Lisa Carolla laughs when she remembers how she and Megan Gielow became friends about two decades ago. “We both went to Syracuse for college, and basketball is a big deal there,” Carolla says. “We’d camp out for tickets together in the snow, having the type of fun you can only have when you’re young.”

They stayed in touch as adults, even though they settled in different parts of the country. Megan is a professional photographer, and she took the images of Carolla’s wedding—and when Carolla started her interior design firm out of California, Megan was her first major client.

“She asked me to do a ground-up, new build in Asheville,” Carolla explains. “It was this massive project, but because we have been friends for so many years, we understand each other. I was thrilled that she trusted me with her family home, but I was nervous too. It was a special project I wanted to get right.”

Megan and her husband, Brendan Gielow, had been living in the North Carolina city since 2010, and they’d spent years looking for land to build on. “The issue with Asheville is that there’s a lot of land that’s difficult to develop, and we didn’t have the budget to devote to grading,” Megan says. They finally found an empty lot set on nearly an acre in a friendly neighborhood, but a stream ran right through it. In order to construct a home, they’d have to get creative. It was a good thing Megan and Brendan had a designer they could trust, and a builder who met this challenge with a precise, yet laid-back attitude.

“All of this was also happening during the height of the pandemic,” Megan says. “Nevertheless, we were a team, and we pulled it off together.”

Making a Plan

Carolla: The first thing they had to determine was the size of their home, because of the stream. It was impossible to build a big home there, because then there would be water flowing right through it. This is not to say that Megan and Brendan didn’t love the stream—they joked that they’d live in a tent by the water if they could, because of how serene it was. I remember saying, “I think between the three of us we can do better than a tent.” They prefer small homes and feel more grounded in them. Megan and Brendan are sustainably minded people!

The land is about 15 minutes outside the city, off a gravel road with horses living in a paddock up the street. The size of the home couldn’t be more than 1,600 square feet, and it couldn’t impede the neighborhood’s access to that road. Tall trees that rustle in the wind surround the entire plot, and the stream is audible as soon as you arrive.

They wanted to make sure that the home they built took advantage of that sound, so that they could hear it whenever they opened the windows or stepped outside. I felt like they were brave for seeing the potential of this plot, but I also could picture their kids running through the stream on a warm day and Megan reading a book beside it. Which is, of course, what they do now.

Megan: It took us about six or seven months to close on the land—there were so many headaches that came with actually making it ours. And at the last minute, our original builder took on a different project and was no longer available and we couldn’t find another—it was all just a mess. When we hired Greg Mcguffey, it felt like things were falling into place. He was so kind, and after being stressed with the start of this process for so many months, it was a relief to have someone come in and make all of these decisions with us so calmly. We kept saying to each other, even when other aspects of the project got complicated, that Greg never yells.

Brendan and I grew up in the Midwest with basements and lots of rooms, but we felt that the more space we had in our own home, the more pressure there would be to fill it with stuff. We wanted to be intentional with the size of this home, but ensure that we had what we needed. It was also important that our new build had character, especially because we were drawn to a modern design.

Carolla: It’s a Scandinavian/Sea Ranch–inspired build, and the contrast between its modern shape and the natural landscape is beautiful. It feels harmonious. It was Megan’s idea to paint it black, and doing so has the effect of making the trees appear more green.

Everything and the Kitchen Sink

Carolla: Once the layout of the home was in place, I went into the plans and added more windows—I wanted to take advantage of the natural light and the sound of the stream. That’s the beauty of working on a new build, you can play with the window placement as long as you stick to standard sizing, and Marvin is a great choice for that. We added three more windows on the staircase up to the loft, and two more in the kitchen. I first designed the kitchen so that the sink was set into the island, but Brendan didn’t like that.

Brendan: I really enjoy cooking and wanted a spot to prepare food. I felt like if the sink was on the island and the kids and Megan were also seated around it, then there wouldn’t be any place to prep. Also, with two young kids, there’s always dishes to do. I imagined a pile of dishes that were always visible.

