Houzz Tour: See a Landscape Designer’s Mountain Cabin
In North Carolina, an architect designs a dogtrot house as a backdrop for the surrounding gardens
We recently took a tour of the beautiful gardens at landscape designer Jay Sifford’s North Carolina mountain house. And it left Houzz readers eager to get a peek inside the house itself and check out the floor plans. Your wish is our command. Come take a tour of Sifford’s black dogtrot house, designed by architect Jim Owen of DIGSdesign.
Here are Sifford’s standard poodles, Sonoma and Amador, providing a “hence the name” moment in the home’s dogtrot. Two large sliding doors can close off the space to high winds or bears and block access to the deck when Sifford is out of town.
“I knew I wanted a black house pretty much from the start. I’d seen black houses I liked on Houzz,” Sifford says. “I really like moody houses, and I knew it would make a great backdrop for my garden plans.”
The siding is exterior-grade plywood with cedar battens. The battens add a vertical element and dimension to the facade. All of the siding is stained black, giving the different materials a uniform appearance. “Using the plywood saved on the budget, and you’d never know it’s not cedar,” Owen says. The roof is standing-seam metal, an appropriate material for a cabin in the woods. These materials help make the weekend house low-maintenance.
“I knew I wanted a black house pretty much from the start. I’d seen black houses I liked on Houzz,” Sifford says. “I really like moody houses, and I knew it would make a great backdrop for my garden plans.”
The siding is exterior-grade plywood with cedar battens. The battens add a vertical element and dimension to the facade. All of the siding is stained black, giving the different materials a uniform appearance. “Using the plywood saved on the budget, and you’d never know it’s not cedar,” Owen says. The roof is standing-seam metal, an appropriate material for a cabin in the woods. These materials help make the weekend house low-maintenance.
“The structure and the land work hand in hand,” Owen says. The home’s black siding beautifully offsets the front yard meadow garden. Grading on the site revolved around proper placement of the septic tank and leach field out front, but other than that it was mostly untouched. The driveway is on the right, just out of frame in this photo.
“I love asymmetry,” Owen says. He found the right proportions for the house by first calculating the space he’d need for the great room, kitchen and mudroom-pantry. Then he plotted out the dogtrot and bedroom side. This determined the length of the house, and the structure’s pleasing proportions fell into place from there.
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“I love asymmetry,” Owen says. He found the right proportions for the house by first calculating the space he’d need for the great room, kitchen and mudroom-pantry. Then he plotted out the dogtrot and bedroom side. This determined the length of the house, and the structure’s pleasing proportions fell into place from there.
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Another measurement that helped Owen determine the proportions was the gracious width of the dogtrot. “Jay wanted this to serve as living space and talked about putting a dining table out here,” says Owen, who came up with an 11-foot width. The architect suggested the fireplace out here, with dining by the warmth of a fire in mind.
The dogtrot provides an open view of the tree canopy and direct access to the back deck. These two spaces create about 1,000 square feet of outdoor living space.
The bedroom suites are stacked on the left side and the living spaces are on the right. The first door on the left opens to stairs that lead down to the guest suite. A door on the back left leads to Sifford’s bedroom suite. And a glass door on the right leads to the great room, dining and kitchen spaces. (Its doormat can be seen in the foreground.)
The dogtrot provides an open view of the tree canopy and direct access to the back deck. These two spaces create about 1,000 square feet of outdoor living space.
The bedroom suites are stacked on the left side and the living spaces are on the right. The first door on the left opens to stairs that lead down to the guest suite. A door on the back left leads to Sifford’s bedroom suite. And a glass door on the right leads to the great room, dining and kitchen spaces. (Its doormat can be seen in the foreground.)
The house sits on a steep slope. This allowed for the lower-level guest suite, which has views out full windows and a deck that faces the trees. It also helped Sifford organize the gardens.
The door on the left is a mudroom entry. It provides easy access when Sifford is coming inside after gardening or grocery shopping.
The door on the left is a mudroom entry. It provides easy access when Sifford is coming inside after gardening or grocery shopping.
Here’s a look at the main level’s floor plan. The mudroom entrance is located off the driveway on the right side of the house.
Though Sifford was determined to build a home with a dogtrot layout, he has a warning for anyone planning to finance one. “When I was trying to get this house appraised, there were tricky rules around dividing the house in half with unheated space in between,” he says. “No one knew how to appraise it because of the way the dogtrot divides it. Because of the rules, they could not find any comps.”
While glassing in and conditioning the dogtrot would have taken care of the issue, Sifford wasn’t having it. “The whole reason I built here was to encounter nature,” he says. “I love to feel the bracing cold or balmy temperatures when I go from the great room to my bedroom.” He also notes that the temperature in the house tops out at about 79 degrees, even on the hottest days. The walls are well insulated, the windows are thick and the breezes are wonderful, so he rarely has to turn on the air conditioning.
