Southern Living
Home
Home Decor Ideas
Charming Tennessee Mountain Cottage

Charming Tennessee Mountain Cottage

August 19, 2015

Credit: Laurey W. Glenn

Atlanta-based couple Terry and and Robert Banta acted fast when they spotted a charming Carpenter-Gothic-style cottage for sale in Monteagle, Tennessee. No matter how much time passed, the mountains kept tugging them back.This delightful cottage gives Southern Gothic a new meaning, updating the classic Carpenter-Gothic-style space for contemporary living without altering any of its wonderful charm. Built around 1890, this beautiful Tennessee mountain cottage is a study in simplicity, mixing natural materials including stone and timber to create a warm, inviting, and welcoming space. The open kitchen includes limestone countertops and a butcher-block island, echoing the natural materials used throughout. In the loft, a vaulted ceiling clad in board-and-batten timber echoes the beaded board ceilings downstairs. Clearly rooted in history and tradition, but delicately and sympathetically restored for comfortable living today, this Tennessee mountain cottage is elegant, enticing, and clearly fit for the Southern life.

Start Slideshow

1 of 10

The Exterior

Credit: Laurey W. Glenn

The "window" that underscores this house's Gothic charm is actually a repurposed mirror found at an antiques shop in Nashville. A chipped Victorian front door sets the tone for the decor inside.

2 of 10

The Porch

Credit: Laurey W. Glenn

Old green wicker porch furniture "just kind of goes," says the home's designer Rachel Halverson. The house and the church next door were both built around 1890.

3 of 10

The Foyer

Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

A neutral color palette unifies the newly exposed spaces, while rich textures—wood-paneled walls, beaded-board ceilings—layer on character and warmth.

4 of 10

The Living Room

Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn

"There's not one thing that feels contrived about this house. It's relaxed and natural," said Terry.