A modern blue two-story house with a front porch, surrounded by small shrubs, greenery, and trees on a clear day with blue skies.

The Larson House

Location: Spruce Pine, Mitchell County, NC

Size: 2,770 sf heated

Program: 3 bed / 3.5 bath / finished basement

Certifications: NC Green Built Gold / Net Zero Energy Ready / Energy Star Certified New Construction

Nestled into the woods on her family's land outside Spruce Pine, the Altapass House was designed for a woman who knew exactly how she wanted to live: cozy and rooted, with room for her children, her dogs, and the quiet pleasures of a reading nook, a breakfast nook, and a home gym tucked into the finished basement below.

The design draws from architect Ross Chapin's Plum Corner plans, known for their human scale, layered rooflines, and the sense that every space has a purpose - adapted and expanded to suit this particular site and life. Inside, light wood floors and a custom staircase with clean square balusters set a tone that is warm without being heavy, while the bathrooms strike a crisper note with white hex tile and heated towel bars. Deep blue-grey fiber cement siding gives the exterior a distinctive, grounded presence against the surrounding forest. A solar panel carport shelters electric vehicles while generating the energy to run them: a fitting complement to the home's Net Zero Energy Ready certification. This is a house built to be lived in fully, simply, and for a long time.

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The Copperhead House →