Though Sifford was determined to build a home with a dogtrot layout, he has a warning for anyone planning to finance one. “When I was trying to get this house appraised, there were tricky rules around dividing the house in half with unheated space in between,” he says. “No one knew how to appraise it because of the way the dogtrot divides it. Because of the rules, they could not find any comps.”
While glassing in and conditioning the dogtrot would have taken care of the issue, Sifford wasn’t having it. “The whole reason I built here was to encounter nature,” he says. “I love to feel the bracing cold or balmy temperatures when I go from the great room to my bedroom.” He also notes that the temperature in the house tops out at about 79 degrees, even on the hottest days. The walls are well insulated, the windows are thick and the breezes are wonderful, so he rarely has to turn on the air conditioning.
“We used matching siding on the bedroom doors and glass on the great room door,” Owen says. To make sure visitors choose the right door, Sifford put a doormat in front of the great room door that says “Welcome,” while the bedroom doormats don’t offer that message.
Sifford balanced savings (such as the exterior-grade plywood) with splurges. “One of my splurges was the decking material,” he says. “It is Brazilian tiger wood. It’s dense enough to require very little maintenance, unlike the pine I have on my deck in Charlotte.”
Sifford balanced savings (such as the exterior-grade plywood) with splurges. “One of my splurges was the decking material,” he says. “It is Brazilian tiger wood. It’s dense enough to require very little maintenance, unlike the pine I have on my deck in Charlotte.”
“We originally wanted board-formed concrete for the fireplace wall, but every builder said no. The thing would have weighed so much that it would have required a huge amount of support below,” Sifford says. So instead he chose a gray ledgestone veneer that suits the rustic vibe of the region. This accent wall anchors the room and accommodates a fireplace, TV and artwork.
Sifford worked art and handcrafted pieces into his home, frequently choosing local artisans. The sculptural piece to the right, however, is a 300-year-old bamboo cutter from China. The painting over the fireplace is by Charlotte artist Elaine Connors. A local furniture maker crafted the live-edge walnut dining table. Sifford bought the sculptural candleholders on the dining table in the Houzz Shop.
A fiberglass sphere by the fireplace is a favorite. “One of my signature elements in my garden designs is a sphere. They make me feel peaceful,” Sifford says.
Sifford worked art and handcrafted pieces into his home, frequently choosing local artisans. The sculptural piece to the right, however, is a 300-year-old bamboo cutter from China. The painting over the fireplace is by Charlotte artist Elaine Connors. A local furniture maker crafted the live-edge walnut dining table. Sifford bought the sculptural candleholders on the dining table in the Houzz Shop.
A fiberglass sphere by the fireplace is a favorite. “One of my signature elements in my garden designs is a sphere. They make me feel peaceful,” Sifford says.
Sifford originally wanted reclaimed beams for the ceiling, but he couldn’t find any that were large enough. “I guess they banged these new beams up with chains and hammers to give them an old, beat-up look,” he says. The chandelier, crafted from old wine barrels, had been on his wish list for about a decade.
“The beams are purely decorative. The roof has a truss system that supports it,” Owen notes. But the beams add character and help bring the high vaulted ceiling down to human scale.
The floors are B-grade white oak. “B-grade means they are knottier castoffs, which I love because they have so much character,” Sifford says. “They were a lot cheaper too. If there was such a thing as C-grade, I would have chosen those.”
“The beams are purely decorative. The roof has a truss system that supports it,” Owen notes. But the beams add character and help bring the high vaulted ceiling down to human scale.
The floors are B-grade white oak. “B-grade means they are knottier castoffs, which I love because they have so much character,” Sifford says. “They were a lot cheaper too. If there was such a thing as C-grade, I would have chosen those.”
Two sets of panoramic glass doors open to the back deck. Because of the home’s perch on the slope, large windows and doors along the back of the house enjoy views of the treetops. “These doors were one of my big splurges and they were worth it,” Sifford says.
An island divides the kitchen from the dining space. A soffit creates an alcove for the appliances and cabinetry. Sifford splurged on the Thermador range and Brazilian quartzite countertops. He saved by using semicustom cabinets.
Owen tucked some important spaces behind the kitchen wall. There’s a powder room located to the left, and the pantry and mudroom are on the right. The microwave is in the pantry.
Owen tucked some important spaces behind the kitchen wall. There’s a powder room located to the left, and the pantry and mudroom are on the right. The microwave is in the pantry.
Here’s Sifford’s view from the kitchen.
Windows on the other side of the kitchen provide views of the meadow garden. Sifford eschewed window treatments. “It’s kind of nice when someone waves to me from the road,” he says. “But eventually the evergreens I planted out front will provide more privacy.”
