Change of Scenery

Complementing the lofty ceilings, designer Anna-Wooten Loggins chose a mix of traditional and contemporary furnishings in a soft blue and green color palette for the living room.

The foyer welcomes guests with an eye-catching handmade twig table. Loggins replaced the front door with one that has sidelights to allow more natural light throughout.

A pair of sculptural iron sconces through Paul Ferrante flank a landscape painting by Tyler Colgan in the expansive living room.

Loggins revamped the kitchen’s cabinets with a coat of Conservative Gray by Sherwin-Williams. White marble countertops with black and gray veining, unlacquered brass fixtures and hardware and an apron-front sink underscore the home’s upscale cottage feel.

To introduce an appropriate scale and let in more light, Loggins worked with the builder to enlarge the cased opening between the kitchen and great room.

Framed fishing flies, watercolors commissioned through artist Sallie Strickland, are a reminder to turn off the computer and head outside.

To distinguish the dining area from the great room, Loggins dressed up sheetrock walls with grasscloth (Maranta Arrowroot by Thibaut). The pair of custom pendants from Edgar-Reeves are covered in Fermoie fabric.

A custom headboard is upholstered in a dainty Marika Meyer print; the coverlet is Linnaeus by Cowtan & Tout.

The bathroom features a leafy wallpaper print (Pavilion Stripe from Travis & Company). The new mother-of-pearl mirror blends effortlessly with the new sconces and fixtures. 

A four-poster log bed is dressed in custom bedding using fabrics from Peter Fasano and Chelsea Textiles through Ainsworth-Noah. Side tables are enlivened with white porcelain knobs. 

Inside the primary bathroom, Loggins used marble mosaic on floors and a textured ceramic tile on the shower walls. A cafe curtain in a Holland & Sherry floral offers a bit of privacy.

The screened porch opens to the family room and primary bedroom and enjoys a stacked stone fireplace. “It’s quite small and cozy, so we wanted to maximize seating with a sectional sofa,” Loggins says of the Kingsley Bate outdoor seating covered in Perennials fabric with accent pillows in Katie Leede fabrics.

On a leisurely drive from Atlanta to Cashiers, North Carolina, a lot can happen—specifically a change in elevation. The city’s skyline minimizes, the approaching Blue Ridge mountains grow larger, and for vacationers headed that way, heart rates slow and relaxation begins.

As was true for an Atlanta couple who decided to make this favorite mountain destination a true second home, seeking out a place that would be large enough for family and entertaining. They found it in a four-bedroom, two-story house built in a community that enjoys a championship Tom Fazio golf course, mesmerizing vistas of three distinctive mountain peaks and generous forested lots brimming with rhododendron, mountain laurel and fern. “It’s tucked away in a super private location,” says interior designer Anna-Wooten Loggins, owner and lead designer of A. Wooten Interiors. “You feel all alone in the woods and it’s very serene.”

To bring that feeling of tranquility inside, Loggins, a North Carolina native who had designed for these clients before, worked with Stewart Construction on a renovation refresh. “We didn’t add square footage,” says Loggins, “we just updated what was there.” They replaced the front door with a custom glass-paneled door to usher in more sunlight, while the pass-through from the great room to the narrow kitchen was opened up and framed with reclaimed beams. Hardwood floors were restained in dark walnut, and the baths and kitchen were improved with new fixtures and finishes. Loggins painted the shiplap walls Dove Wing by Benjamin Moore—a favorite neutral that would serve as a backdrop to the new softer color palette.

“When my clients purchased the home, it was filled with red fabrics,” says Loggins. “We decided to rid the house of red and use calming colors found in nature—hence the brown, green and hints of blue.” But, because the house was sold furnished, the owners asked her to keep any items that would translate well to the elevated cottage style. Loggins tallied up the pieces that she could reuse or upcycle, rounding them out with upholstery, antiques, botanical print fabrics and artwork. “We mixed and matched the old pieces with new items to freshen things up,” says Loggins.

In the dining room, for example, Loggins repurposed a console, covering it in a tailored skirt. “The old console wasn’t in keeping with the new look, but its size, especially the height and width, was perfect for the space,” she says. In the entry hall, Loggins embraced another item—a rustic, North Carolina-made twig table and topped it with the horn and bone Pierson mirror. Elsewhere, she had beds and chests painted, and added white porcelain knobs to give more interest to dressers and bedside tables.

Now, when Loggins’ clients head out of the city, they know a more permanent place awaits them. As the mountains come into view, they can roll down the windows, enjoy the 10-degree drop in temperature and just breathe.

INTERIOR DESIGN Anna-Wooten Loggins, A. Wooten Interiors; awooteninteriors.com BUILDER Stewart Construction, LLC, (504) 361-5960; stewartconstruction.com