The Blue Ridge Mountains directly shaped the design of a custom home tucked into the north slope of Paris Mountain, just north of Greenville, South Carolina. The house was designed by MHK Architecture in collaboration with Bluestone Construction and sits on a site chosen with the help of the builder, who was brought in early to assist with team assembly and construction feasibility. The result is a light-filled retreat that won multiple awards, including the International Property Awards 2025 for residential property development in South Carolina and the NAHB 2025 Silver Award for Best One-of-a-Kind Custom Home.
The owners — a retired art gallery owner and a financial executive — wanted a home that blurred the line between dwelling and gallery. The design team anchored the layout around a long, light-filled corridor for displaying art. That passage was inspired by a fleeting scene in a foreign film, though the architects have not named the specific movie.
A bedroom that floats above the treetops
The most dramatic element is the cantilevered bedroom suite, which extends 20 feet beyond the stone base of the house. Massive steel I-beams suspend the glass-fronted corridor above a water feature, leading to their sleeping area tucked directly into the treetops. The homeowners pushed for a bold architectural statement while still feeling like a private sanctuary. By choosing to cantilever rather than build up, they got exactly that.
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It is suspended over the treetops.
A water feature runs below the glass walkway. The effect is something close to floating. It’s the kind of feature that draws attention, even in a house full of intentional details. Expansive windows frame the Blue Ridge Mountains from nearly every room. Warm wood finishes, custom millwork, and minimalist detailing create a quiet backdrop for the couple’s collection of paintings, sculpture, and rare books. The screened porch includes a stone fireplace. The swimming pool and spa overlook the same mountain panorama, making the outdoor spaces feel like an extension of the interior.
The double-height living room has its own stone fireplace and a dramatic volume of space. The kitchen uses sage green cabinetry with a marble island and custom millwork. These choices avoid competing with the art or the view.
A gallery corridor that doubles as a hallway
The long, light-filled hallway uses warm oak millwork and curated collections to turn an everyday passage into a destination. It’s a deliberate choice: the owners came from the art world and wanted the house to function as a living gallery. The design team says the interplay of light and volume was crafted to reflect that refined, creative lifestyle. Every detail, from slope-sensitive siting to the material palette, serves that goal.
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One slightly unusual choice — the corridor is long and narrow, with no built-in seating. The architects intentionally kept it lean, so the art remains the focus. It works, though it means you never want to stop and sit in that space.
What the awards mean for custom home design
The International Property Awards and the NAHB Silver Award recognize projects that combine technical execution with design quality. For a custom home of this scale, the recognition is notable because the house must compete against other one-of-a-kind projects nationally. The cantilever alone required precise engineering and steel fabrication. The builder, Bluestone Construction, handled site selection and assembly early on, which likely reduced cost overruns and design changes later. That kind of early involvement is not standard in custom residential work.
The project description notes that the home was designed for luxury living and entertaining, “either with family or an entire group of people by the pool.” The screened porch and outdoor areas are set up for large gatherings. The indoor passage, though, remains intimate — a private space for the owners to move through their collection.
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The house sits on a north slope of Paris Mountain, a location chosen for its views of Caesars Head and the Blue Ridge ridgeline. That orientation means the building gets morning light on the east side and softer afternoon light on the west.
The architects oriented the cantilevered suite to catch the best treetop views without overheating the glass walls.
For anyone interested in the intersection of architecture, art collection, and mountain living, this project is a reference point. It’s not a vacation home — it’s a permanent residence that happens to feel like one. The line between dwelling and gallery is intentionally blurred, and the Blue Ridge Mountains are the constant backdrop.
