Huff Harrington Design recently got tasked with a delightful project: update an existing home in beautiful Highlands, North Carolina.
Trudy Stump, our head designer, took the lead on this one (with the rest of us constantly sneaking peeks in the design center to see what magic she was making) and she did not disappoint, that's for sure.
To begin with, Highlands (located about 120 miles from Atlanta at a cool altitude of 4,000 feet) and has been a summer vacation getaway for decades. There's a darling little downtown with cute shops and restaurants - and plenty of hiking, walking, tennis, golf and even croquet.
Our lovely clients' home is quite close to downtown and nestled in a gorgeous setting of trees and foliage.
Greeness everywhere in Highlands!
The house, which was completely renovated a few years ago, has a charming Highlands-esque exterior (think shingles, dark, woodsy paint and lots of stonework) and fits its setting just perfectly. And the interior just needed a little "pick-me-up" after several years of hard (and much-loved) use.
"When you've already got such great bones to work with, a project like this is just plain fun," says Trudy. "We re-arranged some seating areas for a better and more functional flow and then added new upholstery, lighting, rugs and art. Those little changes packed a big punch."
The first order of business was to tweak the main entrance to the house, which also serves as a gathering and keeping room. "Our clients asked us to create a space that would be functional for their growing family. This is a very versatile space that gets a lot of use as a spot to enjoy a cocktail in front of the fire or a rousing game of Scrabble. We wanted to make the room as flexible - but comfortable and lovely - as possible," says Trudy. "And for inspiration, all I had to do was look at the window. All the gorgeous greens and earth colors became our go-to palette."
The install begins with our wonderful Marlon leading the charge - and doing the heavy lifting.
The main entrance to the house and the multi-purpose keeping room, pre-install.
The pretty staircase heading, pre-install.
Now there's an edgy console table that services as a chic drop zone for keys. A pair of textural lamps from Palecek and a set of deep, roomy baskets for throws and odds and ends complete the vignette. Painting by Renee Bouchon.
A sweet corner of the room gets gussied up with a carved chest, very clean-lined lamps and the piece de resistance: a specially ordered, framed scarf from Aspinal of London that depicts all the kinds of Highlands woodland animals. The husband loves to hike and collects walking sticks.
A perfect little corner for puzzles, games or catching up on a couple emails. Sherrill chairs are covered in a soft, patterned neutral from Thibaut. A painting of waterlilies by Huff Harrington Fine Art's Doug Foltz mimics the bubbly little stream that runs through the property.
Of course this house has a Dutch door - in a rich and saturated blue. We're all obsessed with that door!
We love collected pieces that tell a story. Art by Andrea Costa, Huff Harrington Fine Art.
A trio of elegant brass candlesticks on the stone mantel.
"Our clients love the changes we made - and we're thrilled that a space that was once maybe overlooked, is now the most popular room in the house," says Trudy.
It just goes to show that good and thoughtful design details can pack a mighty punch - and this lovely house in Highlands will continue to welcome family and friends for decades to come.