Inside an Architect’s Personal Retreat in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains

Cathy Cherry knows what it takes to build a home from the ground up. The architect and interior designer is the founder of Purple Cherry Architects & Interiors, a firm that works on projects across the mid-Atlantic and the Southeast, from conceptualizing a structure to fitting and furnishing that building once it’s completed. So when Cherry and her husband, Mike, decided to build themselves a second home in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Afton, Virginia, she knew exactly what she wanted.

The couple is in their 60s and 70s and wanted their second residence to serve as a comfortable space where they could age in place and welcome their children and, one day, grandchildren. That’s not quite the case at their primary home in Maryland, which sits on the natural historic registry and features small rooms connected by narrow, steep staircases. Their new abode, despite comprising two floors, has nary a step inside, so neither adults nor children have to worry about falling.

Yet another priority for Cherry’s new digs was an emphasis on views and natural light, which they have in abundance from their perch in the mountains, with greenery and trees blanketing the rolling landscape in all directions. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer peeks of the landscape, as does ample outdoor space on both patios and decks, depending on which level you’re enjoying.

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The home encompasses 6,000 square feet in total with numerous options where friends and family can bivouac comfortably. There are two bedrooms and two baths (plus a powder room and a three-car garage) on the main level and another bedroom and bath (and another powder room) on the upper level. A guest house above the garage adds another two additional sleeping areas and two bathrooms. Best of all, for those who need a little quiet time, all of the areas can be closed off from one another, allowing for complete privacy among groups.

To make the house a home, Cherry incorporated select pieces from her travels over the past few decades, ranging from an intricately carved wood piece in the main entryway to eye-catching light fixtures hanging over the dining room table and in the living room. Throughout are bright pops of color via rugs and throws, as well as the marigold cabinetry in the spacious country kitchen. And, with plenty of pets coming and going, Cherry thought of the four-legged residents and guests, too; most of the furniture is swathed in dog-friendly fabrics, without any compromises on the design.

Click here to see all the photos of the Blue Ridge Mountain getaway.