Like many folks who migrate from the Low Country to Asheville, Urquit and Carolyn Morris were searching for change. Their residence in Charleston was well appointed and served their lifestyle: their eclectically furnished French Country home with fairway frontage allowed Urquit to indulge his passion for golf and was convenient for Carolyn, an educator. But the pervasive blanket of humidity and congestion had them yearning for refreshment and reprieve.
They wanted a retreat where they could breathe free, surrounded by nature but close to the amenities; the culture and restaurants they both enjoy. The Ramble at Biltmore Forest offered the ideal venue, and the development’s focus on sustainable building and sensitivity to the landscape were consistent with the Morris’ vision for their new residence.
“We wanted to be in a place where we could bring nature into the house,” says Carolyn, “so we knew we needed lots of glass and a space that had wonderful flow.” To create that, they enlisted architect Rob Carlton. “We told Rob that we wanted something funky—something out of the box—but with clean lines and no wasted space.” And a certain elegance. The design would have to satisfy Carolyn’s discerning eye; she has a degree in art history.
“The Morrises didn’t come to me with a lot of prescription—or even pre-conceived notions, which is always where we like to begin for a truly artful home,” Carlton recalls. “And this house, more than any style, I’d say is an artful home.”
Defining the style of the structure within The Ramble’s aesthetic codes was something of a conundrum, however. “The categories tend towards European romantic: French country, English Arts & Crafts,” explains Carlton. “But those tend to be rather heavy, with lots of masonry, bricks and stucco and a very low center of gravity; not delicate and light, which was what we were going for.”
The option that was settled on was actually a combination of Colonial and the broader “site inspired” category. Approaching the home, there is a traditional, New England “salt-box” sensibility, while the rear of the house, which nestles in a grove of trees, encases the great room—kitchen, living and dining areas—in a soaring “pavilion” of high windows supporting a beamed ceiling that extends outward (interrupted only by a wall of glass) to become a deep covered porch.
“There’s a duality between the front and the rear,” observes Carlton, “The relationship between the street side, which is quite formal, and the pavilion, which is quite relaxed, is what we were working with as a guiding principle.
“What we were looking for was a modern, clean design made rustic, taking the visual cleanliness of high design and using rich materials that have depth and warmth to make a fairly contemporary space into something that’s more real.” The result is a space that integrates the vernacular and the conceptual: it’s Appalachian with an edge.
Interior designer Traci Kearns of Alchemy Design Studio came on board at an early stage in construction, ensuring a seamless interaction between the envelope and its contents. “Rob and I worked closely on the finish selections and the palette,” notes Traci. “This house is very different from what the Morrises have in Charleston. They understood that what went into the house—the furnishings—would have to speak to the architecture.”
Honoring the spirit of place, the interiors make deft use of a wide selection of regionally sourced woods, showcasing their shades, grains and textures with subtle counterpoints. In the pavilion, honey-toned, cypress-paneled walls carry the eye up to the lofty beams above, but dark-stained white oak floors then ground the view. Similarly, the reclaimed wormy chestnut and wormy oak used in the kitchen cabinetry—a tip of the hat to mountain style—are carried through into the living area, and punctuated with a fireplace of Carolina broke stone, balancing the expanse of glass. “There’s quite a bit of contrast,” says Traci, “but that gives it a dynamic quality.”
That dynamic is evident in the elongated island, which creates a visual separation between the kitchen area and the living and dining space. “Throughout the house, the blending of rustic and contemporary is controlled; there is a tension and release,” Rob explains. “In the countertop, we have the union of these slabs of polished walnut, married together with ebony spines, but then we let the edge go wavy. So we lose control, but then we bring it back and express it. It’s that interplay of things.”
Local artisans and craftsmen were commissioned for many of the interior details. In the kitchen, the reclaimed wood cabinetry and the 15-foot walnut countertop were fashioned by Craig Weis of Architectural Woodcraft of Asheville. A pacific blue rolled and oiled steel ceiling-high backsplash fabricated by Warren Perdue of Perdue Studios highlights a display of local functional and decorative pottery.
Other handcrafted elements include the light fixtures, artwork, rugs and, particularly, the steel and wood staircase that anchors the home. “I love that staircase,” Carolyn says. “To me, it’s a piece of sculpture.” Indeed, each piece is carefully articulated: the quarter-sawn oak treads have beveled bottoms, cypress slats float on a steel frame, hand-tooled joints support the stanchions and an elegant, ergonomically carved handrail guides the way between floors.
Attention to the fine points in the construction of the home had great value to the Morrises. Carolyn’s sensitivity to dust and allergens required the creation of a space that would not only be easy to maintain as a low-allergen environment, but demanded planning to provide superior indoor air quality and building techniques that minimized any introduced toxins.
Carlton and Cardinal Building utilized the standards of the North Carolina HealthyBuilt Home Program in the design and execution, achieving the Bronze rating. “Jack Schneider of Cardinal Building and his crew were absolutely marvelous and meticulous,” Carolyn observes. “He brought with him a network of local craftspeople who did amazing work.”
In establishing the home’s décor, Kearns was challenged to create a livable setting that focused on texture, without gathering dust. “In this case, less is more,” explains Kearns, “so everything we put in here had to be really well thought out. Heavy draperies were out and we minimized the use of fabrics.” An extensive use of leather, wood and natural fiber textiles in furnishings and integrated, PVC-free MechoShade window treatments on the windows provide the homeowners with clean comfort.
Clean, but not cold. The crisp lines and highly tactile surfaces of the home accentuate the fine arts and crafts that Carolyn and Traci have collected to punctuate the residence—most of which are the work of regional artists. “I wanted my home to celebrate the creative talents of the area,” Carolyn explains.
And it does. Despite the soaring proportions of the pavilion and the state-of-the-art design perspective, the Morrises mountain haven retains a sense of intimacy and warmth. It is a welcoming blend of the highbrow and the down-home. “When we sit here in the evening, surrounded by the trees, we can really relax,” observes Carolyn.
It is, in many ways, a breath of fresh air.