmera House, a café, lounge, and curated boutique. With the additional assistance of Casey Servis, Principal Architect at Servis Architecture, the pair transformed this second former dry cleaner’s building into a modern and multifaceted venue that holds up to 220 people. Casa Nueva, which the couple co-owns, opened in July 2025.
With its striking deep green exterior and warm white interior, Casa Nueva is the inverse of its sister space, Palmera House. Interior spaces include a permanent lounge, a catering kitchen, a dressing suite, a small coat closet with a Dutch door, and an ample and versatile main event space thoughtfully adorned with plants and long sheer drapery.
Kerns-Calfee took particular delight in designing the lounge’s details.
“I’m an avid collector—or, depending on who you ask, a lighthearted hoarder—of art and eclectic décor, so I filled the lounge with unexpected touches: a large gallery wall with shells adhered directly to the surface, a vintage ceramic cat, a turtle shell, and other tiny surprises that invite people to lean in and look closer,” she said. “The vintage leather swivel chairs came from an auction in Palm Beach, and they fit the space beautifully. A locally found vintage bar added the perfect finishing note.”
Other charming details literally came with the territory; the former dry cleaner’s large fans and fire doors, along with an old safe repurposed to hold antique books, were all retained. Kerns-Calfee’s favorite original-to-the-space fixture is a fur fumigator that has taken on a surprising and useful new purpose.
“My favorite salvaged piece is the fur fumigator, once used to cleanse fur coats back when they were a wardrobe staple,” she remarked. “We stripped the old metal interior, preserved the structure and the wonderfully quirky control panels on the outside, and transformed it into a photo booth. With added lighting, a phone holder, vintage rugs, and a leather wingback chair, it has become one of the most beloved and unexpected features of the space.”
In addition to these one-of-a-kind details, Casa Nueva boasts an ability to bring the outdoors in with its soaring windows and thoughtfully-arranged plants; a central Lynchburg location that provides quick access to hotels, restaurants, and other amenities; and convenient parking options that include spaces at the front and rear of the venue, access to the adjacent parking lot, street parking, and additional parking at the nearby city stadium.
A full-day rental option maximizes the luxurious ease of a Casa Nueva wedding experience.
“The couples who have hosted their weddings at Casa Nueva have overwhelmingly chosen the full-day rental—and for good reason,” noted Kerns-Calfee. “Having access from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. gives everyone the breathing room they need to settle in, set up, and allow the space to evolve naturally throughout the day. It creates a calm, unhurried rhythm that makes the experience far more enjoyable for vendors, the wedding party, and guests alike. For those hosting both the ceremony and reception at Casa Nueva, the ceremony takes place in the main space, and once it concludes, guests are guided to the front area near the lounge for cocktail hour. This gives the couple’s vendors time to seamlessly transition the room from ceremony layout to reception design.”
When it’s not being used for weddings and other private events, Casa Nueva serves as a community hub by hosting its own events.
Regardless of the occasion that brings you to this space “where history, texture, and contemporary style meet,” Kerns-Calfee hopes that you are as captivated, curious, and comfortable as she was when she first encountered the building and imagined its extraordinary potential.
“The greatest joy comes from rebuilding and restoring a forgotten building in our community that sat dormant for over 40 years,” she said. “It’s now filled with life, love, and celebration. Knowing that couples and their families are creating lasting memories within these walls is truly a gift—it makes every effort of restoring and maintaining the venue completely worthwhile. [That said,] our hope is for Casa Nueva to become not just a venue, but a living space where memories, culture, and creativity flourish.”
For more information about Casa Nueva, including parameters for renting the space for a wedding, visit palmerahouse.com.