Breast-cancer survivor uses homegrown design skills to create a much-needed sanctuary
Photo by Amos Moses
Geni McKee’s “Little Jewel” doesn’t adorn her wrist, neck, or finger. Her self-described “hand-hewn She Shed” is actually tucked into her lush Asheville backyard. The 649-square-foot structure is part spiritual oasis, part creativity canvas.
It is chicly rustic, but not precious. Though, like a manor, it does bear a name, Little Jewel on the inside boasts “nothing fancy,” insists McKee. Apart from a few newer accessories, “it’s a repository for my collections of found objects from countless flea markets and antique stores … or treasures from nature.”
McKee’s professional background is in educational publishing, but her aesthetic — simple yet striking vignettes — suggests a learned designer. “I’ve always had an eye for beauty, but I’m especially drawn to things that have wabi sabi, you know, [the idea of something being] ‘perfectly imperfect,’” she says.
Photo by Amos Moses
Little Jewel’s genesis came as McKee recovered from breast cancer eight years ago. She yearned to reconnect with those who’d been important to her throughout her life, and desired a personal sanctuary, too. Newly driven, she designed every inch of her diminutive getaway. The exterior is covered in repurposed snow fencing and cedar-shake shingles, while the roof is offset by a striking Tennessee fieldstone chimney, segueing to the hearth inside. A single shed dormer sits atop the roofline’s center, sheltering a porch with 200-year-old Kentucky barn posts and a rustic stick-and-twig railing.
McKee credits the creative team that emerged as Little Jewel came to life, especially Appalachian Antique Hardwoods in Waynesville, who sourced every inch of the building’s reclaimed lumber. “I loved every subcontractor I worked with, which is testament to the fact that good karma surrounded Little Jewel from the beginning,” she notes. “None of what I pictured was lost in translation.”
Little Jewel’s interior is a riot of wood. To prevent a dark feeling in the living area, McKee had the barnwood walls whitewashed with a light Texas sage color, and left the ceiling untreated. “Each board tells a story. They came from many antique structures — barns, homes, factories. The floor wood is from a factory; you can still see the indentations where machinery rolled over the wood and embedded staples that remain,” shares McKee. The staircase and railing posts are laurel and locust, respectively, and the stone fireplace is countered by an earthy post-and-beam surround and mantel.
Photo by Amos Moses
The art, furniture, and accessories also come with stories: McKee’s mother’s Scots-Irish roots inform the interior decoration, including a sampler she crafted 40 years ago. Circa-1910 moonshine jugs sit on the hearth, and a still-life painting featuring jug and corn further symbolizes her family connection to the proud mountain tradition. Also eye-catching is the pair of hickory club chairs McKee snagged from eBay, covered in their original, Native American-inspired fabric: their provenance is turn-of-the-century Montana hunting lodge. Sweet pillows from a favorite local haunt, Asheville’s Flea for Y’all, increase the chairs’ comfort quotient.
The kitchen sports open shelving for McKee’s McCoy sprinkled pottery collection, and an old-timey screen door offers access to a pantry that hides modern small appliances. Textural poplar cabinets set the stage for the custom-made island/breakfast bar, made by LG Wood Wonders in Michigan. Artisan Lori Grezeszak fashioned the live-edge walnut piece from a fallen tree on her family’s property, carving the base with a leaf-and-vine pattern.
On the upper floor, there’s a cozy sleeping area and reading nook outfitted with a chintz-clad chair and vintage cedar chest. The bathroom oozes luxury with a natural twist: the shower floor is river rock, the mirror above the hammered-brass sink bowl is framed in real pinecones.
McKee hopes to start a Little Jewel blog. She even wants to use her mad design skills to advise others planning similar projects. Until then, she’s happy to share Little Jewel’s joys with visiting friends, her breast-cancer support group, and others, though she takes care of #1, she says, “by slipping out there for respite regularly. There’s nothing more restorative than nestling with a cup of tea and a book inside these beautifully worn walls.”
Resources
General Contractor: M.S. Hammett Construction, LLC (Tryon)
Wood: Appalachian Antique Hardwoods (Waynesville)
Carpentry: T&D Fine Finish Carpentry, staircase and trim (Waynesville)
Stone: Hipps Stone (Swannanoa)
Masonry: Medrano Stonework and Stucco (Asheville)
Roof: Premier Roofing of the Upstate (Easley, SC)