Having lived in cosmopolitan places like Toronto, Washington DC, and Atlanta, Nick and Lucy Small decided to uproot to North Georgia, their small children in tow, and create a dream home with features unique to the rugged, rural area: fiber internet, an infinity pool, smart-home integration, Lutron Palladiom shades, and so forth.

The process began at a scenic, 27-acre homesite in Morganton, about 11 miles east of downtown Blue Ridge, in June 2019. The Smalls, it turns out, were creating a functional, pandemic-friendly retreat before anyone had heard of COVID-19.

The result is what the couple affectionately refer to as “homesteading on steroids,” a secluded property dubbed Blue Mountain Oyster Homestead for the oyster-shaped topography of the site.

Floating stairs of white oak off the main dining space. Photography by Justin Rush, courtesy of Harry Norman Realtors

Located about an hour and 45 minutes due north of Midtown, the three-level, six-bedroom home (and guest house) straddles the line between approachably modern and rustic, with a Florida-level affinity for outdoor lounge spaces. Colorado-based Stillwater Architecture was brought in to help design. 

The property listed with Harry Norman Realtors in November at $5.79 million, where the price remains.

Surrounded by wilderness and protected US Forest Service land (and three extra home sites that come with the sale), this mountain residence is the antithesis of roughing it.

Photography by Justin Rush, courtesy of Harry Norman Realtors

The 7,400-square-foot main home includes a full gym, two home offices, two guest apartments, a hydroponic greenhouse, steam showers, radiant heat in some floors, handmade Moroccan tile, and a master suite with literally tons of Brazilian quartzite.

Following a two-year building process, the Smalls—whose careers have included stints in politics, venture capital, and tech—moved into the property in April last year. Now they’re ready to move on, with plans to open a high-end home goods and supply concept called State and Season in downtown Blue Ridge next month.

“We realized that life outside of a major city is totally attainable,” Lucy Small said in a recent statement. “The demand for this level of home in this area is really high, so we decided to put ours on the market, find more land, and do it again.”

• 937 Richards Branch Road (Harry Norman Realtors) 

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