Warm and Inviting

(But Cool and Modern)

North Asheville kitchen hits the just-right spot

The eponymous lass of “Goldilocks and The Three Bears” wanders into a woodland home to find three bowls of porridge. The first bowl is much too hot. The second is much too cold. But the third is “just right” — exactly how Debbie and Marc Cobb describe the kitchen of their new North Asheville home. 

It’s less well known that “Goldilocks” is an English folktale, and in the Cobb kitchen, an appropriately woodsy palette, grounded by European French Oak flooring, echoes a bit of the story’s aesthetics as well as its universal theme of finding balance.

The Cobbs are Greensboro professionals who have spent more than three decades vacationing in the mountains. “We have been married 38 years and have been coming to Asheville for all that time,” says Debbie. “We just love the scenery.”

Intent on seeing more of it, the couple purchased a mountain lot. They then commissioned Dustin Penland with Milestone Contracting and April Gahagan-Fore, an interior designer with Furniture Specialties, to design a second residence that felt warm and inviting but also cool and modern.     

“They wanted a Mountain Modern home that wasn’t cold and sterile,” Gahagan-Fore confirms. She anchored the motif with “Urbane Bronze” by Sherwin-Williams. Described as a gray-beige (or “greige”) that “evokes a down-to-earth tranquility and subtle sophistication,” the paint color became a jumping-off point for other selections, such as the gold faucets and that unique, wide-plank oak floor. “Everything works so well with the ‘Urbane Bronze,’” Debbie says. “It brings out the brown tones in the wood and blends with both greens and blues nicely. It’s such a beautiful color.” 

To balance the rich neutral, which appears on frameless cabinets from Cuisine Idéale out of Canada, Maureen Jarock of Kitchens of the South incorporated a walnut range and trio of walnut-accent cabinets. The result is “playful and unexpected,” she says. “It was a creative way to pull off this warm, modern look.”   

Walnut was also used for the island, which accommodates three chic Benton Stools by Four Hands. The L-shape makes the area a bit more comfy and personable, says Jarock. Meanwhile, the recessed walnut toe kick affords an ethereal lightness. “It’s a great place for conversation,” she notes. 

Gahagan-Fore agrees, commending the island’s functional design. “[That] was important as these clients wanted to be able to provide a mountain oasis for their family to come and enjoy,” she explains.

For countertops, the island features “Fusion Crystal” — a quartzite with great swaths of vivid blues, greens, and browns. According to Debbie, who found the material, these colors nod to the dramatic vistas visible from the couple’s back deck. “It’s all about the views,” says the homeowner.

But the views don’t stop there. Above the island hangs a custom chandelier. Designed by Lexington Glassworks, the light fixture features hand-blown glass shades from the “Nesting” collection. With neutral colors and organic textures, the piece brings a “sense of airiness” to the space, says Ashleigh Hardes, marketing director of the hot shop.

“Lighting can be more than just a practicality,” she notes. “It can also be a work of art that enhances the look and feel of a room.”

Speaking of artwork, open shelving in the kitchen provides just enough space for Debbie to display vases she has collected over the years. (Her husband, Marc, prefers to collect wine, as illustrated by the generously sized wine cooler from Haywood Appliance.) 

So as not to overpower these ornate touches, Debbie chose a rectangular porcelain tile from Crossville Studios for the backsplash and soft-brushed gold hardware from Top Knobs for the cabinets. 

Put together, these selections are decidedly sleek and modern. But thanks to the warmth of the “Urbane Bronze” and the walnut accents, the space doesn’t feel too cold. It is, as Goldilocks might say, “just right.”

Unlike in the English folktale, no ursines occupy this North Asheville domicile. But Debbie has noticed a few rambling around outside.   

“We love enjoying the cool mountain air and scenery,” she says. “And we really love watching bears from the kitchen windows.”

Kitchens of the South, 2570 Asheville Hwy., Suite 10, Hendersonville. For more information, call 828-515-3344 or see kitchensofthesouth.net.  

Resources

Kitchen Design: Maureen Jarock, Kitchens of the South (Hendersonville), and April Gahagan-Fore, Furniture Specialties (Asheville)

Countertops: RockStar Marble & Granite (Fletcher)

Kitchen Cabinets: Kitchens of the South (Hendersonville)

Cabinet Hardware: Top Knobs 

Backsplash: Crossville Studios (Fletcher)

Flooring: WNC Precision Flooring & Repair (Fletcher)

Appliances: Haywood Appliance (Asheville)

Plumbing Fixtures: ProSource Supply (Asheville)

Lighting: Lexington Glassworks (Asheville) 

Counter Stools: Four Hands