Rustic Refinement

Charleston designer Kathleen H. Rivers creates a relaxed interior for a log cabin in Cashiers, North Carolina. The house has all the elements of a property that’s been passed down through generations, but the layout, textile treatments, and collections make it feel current

Pieter Estersohn, story by Julia E. Lewis

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Respectful Reuse

The house was built with logs from several old houses and barns that were moved from Tennessee and Kentucky. “We couldn’t paint the walls,” says designer Kathleen Rivers. “We had to work with the powerful, horizontal striped effect of the wood.” Respectful of the cabin’s vernacular architecture and mountain setting, she created a sophisticated yet informal scheme. A pair of custom wing chairs in maize-colored linen and Chippendale-style side chairs surround the dining table.

RESOURCES: Interiors by Kathleen H. Rivers, Kathleen Rivers Interior Design, 843/723-5744; architecture by Jack Davis, 404/237-2333; construction by Dearl Stewart Construction, 828/421-5930. Side chairs by Bradley Hughes, 404/814-9595, www.bradley-hughes.com, with fabric by Kravet (to the trade), 800/645-9068, www.kravet.com; custom antler brackets by Chad Collins, 828/743-6209, www.stagridge.com; glass bottles from Alexandra AD, 843/722-4897.