Natural materials liken the exterior of mountain homes to their surroundings. Photo courtesy of Greenbrier Sporting Club.
Dorothy Andreas Tuel never expected that a getaway trip to the mountains with her two sons would change her life forever, but it did. Reclined in a garden chair on the stone patio of her newly renovated Deep Creek Lake home, she looks out on the quiet cove where her pontoon boat catches gentle laps of water and still feels a little amazement at the view, the serenity, and the events that brought her to this mountain home—and to a new life in western Maryland’s most popular four-season resort area.
“I took my sons skiing here in 2002,” she says, “and we just fell in love with the area.” Already an owner of two successful spas on the outskirts of Pittsburgh and an avid community activist, it seemed unlikely this high profile businesswoman would pick up stakes and move on a whim. But within six months, she opened a new spa at Deep Creek’s Wisp Resort and, two years later, purchased a storm-ravaged lakefront home. She finished renovating the house last year, with her husband David Tuel, an orthopedic surgeon.
Like so many busy city dwellers and suburbanites in the mid-Atlantic, Dorothy needed an escape. And more so than crowded Atlantic beaches, mountains answer the call for quiet and serenity with long-range vistas and architecture that carefully complements nature.Unusual private mountain homes make the best of landscape and lifestyle—The Tuel’s home is no exception. After a $450,000 renovation, Dorothy and David have a unique mountain house they describe as “a combination of mission and upscale lakeside.” The Tuels’ lovely, cedar-sided home sports walls of Prairie-style windows, stone patios with wrought iron railings, a vast stone fireplace in the center of the great room, custom maple cabinets, and maple floors with beautiful multi-colored grain.
“Now I overlook the lake when I wake up each morning,” says Dorothy with a rich smile. The couple also enjoys taking their pontoon boat to dinner at lakeside restaurants.
“The peaceful serenity this place provides—nothing in the city can match it,” notes Dorothy. While she still commutes between Deep Creek and Pittsburgh , having a mountain home has relaxed her way of living. She plans to take up painting again and has just the place to do it—a small lakefront cottage just below her newly renovated home. “David and I decided that the guest cottage would be an ideal place to set up my studio, with the lake in the foreground,” she says. “I paint mainly for relaxation. Both my mother and David’s mother were artists.”
The Tuels aren’t the only ones with a unique mountain home that provides a gateway to a new spirit of living. Sharon Hevener, an interior designer and feng shui consultant and owner of Pure Space, has found her own special spot of earth, as well, in the isolated mountains of Highland County , Virginia . “I knew one day I would come back,” she says, as she stands at the expansive wall of glass that dominates her mountain cottage living room, offering long views of the snow-capped, blue mountains. Hevener grew up in this Eden-like spot in Virginia ’s smallest county, but eventually moved away to pursue a design career in New York and Philadelphia for 18 years.
She has come home, however, and brought with her the innovative and comforting design styles of her specialty, feng shui. Two years ago, Hevener oversaw the construction of her own mountain cottage. Only this is no ordinary wilderness hideaway—it’s a Japanese-style bungalow situated on a sloping mountain pasture.
An open floor plan, interior balconies, and rustic materials achieve the effect of an adult treehouse. As a bonus, there are incredible views from every room. Photo courtesy of Timberpeg.
Her yard, for instance, is made up of pea gravel and looks like a simple Asian garden, while her furniture is comfortable and sleek, alternating from round to square in typical Eastern fashion. “I wanted to keep a clean, Zen-like look,” Hevener explains. “It’s very simple, and so much is built right into the house.”
The house features many common cottage-style built-ins, including a poured concrete hearth, kitchen countertops, and stairs, all designed by a nearby Mennonite artisan. Spanish cedar- and parchment-covered doors hide a laundry area and closet space and provide ambient lighting at night. Hevener’s favorite space, however, is the master bath, an enclosed room with a wall of windows, deep round whirlpool bath, and open shower. “In the winter, I can open the windows in here and still be warm and look out on the snow and stars,” she says.
