By K. Faith Morgan | Photography by Chipper Hatter
Louisiana-based architect Kevin Harris is a firm believer that “home” is a forever word. It’s a space that should accommodate every family member in every stage of life. And for this Lynchburg, Virginia, family of four, the forever journey started 15 years ago when Kevin sat down with them at their vacation house with a pen and a stack of napkins.
At the time, the couple had two young children and aging parents who visited regularly. Kevin also wanted to take into consideration the couple’s desire to make this their permanent residence. “It’s the concept of universal living—I like to call this grace in place instead of aging in place,” he says. “Because what works for little kids also works for aging grandparents. Design features like doors that are 3-feet wide work for someone in a wheelchair as well as a mom with a baby on one hip and groceries on the other.”
The story has come a long way since those initial napkin sketches. “It’s a beautiful piece of property in a rural setting—very private,” says Kevin of the location the couple selected as the site for their house. Set amongst the rolling hills of Lynchburg the gracious stone home nods to the sensibilities and heritage of the family inside. The mom and dad, both from Louisiana, loved their new adopted home of Virginia, but they longed for their own bit of French-creole flair in the more colonial state. “I love Virginia architecture, but Williamsburg just isn’t my personal style,” says the homeowner.
Kevin drew his aesthetic inspiration from the gracious, welcoming lines of the Louisiana historic estates. “In the back, it’s like a Southern plantation balcony,” he says. “The downstairs living space just flows onto this balcony—which is part of the Louisiana culture that we’re just using in Virginia. It’s a very well used extension to the house.”
Although the family has lived in the home for a little over 12 years, that one feature remains a consummate favorite for the owner. “Without question, the veranda is my favorite part of the home,” the homeowner says of the heavily-used space that has hosted everything from early-morning Yoga sessions to small dinner parties to a wedding. “It has a fireplace out there, so it’s seasonal,” she explains. “Virginia is obviously not as warm as Louisiana, so it makes the veranda more usable throughout the year.”
“Downstairs is a wonderful wine room,” explains Kevin. “The husband once asked if I knew what the value of wine was, and I said it varies based on the bottle. He said,
‘No, the true value of wine is the value of being able to share it with friends.’ I’ve always remembered that.”
The kitchen was also especially designed with the husband in mind. “He is a master chef, and he’s an entertainer when he cooks, so that kitchen is set up to give him that aspect of his life as a stage,” says Kevin.
