“Simplify your life,” goes the mantra of Everyday Oil, the one-product skincare company founded by Emma Allen in 2016. So it’s no wonder she was attracted to a small, clean-lined home that was going up around the corner from where she and her parter, Martin Carvajal, were renting a cottage in their Asheville neighborhood. “She kept stopping by the building site for longer and longer visits,” remembers Ross Smith of Assembly Architecture and Build, who’s a friend of Emma’s. He describes his style as environmentally-minded affordable modernism, or ’70s Sea Ranch—in essence, a glove fit with her and Martin’s approach to living.

When Smith bought the property where he was building the new home, it included both a house he now rents out and just enough space—.12 acres, to be exact—to establish a new lot and construct something on spec. That “something” was what Emma had her eye on: two gable-roofed units set perpendicular to one another and joined by an entry. To the left, on the street side, were the kitchen and living area. To the right, to the back of the property, were two bedrooms with a primary suite set above on a second level. The home’s flat front reminded Emma of the traditional salt box homes she’d admired while living in Amagansett outside New York City. “It had a sweet presence,” Emma says. “Like two small, cute cottages connected.”

To Emma’s delight, buying the home just as Smith was completing construction meant she could add the finishing touches. Her style sense incorporates both a childhood spent living in old farmhouses in South Carolina and Asheville, as well as a previous career in fast-paced New York City, working in textile recycling, vintage buying, and accessories design. “Emma has great taste,” attests Smith. “Everything in the home has a bespokeness to it.”

Dwell: How did you decide to buy the home Ross was building instead of, say, building your own or renovating?

Emma Allen: My partner, Martin, and I had been been looking for a house in the neighborhood, but we’re pretty picky with our aesthetics and hadn’t had any luck. I’d always loved the home Ross built for his own family, so when I saw he was building a simple but distinctive house along my regular morning walk, I got excited.

We already knew we trusted his stylistic choices, so once we bought the house, we really deferred to Ross until the framing and construction were done. Then it was easy for me to step in and make decisions about things like cabinets, fixtures, lighting, and paint colors. I love simplicity and minimalism and wanted to make sure the interior felt open and spacious and didn’t get overwhelmed by color.

How did your sense of style develop?

I was Amish in a past life! I’m kidding, but after growing up in really simple farmhouses in the Carolinas, New York City was a big shock to my system. I thrived on the city’s energy and learned so much working with textiles and accessory design, but I was happy to return to Asheville and to its low-key, laid-back hippie vibe.

What went into curating the furnishings?

We didn’t have a huge budget, so we looked for the best options within our range, making tradeoffs where we had to. Some things we already had, like the Eames wooden school chairs from my grandmother. Some stuff we found, like the dining table. Since the home already has a lot of modern wood, such as the plywood walls and the kitchen cabinets, we wanted some older furnishings to ground the look. The table we found on Chairish was perfect, and it just happened to be the right dimensions for our dining nook.

And what about color? Everything is pretty neutral, but there are some fun pops here and there.

I prefer neutrals in bigger areas, but I like a little color hidden away in private spaces, like the bathrooms. We got terrific advice from Shelter Collective. The yellow in the downstairs bath is handmade Fireclay tile. It is more expensive, but it was impossible to find another beautiful, deep yellow with that kind of amazing natural finish so we stuck with this one. Upstairs, the shower is such a large space that we went with a less expensive Dal tile. I imagined the shower like stepping into a jungle-like oasis, and while the green wasn’t quite right, we used brown grout to deepen the color and it came out pretty well.

What are the aspects that most make it feel like your home?

I’m a big bath person, especially in winter to decompress. While the shower upstairs is my green oasis, I do love a bath in the afternoon or evening. It feels very private and peaceful, a place where I can indulge my introverted tendencies!

“We only have what we really need and want to use. Here, all things and spaces feel valued.”
—Emma Allen, resident

Do you have other daily routines or rituals?

I wake up and hang out with our puppy, who is getting so big now. Martin will bring his coffee upstairs and I usually have just one sip. I love coffee but I just can’t drink caffeine anymore. Then I slip into my green shower and then I’m ready to head to work. We love using the Peloton right in front of the window where you can look out and see the river and the Biltmore Estate in the distance. But I think it’s a temporary spot—I have a thing about sleep hygiene and having the bike in the room is disruptive.

What was the biggest challenge in creating your own space?

Martin and I are pretty aligned in how we feel about design. The one thing we differed on was that he really didn’t want Ikea cabinets, while I thought they’d be fine. We ended up compromising and doing the whole kitchen with Ikea bases, but with custom fronts. I think using black fixtures helped to keep things simple and clean. To me, things like that feel really good when they aren’t saying much.

How does this house reflect the philosophy of your company, Everyday Oil?

I developed Everyday Oil for myself, because I wanted one clean and natural product to replace the multiple products I was using for my face and skin and hair. I use it every day, for everything, and it feels great and has a great, natural smell. Similarly, every object and piece of furniture in the house has a purpose. Martin and I only have what we really need and want to use. This goes for the layout as well. I find dead space, like an unused room, really depressing, very cold, and unwelcoming. Here, all things and spaces feel valued.

If you had to pick a favorite feature of your home, what would it be?

One thing that is really sweet is the entryway with its dark wood and round window. It feels like a Japanese tea house, and it provides a really peaceful moment when I first get home. I like to pause there and take a breath.

A Design Lover’s Guide to the Perfect Day in Asheville, North Carolina

Project Credits:

Architect: Assembly Architecture & Build, PLLC / @assembly.ab

Builder: Assembly Architecture & Build, PLLC

Structural Engineer: David Elmore & Associates, PLLC

Landscape Design: Fruit Studio Design

Interior Design: Assembly Architecture & Build, PLLC; Shelter Collective / @shelterprotectsyou

Lighting Design: Assembly Architecture & Build, PLLC

Cabinetry Design: Assembly Architecture & Build, PLLC, Shelter Collective / @shelterprotectsyou