Carolla: I asked him to tell me about his childhood home, and he said his dad would watch him play from a window above the sink. So I said, “Ok, let’s move the sink under the window and add another window beside it, so you can watch your kids play.” Megan also has a very serious gluten allergy, so the kitchen had to be set up in a way that protected her—even one crumb can be harmful to her health. I gave them the largest island possible, with storage throughout, so that it’s easy to tuck away appliances like a toaster when not in use.

As for the color of the cabinetry, I’ve always known Megan to wear teal. I think that even if a color is seen as unusual by the masses, but you love it and gravitate toward it all the time, then it should be a part of your home. Megan also pushed me to go for it, because it’s not a color I would normally choose.

The upper cabinets are actually a dark forest green, although they look darker in the images. And we picked matching teal hardware for the white oak island to balance it all out. With the backsplash going nearly up the entire wall, and that open shelf for their cookbooks, it’s a kitchen with a lot of personality.

Stepping Up the Staircase

Carolla: The way the home is situated, the slatted wood wall can be seen throughout the common areas of the lower level. It was a feature that Megan told me she wanted from the start, so it was just a matter of figuring it out—at the time, there was a huge lumber shortage. We also wanted to put a hidden storage door under the stairs that the family could use for strollers, or as a pantry, and I wanted the slats to cover the entrance seamlessly. The windows behind the slats add such a beautiful detail. At golden hour, the sun streams in and creates very cool shadows in the living room and kitchen.

Megan: There’s a small fireplace in the living room near the slatted wall, and the hearth beneath it means a lot to us. The tile is from my grandparents’ 1950s home in Michigan, and my dad saved it when they tore down the property. We had been storing this tile outside our builder’s shop during construction, and someone stole more than half of it. We were devastated, but there was just enough to use beneath the hearth.

Carolla: Her grandparents’ home is where Megan and Brendan got married, so it’s even more sentimental!

Creating an Unusual Bathroom

Carolla: Megan and Brendan told me over and over that they would be fine with just one bathroom in their home—but I said, “What about when your kids get older and want their own space?” and “do you really want guests to be able to see inside your medicine cabinet, even though they shouldn’t be looking?”

Megan: She pushed back on us for only wanting one bathroom, but our reasoning behind it was that we didn’t want an en suite to get in the way of the view. But Lisa is so funny, she kept coming up with different scenarios where we might wish for more than one. “What if you have family visiting? What if one of your kids has the flu?”

Carolla: “What if you have a really embarrassing foot fungus cream you don’t want anyone to see?” Maybe it was that one that did the trick. By the time we all agreed that this home needed more than one bathroom, I looked at the layout of the main floor and took my time working on the bathroom down there. The loft needed a bathroom too, because no one wants to go downstairs in the middle of the night, and that was easy enough to tuck in. But the main floor was a harder puzzle.

I came up with a plan where one side of the bathroom has a full vanity, bathtub, and toilet, and the other side is a water closet with a mounted sink and toilet, separated by a pocket door. So, when it is just them and their kids, they can have everything open if they want. But in those instances when privacy is best for everyone, then they can lock the pocket door. The bathrooms don’t get in the way of their deck or the view. In fact, if they open the window above the bathtub, they can hear the stream.

Looking back on this home, I love that almost every detail reminds me of my friends. One of the best aspects of this project is that we were never concerned about another family moving in, or about resale value in any way. We made this home exactly the way Megan and Brendan wanted it, so that they can enjoy their home by the stream for a very long time.

More Construction Diary stories:

After a Devastating Fire, a Couple Start Over With a $17K DIY Cabin

In the Mojave Desert, a First-Time Builder Takes On a Tricky Prefab Home

It Took a Decade, But Their Experimental, DIY Home Was Worth the Wait

Project Details:

Architect: David Merrifield, Holden Design Shop / @holden_design_shop

Builder: Greg Mcguffey, Earthtone Builders

Interior Design: Lisa Carolla, Fish & Co Studio / @fishandcostudio