Elevating the Tree House

East Asheville home towers above expectations
Photo by Keith Isaacs

In the mountains of Western North Carolina, “gently sloping” is open to interpretation. While some properties assigned the descriptor do, in fact, descend amicably, many plunge dramatically into verdant glens without any regard for future building plans. Such was the case when a couple from Upstate South Carolina secured a wooded parcel in East Asheville. 

“The homeowners purchased the lot thinking it was relatively flat,” says project manager Charles Krekelberg of Altura Architects, formerly Samsel Architects. But once crews began clearing bramble and brush for the new construction, “it became evident that the main-level terrace was going to be 35 to 40 feet off the ground.”

Krekelberg, working with architect Jim Samsel, AIA, and interior designer Traci Kearns (founder and principal designer at Alchemy Design Studio), took the news in stride. Rather than try to tame the steep terrain, they adapted the blueprints to suit. “The land’s topography informed the project,” confirms Samsel, who is now semi-retired.

Case in point: To reduce the need for excessive grading, the trio worked with Innovative Structural Engineering in Asheville to situate the 3,570-square-foot home on steel columns. The design trio also made aesthetic decisions to complement the land. On the exterior, for instance, they opted for composite siding in iron-ore gray — a smoldering shade that helps the home blend into its surroundings. “The house feels extremely tucked into its little corner of the earth,” says Kearns. 

On the inside, however, the clients craved a “very peaceful palette” — nothing too jarring or dark. “Like an intimate sanctuary,” the homeowners offer in a joint statement. Even more importantly, the husband and wife — who increasingly work from home — desired a space where they could enjoy the mountains and host relaxed holidays.

“As our careers begin to wind down,” they comment, “we wanted a place to spend more time in nature and with family.” 

Accordingly, the foyer unfurls to reveal a spacious great room awash in white tongue-and-groove, pickled oak hardwood, and walnut accents. A dining-room table made by the wife’s father begs for meandering conversations at dinnertime, as does a pair of kitchen islands. 

“It’s amazing for Thanksgiving,” the owners say of the combined kitchen-living-dining area. “We have so much space for all the guests to gather.”

However, what truly makes the house so spectacular is the union of indoors and out. From every vantage point, floor-to-ceiling windows offer a glimpse of lush trees in the warmer months and long-range views in the cooler ones.

But the husband and wife — avid hikers with deep-reaching roots in the area — craved an even deeper nature immersion. And so, the design team extended the great room with a wraparound terrace that floats three stories above the ground. 

The resulting abode — built by Joel Barto, owner/builder at R-Squared Construction — is dubbed “The Lookout.” The fun name conjures images of a rustic perch hidden in the “Y” of a mighty oak. And while it’s not that kind of lookout, as Krekelberg explains, the home truly is a treehouse in every aesthetic sense.

“You’re high above the beautiful understory of rhododendron,” he says. “You’re nestled in the canopy.”

Photo by Keith Isaacs

Nothing Too Precious 

According to Alchemy Design Studio founder/principal Traci Kearns, the outdoorsy couple “wanted to be able to come home from a hike, watch a movie, and not have to be too precious about anything.” With this in mind, Kearns anchored the living room with a sprawling sectional from Verellen. For bowls of buttery popcorn and goblets of Cabernet, John Hunter (owner of Hunter Woodwork) partnered with Alchemy to craft an ultra-modern, oval-shaped coffee table from white oak.

Photo by Keith Isaacs

A Step Above 

Aesthetically speaking, stairwells don’t often make an impression. But in The Lookout, the staircase descending from the living room to the downstairs recreational space begs you to linger. On the wall hangs a landscape by Jeremy Russell, an Asheville painter represented by Blue Spiral 1 Gallery. The deep blues and soft yellows contrast with the crisp, white tongue-and-groove and pickled-oak flooring, which flows from upstairs to down. Meanwhile, a dramatic group of pendants infuses the space with drama and light.  

Photo by Keith Isaacs

Soaking in Style    

Interior designer Traci Kearns designed the primary suite’s bathroom to be light and bright. On the floor, a durable porcelain tile from Crossville Studios gives the look of marble. Meanwhile, a matte glass wall tile from Nemo Tile and Stone gives the look of wallpaper. 

Photo by Keith Isaacs

A Place of Their Own

The Lookout is decidedly modern. “But also unpretentious,” says builder Joel Barto. This balance of luxury and informality shines in the clients’ primary bedroom suite, where a custom walnut bed platform with matching cabinets (designed by Alchemy Design Studio, built by Earth in Home) exudes warmth. Meanwhile, generous windows welcome the outside in. The dreamy painting, Midnight Garden, a large-scale cyanotype on paper, is by Casey Roberts, represented in Asheville by Momentum Gallery.

Photo by Keith Isaacs

A Second Helping 

If most homeowners are lucky to have a single kitchen island spacious enough to prepare intricate dinners, then consider The Lookout’s inhabitants doubly charmed. Heeding the homeowners’ hope to “stake claim” to Thanksgiving and Independence Day celebrations, architect Jim Samsel designed the kitchen around two 11-foot-long quartz islands supplied by Alpha Stone. Positioned parallel to one another, these benches lend themselves to “convivial food preparation,” says Samsel. The lady of the house concurs, noting that “grandma and mom no longer have to be sequestered away” as the turkey roasts and the yeast rolls rise. Her father — a serious woodworker — crafted the dining-room table from walnut. 

Photo by Keith Isaacs

The Namesake

Suspended high above the forest floor, the wraparound terrace is, arguably, what gives this home its name. To avoid obstructing long-range views, the design team commissioned Babak’s Iron and Art to fashion a slim stainless-steel railing. This material resurfaces in the fireplace surround (completed by Making Whole, a local fine-furnishings company that employs men in recovery) for a fresh, modern look that complements the dark gray siding.

The Lookout in East Asheville affords its homeowners a treetop living experience. Composite siding in iron-ore gray helps the home blend into its surroundings. Landscaping by Gardens for Living of Fairview.
Photo by Keith Isaacs

Resources

Architect: Altura Architects, formerly Samsel Architects (Asheville) 

Interior Designer: Traci Kearns, Alchemy Design Studio (Asheville) 

Builder: Joel Barto, R-Squared Construction (Clyde)  

Structural Engineer: Innovative Structural Engineering (Asheville)

Custom Woodwork: R-Squared Construction (Clyde)    

Cabinetry: Earth in Home (Fletcher) 

Countertops: Alpha Stone (Asheville) 

Flooring: Hurst Hardwoods (Tampa, Florida) 

Tile: Crossville Studios (Fletcher) — bathroom floor tile; Nemo Tile and Stone (New York City) — primary-bathroom wall tile.

Local Furniture: Earth in Home (Fletcher) — bed platform in primary bedroom; Alchemy Design Studio (Asheville) — designed living room coffee table and bed platform in primary bedroom; Hunter Woodwork (Fairview) — crafted living room coffee table.  

Local Artwork: Mariella Bisson and Casey Roberts (Momentum Gallery, Asheville); Jeremy Russell (Blue Spiral 1 Gallery, Asheville)

Stonework: The Rock Man (Canton) 

Outdoor Fireplace: Making Whole (Asheville)

Interior and Exterior Railings: Babak’s Iron and Art (Asheville)

Windows: Thompson Windows (Hendersonville)

Landscape Architect: Kerns Land Planning and Design (Asheville)

Landscaping: Gardens for Living (Fairview) 

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