Tour This Cozy North Carolina Home Filled With African Art

For over a decade, Cheryl Luckett of Dwell by Cheryl Interiors has been designing cozy family homes. Located in North Carolina, her many projects can be found throughout the state. When a recently retired couple moved into a rustic-style home in Huntersville, they had a desire for a new vision for their space, and turned to Cheryl to bring the inviting and oh-so-cozy style she is known for into their home.

“The clients were looking for a very cultured and modern vibe in their home,” says Cheryl. And she delivered, turning a four-bedroom, 4,300-square-foot Tudor-style home into an elegant retreat for the retirees. The home’s entryway sets the stage for what is to come, with an oak door and dark wood floors reflecting the original rustic aesthetic. Clean white walls and crown molding add a modern, traditional touch. “The clients wanted to create a space that took the very rustic home in a more modern direction.”

Throughout the entryway, artful vignettes capture the eye. “We used the client’s collections and art to drive the design selections for the project,” the designer explains. Sculptures and beautifully framed pieces of Black art seamlessly blend with the industrial metal console table and a vintage bench, upholstered in an African-inspired fabric.

Through the spacious entryway, the home opens up into an even more generous living room. “I love the living space,” Cheryl says. “It has a cozy and collected vibe that’s a true representation of the client’s life and collections.” The white walls continue, warmed by exposed beam ceilings and a host of artful accents. “The homeowners’ collection of art, sculptures and décor really helped to give the space a collected feel that adds so much warmth and coziness.”

A futuristic, geometric chandelier, from Hudson Valley Lighting, completes the modern feel that the homeowners wanted for their living room. “One of the major factors in the space is lighting,” Cheryl reflects. “Since so much of the home reflects a more rustic feel, we wanted the lighting to provide a juxtaposition to the rough feel of the flooring, doors and trim. Coordinating matte black and gold pendants in the kitchen, dining and living spaces accomplish this in a way that doesn’t feel disjointed.”

The modular sofa is the room’s major statement piece, with enough seating available to fit a host of family and friends when entertaining. For additional seating, a custom bench was designed to fit right below one of the living room windows. And a table that performs double duty is another favorite piece, making real world utility part of the aesthetic. “I really love the functionality we built into the living space,” Cheryl observes. “The leather recliner and the storage ottoman/coffee table that converts into a tabletop for those seated on the sectional both add function and style to the space the clients use the most.”

For visual interest, Cheryl designed the home with layers of pattern and texture in each room. They come through in details like the throw pillows, ceramic table lamps and art in the living room. “The client had an African medicine man sculpture that we dug out of a closet and moved to a prominent spot on the fireplace hearth,” Cheryl recalls. “It adds the most interest, history, culture and visual texture.”

Moving into the home in 2021, the couple brought in Cheryl’s team to renovate the living area and kitchen all at once. With the time and space to do what was needed, custom elements were brought into the design. “We added picture lighting and an illuminated bookcase niche for displaying our client’s collections that help to set a cozy mood in the evenings,” she says.

Putting art on display was a major focus of the design effort, with every available space brought into play. The illuminated bookcase became a prime place to feature the homeowners’ extensive collection, featuring African and Native American pieces. “They are global travelers and had amassed quite the collection of art, artifacts and rugs.”

The dining room features a beautiful collection of Shona sculptures. A dining table from Bernhardt brings a traditional element into the space, while the black-and-gold chandelier from Hudson Valley Lighting adds some modern glam to the dining area.

As part of the renovation, the modern black-and-gold lighting continues in the kitchen. The pendants over the bar are a direct tie-in to the other lighting pieces throughout the interior. Cheryl covered the bar stools in stain-resistant Revolution performance fabric, so that they could be both functional and beautiful pieces in the kitchen.

The final result is a stunning home in North Carolina where a couple’s art collection is highlighted among beautifully detailed design elements that have been used to create the kind of modern and cozy interior that Cheryl is known for. “We wanted to accomplish the modern direction while still creating a cozy environment in the end,” the designer says.