Chestnut Hill
About the Project
Nestled within the Chestnut Hill neighborhood of Highlands, North Carolina, this leased residence was thoughtfully curated to feel deeply personal despite its temporary nature. Rather than treating the home as a place to simply pass through, the design embraced the opportunity to create a space that reflected the residents' history, character, and everyday rituals. Family heirlooms, well-loved furnishings, and collected artwork became the foundation from which the home naturally evolved.
With only a select few additions, the interiors were carefully layered to create warmth, cohesion, and a renewed sense of place. Existing furnishings were thoughtfully reimagined through composition, texture, and restraint, allowing each piece to contribute to a home that feels curated rather than assembled.
The result is a residence that demonstrates how meaningful design is not defined by permanence or the purchase of new furnishings, but by thoughtfully honoring the pieces that already tell a family's story. Even within a temporary home, a lasting sense of belonging can be created.
Location
Highlands, North Carolina
Photographer
Molly Harris
Videographer
Jonathan Harris
Designed as part of an open-concept living space, the dining area was thoughtfully composed to create a natural sense of continuity with the adjoining living room. Warm wood tones, layered textures, and a restrained palette establish a quiet cohesion, allowing each space to feel connected while retaining its own character.
At its center sits a dining table that once belonged in the breakfast room of the client's mother, chosen not only for its sentimental value but for the way it harmonizes with existing furnishings carried into the living room. Together, these meaningful pieces create a sense of familiarity and permanence, while the home's antler chandelier lends a refined interpretation of mountain living. Styled for the family gatherings that so often take place here, the dining room reflects the beauty of entertaining in a home where thoughtful curation and personal history are seamlessly woven together.
The bedrooms were designed as quiet, restorative retreats, each reflecting a different expression of comfort while remaining connected through a cohesive palette and thoughtful layering of natural textures.
The primary bedroom embraces a softer, more serene atmosphere. A king bed anchors the space, while a palette of creamy neutrals and delicate robin's egg blue—long a favorite of our clients’—creates an environment that feels both calming and inviting. Though distinct in expression, both bedrooms reflect the project's guiding philosophy: honoring meaningful pieces while creating spaces that feel effortlessly collected, deeply comfortable, and unmistakably like home.
In the guest room, an intricately crafted bed inherited from the client's mother serves as the room's defining feature. Its timeless craftsmanship is allowed to take center stage, complemented by furnishings with clean, understated lines and softly layered linens that create warmth without competing for attention. Locally sourced glazed pottery and glimpses of the family's artwork beyond add subtle moments of personality, reinforcing the home's deeply personal character.
Tucked within the kitchen, a softly layered seating nook reflects one of the homeowner's most cherished childhood memories. Growing up, her mother always kept a sofa in the kitchen—a simple gesture that transformed the room into a place for lingering conversations, quiet mornings, and everyday moments together.
Inspired by that tradition, this intimate corner was created as an invitation to pause. Whether enjoying a morning coffee or settling in with a book at the end of the day, the space has become one of the home's most frequently used areas, demonstrating how the smallest corners often hold the greatest opportunity.