The deck runs along the entire great room side of the house to the far end of the dogtrot, providing room for dining and lounging. Sifford opted not to have stairs accessing the deck from the ground.
Shop for outdoor dining furniture
Shop for outdoor dining furniture
Placing the bedroom’s entry door toward the back of the dogtrot offers easy access from the bedroom to the deck. Owen placed an 8-by-8-foot window to provide a clear view of the woods from Sifford’s bed.
“I wanted to play up the feeling of floating in a rhododendron forest in here,” Sifford says. “You’re floating up in the trees, and some mornings the fog rolls in and there’s this magical feeling of floating in the fog.” Accordingly, he chose a moody gray paint for the walls, a painting of a piano floating in the clouds and furniture that floats atop metal legs.
“I wanted to play up the feeling of floating in a rhododendron forest in here,” Sifford says. “You’re floating up in the trees, and some mornings the fog rolls in and there’s this magical feeling of floating in the fog.” Accordingly, he chose a moody gray paint for the walls, a painting of a piano floating in the clouds and furniture that floats atop metal legs.
Here’s a better look at the view.
Sifford also wanted somewhere to work in the house. Owen designed a work alcove for him that feels like its own separate space within the bedroom. Clear views on two sides of the desk inspire his landscape designs.
Browse desks in the Houzz Shop
Browse desks in the Houzz Shop
The bathroom continues the feeling of floating in the woods. Sifford opted for a window instead of a second mirror over the vanity. The glass peapod sculpture is by artist Randy Walker. The 8-foot-high window to the right is in the shower stall. The toilet is hidden behind the pony wall on the left.
“I was tired of seeing cabinet doors everywhere, so I just left the vanity open and bought containers to put my stuff in,” Sifford says. “I wanted to keep everything really simple and no-frills, straightforward and authentic.”
“I was tired of seeing cabinet doors everywhere, so I just left the vanity open and bought containers to put my stuff in,” Sifford says. “I wanted to keep everything really simple and no-frills, straightforward and authentic.”
The height off the ground and the masses of rhododendrons provide all the privacy needed in the shower. Sifford chose a large-format porcelain tile. Its charcoal color provides the same contrast with the foliage from the interior that the black siding provides on the exterior.
This plan of the lower level shows the guest suite and the stairs that lead to it on the left. The area underneath the dogtrot is for mechanical and storage. The area on the right is a crawl space.
Because of the slope, the lower level doesn’t feel like a lower level at all. Sifford placed two full beds to accommodate all kinds of guests. He took the photos over the beds, which depict local scenes.
“The view is great down here. The trunks of the rhododendrons are really sculptural and gnarly,” Sifford says. “They are so beautiful and this view really lets people experience what they came here for.”
“I love working in tight spaces like this. And I love homes that encourage gathering outside the house,” Owen says. “This project definitely ranks among my most favorite journeys. It was great to partner with a client who knows and shares his love for what he does and how he wants the two parts [the garden and the house] to live in harmony.”
In case you missed the link, take a tour of the surrounding gardens here.
More on Houzz
Tour more cabins
Browse photos of black houses
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Shop for your home
“I love working in tight spaces like this. And I love homes that encourage gathering outside the house,” Owen says. “This project definitely ranks among my most favorite journeys. It was great to partner with a client who knows and shares his love for what he does and how he wants the two parts [the garden and the house] to live in harmony.”
In case you missed the link, take a tour of the surrounding gardens here.
More on Houzz
Tour more cabins
Browse photos of black houses
Hire a local design pro
Shop for your home
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Landscape designer Jay Sifford
Location: Near West Jefferson, North Carolina
Size: 1,659 square feet (154 square meters); two bedrooms, 2½ bathrooms
Architect: Jim Owen of DIGSdesign
Sifford, whose primary residence is two hours away in Charlotte, had always dreamed of having a mountain house. After enjoying the friendly vibe at a pub in West Jefferson, he knew he’d found the right spot to search for property. For the site, he knew he wanted someplace in a valley, next to a stream with lots of tall native rhododendrons. “You need to find what’s right for your soul. Some people want a mountaintop, some people want a lake, but I’m at home in a valley,” he says. “It just feels welcoming and nurturing to me.” He’s named the property Rhodwood.
For the structure, Sifford wanted something modern but he wasn’t interested in a concrete-and-glass box. He knew architect Owen socially and professionally from Charlotte and hired him to design the house. Owen checked out the property with Sifford, and also took him on a tour of a dogtrot house he’d designed. Sifford was sold on the idea, especially after learning that the style had been a part of the region’s architectural history.
A dogtrot house is composed of two simple cabin structures connected by a roof that creates a breezeway between them. The breezeway, or dogtrot, was named after the spot where dogs could enjoy the shade and cooler air on days when it was “too hot to trot.”
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