The view has no airport, freeway, utility lines nor other sign of man except where his hand enhances it. Even the moaning red lights of mountain towers add to the serenity.

Homesite Placement

The house sets comfortably back from the edge of a sandstone cliff that includes a monolith, an outcropping to which a bridge spans the narrow but deep chasm that divides it from the cliff proper.

The driveway is serpentine and approaches the house from the side through un-cleared woods so as to hide the view from the driver. The first a visitor sees of the dramatic scene is as he walks up the front steps and looks through the great room. It is an unforgettable first impression to a magnificent house.

Overall Design Concept

The owners wanted the house to be an experience rather than simply a house, to be an emotional experience

The homesite has one of the worlds most beautiful views. The house should bring the lot inside. The bedroom wings are low on the lot to give you the feeling of being outdoors while being in comfortable surroundings. The house should blend into the lot rather than stand out. The view and the lot, not the house, were paramount.

All colors are matched to things found on the lot. The master bedroom, for example, was color matched to the top and underside of a sugar maple leaf plucked from a sapling which grows at the edge of the homesite. The color of the great room ceiling matches the sky and clouds you see on most summer days. Flowers, leaves, lichens, mosses and sky colors are all brought into the house with its color palette.

This plan is a Donald A. Gardner Cedar Creek, #959, developed for several mountain golf course communities in the Carolinas. The main floor is 3188 square feet according to the plans with 600 square feet in the bonus room above the garage. While the bonus room is unfinished it has a complete HVAC system.

The house is a fusion of Southwest contemporary and Allegheny rustic.

Textured walls and smooth ceilings, a reversal of regional convention

Pot shelves rather than soffits to enhance the feeling of space, provide an area for night lighting and decoration

Porcelain tile floors

Porcelain is nearly indestructible. It will never deteriorate or need refinishing.

Easy to clean

Absorbs and then radiates heat from the sun and the fireplace during the winter. (Not an issue in the summer because of the higher sun line)

Set on cement board which is laid over the subfloor

SpectraLock epoxy grout

Does not stain

Does not chip or otherwise deteriorate

Semi-gloss paint in the living areas to enhance the sunlight streaming through the windows and to evoke the feeling of water, another natural element.

HOME FEATURES

Comfort. The most important home featureand often the most overlooked.

Conditioned crawl space.

This is a relatively new technique developed by Clemson University that seals the crawl space and insulates its exterior walls. This captures the natural heat of the Earth in the winter. The floors of the home are not insulated thereby allowing the heat to radiate up through the floor. Even with the furnaces off, the owners have seen a 50-degree temperature differential between the outside ambient air and the atmosphere in the great room. (On the morning of 2/11/2011, the temperature in the great room was 57-degrees with the furnace off while the outside temperature was five-degrees) Conversely, the crawl space works to cool the house in the summer. The feature also reduces humidity thereby reducing the likelihood of mold. Exterior vents are installed that can be unsealed for dehydration in the event of a plumbing leak. Three registers are installed in the HVAV system in the crawl space in the event the occupants want a warmer or cooler floor.

Glass

Pella Architectural and Designer series windows and doors and windows

Triple and double pane.

Higher R-rating than the walls of a log home according to our HVAC installer.

Low E reduces the ultra-violet light which is harmful to cloth and wood.

Special coating on the glass reduces dirt buildup.

Clear View (barely visible) screens.

Computer designed heating, ventilation, and cooling (HVAC) systems.

Computer designed system for the greatest comfort and efficiency.

Four zones (great room, master wing, guest wing and bonus room).

Very high-efficiency dual compressor heat pumps with propane backup for the lowest noise and turbulence thereby making the home cozy and draft-free in spite of its magnificent cathedral ceilings and open space. (The system in this house cost about twice that of a conventional spider system which is common in this area. A spider system usually consists of a single large unit with a single main duct running the length of the house with small ducts branching to each space. Such a system moves the air too quickly thereby limiting its ability to remove humidity. This results in a cool and clammy feeling in the summer plus noticeable noise and draftiness.

The lowest bid for HVAC was just over $12,000. This system cost about $30,000. The owners have no question they would do it again.

Insulation

All adjacent lumber is calked.

Every hole through which a wire passes is foamed.

Exterior walls are 6 thick.

Bedroom interior walls are insulated.

Temperature differential between the floor and cathedral ceiling was measured to be only two-degrees in the winter.

Kitchen

Very rare virgin American chestnut cabinetry. Virgin wood is taken from the tree rather than recovered structures. You will find no nail or bolt holes in the wood.

Highest rated appliances in each category as reviewed by Consumer Reports and J. D. Powers and Associates and other reviewers.

GE Monogram. Trivection ovens, refrigerator and trash compactor

Bosch dishwashers (2)

Electrolux induction cooktop

Gaggenau indoor char grill.

