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The Cliffs Greenside

The Cliffs Greenside

Location: Arden, NC
Type: New Construction

This home at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove is all about sleek minimalism in the mountains. The owners wanted a bright and airy design that was pure in form and palette. Exterior materials and gable forms help to assimilate the house into the mountain vernacular while contemporary refinements, exaggerated eave projections and glass proportions lend a modern sheen.
This floating stair set the tone of the overall design and construction process. It took a collaborative team of architect, client, structural engineer, interior designer, general contractor and the stair craftsman, who ultimately unified the wood, steel, metal and glass components to create this stunning structure.

The transparency at the main entrance gable frames a 2-story view of the mountains beyond and acts like a display case for the floating sculptural stair inside. This transparent staircase makes an elegant ascent against a backdrop of stone. Each tread is lit by an LED, providing ease of use and an illuminated Foyer at night.

The minimalist interior architecture and palette is a reflection of the clients’ aesthetic. At the start of the design process, we were given a modern Italian interiors book from our client that really helped us get to know them. The interiors are open and inviting and each room is thoughtfully lit with cove lighting that washes the walls in a warm glow. The tall ceilings make it feel lifted and spacious.

The kitchen is in keeping with the sleek minimalist theme. We used integrated finger pull reveals to replace cabinet hardware and delicate lighting to give the kitchen an uncluttered appearance.

Among the most important goals for this project was to maximize the views. The house has views at almost every angle and the owners wanted to capitalize on this as much as possible. We took this concept to the limit by creating a horizontal ribbon of glass that extends nearly floor to ceiling in the 12’ tall kitchen, living and breakfast spaces, allowing for a full panoramic experience.

Project Team

Interior Designer: Jeffrey Lamb Interiors
Landscape Architect: Drake Fowler