As the road winds through Middleburg, Virginia, to the Salamander Resort & Spa, the trees give way to grassy fields that have long attracted equestrians, wine connoisseurs, and avid golfers to the area. The resort, however, offers something new. Here, plush sofas, cozy fireplaces, and a carefully curated art collection send the message of modern luxury. It can be hard to imagine that a few years ago the property was a quaint farm. Yet when Sheila Johnson first set eyes on the site, she conceived of an alternative use for the space. “I immediately saw the opportunity to build something different for the Washington, D.C., area,” she says.
Though only 20 miles away, the Salamander feels worlds apart from the busy capitol. As the cofounder of Black Entertainment Television and…