A peaceful drive down a long and winding country road reaches its pinnacle at a rolling hillside nestled in the curve of the road. A six-stall horse barn with living quarters greets guests as they drive onto the property while the classic French Country home resting at the hill’s peak draws the eye upward. An architectural stunner, the home easily commands the attention of any passerby.
Designed and built to maximize panoramic views of the surrounding Cumberland Plateau, the 5,000-square-foot house boasts traditional style that transcends time. Homeowners Beverly and Don Watson desired “something that was very livable” which would capture the essence of their 400-plus acreage. Their land encompasses miles of walking and hiking trails as well as pastures for their horses and cows.
The couple embraces the natural wonders of their ranch which they named Mystery Creek Farm. “There is a major spring on the property that’s about 25 feet deep and it’s a mystery where it comes from,” Don says, explaining the name’s origin.
Both Beverly and Don, who co-own the local Watson family car dealerships, appreciate their laid-back lifestyle in a place where the view is worth a thousand words. “We love our beautiful sunsets,” Beverly says. “That’s one of our favorite things to watch.”
Don adds, “If you climb high enough on the property, you can actually see the Appalachians.”
A stocked pond resting at the foot of their hill holds bass, brim, and catfish; a flowing fountain in the pond’s center can be heard on a quiet evening, along with chirps from distant crickets. The couple can bask in the glow of the evening sunset inside their hot tub that rests under an arbor at the side of the house. A stone fireplace with a built-in barbecue provides an ideal spot for entertaining on the back patio.
Of the home’s overall design, Beverly notes, “I wanted French Country with a twist.”
Together with her best friend Meg Lemons, a faux painter who kept advising her to “think outside the box,” Beverly selected furniture and interior décor that would favor a rustic and old-world appeal to complement the home’s facade. Beverly and Meg chose a soft color palette for the home’s fabrics, drapes, furniture, and accessories, applying smooth neutrals and contrasting splashes of color to add interest. Warm-colored oak floors provide a perfect segue into rooms with colorful upholstery or dramatic puddled drapery.
“Beverly and Don are not formal people,” Meg says of the Watsons’ lifestyle, noting that she approached both her faux paintings and décor selections with a relaxed style. “Beverly just wanted her house to feel comfortable and livable – not decorator formal.”
She notes how the couple enjoys visits from their two children and five grandchildren. “They didn’t want a house where their grandkids couldn’t come in after four-wheeling or playing in the barn. It had to be kid-friendly.”
The idea for the blue and brown hues balanced throughout the home began with a simple comforter that Beverly had purchased for her master bedroom. “The comforter gave her the idea for the blues and brown colors so we started decorating in her master area first and worked from there,” Meg recalls.
Bill Worley of Worley Construction Company, who oversaw the home’s progress from the ground up, says Meg and Beverly consistently chose finishes “that kept the home beautiful and casual at the same time, just like a French Country home should be.”
Beverly and Don envisioned a certain floor plan which they discussed with designer P.W. Holdridge, who drew the plans accordingly. Bill recalls, “We reworked the floor plan several times to take advantage of the views and keep the house open with the most often used rooms on the main floor.” Ultimately, the open and airy two-level floor plan preserves the view and the integrity of the French Country design.
The stone and stucco exterior features a custom tan color highlighted with brick accents as well as cedar shutters, cedar columns, beams, and corbels. The combined details provide a streamlined look, perfectly complementing the interior.
The entrance foyer blends seamlessly with the main living area – an area boasting a graceful cathedral ceiling with exposed pine beams. Meg’s impressive faux paintings even extend upward, blanketing the ceiling.
The home’s casual pine and cedar woods, as well as knock down and faux finishes, combine well with the distressed kitchen cabinetry featured in the kitchen. Serving as the home’s showcase, the old-world kitchen unfolded exactly as Beverly had envisioned. “I just wanted to the kitchen to be the focal point of the interior of the house,” she says.
Meg recalls that during construction of the home, Beverly mentioned that she wanted the kitchen to be “knockout gorgeous.”
Classic Cabinetry designed the kitchen cabinets with warm, worn-looking finishes but with convenient and updated usability and storage features. According to Becky Worley of Classic Cabinetry, both the kitchen and butler’s pantry boast Plato woodwork, a high-end line of custom cabinetry.
The cabinetry appears aged thanks to a paint and glaze finish with heavy distressing and rub-through, and stain applied on the rub-through areas. The rustic alder island’s stain and glaze finish reinforces the old-world design. Copacabana granite, with a French Ogee edge, provides an element of contour.
“We chose a dark concrete countertop because of the mixture of colors and textures on the range wall,” Becky says. “The two-inch thick concrete is a perfect complement to the area and gives it a great base in a more solid and supportive color.”
Ceramic tiles mixed with glass mosaics and a pewter metal band tile adds emphasis to the backsplash. Becky says the tiles are subtle and supportive in color and have a matte texture to complement the “busyness” of the stone wall. The tiles applied at the base of the hood as well as the large centerpiece tile in the glass mosaic area are pressed with a leaf-shaped pattern. The colors of the glass mosaic support and enhance the color Meg painted onto the hood’s finish and in the surrounding walls’ leaf pattern. The range, hood, base, and wall cabinetry fit perfectly under a deep arched opening that perpetuates the theme’s objective.
Cabinetry panels on the dishwasher and refrigerator exude a “furniture feel” as though the room is a continuation of the main living area. The kitchen’s functionality and scenic view of the outdoors makes it an ideal spot for Beverly and Don to entertain and connect with friends and family.
The home’s European flavor continues into the master bath which dons a spa-like feel. Travertine stone lends an old-world appeal while the Italian Renaissance-style drawing of a woman, painted by Meg, boldly takes center stage above the slipper tub. Meg modeled her faux finish after a photograph Beverly had found in a book. The master bath’s barrel ceiling features backlighting which inspires a romantic ambience.
While Beverly’s sanctuary may be the spa-like master bath, Don’s haven is his media/card room on the second level. With several flat TV screens, he can take in golf, baseball, football, and racing simultaneously. Beverly describes the neutral-colored room as “very manly” as it boasts a replica of a large brown trout Don caught while fishing in Montana. “The chocolate brown ceiling turns the room into a neat man cave,” Meg says.
Beverly and Don enjoy their storybook surroundings and plan to retire in its midst.
“It’s just incredible,” Beverly says of the countryside. “You can see forever. It’s very soothing being up above the tree line. I love seeing the horses out there and listening to the water fountain in the pond.” Don agrees. “It’s very tranquil out here,” he says. “The impression is that while it is a nice home, it is also extremely livable. It’s not a house just to be seen but it is a house to actually live in.”