This contemporary farmhouse, located in East Asheville, evolves a familiar archetype through a collaborative and thoughtful response to our clients’ lifestyle. Topping their wish list was a desire for abundant natural light. Large windows are selectively employed to capture views and punctuate prominent forms, while porch awnings soften light intake.

Given the site’s very gentle slope, our client wanted the home to ramble along and take advantage of varied views to distant ridgelines and private outdoor spaces. We’ve articulated the function of these alternating gables with materiality: the primary house forms feature classic white siding, while bay windows, porches and breezeway are expressed in stained gray wood and black metal. A glass passage bridges the main house to the owner’s “stone cabin” bedroom suite, providing transparency and crisp visual contrast.

Embracing our clients’ hobbies brought welcome inspiration and design challenges alike.  The three-car garage and workshop is organized to keep its scale in check, while the carriage-house treatment of its form accommodates a music loft and balcony notched into the roof.  At the opposite end of the home’s sequence, a stone root cellar is bermed into the earth, atop which our clients can enjoy a morning coffee just outside their room. Yoga in the glass den is accompanied by a wood stove and focused views through adjacent landscaping.  At the heart of the home, lots of cooking will be enjoyed in close proximity to a cozy dining banquette and large bay window to the rear yard.

Providing a place to relax after a day’s activities are smaller “moments” such as in the keeping room, built-in window seats, and a covered dining porch. These spaces are often characterized by wood paneling, lower ceilings, and private windows to offer a sense of calm.

A continued goal of ours on this project is to harmonize a complexity of modern functions into a home that feels simple, familiar, and welcoming.