I am total fan of barn structures and their rustic quality. Architects and designers come up with so many creative ways to reinvent the barn in order to fit a families lifestyle. This vacation property in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina is a prime example of exactly that synergy: a rustic barn adapted to a residence with a more modern aesthetic. The estate was featured in the Winter 2016 issue of Milieu Magazine.

Every blog entry I am trying to make justice to these beautiful designs and pictures of them and I have to say, mostly I am failing. I am not a writer, I am a designer, but I also see the importance of being able to communicate the rules of design and why something works and other things don’t. SO bare with me please …

The kitchen is kept very simple. The white oak cabinetry blends in with the oiled oak floors and the countertops are a continuation of the wall’s plaster . I love how the open shelves are mounted across the windows, adding both usable space for your everyday dishes as well as allowing more light to stream through the space. Large vintage industrial pendants illuminate the island that is set with three wooden stools. I like the extension of the island: a desk like table accompanied with a slipcovered chair with Lee Industries Kitts Flax Linen. Rustic beams add even more texture in the kitchen as well as throughout the home and remind me very much of the German “Fachwerkhaus”.

Especially the bedrooms show how peaceful this whole estate is in its composition. It’s about texture and soft natural tones that lend themselves to nature contested with dark industrial elements like the windows and the lighting. I have to commend the homeowners, the architect Stan Dixon, and the interior designer Betty Burgess for going all the way to that scary place where originality and creativity work the hardest but end up being worth all the risk and create something truly special. 

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