Houzz Tour: A Modern Retreat in the Blue Ridge Mountains
Scandinavian influences add to the clean lines of this 3-level, glass-clad weekend home in North Carolina
A contemporary perch with glass walls and endless views provides interior designer Tamara Heather Leicester and her family the ideal weekend respite from their busy workweeks in Charlotte, North Carolina. A mix of new, vintage and artisan furniture adds character to the home’s minimalist design without distracting from the sprawling vistas around every corner.
When she was a student, Tamara spent a semester in Denmark and fell in love with Scandinavian design. The home’s clean lines and gallery-white walls speak to Nordic style, as does its interplay of light and dark elements, such as the espresso-stained pine slats covering the fireplace surround. “With all the white walls, it was important to have a bold, dark element to provide contrast,” Tamara says.
A vintage midcentury chair reupholstered in Robert Allen fabric creates a comfortable reading spot next to the gas fireplace. A birch plywood book rack holds a collection of favorite reads.
Tamara designed the base of the dining table, opting for an organic shape with three legs to better accommodate six chairs. The dining table was built by local furniture maker Mica Sorkin and Asheville woodworker Aaron Bailey used reclaimed metal from a schoolhouse to create the frames for the dining chairs.
The same espresso-stained pine slats found on the fireplace surround cover the overhang above the kitchen’s built-in bench. Open shelves in lieu of cabinets and a window over the sink keep the space light and airy. “Since it’s a weekend house, we didn’t need tons of storage space in the kitchen; it was more important to keep the look consistent with the rest of the house,” Tamara says.
The three-story staircase, made of maple, raw steel and steel tension cables, is in a glass-encased stairwell, Tamara’s favorite feature of the house. “It’s a dramatic space that does a great job of blending architecture and nature,” she says. “It adds a bit of a wow factor to the home.”
Tamara used burnt orange accents in the third-floor sleeping loft. A daybed topped with a full mattress and a twin trundle bed underneath creates a cozy space for visiting friends and family. An identical daybed with trundle is at the opposite end of the loft.
A bright red sectional at the base of the first-floor stairs serves as the home’s media room. Tamara hand-stenciled the trees on the accent wall. “I didn’t want a television in the living room, so this space provides an intimate area to watch a movie,” she says.
The guest bedroom on the first floor may not have the dramatic two-story windows found on the second floor, but the views still provide plenty of natural drama. An antique rocking chair that belonged to Andy’s grandmother has been reupholstered in a burgundy patterned fabric.
This three-season room off the kitchen provides a great spot to host larger dinner parties; the table, from French outdoor furniture maker Fermob, seats up to 10 people. It’s also an ideal place on hot summer days to find relief from the sun and insects while still taking in the sights, smells and sounds of the outdoors.
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Who lives here: Tamara and Andy Leicester and their 8-year-old son
Location: Mars Hill, North Carolina
Size: 2,400 square feet (223 square meters); two bedrooms (plus a sleeping loft), two bathrooms
Design: Tamara Heather Interior Design
The three-hour drive from Charlotte, North Carolina, to this mountain retreat brings the Leicester family within striking distance of the artistic town of Asheville, in the western part of the state. “Our whole search for a weekend home was centered upon staying close to Asheville,” interior designer Tamara Heather Leicester says. “It’s a town that fully embraces the arts, food and music scene we so enjoy.”
Tamara, with the help of architect Diana Ramirez, designed the home to make the most of its 4,500-foot elevation. The first floor includes the master bedroom and guest room, allowing the main living areas on the second floor to enjoy two-story-high windows.