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The pantry lines the wall to the right.

The angle of the custom range hood creates, in negative space, the same trapezoidal shape as the exterior. Cabinets are IKEA with custom-painted fronts.

The Cabin is used by a couple with a young child, who spend their weekends here while a larger country home is under construction.

The new structural support at the island is a slim intervention that enabled the firm to open up the kitchen to the rest of the home.

Birch plywood floating cabinets line the wall, carving out room for a painting that commands the dining room. The rest of the decor is quiet with subtle pops of greenery to echo the striking piece.

Send the kids on an adventurous scavenger hunt that engages their creativity and critical thinking skills.

The peek-a-boo window in the attic space helps to connect the family across floors.

The kitchen’s flat-front white cabinetry seems almost to disappear into the walls, while the wood shelving and floors warm up the "gallery-like" space. An opening placed high on the wall allows the kids to peek down from the attic playroom.

A soaring tower of shelves crafted from Shinnoki pre-finished wood panels in the "Ivory Oak" color now form the family library.

The architect considers this the "heart of the house, where all of our valuable possessions, from books, to movies, to records, are stored," he says.

The sculptural oak staircase reinforces the villa's predilection for simplicity and natural materials.

The striking windows at back of The Nook were found on Craigslist. Mike was determined to disturb the surrounding trees and landscape as little as possible during construction.

The Shelter team enjoy the breakfast nook. The kitchen is fully stocked, including a tasty variety of spices from Spicewalla, an offshoot of Chai Pani, an award-winning Indian street food restaurant in downtown Asheville.

The bedroom nook features a hand-loomed tapestry by Jessica Sanchez, owner of Rusted Earth, which produces sustainable, handcrafted home decor "from the soil up".

Architect Rob Maddox and Designer Karie Reinartson of Shelter Design Studio enjoy tea in the Tea Lost. The tea caddy features an extra long handle, so that when placed on a special shelf in the kitchen below it can be lifted easily into the loft.

The media loft features soft goods made locally by The Oriole Mill, Sew Co., and Echo View Mill. The iron work for the lofts and the side porch railings was done by Iron Maiden Studios in Asheville.

The black walnut coffee table slides into under the couch for additional floor space.

Belleme built the steps on the path using the primitive building skills he had learned at Wild Roots, hand-splitting logs with a mallet and froe. To meet code, the house itself relies on more modern building methods.

The Workstation Cabin was designed using CAD, and the elements are precision cut using a CNC machine. The pod is delivered fully assembled and lifted onto the site using a crane, so installation takes only a few days. Sitting on small stilts—that are attached to ground screws—the cabin almost appears to have touched down from outer space.