When this family relocated to Asheville, they were trading one historic home for another — six people, a lifetime of collected furnishings, and a clear instinct about what they wanted to keep. The goal from the start was to build around the pieces they already loved rather than starting from scratch.
The basement was dark and uninspiring, but it had real potential as a suite for aging parents during longer visits. We designed it with that in mind: a bathroom built for aging in place, a generous walk-through closet that handles both personal storage and the overflow a basement tends to collect, and a bedroom that feels luxurious and timeless.
Two of their children were also at that launching stage — old enough that their rooms needed to grow up with them. The goal was to honor what each one loved about their space while moving it away from childhood and toward something that could work just as well for an adult guest.
primary residence
The Wren House
The Work
The project centered on three distinct spaces: a full basement suite — bedroom, walk-through closet, and accessible bathroom — plus a refresh of the main living room and updates to two of the older children's bedrooms. Each space had its own brief, but the thread running through all of it was the same: work with what's already there, and make it better.
The basement transformation was the most significant. What had been an unused, dark storage space became a gracious guest suite — antique bed, layered rugs, pieces with real character, luxury linens, and custom textiles. The bathroom got a new vanity and a step-in shower designed for accessibility without sacrificing warmth. It's the kind of room that feels like it's always been there.
