Set against the cedars and hardwoods of a rural south central Tennessee hillside, the site overlooks a pasture and the hills to the south. Designed as the working retreat for a single jeweler and sculptor, this small house is mostly one open space plus a bedroom on the main floor, with a loft space above. The loft, while acoustically open to the living space, is visually private. Its ceiling rises to the south-facing windows and balcony; the window of its small bathroom looks out to the upper east porch. This exceptionally tall porch has a long south view and a more intimate north and east view.
The main living area stretches from the west entry porch, past the open stair – which incorporates the owner’s found object railing sculpture – across the bank of south facing windows to the dining space and kitchen alcove. A combined bathroom and utility room help reduce the footprint. The floors are wood throughout with exposed rough-sawn cedar floor structure as the living area ceiling. The walls and other ceilings are gypsum board; the stained trim is of simple shapes. The exterior is stained cedar board and batten with a standing seam metal roof.