Dove Cottage
By Monica Jones
Photography by David Dietrich
The house wasn’t even on the market when they first saw it six years ago, but it was because of the house that Anjelica and Dan Ferebee bought the tract of land next door, hoping to build from scratch. “We just thought how wonderful it would be to pass by this quaint little cottage on the way home every day,” says Dan.
As they played with plans to build on the Tryon lot they’d purchased, they put their Florida home on the market and — horrors — sold it in one day, with no home to move into. A week later, they were offered the charming cottage to rent while they built and supervised the construction of their new home. A year later the Ferebees became proud owners of the cottage they’d been renting, and plans to build on the lot next door were put on hold.
“It was great living in the home before making any changes,” says Dan, an interior designer by profession. “We could really think about how to make it ours — how to make it work best for us. We named it Dove Cottage after two antique doves we have in the yard. Doves stand for peace, which felt good after September 11.”
The cottage was built in the 1940s, and over the years each owner left a distinctive mark. Walls have been moved, rooms have been extended and re-vamped, and sections have been added — even a lower level — all of which have doubled the original footprint. The result is still a charming cottage on the outside, but with a labyrinth of flowing, light-filled rooms on the inside.
European travels have definitely flavored the Ferebee’s decorating style. Period pieces from France mix easily with Early American, sisal carpets harmonize with Orientals, and modern abstracts hang with bold oil paintings and aged prints. Plantation shutters and soft draperies add warmth, and contemporary mixes easily with traditional.
A Lester baby grand piano and a large, mirrored, Parisian armoire make an impressive double statement as you enter through the front door, letting you know this isn’t just your ordinary country cottage.
“We didn’t want this area to be a living room, but more of a reception room,” says Dan. “The piano seemed the perfect thing for this particular space. It’s ideal for entertaining, and we have no large sofas or heavy chairs to impede the flow.”
The armoire was purchased at a Paris flea market. “Everything comes apart — the bonnet flips off, the doors and legs come off, and it stacks to about waist height. It was made that way to fit into the tiny Parisian elevators. It’s a puzzle to fit together, but I’ve moved it now so many times that I can do it in three minutes,” he laughs.
The sitting room and the lower level were added in the late 1960s. The barrel-vault ceiling adds spaciousness, and windows on two walls offer plenty of light as well as views of the distant ridgeline. The whitewashed pine walls, bookcases, and shutters are all original. A palette of soft linen, mellow yellows and warm reds on sofas and draperies make this room a favorite place to relax, read, or watch TV.
Color and texture work together to create small nooks and crannies throughout the home, adding to the eclectic feel of the cottage. The enclosed stairway down to the lower level is painted a dramatic red. Ceiling, stairs, walls and doors are all painted the same color, but with different finishes to bounce light and create shadow — subtle gradations that fool the eye and add interest to an otherwise utilitarian space.
The lower level, formerly a guest suite, is where the Ferebees ran their business, Bravo Interior Design, before relocating it to downtown Tryon. Now the space is a sleek, uncluttered, exercise/yoga/meditation room with an attached bathroom and invigorating steam shower.
Dan believes the heart of the home is the kitchen. Although it’s still recognizable as such, “It’s really become more of a multi-functional room,” Dan says. “We wanted an eat-in kitchen, so we took out the large island the previous owners had built, and recycled some of the cabinets.”
They chose three different counter tops — one marble and two different granite selections — to give the kitchen an un-fitted look. With sculptured backsplashes and antique shutters on some doors, the cabinets look more like pieces of furniture, belying their functional use.
A small table and mismatched chairs in the middle of the room add outdoor European café ambiance, and the two upholstered chairs in the library area (not real bookshelves, but Brunschwig and Fils wallpaper) offer a comfy corner for guests to relax while the cook is working. “In all of our previous houses we’ve added a seating area in the kitchen,” says Dan. “Everybody gravitates to the kitchen.”
But there’s definitely function in this kitchen too, with a beverage bar that offers distilled water on tap, and a coffee maker that’s plumbed directly into the water supply. There’s a warming drawer in the cabinet next to the Viking stove, a two-drawer Fisher Paykel dishwasher by the sink, and if you hunt hard enough, you’ll find the refrigerator — a modern KitchenAid — finished to a decidedly antique look, nestled against a bookcase.
There’s a tranquil blend of elegance and comfort in this home, evoking an old-world quality. Small touches like the portieres — heavy draperies hung in doorways to keep out drafts — add visual warmth. The removable shutters on the patio room’s skylights diffuse summer’s glaring noonday sun.
“I like to think that our home is warm and inviting,” says Dan. “Like many people, we have a mixture of things that we’ve collected through the years that we like, and if you like them enough, everything seems to work. If they follow you around in your moves, you can always find a place for them.”
© 2007 Planet Zeus Media, LLC
