It’s a gradual, but relatively quick process to distance yourself from the hustle and bustle of the Triangle as you head West on Highway 40 toward the sleepy town of Lincolnton. The mountains begin to reveal themselves between the gently rolling pastures that dot the landscape as you head away from the city. A drive through a quaint little downtown, recalls a scene where Michael J. Fox went back to the future, and after a few turns, historic Victorian homes and more farmland, the separation between hustle and bustle and calm widens with a sigh.
The home sits on a slight hill in the middle of 125 beautiful acres. Resembling an old country train station, the home has a striking first impression. A cupola sits above a low hipped, slate roof and a screened porch faces a Western exposure—perfect for sunsets and Pinot Noir on crisp fall evenings.
The beautiful cottage garden surrounds the home with eclectic colors, fragrances and shapes that almost force you to slow down one last time before escape inside. But once inside, you almost forget you’re in the mountains of North Carolina. The chic surroundings offer a jolt of the city in the most peaceful of settings.
The home is a masterpiece of creative teamwork – the homeowners, one a furniture designer by trade, the other a banking professional, both have a passion for art r art and antiques – Allen Brooks of ALB Architecture, Marilyn “Pete” Mangum of M. Pete Inc. and interior designer Aida Saul of Luxe Home Couture.
“The home was originally designed to be a guest house,” said Pete. “Then the homeowners started using the home and enjoying it themselves. By the time the recession hit, they were used to the smaller scale and luxury of the home, so they decided to use it as a weekend home, and delay the construction of the larger residence.”
The open kitchen with whitewashed maple cabinets, granite countertops and a red glass tile backsplash pops with life. High-tech task lighting, adding a hint of modern to a rustic home, surrounds an antique pot rack. Beautiful artwork collected locally and through the homeowner’s extensive travels, draws you into the home’s living space and invites you to study its details. And so it goes throughout the rest of the home; a juxtaposition of old and new, high couture and rustic elegance.
Walls and ceilings are covered in reclaimed antique barn siding and a loft can be reached by ladder for a living room overlook. The oversized fireplace stands five feet tall and is the dominant feature of the living area. “The fireplace was redesigned to be much larger to accommodate the scale of the antique end irons,” explains Aida.
In the dining room, the chandelier offers grand inspiration; originally a flea market find, the piece features three colored glass globes surrounded by wrought iron. “The colors of the globes are so beautiful that we chose to use similar colors throughout the living space and a style that is slightly more contemporary,” said Aida. Two beautiful translucent fabric panels with multi-colored leaves etched in gold piping hang from the ceiling of the living room, separating the dining room from the living area.
A mixture of eclectic and antique furniture is found throughout the home. Many of the pieces were handmade by one of the homeowners or collected from the St. Eulalie antique district in Quebec, near the couple’s second home. “Good interior design should start with pieces that anchor a space,” suggests Aida. “Then it should be progressively layered with items that add beauty and finishing touches. I like to create spaces that are very fluid, and that comes from creating tension and contrast between items.”
The end result is an incredibly comfortable yet stylish retreat. “Design is not about creating matchy-matchy spaces,” offers Aida. “What’s especially nice about this home is the eclectic style of the homeowners is reflected in their garden outside and is carried into the home with their artwork and handmade furniture.”