Hillside Eden

Photo by J. Weiland.
Photo by J. Weiland.

Rob and Marianne Howard enjoy an “enormous view,” says Malcolm Morgan, who built their elegant home to meld into a Sylva-area hillside. Both love being outside — Marianne is a certified Master Gardener — and a lovely, terraced waterfall provides a tranquil soundtrack throughout the property, flanked by a seating area for those who want to experience it up close.

The water feature is intended for the Howards’ daily pleasure as they delve into their beloved pastime. It’s also an added amenity for guests. Morgan describes it as an “extension” of the couple’s hospitality.

“It incorporates a pleasant sound for enjoyment from the wraparound porch, and acts as an anchor to the wonderful gardening the couple loves to do.

“The porch is definitely the entertaining area, and is easily accessible from all gathering areas,” he adds. “The concept was to create a home built into the hillside, capture the view, and give them a gardening haven in the mountains and easy access to hiking trails.”

The Howards go all-out for visitors: besides the wraparound porch, there’s a detached garage styled like an old-world carriage house, doubling as a 700-square-foot guest suite on the upper level, complete with full bath and kitchenette. Antique vintage timbers, cedar and poplar cladding, and tongue-and-groove ceilings give the outdoor spaces the same nod of mellowed majesty as the main attraction. The quality continues inside the carriage house, with custom cabinetry, hickory floors, and spalted-maple doors.

“We spend about nine months of the year outside,” says Rob Howard, who notes that he and his wife are full-time residents. “So we needed to have outdoor spaces that had good access from the house.” He praises the “integral design work” of Broadbooks Associates that smoothly unites the indoor and outdoor spaces.

The look: Old-world grandeur

The location: Balsam Mountain Preserve

The luxe factor: Sophisticated water feature with adjacent seating area

RESOURCES: Builder Morgan-Keefe, Inc.; Architect: Shawn Leatherwood, M. Shawn Leatherwood and Associates; Landscape Architects  John Broadbooks and Mark Wilson, Broadbooks Associates;  Landscaper  Barry Cosgrove, Cosgrove Landscaping; Stonescaping Cody Macfie, Steep Creek Stoneworks

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