Their Fair Lady

Photo by David Dietrich

Architect C. Allen Brown hasn’t had a sign on his Cashiers office in 25 years. “You’ll probably notice I don’t have a website, either,” says the Georgia native in a cozy drawl. It’s a matter of pride: Brown was here long before Houzz, and his own houses, he says, are made to stand for at least 100 years.

The DIY surge has birthed a world of self-styled experts. “You’ve got 10,000 ways of doing things, and everyone’s got the right answer,” notes the architect dryly. That might suit the vicissitudes of tech-aided minimalism, but Brown still draws plans by hand for the elegant European-style homes that are his calling card, including Susan Heinemann’s storybook residence in the Cliffs at Walnut Cove.

Heinemann, who calls herself an empty nester, shares the 4,100-square-foot house with her 8-year-old Bengal cat, Simon. (Her son is married and lives in Charlotte.) “Everything I need on a daily basis is on the main floor, with space for guests in the lower level,” she says.
She is a native of Henderson County who observes how “very different” the region has become in her lifetime. Heinemann notes today’s hectic traffic, influx of newcomers, and huge cultural shift. “Downtown Hendersonville was where we shopped [for necessities] and did business — not gift shops, galleries, and restaurants,” she says.

After being involved with small-business development in Sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, Heinemann started her own nonprofit, the S.E.H. Tabitha Foundation, to help “lift [North Carolina families] out of poverty without creating dependency,” according to the group’s mission statement. Her efforts include endowments through her longtime affiliation with UNC in Chapel Hill (she and her son are both graduates).

Any scholarly benefactor should have a home library, and the one in Heinemann’s office, filled with fiction, theology, and social-work volumes pertinent to her career, has “heirloom” written all over it. Styled in the round with a barrel vaulted ceiling, the room inhabits one of three turrets in the house. Paved in fieldstone, the space boasts a spiral staircase and a sliding ladder, making it look like an extract of the Long Room in the Old Library at Trinity College in Dublin.

“When I began looking at the plans, I knew this home was going to be beautiful,” says Jeremy Aiken, who led construction and also did the signature trim carpentry. “It had some unique challenges, though. … The three turrets have added character, they’re a real showpiece, [but] the carpentry element in the ceilings was tedious to install.” He adds, “the staircase with the rockwork adds a nice touch going into the basement.”

Interior designer Cheryl Smith acknowledges the challenges, styling them as “opportunities” and listing the project’s “many special features” — meticulous artisanal appointments including Aiken’s “wood mouldings, cabinetry details, and the blending of the various flooring, wood and brick, throughout the house.” The earthy, layered textures are proudly traditional, and even where the neutrals fade to white, for example in a limestone-surround fireplace, the vibe is warm.

Heinemann says she was “extremely involved” in the project, completed two years ago: She selected all the major players, for instance. It’s lucky, then, that she and the architect come to the drafting table with a simpatico worldview. When he talked to Carolina Home + Garden, Brown was still basking in the afterglow of My Fair Lady, the revived Broadway musical staged in January at Greenville’s Peace Center. Despite being a seasoned professional, he seemed to be newly inspired by the play’s luminous mise en scène.

“All a house really is,” he declares, “is a theater. Sure, it’s got to shed water, but at the end of the day, it better be something that brings you joy.”

Photo by David Dietrich

In the great room, a vaulted-and-timbered ceiling in alder (Jeremy Aiken Construction) and medieval-feel layered chandelier overlook the fieldstone-surround fireplace (stone by Mark Morgan) and handsomely traditional cabinet installation (David Petit, The Cabinet Shop). Rug from Togar.

Photo by David Dietrich

Although the Susan Heinemann home is unimpeachably traditional, the kitchen/dining room benefits from a modern open concept. Wide-plank oak floors set the tone for the spread, with distressed antique-white cabinetry built by David Petit of the Cabinet Shop in Rosman. Touches like brocade seats on the dining-room chairs, a granite-topped island (“Bordeaux River” from Nature of Stone, fabricated by Stone Connection Granite Interiors), and figured backsplash tile (WNC Ceramic Tile) add to the panoply of custom touches in this home. Custom copper range hood by Screaming Hot Iron.

