GRACEFULLY GROUNDED
By Brandy Woods Snow; Photography by Dustin & Susie Peck
This article appeared in the July/August 2025 issue of Home Design & Decor’s Charlotte edition.
This thoughtfully layered Eastover home sparks a balance with beauty and functionality.
Life moves fast for a busy family of four, so they wanted a home that didn’t just keep up but slowed things down with simplicity, purpose, and room to breathe. Tucked into an established Eastover neighborhood, the home is the perfect mix of timeless architecture and livable warmth. Designed by Ruard Veltman Architecture + Interiors and built by J Barwick Construction, the home’s classic exterior opens into an interior that’s anything but cookie-cutter. The home is comfortably scaled and intentionally designed for raising two children without losing sight of elegance and ease.
The homeowners knew from the start that they wanted a seasoned eye to help translate their vision into a livable, layered reality, so they enlisted the help of Collins Cherry of Cherry Bates Interior Design, who once lived just down the street from the couple. “It was fun to reconnect and be a part of the forever-home journey for their family,” says Cherry. “We wanted to remain true to the architecture while infusing the interiors with their personalities, bringing life to the design.”
From the beginning, the goal was clear: create a space that’s functional, family-friendly, and reflective of the homeowners’ lifestyle without sacrificing the home’s architectural integrity. The lot itself was unusually deep and larger than most in the neighborhood, which gave room to breathe both inside and out. The house wasn’t meant to be big—it was meant to be just right—but it needed to be a beautiful and comfortable space for the family.
Inside, the home tells a story of thoughtful layering, with a mix of collected antiques and new, custom pieces that feel both fresh and storied, family heirlooms, and eclectic artwork procured through the couple’s travels. There’s an effortless balance between sophistication and comfort with a minimalistic flair; nothing feels overdone, and everything feels intentional.
The kitchen, fittingly, is the heart of the home, and Cherry designed it as a place for conversation amidst a simple white, clean aesthetic and room to gather around an expansive island. With natural light pouring in from oversized front and back windows in the open concept floor plan, the space is as happy as it is hardworking and allows the family to stay connected across the main living spaces, while a semi-hidden scullery keeps the prep and mess quietly out of view.
Design decisions were rooted in real life—soft textiles underfoot, performance fabrics where it counts, and rich but neutral paint colors that ground each room without weighing it down. A thread of blue—the homeowner’s favorite color—appears throughout the design. And the home’s baths are serene sanctuaries, each with its own personality, from a playful powder room with bold wallpaper to an owner’s suite bath that feels like an at-home spa.
Cherry still visits often, helping to tweak the home as life happens. “It feels like them,” she says simply. “And that’s always the goal—to help clients create a home that reflects who they are.”