BY KATE REYNOLDS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID DIETRICH
STYLING BY STUART McCAIN-WARE
The beech tree was massive and old — so large that two grown men together could not reach their arms around it. It had probably seen a century or more. A heart with paired initials had been carved into its bark in the early 1920s, and was still visible when the new owners walked the property to site their proposed residence at the close of the millennium.
It would not be moved.
Fred and Rachel Berlinger had purchased the 65-acre parcel to build their retirement retreat, a haven for peaceful pursuits — painting, nature photography and riding. Part of a rolling plantation estate, the property, which straddles the state line of North and South Carolina, had all the requisites: ample pasture land for their horses, a tranquil lake, bucolic vistas, a thriving local equestrian and artistic community and…trees.
The day grew sultry as the Berlingers toured the land with their architect, Robert Griffin, and his design associate, John Moore. The group took shelter from the afternoon sun in a shady grove set on a grassy knoll, presided over by the ancient beech. They noted the benevolent spread of the grand tree, the welcome breeze, the abundant birdsong amid the leaves and the panorama that lay before them and knew that they had found their homesite.
“When we first met with Robert, we knew what we wanted for the interior of the house, but not the overall structure,” explains Rachel. “We also knew we wanted to bring the outdoors in and vice-versa. To be part of what is here.”
Despite the compelling location, Griffin first approached the project from the inside out. “I’m extremely interested in what objects people want to bring with them to their new residence,” he says, “what will make them feel at home. You’re designing a house as a setting for two things: the lifestyle of the client and their beloved furnishings.”
To better understand these objectives, Griffin visited repeatedly with the Berlingers at their home in Illinois and discovered, among the couple’s collection, two pieces that served as the jumping-off points for his design perspective.
“They had a wonderful table,” Griffin recalls. “An unusual piece — American, circa 1920s to ‘30s — just at the cusp of Art Deco and Arts & Crafts. Also, an English Arts & Crafts umbrella stand that the Berlinger’s had always used to hang their dog’s leashes.”
These signature pieces confirmed what the site had suggested; a contemporary Prairie style residence in the manner of Frank Lloyd Wright — sympathetic with the landscape, modern, but with a flavor of Arts & Crafts. The Berlingers agreed. “We’re from Chicago, and we were familiar with the Frank Lloyd Wright homes in Oak Park, so the idea felt very comfortable to us,” notes Rachel.
“The house defined itself,” says Griffin. “The topography generated the footprint.” Working around the big beech, angling the home to catch the westerly breezes and positioning it to take advantage of the shade trees on the south side, the resulting design was a three-winged, propeller shape, with the longest wing (which houses the master bedroom) extending into the forest. This careful planning allowed for minimal clearing — only two sweet gums were removed from the site to accommodate the building.
Special attention was paid to protecting the old beech. “That tree was pivotal in siting the house,” observes Malcolm Morgan of Morgan-Keefe, the builder on the project. “We’re always respectful of the existing foliage, but in this case, we didn’t encroach even slightly into the drip line. We took great care not to endanger the root system.”
The home’s Y shape had additional advantages. “It created positive outdoor space, three “rooms” around the house — the entry, the pool area and the bird garden. The bird garden has been most intensely landscaped because it is viewed not only from the living room, but also from the breakfast table and the porch.”
Outdoor living space was a key concern, since the home is located in the thermal belt and extended summers are a fact of life. The pool area, surrounded by Japanese holly, rhododendron and fragrant gardenia, was situated to utilize the shade provided by the magnanimous beech.
“Because of the breezes and the view, we placed the screened porch, which is open on three sides, at the western tip of the house and captured some shade with an exaggerated five-foot overhang,” explains Griffin. “It’s an environmental statement that was arrived at in a very down-home way.”
“It’s the best seat in the house,” agrees Fred, who loves to linger there with the New York Times crossword puzzle and his camera at the ready in case an indigo bunting visits one of the many bird feeders the couple have provided for welcome avian guests.
Fred can also scope his subjects through the wall of tall windows that encase the living room, with French doors that open onto the front deck. Additional natural lighting for this soaring room is provided by rows of clerestory windows tucked at the roofline. The generous use of glass creates an airy counterpoint to a two-story, wood paneled wall, which anchors the space and houses a double-sided fireplace, shared with the dining room.
Throughout the residence, Griffin and his interior design partner, Ron Clemmer of Fireside Antiques and Interiors, have thoughtfully integrated the home’s structural elements with the furnishings and artwork. In the living room, they have blended oriental pieces from the couples collection with classic Art Deco chairs and ottomans that flank the fireplace and a contemporary sofa and chair, upholstered in soft taupe and beige leather, echoing the shading in the room’s stonework.
To bring together the mix of woods in the furniture, the team also chose to blend varied shades in the kitchen cabinetry. Employing clean lines and emphasizing the horizontal surfaces with dark granite, the effect is functional, yet serene. The broad, butted windows above the corner sink reveal the surrounding arboreal canopy and make cleanup an unexpected pleasure. “The placement of the windows is wonderful,” says Rachel. “There’s a view of something lovely from every room.”
Artisan John Smithie of Summerwood Joinery fashioned the ubiquitous woodwork in the kitchen, library, dining room and wet bar area — which sits at the main intersection of the house — to reflect a simple elegance and provide an uncluttered environment. Functional elements of the home, from the matching Sub-Zero refrigerator and freezer in the kitchen to the televisions in the living room and master bedroom suite were cleverly concealed with custom carpentry.
Even the surround-sound speakers have been tucked into the woodwork, hidden in the pedestals at the stairways to the lower-level guest quarters and to Rachel’s painting studio on the upper level. Reached by a catwalk that overlooks the living room, her sanctuary is awash in ambient light. The studio perches on the front corner of the house, offering views of the pasture, with its quaint hay barn, and the winding entrance drive — its center circle planted with vibrant blooms.
From this aerie, Rachel can observe the comings and goings of visitors, including two resident herds of deer, and draw inspiration from the landscape for her expressive canvasses. “This is my space,” she says with a satisfied smile. “I feel completely at peace here.”
Indeed, a sense of calm prevails in this graceful residence, a feeling of continuity between the spaces within and without. “The home and the furnishings meld,” notes Malcolm Morgan “and the structural design suits the location — nothing is forced or abrupt.”
“You could call the house ‘organic’ in that it is attuned to the environment,” observes Griffin. “It’s Wrightian; it isn’t on the earth, it’s of the earth. I honor that. You can call it whatever you like, but the point is to do it right. Do it with reverence.”
Could it speak, the grand old beech would surely concur.
