Abodes of Appalachia: Featuring Amelia Caristo

Photographer and Mother shares the story of her custom-built home

Hi friends!

Welcome to 'Abodes of Appalachia,' a captivating series that delves into the heart and homes of the people who live amongst the rolling hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

In this unique exploration, we celebrate the soulful essence of the Appalachian Region through the lens of interior design and the stories that dwell within these walls.

My mission is to showcase the beauty found in the everyday lives of individuals who have woven their existence into the fabric of this land.

Join us as we peel back the layers of their homes, revealing the authentic, inspiring, and real narratives that make up the rich tapestry of Appalachian life, proving that wealth is not measured in dollars but in the spirit of the people who call this place home.

As someone whose personal heritage is rooted here in Western North Carolina, this series is particularly special to me. What a joy and honor it is to be welcomed into local people's homes to photograph and interview them; A magical mix of my love for photography, design, and asking lots of questions!

(This series will be too long for email, so be sure to read it via the Substack app or website)

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Meet Amelia Caristo of
Amelia Fletcher Photography

I pull off the road and loop around a gravel drive to visit my second favorite place in Fairview. First is visiting my friend Amelia’s house, and second is the farm stand I stop at every time i’m in the area. I pop back in the car, snacking on warm Tommy Toe tomatoes, smiling and stealing glances at the beautiful bushel of flowers in the passenger seat.

The rocky scattered mountainside that separates Fairview from Lake Lure stands tall in the distance when I turn left, making my way onto her families land. I first pass her parents home where we’ve had quite a few Friendsgivings, then the barn that houses locals horses and an adorable donkey , before winding my way up their gravel drive.

I quietly knock and step into one of the most beautiful houses I’ve ever been in. The wide open entryway with all the window light you could dream is breathtaking as soon as you come through the door. Amelia and I catch up a bit while the little one finishes his nap. When he wakes, they head off to look at a truck up the road (he’s very into cars and machines it seems) and their cats keep me company while I photograph.

It’s a very special space, this home she’s created with her Husband, Nick and Son, Corbin. I’m so excited for you to get a peek into their lives and their story.

Read on for her interview:

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Can you tell us a bit about the history of your current home?

We built our home in 2019 and moved in right as the world was shutting down in spring of 2020. 

My great-grandparents purchased this land in the 1950s as a place to retire from Chicago. It was around 80 acres then, with a big farmhouse, small cabins, and a dairy barn. 

My dad has many childhood memories of running around the land with siblings and cousins on visits.

They tried to sell it in the eighties, when it got to be too much for them to take care of, but it was “too far out of town” for anyone to be interested. Our neighbors purchased the portion with the cabins, and sadly the old farmhouse caught fire and burned down. 

Today my parents have a pasture and home they built in 2002, we have an acre, and my grandmother owns the rest (pastures, woods with hiking trails and creeks, an old cabin and the barn). 

Where are you from? Does your personal history of you and your family (or families) impact your design styles?

I grew up in north Asheville and we moved to Fairview when I was in middle school. 

After I graduated I went to college as an art major in Charlotte. I then spent a couple years in Chicago, and after a few months traveling around the states I came back home for good in 2014. 

Yes, I think all of the above absolutely impacts design style. Probably my love of art and design more than anything else. Our home is my favorite project!

Many of our decorative items are souvenirs or family heirlooms, and my husband, Nick, is from a large Italian family. We envisioned hosting guests often when we built. 

Did you design your home yourself or did you have any help?

I found the floor plan online from a kit cabin company in Canada and it checked all our boxes. We wanted the main bedroom downstairs, a 3/2, open concept, the front door easily visible and accessible, and at least one window in every room. Having a lot of natural light is so important to me. 

We took the layout to an architect friend (Holden Design Shop) and he put it all together with a couple changes.

There’s a few things I would do differently now that we’ve lived here for a little while, but overall I’m very happy with the plan we chose as it fits our lifestyle well and has gorgeous views of the trees that surround us. 

Nick and I made all design and decorating decisions together and continue to collaborate on a long wish list of projects.

If you had to describe your design style, how would you do that?

Natural, organic modern, a mix of new and old, intentional. Initially I thought I preferred mostly a minimalist style but as time has gone on I crave more character. I try to strike a balance in each room of being uncluttered yet cozy and welcoming. I do still lean towards a simple and clean aesthetic. 

Form and function are equally important in my book. I want whatever we bring in here to both serve its intended purpose and bring us joy.

Where do you pull inspiration from when designing your spaces?

I enjoy learning about feng shui principles and applying them whenever possible. How we move through a room and how it feels overall is the first step.

I then try to choose one or two elements and plan around that. For example, I knew I wanted our half bath to be a bold blue color. So I found a tile I loved and then selected wood tones, paint, and finishes that compliment it. 

I also spend a lot of time on Pinterest and flipping through Architectural Digest and design blogs. 

Do you have a favorite or most sentimental room in your home?

The playroom is probably my favorite right now. It used to be an office. We’re adding a loft area with shelves for books, plants, and knick knacks. It’s very much in flux, but has been so fun to put together with our son in mind. I think once it’s finished it will be the most visually interesting room in the house. 

Do you mind sharing a bit about what you do for work/art/creativity and how that relates to your home space?

I’m a freelance photographer focusing on weddings, elopements, and family sessions. For fun I take lots of photos of my son and our everyday life. 

Decorating and designing our house is my main creative outlet right now and I thoroughly enjoy the process.  

I’m drawn to simplicity and art that evokes emotion in both my work and at home. I embrace the imperfections. I love something with a story.

I loved all the little natural, found elements you had in your home (like the rocks, birdnest, and turtle shell). Can you tell us more about those?