As more city dwellers seek refuge in the mountains, developers have become increasingly sensitive to how second-home communities impact the environment and are working to create spaces where homes become part of the surrounding landscape. Few places show such dedication to stewardship of the land as Homestead Preserve, a new community near The Homestead resort in Hot Springs , Virginia . Situated on 2,300 pristine acres bordering both The Nature Conservancy’s Warm Springs Mountain Preserve and the George Washington National Forest , Homestead Preserve has limited construction to no more than 450 homes on sites ranging in size from 1/2 to 13 acres.
“What we’re finding,” says Homestead Preserve town architect Joe Barnes, “is that people are interested in [maintaining] a sense of place and appreciate the preservation of a beautiful natural resource.” All Homestead Preserve homes are based on a carefully developed pattern book that reflects nearly four years of research into the architectural heritage of western Virginia . Home patterns include Highlands farmhouses, Arts and Crafts, English Romantic, and Highlands Classical, all replicating architectural styles native to the region. The homes are also sited to fade into tree lines and woods and to blend into the rolling countryside.
Chad and Katie Rowe, who began building a cottage-style farmhouse at Homestead Preserve last winter, say they are intent on using natural building materials that emulate the look of the surrounding landscape. “We have stone chimneys, a cedar shake roof, and cedar lap siding,” notes Chad . The couple’s home also sports a wraparound porch and screened-in porch to maximize outdoor living space and take full advantage of mountain breezes. “We’re not out to have a fancy house,” says Chad . “We want a well-built farmhouse made of natural materials that will blend into the landscape.”
To the south in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, Dr. Rick and Jayne Nessiff of Woodbine, Maryland, have just completed a rustic cedar home at the Greenbrier Sporting Club, part of a 6,500-acre property with mountain vistas, golf courses, and resort recreation. “We’ve been consistent guests of The Greenbrier for over 20 years,” says Rick, who has been involved in the construction of several spec homes at the Sporting Club. A native of West Virginia , he hopes to eventually retire to this mountain sporting community situated next door to the first-class amenities of The Greenbrier.
The Greenbrier Sporting Club is the work of The Greenbrier and DPS Development Company, which has extensive experience building upscale communities in historically significant and environmentally rich areas and specializes in careful use of landscape. Rick says he appreciates the community’s attention to how homes suit the surrounding environment. “The size of the lot and its position determines how big a house can be,” he says. The Nessiffs’ new home is just over 4,000 square feet, with a rustic cedar and stone face. It overlooks The Snead Golf Course and features an expansive kitchen that would be the envy of any gourmet chef.
Rick and his wife visit The Greenbrier Sporting Club about 20 times a year, even though they reside on a placid horse farm west of Baltimore . “The scene here is laden with natural beauty,” he notes. “You can live up in the mountains, along a stream, or along a golf course. And you’re going to see homes here that fit into the mountain vernacular.”
Natural woods contrast tiles, marble, and glass and create a rustic yet modern kitchen. Photo by Lance C. Bell; courtesy of Deep Creek Mountain Resort.
Even further south in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains , the Cliffs Communities is developed to protect the integrity of pristine environments while offering residents a high-quality lifestyle that includes championship golf, spa and fitness facilities, hiking, horseback riding, boating and more.
While nothing can compare to the grand and rustic style of mountain homes, for many second homeowners in the mountains, this concept of landscape preservation overshadows the architecture and décor—being close to and at one with the natural world is key to the serenity of their experience. “The absence of stress and drama in my life is so noticeable,” says Dorothy Tuel, as she watches the afternoon light dapple through the trees overhanging Deep Creek Lake just steps away from her patio. “It’s so nice to wake up in the morning and see the trees, the ducks on the deck, and, of course, the beautiful view.”
Deborah R. Huso is a freelance writer specializing in home design and restoration.
Contacts:
The Cliffs Communities: cliffscommunities.com or 866-435-5123
DPS Development Company:dpsdevelopment.comor 843-266-2137
The Greenbrier Sporting Club:thegreenbriersportingclub.com or 888-741-8989
Homestead Preserve:homesteadpreserve.com or 866-751-1957
Pure Space:purespace.org or 540-468-3608
Wisp Resort:skiwisp.com or 301-387-4911
