/ by Allison Walsh / photography by Carl Amoth
From high atop Bearwallow Mountain, this architectural stunner looks down into the heart of North Carolina’s apple country. A majestic view of the valley is offered at nearly every turn thanks to the mindful work of the team led by Bluestone Construction.
Kevin Reed is the owner of Bluestone. He says working with a custom home builder affords a number of advantages. A home plan can be tweaked, but only a custom design can harness the beauty of the surrounding landscape, with abundant and well-planned windows and vignettes.
“We do a lot of our work in the mountains on lots with nice views,” Reed says. “Many of the lots we build on are steep and angled, and each of our homes is custom designed to fit that lot and capture those views.”
Perhaps the best spot to enjoy the vistas is from the screened porch, where motorized screens and a stacked stone fireplace ensure year-round comfort. A 15-foot-wide folding door is constructed of panels that stack neatly to one side to open the living and dining area to the porch, creating an expansive space for entertaining or relaxing.
This bird’s eye view of the world below is sure to attract plenty of guests, and the home’s four bedrooms and three-and-a-half baths provide ample space. The bunk room is a fun detail for small visitors, featuring four bunk beds with wood panels that slide away to reveal hidden compartments. The shower in the primary bath suite affords more stunning mountain views and offers entry from each of the separate vanities.
The owners of this home planned and dreamed for years and came to Bluestone with a long wish list of details to be included. “This was really a dream project,” Reed says. “There were so many things they wanted to do.”
At the top of the list were luxurious wood finishes and metalwork, a nod to the owner’s long career in the steel industry and his passion for woodworking. Reed incorporated a state-of-the-art studio customized to each of their respective hobbies: building furniture and working in clay.
The timber framed entryway is a true work of art, and the detailing is repeated in the great room and on the screened porch. Reclaimed log siding is used both outside and in; the staircase showcases a number of steel elements, including hand-forged balusters and metal straps that brace the posts at each landing.
Air quality was another top priority, so hand-scraped black walnut floors were used throughout and radiant floor heating was chosen to minimize dust and other allergens that can be distributed through forced air systems.
A mechanical engineer who has been building homes for 25 years, Reed’s favorite part of the process is the collaboration and problem solving it takes to work all of the homeowner’s wants and needs into the design.
“Nothing is left to chance,” Reed says. “Custom projects are often completed faster because the client gets what they want the first time.”
