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Buckingham Craftsman | Charlotte, NC

Design Considerations

From the first look, this home announces itself with intention. The exterior is built on a foundation of lasting materials, James Hardie siding and boxing in crisp arctic white, Owens Corning Oak Ridge architectural shingles, and a full-width covered front porch where chocolate gray thin stone columns rise from a classic mocha brick foundation. The porch ceiling is painted in Sherwin Williams Atmospheric, a soft blue-gray that reads as quiet and deliberate against the white board-and-batten facade. Black gable brackets and black-framed windows pull the whole composition into focus.

The structural system underneath all of it is built to last. Engineered I-joist floor systems, roof trusses manufactured by Locust Lumber, and insulation values that exceed standard residential minimums – R-38 in the attic, R-19 in the floors, mean this home performs as well as it looks. A Navien tankless water heater rounds out the mechanical package.

Inside, the material decisions are equally considered. No. 2 white oak hardwoods, sand-finished on site and sealed with three coats of clear poly, run continuously across the main and upper floors. The trim package is substantial throughout —- 1×6 baseboard, 5/4 header trim, and a 5-1/4″ cove crown profile that gives every room a finished weight without feeling heavy. Doors are Reeb Monroe style. Walls are painted in Sherwin Williams Reflection, a soft blue-gray that shifts with the light and photographs beautifully.

The kitchen is built around KitchenAid, gas range, hood, refrigerator, dishwasher, and a Sharp microwave drawer integrated into the island base. Norcraft cabinetry in pure white Concord with a contrasting flint island anchors the space. Countertops are quartz Calacatta Leon throughout, and the Pfister pull-out spray faucet finishes the sink wall cleanly. The gas fireplace, a BUF 36″ vent-free unit, sits at the center of the open living area with a stone surround and white painted mantel.

Upstairs, the master suite is designed as a genuine retreat. The master bath is finished in Norcraft charcoal cabinetry, Moen matte black fixtures, and a Signature Hardware freestanding soaking tub positioned beneath a clerestory window. The walk-in shower is fully tiled in large-format gray with a pebble floor, rain head, and slide bar. The wet bar on the loft level uses Norcraft white cabinetry and quartz Alabaster White, a deliberate material shift from the kitchen that keeps the upper floor feeling lighter.

Every finish decision in this home traces back to the same principle: quality that you notice when you move in and stop noticing only because it simply becomes the standard you live by.