Cashiers Cool

Subtle tones and texture create a casual but refined family room. A set of tree engravings from Foxglove Antiques, highlighted by Boston Functional lights from Circa inspired the room’s design. The Alabaster lamp is from Circa; the custom mohair sectional is by ADMI. The coffee table, topped by hurricanes by Formations through Jerry Pair, is by Bradley; the linen chair and ottoman and the Jonathan round side table are from from Bungalow. The polished wood Aliseo ceiling fan is by Aria Vent through Grizzel & Mann.

A patinaed lantern from Ainsworth- Noah makes an eye-catching display in the intimate dining room; a round table from South of Market holds court beneath a cathedral ceiling. In the place of window treatments, Linen slipcover chairs from Bungalow.

In a guest room, a navy blue upholstered bed and coordinating linens offer respite from the home’s more neutral tones. The side table is from Max & Co. and the Swedish armoire was found at A. Tyner Antiques.

Morris treated the guest room loft with graphic appeal in the form of a striped runner by 79th Street Rug Shop and a nailhead chest from Scout for the Home.

The living room of this soothing but sophisticated Cashiers cabin designed by Amy Morris overlooks the home’s courtyard and is defined by layers of texture. Kensington sofa in chocolate velvet and gray leather Enzo chair from Bungalow Classic. Tufted leather ottoman by Holland & Co. Accent pillows by Horsley Koffman. Gray Brooks Club chairs from Bradley. Max & Co. side tables. Rectangular Ochre moon table from R Hughes.

A tufted headboard by ADMI adds a luxurious touch to the master bedroom, while hoof benches from B.D. Jeffries create a small dose of whimsy. Contributing to Morris’s play on texture are an oversized iron chandelier from Bradley, architectural lamps from Bungalow and a white chest from Hickory Chair through Bungalow. The patterned rug is by Patterson Flynn and Martin and the accent pillows are Horsley Koffman.

For a space overlooking the back porch in the master bedroom, Morris dressed up the homeowner’s vanity by Mrs. Howard with a chair from B.D. Jeffries and a white plaster mirror from South of Market.

The glass shower disappears among the white marble-covered master bath. A gilded mirror holds court above his and her vanities, adding an elegant touch.

Morris gutted the original kitchen, installed a white marble-top island and raised the cabinetry to the ceiling to give the illusion of space. The barstools are from Go Home, Ltd.; the lantern and sconces are by Averett through R Hughes.

In lieu of statement lighting in a kitchen breakfast nook, a modest light bulb suits the small space, created with an upholstered bench from B.D. Jeffries and a wood-and-metal dining table from Stanton Home Furnishings.

To bring out the room’s architectural bones, Morris bathed the guest room above the garage in black paint, which influenced the design direction, including the selection of a pair of Susan Hable floral paintings from Bungalow to chests from Stanton Home Furnishings and a wooden ottoman by B.D. Jeffries. A canopy bed by Lillian August from the Mercantile helps structure the arrangement, while a pair of club chairs from Bungalow Classic lighten up the space.

The cabin’s views of The Blue Ridge Mountains are part of the appeal of the western North Carolina town of Cashiers, which is less than a three-hour drive from Atlanta.

Atlantans who migrate to Cashiers on the weekends, drawn by rolling mountain views and the calm of country living, tend to gravitate toward creating homes that are cozy, streamlined and fuss-free—a soothing counterpoint to their busy lives in the city.

When an empty-nest couple called upon their longtime interior designer, Amy Morris, to give their four-bedroom home the refined mountain treatment, she understood how to interpret their mandate. “Their home in Atlanta is traditional with a lot of color and embellishments,” says Morris. “This house needed to be simple and warm, with minimal fuss.”

Because he wanted contemporary and she requested traditional, Morris immediately went to task to reach a common ground. “The house’s bones don’t lend themselves to contemporary style, so we compromised with clean furnishings, elegant fabrics and a mix of simplified items,” says Morris. Shiplap walls and refinished wood beams provide a casual backdrop in this home, so Morris played off that feel in the living room by employing a chocolate mohair sectional and a linen chair and ottoman for a luxurious, but low-key look. Antique tree engravings offer a subtle nod to the mountain setting and illustrate Morris’s uncontrived simplicity.

Contributing further to the home’s laidback ambiance is the serene color palette. “I canvassed the neutral color wheel,” says Morris, whose swatchbook for this project included shades of brown, grey and white. In the living room, the scheme affords the advantage of showcasing the cabin’s stunning views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Raised, gray-painted cabinets and white marble countertops in the kitchen offer a sleek, streamlined space for the weekend retreat. Rarely deviating from the soft palette—save for the geometric pop of a floor rug—Morris went rogue in the guest room above the garage. “After stripping away existing green-and-white toile wallpaper, we began to see the beautiful shape of the room,” she says. To highlight the architecture, she added tongue and groove paneling and black paint “to make it graphic.”

In lieu of pattern play, Morris employed texture to create drama in the neutral setting. “I use pattern sparingly,” says Morris, who prefers to create a feeling of depth with texture, in this case, mohair with linen, and velvet with leather. The master bedroom is a study in her layered aesthetic, from metallic linen draperies and a tufted velvet headboard to a metal chandelier and a lacquered wood chest. “I like to make sure there’s a great balance,” says the designer. “The result is so luxurious looking. You definitely wouldn’t distinguish this room as being in a mountain house.”

In an effort to go more polished than pastoral, Morris’s signature touch included the addition of large-scale lighting (her philosophy: “the bigger, the better”) and dressmaker details. The designer loves creating a focal point through lighting, whether it’s a showstopping lantern in the dining room or the unexpected placement of sconces flanking the kitchen sink. In the living room, the designer’s penchant for nailhead trim and tufting is on display: trim applied to the curtains introduces pattern, while diamond-shaped tufting on the sofa and ottoman strikes a classic note. “These small details elevate the design; without them, certain pieces aren’t as eye-catching,” she says.

Ultimately, Morris designed the house using the blueprint of a primary residence. “We weren’t looking for cabin decor; we were simply seeking special pieces,” she says. “Plus, we had to replace the animal heads that were covering the walls.”