Prize renovation is alive with imaginative choices
Photo by Paul Sherar
Over the course of her 30-year career, Betsy Edwards has appointed palatial vacation homes for big-name musicians. But her repertoire runs deep, and she knows when to put humble materials center stage.
Take tree bark. As part of her inspired renovation of a Kenmure residence, Edwards selected this rustic surface for two important spaces. Partnering with Bark House of Spruce Pine, she had the wall of a dining-room addition clad with thick-ridged poplar. Fire Cherry, a lacquered tree bark with deep mahogany tones, appears in the reimagined kitchen area as a bar-sink surround.
“Guests can’t stop petting it,” says Edwards. That report comes via homeowner Tracy, whose husband Mark considers the scenery to be the property’s main draw: “He likes to say we purchased the view and the house came with it.” Mark grew up summering with his family in Flat Rock and was happy to come back to the mountains. “We were married late in life,” he says, “and our style combines two very different sets of life experiences.”
Now they’re busy making local memories. Edwards says the couple shares a love of “deep, intense color.” Collecting local art is a passionate new pursuit, and so far, Tracy and Mark have chosen tableware from East Fork Pottery, furniture and antiques from Sunnyside Trading Company, and an assortment of custom pieces in almost every medium from member artists of the Gallery at Flat Rock.
The retired pair volunteer around the world. At home, they parent two large dogs, Olive and Pearl. “[Betsy and I] tested fabrics and floor coverings to determine if they were ‘Pearl-proof,’” says Tracy.
Although the original home was over 5,000 square feet, it never had a dedicated dining room, nor a kitchen with sufficient amenities for experienced home chefs. Then General Contractor Chandler Ward (Paramount Building Services) made a discovery: The high roof of an existing patio was so well integrated into the main structure that the space could easily be enclosed. This created the footprint for the new dining room and informed the home’s entire flow. The tree-house-inspired room is painted in Sherwin-Williams’ low-luster “Basil,” a shade well met by the woodsy bark accent wall and the soaring mountain view.
The expanded kitchen and pantry support an elegant cabinetry array painted a sea-blue shade, from Kitchens of the South. The butcher-block island top is extra thick, made of rich Iroko wood. In a niche dubbed the “View Bar,” the Fire Cherry bark and spectacular vista unite natural and curated splendor.
The renovation nabbed “Silver” honors from the Carolinas Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID). A specialist in architectural design, Edwards has her own company, Betsy Edwards Design, and is also a founding partner at The Design Gallery WNC. In mentioning the award, she’s quick to credit collaborating designer Hannah Gallen for her skilled computer drafting.
Ironically, though, the home’s earthiest element was the hardest to install. Bark dwells in a world long before CAD. “We were required to take exacting hand measurements,” reveals Edwards.
The material requires extremely careful handling. Even after being harvested, it’s a living entity that shrinks and expands. “Most people don’t realize the dizzying amount of work that our artisans put into creating every wall finish,” says Chris McCurry of Bark House. A rare choice in the interiors world, bark is considered quite precious, and Bark House is particular about approving projects. “We were carefully vetted,” says Edwards.
Once installed, this rescued logging byproduct can appear primitive and folkloric in some applications, posh and glossy in others. “Every panel presents the essence of the tree,” says McCurry.
Haute on High
Homeowner Tracy was surprised by her husband with the gift of seven watchful Buddhist monks, an antique treasure discovered at Sunnyside Trading Company. Whole Log Lumber crafted the floating live-edge display shelf, fortified with iron supports for the weighty friars. To the left is Mark’s vintage-camera collection, displayed on shelves made by Holland Van Gores. Designer Betsy Edwards says one of her favorite pieces is the boomerang coffee table of iron and reclaimed wood, which she scouted at High Point Market. The chaise, chairs, and sofa were selections from Four Corners Home, a modern-furniture company in the Grove Arcade in downtown Asheville.
Feast for the Senses
The dining room is banquet ready, distinguished by a deep green shade and thickly ridged Poplar bark — a proprietary finish of Bark House in Spruce Pine — installed on a sculptural accent wall. Sunnyside Trading Company crafted the custom table, the custom woven chairs are from Masaya Co Furniture of Nashville, and the large bronze-tone brass chandelier was chosen from a series by Currey & Co. The table vases come from designer Betsy Edwards’ personal collection of Hartsoe Pottery.
Toast to That
The property’s long-range vistas are artfully framed in the “View Bar,” part of a greatly expanded kitchen/pantry area in this Flat Rock renovation. Lacquered Fire Cherry bark, a bespoke product of Bark House, makes a unique and graceful surround. The Brazilian quartzite countertop is from Nature of Stone.
Photo by Paul Sherar
Elegance on the Menu
The cabinetry and perimeter and island countertops, all from Kitchens of the South, read mostly contemporary with a pinch of classic. A particularly stylish innovation is the extra-thick, end-grain butcher-block surface. It’s crafted of Iroko, a tropical hardwood known for its extreme durability. The displayed wooden vessels are by sculptor Holland Van Gores, represented by Gallery at Flat Rock. Stained, wire-brushed oak flooring grounds the look.
Resources
Interior Designer: Betsy Edwards, Betsy Edwards Design (various locations) and at The Design Gallery WNC (Flat Rock)
Builder: Paramount Building Services (Hendersonville)
Kitchen Cabinetry and Countertops: Kitchens of the South (Hendersonville)
Bark Interior Walls: Bark House (Spruce Pine)
Tile: WNC Tile (Hendersonville)
Countertop (in “View Bar”): Nature of Stone (Fletcher)
Appliances: Haywood Appliance (Asheville); Jeff Lynch Appliance (Greenville, SC).
Plumbing Fixtures and Powder Room Vanity: Hajoca (Hendersonville)
Local Furniture: Sunnyside Trading Company (Asheville)
Local Woodwork: Large live-edge shelf over living-room window, mantel timber, and the reclaimed beadboard in office by Whole Log Lumber (Zirconia); display shelves are by Holland Van Gores.
Local Artwork: Holland Van Gores, wood sculptor (Gallery at Flat Rock); vases from Hartsoe Pottery (Penland Gallery and other Western North Carolina locations).