Aged to Perfection

Salvaged materials and antiques aplenty help this newly built North Carolina mountain house feel like it’s been sitting pretty for centuries.

- By Rhonda Reinhart

Take heed, mountain divelling motorists, when Kay Stanley is behind the wheel, she will brake for antiques. "If I see a sign for an antiques store, I pull right over!" says the avid treasure hunter and lifestyle brand founder (spartina449.com). So when Kay set out to create a retreat in Highlands, North Carolina, she naturally filled it with timeworn finds-but she didn't stop there.

Because the 1880 house that originally sat on Kay's five acres couldn't be saved, she wanted to pay homage to the old homestead and other historic structures in the area the best way she could-by building the property almost entirely from wood that had been salvaged from an old mill and several barns. "The goal was to bring back to life the way the property could have looked in 1880," she says. "We wanted to embrace the feel of this quaint historic mountain town." The "we" in this scenario includes architect Stan Dixon (dsdixonarchitect.com), builder Craig Carver (carvergroupinc.com), and decorator Carole Weaks (cweaksint.com). While Stan studied the architecture of the region's century-old log cabins and Craig searched for rustic reclaimed wood for the inside and out, Carole helped Kay find modern textiles and new upholstered furnishings that would pair perfectly with her eclectic mix of antiques.

Now Kay is delighted to share the dreamy setting with guests who happily join her and her dog, Boo, on the back porch. The cocktail of choice? Old-fashioneds, of course.