Scientists call it synergy, but the owner of a new house in North Carolina has a much simpler word for the alchemy that exists when the whole adds up to something greater than the sum of its parts: "To me," she says, "it's soul."
The soul in this case is composed of American, English, and European antiques, a collection of contemporary paintings, soft, subtle colors, and inviting textures. Decorated by Charleston designer Amelia Handegan in a style that is both soulful and spirited, the house coexists comfortably with the serene mountain landscape outside. "The owners didn't want something overly mountainized," says Handegan. "This isn't a cabin; it's a casual family home."
The homeowners were ready for a major shift in their lives when they approached Handegan and architect Tim Greene about building a house in the mountains. With both children grown and out of the Atlanta home they had occupied for most of their married life, the couple decided to take early retirement. They began searching for mountain property, first in surrounding areas where they had many friends, then further afield. "It was hard to say exactly what we were looking for except that you know it when you feel it," says the wife.
Their two-year search was rewarded with the acquisition of 35 acres of farmland and woods near Highlands, North Carolina. The new wood-and-stone house sits on the shoulder of a small valley but is just two hours from Atlanta and the couple's four grandchildren. It is a house of contrasts and synergistic contradictions: fine oriental rugs laid over woven-grass carpeting; Southern pottery positioned against traditional English landscape paintings; and French, Spanish, English, and American antiques coexisting with contemporary art. "There's nowhere in the house that is pure anything," Handegan says.
While the house was being constructed, Handegan and her clients made frequent shopping expeditions to Charleston and Atlanta. They formed an alliance early. The homeowner was taken with Handegan's artist's eye for color, detail, and proportion, and Handegan was impressed by the homeowner's collection of unusual contemporary paintings, many purchased through Atlanta gallery owner Timothy Tew. Handegan suggested relocating some of the homeowner's favorite pieces of art to the mountains to anchor the eclectic new rooms. The paintings--many by British painter Haidee Becker and German artist Stephanus Heidacker--became a recurring theme. "We met at the homeowner's old house and I saw her art," says Handegan. "It was the one thing I knew we had to incorporate into the design. Its unpredictability makes the new house."
The homeowner was equally taken with Handegan's unpredictable use of color. Known for her misty, nature-based palette, Handegan jolts expectations with touches such as a pair of boxy bright pink cushions on the living room sofa or luminous old-fashioned pink silk drum shades on a pair of converted oil lamps in the dining room. An upstairs bedroom sparkles in white with brown accents; another guest bedroom glows with a sunny yellow. "She uses color like no one I've ever seen," says the homeowner.
The simplicity of Handegan's design makes the most of the house's airy rooms and natural building materials. Simple does not mean pristine, however. Several of the vintage upholstered pieces still wear their original worn covers, and wood antiques are rich with signs of use and age.
Uncluttered and unpretentious, the house has a contemplative, peaceful quality that satisfies both heart and soul. "It's timeless and so comfortable," says the homeowner. "There's not a room in the house where you wouldn't feel fine about putting your feet up. Amelia created a look that's elegant yet warm and embracing."
