House Tour: Mountain Re-Shack

The original building, shown here, was a Depression-era home sited in a 10-acre cow pasture 25 minutes west of Boone in the Blue Ridge Mountains, most likely built for a farm hand working on larger fields down the road. The home had been abandoned for decades before North Carolina architect Chad Everhart's client hired him for its re-design.

Everhart reorganized the floor plan on two levels, creating a loft out of two tiny bedrooms above, and a living room, kitchen, dining area, bath and laundry below. Originally 1,000 square feet, the home was reduced to 850 square feet, though the porch was expanded and a deck added.

Everhart was drawn to the home’s unusual fieldstone foundation and chimney, which lack clean grout lines or cut stone. The hemlock skeleton, bridges the divide between old and new and provides a striking visual in the rural North Carolina countryside.

The bathroom—adjacent to the kitchen and main living areas—reflects the home's now modern aesthetic.  Different-sized wall tiles and sleek fixtures add visual interest to the minimalist design, while a wall-mounted towel warmer brings creature comforts into play.

The porch, expanded from its original foot print, uses the hemlock slats to create a side wall complete with mock window. A rear deck was added to provide additional outdoor living space.