Keep Calm & Simmer On

A wide arched window trimmed in French Country blue signals the mood of this kitchen overlooking pristine Green River Gorge in Saluda. Here, formality has been swapped for authentic freshness with a soulful grain.

D.K. Builders installed locally sourced lumber on the walls and ceiling for a look that kitchen designer Kara Gressler of The Home Source describes as “a mountaintop sanctuary [where] traditional farmhouse features meet contemporary design.” (The wood on the floor came from Reclaimed Lumber & Beams in Lenoir.)

Homeowners Kerry and Garry Smithwick are retired from what Kerry calls “hardcore planning jobs” at IBM, and so, she explains, “it felt natural for Garry to be the general contractor of our new home.” That expertise is evident throughout the space, which emits an airy, laid-back gentility. Kerry’s pottery, collected from around the world, is displayed as everyday art. Indeed, the couple’s travels inform the entire mood: “I’ve always loved the old French kitchens with the marble that shows the wear of a thousand meals having been prepared on it,” she muses.

Any notion of overhead cabinets was too stifling: “I like everything within reach. I want to see it and use my pottery every day.” A glass-fronted beverage center adds to the vibe of ease and leisure, but other details prove artisanal ingenuity: Kerry scouted an old cart from a local mill and “cleaned it up a bit” to transform it into the base of her marble-topped island. “It’s all about calm,” she says, “and cooking good food.”

Resources
Kitchen Designer Kara Gressler, The Home Source Design Center (Asheville)
Builder Dale McDowell (D.K. Builders, Flat Rock)
Countertops Viktor’s Granite & Marble (Arden)
Flooring Dale Ballew (Reclaimed Lumber & Beams, Lenoir)
Tile Acanthus Interiors (Fletcher)
Windows ProBuild Hendersonville