CityView Magazine

It’s the sheer simplicity and restraint that make the house beautiful. detail that was not painstakingly planned. From the moment you walk in the front door, it might be the absence of architecture that is most noticeable. There is open space and clean lines. There are no lamps, no clutter. The design is so spare, Gibson and Devane installed a high-velocity compressed heating and cooling system that does not rely on a single vent but small round holes. A gorgeous three-sided fireplace is the centerpiece of the front living room; a sister fireplace can be found in the kitchen. The room offers a view of the nearby lake and the fountain in the front yard. It’s a simple path to the kitchen and dining room with a corrugated metal wall inspired by the works of Gehry, most famous for his titanium-covered Guggenheim Museum in Spain and Disney Hall in Los Angeles, with its exuberant, swooping façade. A continuous acid-etched concrete floor is part of the room’s beauty, not to mention solid cherry cabinets and concrete counters. Again, the couple planned for the tiniest of details – a hollowed space on the kitchen counter was shaped exactly to fit a favorite bowl. The kitchen opens onto an attached deck surrounded by a dense and lush wall of bamboo. In the heat of summer, the heavy stalks bend to provide privacy and a peaceful canopy. It’s the sheer simplicity and restraint that make the house beautiful. There is a lack of excess and a deceptive frugality. Take this example: a three-way mirror in the master bedroom is a clever disguise for a door leading to a large walk-in closet. Simple does not mean deprived. Just take a look in the master bathroom. A large tub imported from Germany dominates the room. The current owners admit that it takes some getting used to – bathers sit up, like a hot tub rather than recline – but it truly is another piece of art. Perhaps it’s the fireplaces, vibrant Opposite | River rock accents the black cement countertops in the kitchen. Above | But the favorite room in the house just might be the master bathroom with the tub taking center stage. artwork or suede walls, but the house has a feeling of warmth. Rich wood is everywhere, from the Arkansas pine on CityViewNC.com | 33

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