A Wedding Deadline Sparked the Creation of a Boutique Mountain Retreat in Pisgah National Forest
Born from a serendipitous land deal and fast-tracked by a family wedding, AHMA blends contemporary mountain architecture, European-inspired interiors, and sustainable infrastructure across nearly 200 acres of protected forestland
Business was the last thing on builder Michael Ladisic’s mind when he attended the wedding of his former assistant seven years ago. But when the bride’s grandfather mentioned a property he was considering selling—one originally designed by architect Keith Summerour and located in a secluded corner of North Carolina’s Pisgah National Forest—Ladisic couldn’t help but listen. Less than a year later, in partnership with architect Yong Pak, AHMA was born.
With visions of a mixed residential and boutique hospitality development, the pair had big ideas for the nearly 200-acre property. Short-term guests could fish in the adjacent trout river before returning to glass pod-like accommodations or cozy cottages, and city residents yearning for a more permanent escape could have a contemporary mountain home reminiscent of those that dot the Alps.
Though the land held massive potential, there wasn’t an immediate rush to act. In fact, for the next six years, the property remained largely untouched. But when Ladisic’s daughter Rachel started dreaming up a ceremony under the same AHMA tree where she got engaged, the 8-month countdown to have the site wedding-ready began. “There’s nothing like a wedding timeline to get a project finished up,” laughs Pak.
What had lingered in waiting suddenly snapped into motion, and teams across all specialties came together in an all-hands-on-deck effort to support Ladisic in his ambitious timeline. The call even extended to his own household: Ladisic’s wife, Lisa, temporarily moved to the property for several weeks at a time to oversee the project and keep teams on track. “This is the property’s debut, and with the amount of work that went in from so many different people, it was more than just checking a box to get paid,” says Ladisic. “We wanted to do it the right way from the very beginning and set the tone for what’s to become of AHMA.”
That intentionality carried throughout. The main cottage, originally intended to be a single-family home, was rearranged by Pak to serve as an inn with a reception area and indoor-outdoor bar on the lower level. Passageways widened for ADA accommodations and rooms were finished with more modern architectural details. The interior changes feel seamless, as though that’s how the house always sat, which Pak says was the intent. “Keith and I are friends and I wanted to respect what he did, while also paying homage to an English manor house that had a more contemporary feel.”
While Pak focused on honoring the home’s architectural bones, the interiors were tasked with delivering warmth, elegance, and a sense of lived-in luxury. At the hands of designers Sherry Hart, Brian Watford, and Source’s Brittany Stafford, European flair oozes in the kitchen, living room, and bedrooms. Lavish wallpapers and textural fabrics dress lounge areas while artwork from local Atlanta galleries invites guests to linger. In a second-level bathroom, a cast-iron freestanding tub makes its debut after sitting in a crate for 17 years with the original home, its subtle patina passing as though it’s always perched in that exact spot.
Beyond aesthetics, the project also required thoughtful infrastructure. Eco-conscious visitors will be pleased to know that sustainability wasn’t an afterthought, as the entire property operates on geothermal heat and underground electric, including the second cottage and bunkhouse. A 151-foot concrete wall was poured below ground to flatten the steep grade for the 8,000-square-foot tent that was assembled, and though the forest views were lush, destructive floods from the trout river required landscape refreshments by Land Plus. The grass was greener thanks to Garden Atlantic, who laid nearly 20,000 square feet of sod just two weeks before the big day. “If it had rained the week before, the wedding wouldn’t have happened,” says Ladisic. “Everything had to play in our favor.”
And against the odds—with the Certificate of Occupancy arriving just one day before 250 guests arrived on-site—the weekend unfolded flawlessly against a backdrop defined by perseverance and collaboration. “It was a race to the finish line, but because it was so personal, so many people came to the table in a can-do way and did whatever it took to complete this project,” says Ladisic. “It was unlike anything else and the day was just magical.” visitahma.com