By Lydia Somerville
Sandi and John Hart have always enjoyed mountain vacations, especially in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. John’s work as an executive for Major League Baseball has led the Harts around the country, but they ultimately landed in Orlando, Florida, where John serves as President of Baseball Operations for the Atlanta Braves.
Early in the development of the Lonesome Valley community, the couple visited the area and felt an instant connection. Situated on 800 acres, the property is dedicated to conserving and preserving the integrity of its natural surroundings.
“We came around a bend and saw this wonderful house perched on high ground and looking out over a trout pond,” John says. “We loved the building materials—the shingled siding and the metal roof. We knew right away it was perfect for us.” And once the Harts toured the interiors, they were ready to seal the deal. “The workmanship is just incredible, with shiplap paneling and high ceilings,” says John. “It’s the attention to detail that makes the cottage special.”
Lonesome Valley was first established in 2005 by Dickie Jennings, grandson of the man who purchased the land in 1895 as a family farmstead and who had zealously protected its natural beauty during the hurly-burly years of development in the area. Jennings teamed up with real estate developer William McKee to create a community that both respected the dramatic views and met a high bar for quality.
McKee enlisted Cashiers designer Lynn Monday to decorate the first houses in an elegant but comfortable style that would reflect the community’s philosophy of land stewardship and its vision of an enduring future.
Known for her ability to design rooms that celebrate the outdoors, Monday had furnished the house with pieces that suggest Alpine forest more than Appalachian backwoods. A Dutch door, window seats, and a massive stone chimney offer a fairy-tale-like charm befitting a mountain cottage.
The designer also added Old-World touches such as voluminous window treatments and rugs with rich hues. Furniture and accents by Chad Collins and Jeff Collins, Monday’s nephews, bring local craftsmanship to the home.
Once the Harts took possession of the house, they layered personal elements into the design Monday had established. “We brought in artwork that reflects our passions and family history,” says John. And according to Sandi, family is an important element of the Harts’ affection for the house.
“Because of the way William McKee raised the elevation, you walk into the house and immediately look out over the pond, which is where our grandchildren spend so much time catching tadpoles and fishing,” she says. Recently, the Harts’ daughter even bought her own patch of paradise within Lonesome Valley, ensuring that three generations of the family can enjoy the majestic beauty of the place.
“It’s all about spending time together here and making memories,” says Sandi.
This home tour was originally printed in our Summer 2017 issue.