Dacor downdraft ventilator

Insinkerator 3-stage garbage disposal, capable of reducing even turkey bones to a slurry that is more digestible by the septic system

Corian-type countertops. Also chosen after research

Very large cooking island with hidden electrical receptacles for buffet service and electric appliances

Built-in china cabinet in great room plumbed for sink

Instant hot water dispenser

Electrical and lighting

Wired for an emergency generator

Surge protection circuit breaker boxes

Numerous outlets

Lighting circuits on dimmable controls.

The lighting in this house is truly spectacular. You will notice troughs at the base of each cathedral ceiling. These contain lights that you may adjust to give you the perfect glow for get-togethers or even night lights. You may leave all lights on the lowest setting thereby spreading an estimated 50-watts of illumination throughout the house resulting in turning the whole structure into a single, inexpensive night light. Another advantage of dimmable lights is one can purchase larger bulbs than he needs and then operate them on a lower setting. In other houses the sellers own, they have bulbs that are still burning after 20 years of service.

The porch rails have LED lights beneath the handrails plus theater lighting on the stair posts. This gives enough lighting for use during the night but not so much that it interferes with ones ability to see our magnificent night sky. The rail lighting also adds depth to the rooms at night because they illuminate the space beyond the windows.

Plumbing

Hot water loop that gives each faucet near instant warm water

Renai tank-less, on-demand hot water heater

Kohler Sok Tub.

Plastic pipe which is advertised as split-proof if frozen. (Freezing not likely with the conditioned crawl space)

Well, 305 deep.

Alarm

Fully wired system including the crawl space. Sensors include perimeter, movement, glass breakage, water leakage, fire, carbon monoxide.

Cell phone central ringing. They have removed the weakest component of a central-ringing system, the land line, which can be cut rendering the system inoperable. Communication with the emergency monitor is by cellular telephone device.

Foundation and Framing:

In seeking to build a home of the finest quality crafted by the most careful construction, the owners sought to hire one of the very finest home builders in the area. This house was built by Hobert McCoy. Because its fit and detail are so impressive, some have described it is a huge piece of furniture.

But such a house, regardless of how it looks, is, over time, only as well built as that which you cannot see. It may be the only house in the area that is built on a site that has been bored for geotechnical considerations. Six separate borings show a very hard rock shelf of quartzited sandstone. One boring was impossible to cut through the hard rock.

Nevertheless, Mr. McCoy poured footers and piers with double the concrete recommended. The reinforcement bar was raised rather than placed directly on the soil as is often done. This technique practically makes the rusting of the reinforcement bars impossible. In addition to the perimeter footers, there are 84 piers that carry the weight of the house.

Even though the lot drains well, red clay was imported and then compacted around the foundation thereby vastly reducing the water that percolates through the soil around the foundation. French drains were installed at the base of the footers.

Laminated joists and rafters. McCoy rejected every wall stud that was not absolutely straight, about a third of all delivered studding. Where is this rejected wood? Probably in other newer area homes.

Exterior

Select tight knot (STK) Western Red Cedar, chosen for its insulation qualities and quietness during windy conditions. This home is nearly silent in the wind.

Stained in Cabot Oracle Sun and Indian Corn colors

Stone is Muddy Creek Mountain sandstone, quarried right here on the other end of Muddy Creek Mountain, from the same geological formation on which the house rests

Architectural grade asphalt/fiberglass roof shingles

Grass is a special wire fescue. It grows to a height of four to six inches and gradually starves out all other plants including weeds and other grasses. Except for some debris from limb breakage, it is maintenance-free. Its rough, clumpy growth pattern matches the rough natural texture of the heavily wooded lot. The other grasses you may see were imported with topsoil and are gradually disappearing.

LOCATION

Peekaboo sits at an elevation of approximately 2,500 feet and is located in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, just 6 miles west of historic downtown Lewisburg which was named Americas Coolest Small Town in 2011. Historic architecture, vibrant arts scene, delectable cuisine, boutiques and art galleries form an eclectic mix that enriches the laid-back lifestyle of the Greenbrier Valley.

The area is blessed with modern medical facilities with the hospital just 7.5 miles away, a major airport, great shopping and all the conveniences found in larger cities. Still yet, with more cattle than people in the area, it is easy to get to know your neighbors and form lasting friendships.

The world famous Greenbrier Resort is just 30 minutes east and Snowshoe Resort is only 90 minutes drive north. The Greenbrier River and New River plus 5 state parks offer unlimited outdoor recreational opportunities.

Area: Muddy Creek Mountain

Google Coordinates:

LAT: 37.826506

LON: -80.540366

LEGAL INFO

Property Address:

549 Asbury Trace

Lewisburg, WV 24901

Greenbrier County

Blue Sulphur District

Tax Map 24, Parcel 129

Deed Book 514, Page 233

Real Estate Taxes 2012: $3,099.07

Homeowners Association: Yes

Please call the office to experience this spectacular home.