There’s an old adage that says, “Too many cooks spoil the broth.” That may be true in the culinary world, but when it comes to a showhouse, it’s exactly the opposite. The interplay of a host of designers and their individual visions is what gives the event its flavor. And, for the record, even in a professional kitchen there are often many hands involved in the creation of a savory dish. The trick is that you’ve got to have a good recipe.
The recent 2012 Asheville Designer Showhouse, presented at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove to benefit Eblen Charities, had exactly that. This was a showhouse with a twist: from the onset it was intended that the homeowners would actually live with the rooms that were created for the event. In other words, this was real life design done cooperatively. And the results are very tasty indeed.
Ken Berry of the Berry Group, the builder of this charming country-style home, recognized the potential for an extraordinary undertaking, even as the house was in the planning stages. The home was being built for a family who were relocating from Texas, who wanted a fresh perspective as they began their new life in Western North Carolina. Bringing together some of the area’s top designers would give them several.
Travis Mileti and the team at Mountainworks Custom Home Design provided the base with a structure that addressed both the site and the specific needs and desires of the family, while offering a classic appeal. “We like to do timeless design,” says Mileti, “not trendy. Years down the road, we want it to still feel relevant.” The house incorporates elements of both English and a French traditional style, blended with a touch of Arts and Crafts, and is situated to take advantage of both front and rear views.
The standard of excellence implemented by the Berry Group is evident in the exquisite stonework by Green Company of the Upstate, beautifully distressed French oak flooring by Burchette and Burchette, and intricate metal work by Jackson Steel that impart a sense of authenticity and permanence. Custom details abound — including the fine cabinetry by the craftsmen of Morgan Creek Cabinet Company, who take an old fashioned approach to their work. “Everything is done by hand,” notes owner Morgan Harrison. “We haven’t really changed that much from the way things were done 100 years ago.”
Keeping in mind that the home would be presented to the public as a showhouse, the key players, including Berry and Harrison and the homeowners, met with the team from Linda McDougald Design/Postcard from Paris, the interior design firm that would establish the overall aesthetic.
“We knew that other designers would be involved so Ken wanted one firm to pick out all the interior specifications so that the final result would not be disjointed,” recalls designer Rebecca Pollard. “We decided on a unifying palette of cool colors — neutrals and grey-blues — that would be a natural complement to all of the wood and stone in the house,” Pollard continues. “We wanted something to offset those heavy materials, to give a sense of light.”
With the home’s tone established, four additional design teams were invited to take part in a rather challenging exercise: to take the existing space and fixtures, a set range of colors and the homeowners’ furnishings and put their unique talents to work in their assigned rooms.
The main areas of the first floor — the living room, kitchen, dining and adjoining keeping room — fell to McDougald and Postcard from Paris. They applied a restrained hand to these spaces, integrating them visually with classic shapes and the placement of several antique Italian rugs that echo the “steel wool” color of the kitchen cabinetry.
In the dining area, an antique oak Belgian “hunting cabinet” creates a stately air. Wingback chairs from Restoration Hardware and dining chairs from Lee Industries that have been upholstered in wheat-colored linen and accented with hobnails surround a custom trestle table by Trey
Sherman. At the breakfast bar — topped with repurposed barn wood — a pair of bar stools are sheathed in a similar fabric. An antique iron gate makes a graphic architectural statement against the stove’s brick backsplash.
To offset the high, gabled ceilings in the living room, the furnishings are closely grouped and monochromatic. A pair of Century sofas — also dressed in linen — and square ottoman, along with two hobnail-accented wingback chairs are gathered around the fieldstone fireplace. Raw silk draperies dress the arched windows bringing the eye down into the room and adding a touch of sheen.
Just beyond the French doors, on the covered deck with outdoor fireplace, Harry Deaton has created an “elegant campfire” setting with dark wicker chairs from Dreamweaver and a sea grass rug that is tolerant of the elements.
Deaton also styled the two upstairs bedrooms. Intended for the family’s two daughters, they are adorned in custom draperies by Joe Deaton and appointed to suit the inhabitant’s individual personalities. For the equestrian, a casual country mix of paisley, stripes and linens in denim blue and white, offset with a touch of rustic brown is given a touch of glitz with an ornate vintage French mirror. Above the distressed white chest of drawers a large print of a handsome steed makes a bold statement.
For the older daughter a more sophisticated sensibility prevails, with a bed dressed in a bespoke, embroidered linen duvet cover and shams set against a snowy windowpane coverlet. An abstract floor lamp, antique French wall mirror and mirrored side table add a touch of “New Orleans” glamour.
The abundant proportions of the Master Bedroom give it a sense of grandeur, but posed a challenge for designers Cheryl Smith and Jaime Totherow of Cheryl Smith Associates. To ground the room, Smith utilized texture and detail. The large, arched windows are swathed in gossamer-thin embroidered linen — hung from a custom, wrought iron rod and hinges by Jackson Steel — which softens and filters the light. The small corner window is dressed in an asymmetrical valance and topped with a wrought iron scroll, also by Jackson Steel.
An intricate oriental carpet from Togar Rugs in shades of cream, blue and taupe anchors the space and echoes the raw silk, Lino Fino bedding. European sham pillows of the same embroidered linen found in the window treatments accent the creamy matelassé coverlet. A simple, Parson style bench upholstered in animal hide adds an unexpected, feral touch.
In the master bath, the designers have deftly referenced the mosaic pattern of the shower wall in a patchwork rug, also from Togar. The arms of a French antique cane chair mimic the shape of the extraordinary hammered copper and stainless steel slipper tub. To add a touch of whimsy, the designers created the small table from a base found at the Antique Tobacco Barn, topped with a tray from their inventory and arrayed with a collection of bathing essentials.
Downstairs in the family and media rooms, Bonnie Rash and Chris McKay of Silver Fox Gallery and Interiors have beautifully integrated contemporary art and craft into a comfortable, livable space. The family room features an elegantly curved sofa by Sherrill Furniture complemented by a wood and wrought iron coffee table by Terra Sur and flanked by hobnail-embellished leather recliners by Motioncraft. Picking up on the metallic elements, a lidded jar by Jason Bohnert dresses the coffee table and pendant lights by Currey and Co. illuminate the bar area. A hand-knotted “Fleur” rug by Jaipur in relaxed shades of blue and cream adds a delicate touch and offsets the clean lines of the desk and the dark wood paneling of the adjoining office area.
Across a covered wooden bridge that spans a tranquil pond, the carriage house provides an inviting sanctuary for guests, tastefully appointed by Susan Nilsson, ASID and Kathy McLennan of Susan Nilsson Interior Design. Picking up on the blues in the adjacent morning kitchen, the bed has been dressed in custom duvet cover, bed skirt and shams fashioned from G.P. & J. Baker’s “Indienne” linen and detailed with ruching. “It’s a bold botanical,” says Nilsson, “stylized, rather than historical.” Luxurious bed linens by Matouk, from Porter & Prince, inspire sweet dreams.
Nilsson adds a touch of Santa Fe style with a Navajo patterned rug of La Jolla fabric, a collection of antlers found at Village Antiques and a small side table, crafted by Roland Knutson and faux painted by Anna Kraus.
Five designers adding different flavors to a recipe. Too many cooks? Not at all. This home is a visual feast…and it’s absolutely delicious.