Bricks came tumbling down when it came time to renovate David and Berdjette Barker’s 107-year-old farmhouse in Black Mountain — but not all of them got carted away. Builder Sean Sullivan, president of Living Stone Construction, notes that his company saved bricks from the original chimney and hearth to repurpose as wow spots in the kitchen, most dramatically as a backdrop for open shelving; they also scouted complementary brick flooring to nail the look. Updating the grand old place was “an amazing opportunity,” says Sullivan, whose wife, Laura Kirkpatrick Sullivan, leads Living Stone’s design branch, ID.ology Interiors & Design. Berdjette, who pegs the style as “farmhouse chic,” says she “very much appreciated” how Laura appointed the space — including a stately wraparound kitchen peninsula she says “works perfectly for large buffets and breakfasts … friends who help me cook comment on how smoothly it flows.” Laura also made space for the glass-fronted cupboards requested by Berdjette, who collects artisanal ceramic pieces. Against the white cabinetry and white shiplap walls, brisk black countertops impart a smart modern contrast. But Berdjette is also fond of the rustic wood trim (another material reclaimed from the house) that frames the focal brick niche, crediting carpenter Jason McDowell for this slice of the overall vision: “He was fantastic. He designed shelves to withstand the weight of my plates.”
Resources
Interior Designer ID.ology Interiors & Design
Builder Living Stone Construction/Design + Build (Black Mountain)
Cabinetry Advance Cabinetry (Fletcher)
Countertops Rock Star Marble & Granite (Asheville)
Flooring Manny Padron (installation)
Lighting Ferguson
Tile WNC Ceramic Tile (Asheville and Hendersonville)
Trim Carpentry Jason McDowell Construction (Fairview)
Appliances Haywood Appliance (WNC)