There was a time when building was a community effort. Folks would get together for a barn raising — a social event that was all about camaraderie. You can feel some of that spirit in Lynn and Ben Tribble’s house in Flat Rock. From the ground up, this mountain getaway is infused with the spirit of family, locality and shared experience.
It started with the lot — a small wooded parcel at Bonclarken, a historic Christian conference center and retreat community. “During his childhood and teenage years, my husband spent summers at Bonclarken with his mother, father and five brothers,” Lynn explains. “I grew up in Asheville, and my mother used to come here, to the Heidelberg Hotel.” Ben’s parents had purchased the tiny lot decades ago but never built on it, so when Lynn and Ben considered a location for their vacation home, they didn’t need to look any further. They bought it.
They didn’t have to look very far for their home’s designers, either. Armed with ideas clipped from magazines, Lynn went to Atlanta to consult with her brother-in-law, John, and his business partner, Rebecca Fincher, at their firm J. Tribble, a premier dealer in antiques and manufacturer of custom kitchens, baths and cabinetry. Together, they began to conceive a comprehensive plan that would provide the couple with a retreat that was relaxed, low maintenance and effortlessly elegant.
“It was very important to Lynn to save the big trees on the property,” Fincher recalls. “She came with the survey and we laid out the house on the lot lines, did a dimensional floor plan and handed it to a draftsperson.” Lynn hired arborist Bill Leatherwood to assist in the preservation of the stand of hemlocks, and placed the construction project in the able hands of Matt Holloway and Aspen Builders.
“Matt was a great builder, and retaining those trees actually fell to him,” adds Fincher. “We located the trees on the plan, but he made it happen.”
“The lot was challenging,” agrees Holloway. “Typically, we clear 15 to 20 feet around the parameter of the footprint.” Nonetheless, the crew managed to shoehorn the two-level, 2,500-square-foot structure into the existing foliage, giving the impression that it has been nestled on the site for many years.
The exterior also speaks the vernacular, without succumbing to the “cabin-in-the-woods” rhetoric. Traditional elements like the screened porch and high gables are a nod to the neighborhood, but the treatment is updated. “We used a metal roof on the porch, stonework and stucco on the foundation in a style that is indigenous to the Flat Rock area,” notes Fincher. However, “the vertical board and batten hints at the contemporary more so than the horizontal planking often seen on mountain houses.”
Inside, stonework by Gregory’s Stonework, reclaimed mantels and oiled oak floors from Whole Log Lumber, and ironwork by Matt Waldrop of Northern Crescent Iron speak to the sense of place, but the décor is anything but mountain rustic. “Lynn didn’t want the house to be overly designed or pretentious, but she has great taste,” notes Fincher. “Their home in Columbia is very traditional, so she was ready for something fun, different and interesting — she evolved beyond her comfort zone.”
A Neo Mid-Century Modern drapery fabric by Romo inspired color palette and jump-started the aesthetic. “It was edgy, with a pop of chartreuse,” says Fincher. “We like edgy.” Clean lines, quality finishes and a subtle juxtaposition of textures imparts an air of refinement without compromising comfort. To retain the edge, John contributed a touch of wildness — a massive pair of antique water-buffalo horns, an alligator-skin-patterned hassock/coffee table and an exquisite African mask.
Knowing that the Tribbles desired a house that would be appropriate for year-round living, Fincher integrated spaces that would accommodate the couple’s professional and personal requirements. For Lynn, that meant a centrally located, spacious kitchen with a view of the driveway so that she can see guests arriving. J. Tribble designed and created the custom kitchen cabinetry — indeed, all the cabinetry throughout the house — and added a charismatic focal point with the center island: a 19th-century carved Peruvian table from his gallery. “That’s something we try to do with our kitchen designs,” says John. “We add found elements along with the new so that the environment doesn’t feel staged or canned.”
For Ben, a busy surgeon, a tranquil study with soothing cocoa-colored walls offers the perfect venue for catching up on paperwork, while a downstairs workout area — outfitted to accommodate the CrossFit program — allows the Tribbles to stay in shape for their outdoor adventures, which include mountain biking and hiking.
But perhaps most importantly, there is a warm welcome for visits from friends and family, including John and Ben’s parents, who still own a cottage on the retreat center’s grounds. “It’s a multi-generational tradition,” says John. “There are six brothers, and at least four of us are planning to retire there. We may all end up at Bonclarken.”
That would be just fine with Lynn. “I really feel like I’m part of something here,” she says. “I’m part of a community.”