Fresh Perspective

“We approached the project with a more casual aesthetic and were conscious about not making it look like a typical mountain house.” —Courtney Giles

A collection of deer and elk skull prints purchased at Scott Antique Markets graces the front entry. The antique bench is from Foxgloves Antiques.

Designer Courtney Giles maximized seating in the airy two-story living room with tailored pieces from Bungalow Classic. A custom painting by artist Blayne Macauley captures the living room’s dusky blue palette, while a pair of canoe maquettes suspended from the wall with rope play up the home’s escapist appeal.

Mindful of the homeowners’ “easy living” directive, Giles upholstered the kitchen stools by Palecek in a durable vinyl for quick cleaning.

Wicker furnishings mix with more contemporary selections, such as the concrete coffee table by Mr. Brown London, adding eclectic appeal to the back porch.

The dining nook features a concrete-top table by Bradley and Bernhardt chairs.

The lakefront property offers idyllic views.

The boys’ bedroom features custom upholstered beds in a Schumacher fabric. Just above hangs a framed set of fly-fishing lure prints in a nod to one of the family’s favorite pastimes. The benches are from Bungalow Classic and feature a Holland & Sherry plaid upholstery.

Giles selected a striped Phillip Jeffries wallcovering to complement the whimsy of the trough sink in the boys’ bath.

While lavender accents bring a fun, feminine flair to the daughter’s bedroom, clean lines—from the Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams bed to the inlay end table by Made Goods—make the space fit for guests of any age. The quilt is Roberta Roller Rabbit and the art was purchased at Trinity School’s Spotlight on Art Artists Market.

Delicate ceramic butterflies by U.K.-based artist Elizabeth Prince add a whimsical touch to the daughter’s bedroom, but their tone-on-tone coloring ensures the look is fresh and modern.

Accessible through the master suite, the loft was designed as a personal and private space for the husband to catch up on work. The black- and-white photography was taken by the wife, and the sisal carpeting, found throughout most of the home, is by Stark.

The spa-like master bath features an eye-catching steel-and-glass shower enclosure and a soaking tub with prime views overlooking the scenic backyard.

Giles tempered the master bedroom’s earthy palette with a modern bed by Century. The frame is upholstered in a velvet Schumacher fabric. An antique chest from Nicholson Gallery adds a sense of history.

“while there are rustic touches, we pushed it in a modern direction, which makes it feel very fresh.”

When it comes to getting away, Atlantans have been escaping to Cashiers, North Carolina, for generations. Its allure is palpable: glassy lakes, sweeping vistas and crisp mountain air. And with temperatures that are 10 degrees cooler than the rest of the Southeast, it’s no wonder the population of this two-stoplight town swells from 150 to more than 10,000 in the summer.

For interior designer Courtney Giles’ Atlanta clients, though, the attraction to Cashiers ran much deeper. The husband called North Carolina home for much of his childhood and was eager to share the enclave’s close-to-nature lifestyle with his young family. “He’s an avid golfer and loves to fly-fish, and wanted to share those experiences with his children,” says Giles. “There isn’t a better setting to indulge in both.”

So the husband and wife set their sights on a four-bedroom lakefront property and promptly reached out to Giles, their in-town designer, to transform the home into a weekend retreat with a more youthful point of view. “We were conscious about not making it look like a typical mountain house,” she says. “While there are certainly rustic touches, we pushed it in a more modern direction, which makes it feel fresh.”

The home’s pared-down palette pulls from its surroundings, as well as the wife’s affinity for the color blue. Giles selected variations of a soothing dusky blue to complement the home’s reclaimed wood ceilings and stone fireplaces. The daughter’s bedroom takes on a more playful splash of color with lavender accents. “A few strokes of lavender bring a feminine edge to the room without it reading ‘too girly.’ It’s a space that can grow with her,” says Giles. 

While decorating a home that was tailored to fit this family of five was top of mind, so was being able to host family and friends. An open-concept first floor invites guests to pile into the dining nook’s oversize banquette or cozy up to the dual-sided fireplace. But the favorite gathering spot is the back porch, says Giles, where earthy-hued selections allow the property’s idllic views to be the focal point. “It’s a special piece of land and we wanted to embrace that. We let the backdrop of Cashiers be the star.”

INTERIOR DESIGN Courtney Giles, Courtney Giles Interiors, (404) 791-3404; courtneygiles.com
ARCHITECTURE Travis Mileti, Mountainworks, (828) 743-9677; mtnworks.com
BUILDER Ben Harris, Harris Custom Builders, harriscustombuildersnc.com