Our house is in a wooded area and I really enjoy bringing the outside in. I’ve held onto things found in nature ever since I was a child. Most of it has sentimental meaning, such as a beloved dog finding the turtle shell on one of our hikes years ago. 

In 2014 I traveled around the states working on organic farms. I collected a lot of unique items on that trip- a longhorn from an antique store in Texas, rocks found on a beach in Oregon, a California homestead ostrich egg, and a few art pieces. It was a life changing year for me and I wanted to bring home souvenirs I will treasure forever. 

How does your home facilitate the life you want to live with your family?

We intentionally chose an open floor plan so our main living area, kitchen, and dining are all one big room. It’s really nice around meal times to still be together without going from one room to the next while cooking, as well as whenever we host friends. 

The bedrooms are fairly small in hopes that when our son is a teenager maybe he will still come and hang with us. I like the thought of bedrooms being for sleeping and the main living area for spending time together.

Living close to my parents has been so nice for my son. I love where we live, and am well aware how lucky we are, but being able to raise our child here gives it all a whole new meaning. I’m so glad he gets to grow up close to his grandparents and in a place with so many outdoor options to explore and play.

How does sustainability & mindfulness play into your home decor?

Nick is a talented woodworker and most of the furniture and wood accents in our home were crafted by him from fallen trees on our property. 

We try to avoid plastic whenever we can. 

I think a lot about a new purchase before I make it; reading reviews, questioning if it's made in line with my values, mulling over if this is something I will still use and enjoy for years to come. I definitely don’t get it right every single time but there is effort. 

Thrifting is great for our budget, sustainability, and finding beautiful, unique items that add character to the space. 

Lastly, I try to utilize feng shui principles so the space flows well and feels good. 

You have so much beautiful artwork and vintage pieces throughout your home. Can you tell us a bit about where you shop and source your decor items?

I think all the antique furniture we have came from my parents’ basement storage - my grandparents each downsized around the same time and the pieces were too nice to let go of. I’m grateful to be able to scrounge around down there and find quality items with sentimental value dating back to my great-grandparents. Somehow my mom remembers where everything originally came from and who first owned it. When my son was a newborn he slept in a wooden crib that has been passed down through our family since the 1700s. 

I also enjoy digging through thrift stores from time to time (especially for frames and decorative items), some of the art is my own or gifted from friends, and many pieces are from local makers or ones I’ve stumbled across online.

Someone once told me you don’t have to pick a certain style, just curate what you love and it will all come together. I still believe that to be true. 

I love how you’ve embraced your child’s toys and items into your own home decor. Can you tell us more about that process of how shifting into being a mom impacted your decorating?

I want to fill our home with beautiful and sentimental items, but I don’t want it to be a museum. If something is really important to me it’s placed out of reach and everything else was put there with kids and pets in mind.

I enjoy a sense of playfulness even though I can be a bit rigid in how I organize. My son and all his toys help me break out of that and I appreciate it makes our house feel more like a home. I consider this house his as much as it is mine and Nick’s…. we all live here. 

How does your home make you feel? What aspects bring you rest, peace, wellness?

It was important to me when designing our home that it be a sanctuary from the stresses of the outside world. When I walk in the door I want to feel a sense of calm and peace. 

Sometimes that’s the case. 

Sometimes there’s piles of laundry and an upset 2 year old and a sink full of dishes. That’s just life! I do think we achieved our goal of a quiet, simple house with room to grow. 

I appreciate our foyer as a landing place before you walk in, with a closet for shoes and all the stuff that doesn’t have another place to go. I think beautiful, functional entrances are underrated. 

Our bedroom and bathroom we’ve kept pretty minimal so it feels like a nice place to relax. 

Selecting natural materials such as linen, wood, seagrass, clay, etc help me feel grounded. I’m drawn towards neutral tones, they’ve always felt calming to me, then I’ll go back in and add a bit of color here and there. 

What is one difficulty you faced in decorating your home?

Being a new build, our house felt like one big empty white box when we moved in. It’s come a long way but we lived in a one bedroom apartment prior to this and I want to be intentional about what we bring in. So that takes a lot of time, and expense, and sometimes I get impatient about the process and our long wish list of projects. 

On the other hand I love that Nick and I can collaborate together and it’s a creative outlet for us. Whenever we finish up something we know it’s there to stay and we’ll enjoy it for years to come. There’s a deep sense of satisfaction and appreciation in that. 

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone decorating their space?

On the same note as above, I’d say take your time. It doesn’t have to be done all at once.

It’s helped me to try and focus on one room at a time. We don’t always stick to that, but it feels better to finish a room as much as possible before moving on to the next. Otherwise we jump all over the house doing one thing or another without having the same sense of accomplishment. 

What do you love/appreciate about living in Appalachia?

I consider the area we live in (both Appalachia and this particular hollow) to be just as important as the house itself. I chose our floor plan based on the location - being tucked away in the woods and a view of the barn and mountain ridges in winter time. 

I love that water flows right out of the ground here. I love the four seasons, the wildlife, being among the trees and rivers, and communities of people that help each other out. 

My great-grandparents are buried on top of a hill behind our house. There’s a deep connection to this place and my roots… I can’t imagine living anywhere else.

To follow along with Amelia and her beautiful work, you can follow her on Instagram and hire her to photograph your life memories. Her Husband Nick is also an amazing craftsman and owns Sugar Hollow Craft - be sure to check out his incredible projects.

Thank you so much Amelia, for sharing your story and your home with us!

If you are local to the Asheville, NC & surrounding area and would like to be featured in Abodes of Appalachia, email me at kathryn@evergreeneradesign.com.

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