KALMIA COTTAGE

Creston Community
Black Mountain, NC
2275 square feet

A trim cottage that wraps around the top of a knoll in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains, Kalmia Cottage is made up of two pieces: a main house and a freestanding carport accessed by a trellis-covered bridge. Separating the carport from the house formed a welcoming entry and also preserved two existing mature trees to naturally shade the western side of the house from the afternoon sun.

Inside, the house reveals close attention to small details. The owners' Arts and Crafts furniture collection was the first piece of the puzzle, with the spaces designed around each piece. Concrete countertops, blonde beechwood detailing, custom ironwork touches and a stone and antique timber fireplace are set against a backdrop of painted wood paneling, beams and trim. Reclaimed stained glass windows and doors are reintegrated into the house, further layering new and old.