Photo by David Dietrich

A velvet ottoman and other goddess-gold plush furniture (Cheryl Smith, interior designer) complement the limestone fireplace in the lower rec room (builder Jeremy Aiken; stonework by Mark Morgan).

Photo by David Dietrich

Pressed to pick a favorite room in the Heinemann home, interior designer Cheryl Smith (Cheryl Smith Associates) selects the master bedroom and adjoining small turret: “I love the vivid rug, and the pale blue and blush tones are very soothing.” The dark bed and side chest uphold the home’s traditional dignified palette, as does the framed artwork, also selected by Smith.

Photo by David Dietrich

A bold chandelier emitting a whiff of Art Deco commands the master bath, where marble adds a rich texture. The white slipper tub is the only monochromatic note against tapestry-like pale-rose valances and silver tray mirrors. (Tub and fixtures from Ferguson.) The niche shower (WNC Ceramic Tile) echoes the towers and turrets elsewhere in the house.

Photo by David Dietrich

One of the house’s three turrets, designed with barrel ceilings (C. Allen Brown, architect) and built by Jeremy Aiken, who also did the artisan carpentry, is clad in fieldstone and brick, giving it an earthy elegance. The “Blue Garden” granite-topped desk installation (material from Nature of Stone, fabricated by Stone Connection Granite Interiors) in distressed antique green was crafted by The Cabinet Shop. Cathedral windows let in a certain slant of light.

Photo by David Dietrich

In the powder room, a sumptuous vanity, crafted by David Petit of The Cabinet Shop, with a top of Dolce Vita marble from SlabCo crafted by Stone Connection Granite Interiors, is crowned by a tray vessel sink (Ferguson). Designer Cheryl Smith also selected the gilded wallcovering and wrought-iron sconces, grounded by a wide-plank oak floor.

Photo by David Dietrich

A contemplation niche off the master bedroom, complete with a velvet reclining couch, fulfills the project’s deeply traditional European artistry.

Photo by David Dietrich

A high-elevation scene greets visitors at Susan Heinemann’s classical European-styled home at the Cliffs. Outdoor furniture selected by Cheryl Smith Associates. Deck railing and outdoor fire pit built by Jeremy Aiken with Pisgah Insulation & Fireplaces (Mills River); the fire pit’s “Chocolate” granite top is from SlabCo, fashioned by Stone Connection Granite Interiors.

RESOURCES
Architect: C. Allen Brown, AIA Cashiers
Interior Designer: Cheryl Smith & Associates, Hendersonville
Builder: Jeremy Aiken Construction, Rosman
Cabinetry: David Petit, The Cabinet Shop, Brevard
Cabinet hardware and door hardware: Bella Hardware and Bath, Asheville
Carpentry and artisan trim: Jeremy Aiken
Countertops: All countertops crafted by Stone Connection Granite Interiors of Zirconia. Marble and granite sourced from SLABCO, (powder room, firepit) in Travelers Rest, SC; and from Nature of Stone (kitchen, master bath) in Fletcher.
Electric: Tim Owen Electric, Pisgah Forest
Interior Doors: Sun Mountain Custom Doors, Fletcher
Tile: WNC Ceramic Tile, Hendersonville
Firepit surface: Stone Connection Granite Interiors
Fireplace design and construction: Pisgah Insulation & Fireplaces, Mills River
Flooring: (wood, old brick), Jeremy Aiken Construction
Interior wood (material and vendor): Jennings Building Supply
Stonework: Mark Morgan
Locally made furniture: Dining-room buffet by John Smithies, Summerwood Joinery, Swannanoa
Textiles: Togar Rugs, Arden
Appliances (kitchen and bath, incl. tub): Ferguson, Asheville
Fixtures (kitchen and bath): Ferguson, Asheville
Metal (spiral staircase): Todd R. Miller, Screaming Hot Iron, Fletcher
Landscaping: B.B. Barns Garden and Landscape Services, Arden
Driveway Pavers: Hardscapes Unlimited Outdoor Solutions, Greer, SC
Closets: More Space Place, Asheville
Painting: Stephen Weems

0 replies on “Their Fair Lady”