When Matt Tindall of Tindall Architecture Workshop got to work on his first house in Acadia, he knew it would be a fun one. The clients, a couple from Portland, Oregon, wanted a modern farmhouse concept, and they “wanted it to feel like they were in a treehouse,” he says.
By Leigh Savage
The site, in a newer section of Acadia that backs up to the Saluda River, dictated much of the design, as it sits on a beautifully wooded lot. “We wanted to take out the fewest trees we could, and not disturb the landscape,” he says. Wrapping the home in windows maximized light and leafy views.
Homeowners Carrie Dale and John Hammes say the finished home hit the mark and then some. “Definitely,” Dale says. “It’s like living in a spa or luxury treehouse. The entire home has an incredible, luxurious, nature vibe to it.”
A lot of people like the sound of modern farmhouses, but there are numerous iterations of the style, so the team had to clarify what the couple was looking for. “They found one online, and while this house is nothing like that house, there were a lot of design ideas we got from it,” Tindall says, including the exterior colors, the style of stone veneer and the home’s overall symmetry.
Amy Emery of Amy Emery Interior Design agrees that the home hews to certain elements of a farmhouse, but Dale and Hammes didn’t want a direct interpretation. For example, there is no white. “They wanted it to be earthier and warmer,” she says, describing it as “organic modern,” full of warm woods, stone, concrete and natural colors.
Hammes’ home office, with its second-story windows, blends seamlessly with its surroundings. “The view of the river with all the leaves off the trees and snow on the ground in winter is incredible,” he says.
Gorgeous Interior in Arcadia Home
One of Tindall’s favorite features is the open, modern staircase near the entryway. “Other than being in the bedroom, you experience that from every room,” he says. There was a lot of discussion about the staircase and how it worked among the design/build team, not to mention the nearby wall that features a soaring fireplace, custom-stained oak built-ins, wood storage and a door to the bedroom.
Andrew Coln of Coln Construction built the home. He says the entire family room is a noteworthy feature, with its seamless flow from the kitchen, and calls the staircase a showstopper. The 24-foot ceilings trimmed with white oak showcases the design team’s talent. “They did an amazing job mixing materials and colors to complement each other,” he says.
Emery loves the choice of a concrete tub, made by NativeStone, in the primary en suite bath. “It makes a gorgeous statement,” she says. A reclaimed teak stool sits next to it, and it’s flanked by a massive window with forest views.
The bath is a favorite of Dale’s too. She refers to it as spa-like. “The entire home has an incredible, luxurious, nature vibe to it,” she says.
While white kitchens are trending, the homeowners requested a darker shade, allowing Emery to select a deep charcoal blue that she describes as different yet timeless. The color, Cyberspace by Sherwin Williams, combines beautifully with creamy quartz countertops, brushed brass accessories and natural wood open shelving. Machinist pendant lights from Restoration Hardware hang above the island, which is flanked by Cherner counter stools, a Midcentury modern classic designed in 1958.
The one-room that brings pattern into the mix is the powder room, which involved searching through scores of wallpaper samples to find just the right print. Foret by Hygge & West hit the right note. “It’s very whimsical, but still neutral in color,” Emery says.
Patio brings the home together
Tindall enjoys the opportunity to work with customers who bring a new aesthetic to the Upstate. “We’ve seen an influx of clients from other areas who might be more contemporary-minded, and that has led to some fun, unique design projects,” he says. “The pandemic created the Great Migration, so probably right now 80 percent of our client base is from San Francisco, Chicago, Portland,” and other cities nationwide.
Every home style requires unique skills and materials, and Coln values them all. “Modern styling dictates perfect framing because there is less trim and moldings to cover mistakes,” he says. “Open concepts require diligence in the pre-construction process to ensure proper structural designs.”
Wherever they hail from, clients continue to ask for open floor plans with lots of access to the outdoors. “That’s a consistent request we don’t see changing,” Coln says. “And our climate is such that eight or ten months out of the year, you can be outside sitting on a covered porch. That’s inherent in the designs we are doing.”
For the bluestone patio, a curvier design was considered before the team decided on a straight, square structure. “You have the organic part, with woods and the river, so this was a nice juxtaposition and gave a bit of contrast,” Emery says.
The spaces around the home are as well-designed as the home itself. “Families want to not just enjoy one aspect of the home, they want each space to be crafted around how they want to live that is unique to their lifestyle,” Coln says. “Creating a space to dwell, not just live in, has become a necessity.”
Photography by Inspiro 8 Studios
