A Sprawling Multi-Generational Home with Breathtaking Mountain Views

The Blue Ridge Mountains and Lake Nottely are both visible from this custom home in Blairsville, GA

Outside view of the rear porch. Winding Ridge in Highland Park. Blairsville, GA.

Exterior photo by Kalyn Kight of the entrance to Winding Ridge in Blairsville, GA.

From the rear of the home looking at the balcony. Photo by Kalyn Kight. Architecture by James Knight

Aerial photo by Kalyn Kight of Winding Ridge in Blairsville, GA. Highland Park.

Mountain view of Blue Ridge from a mountain modern home in Blairsville, GA.

Birdseye overhead view of Winding Ridge in Blairsville, GA. Photo by Kalyn Kight.

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Front exterior view of the completed modern mountain custom home featuring white siding, a dark roof, black window frames, and a grand covered porch with rustic timber columns on stacked stone bases. Architectural design by James Knight of Reynard Architectural Designs, photography by Kalyn Kight.

Photography by Kalyn Kight
Architecture by James Knight
Reynard Architectural Designs

Stop Dreaming

Start Designing

It's time to turn your ideas into reality.

Let's design your DREAM HOME together.

Watercolor architectural rendering of the front exterior of a modern mountain farmhouse featuring white board and batten siding, dark roof, timber frame front porch, angled garage, and tiered stone retaining walls.

Main level floor plan by Georgia mountain home architect in Blairsville, GA showing architectural layout of custom home

Second Level Floor plan of a sprawling custom mountain home designed by Reynard Architectural Designs

basement level architectural blueprint of a design by home architect Reynard Architectural Designs

Outdoor Patio with mountain view- Winding Ridge - Blairsville, GA - Reynard Architectural

We had an outstanding experience working with Reynard Architectural Designs on our custom home in Blairsville, GA. From the very beginning, Jack was incredibly professional, knowledgeable, and attentive to what we wanted to achieve. Designing a custom home can be overwhelming, but James made the entire process smooth and collaborative. He took the time to truly understand our vision and translated it into a beautiful, functional design that exceeded our expectations.

Jesse Pena

The Architectural Design Process for a Custom Home in in Highland Park

Rear exterior view of a completed multi-story modern mountain home nestled in the trees, featuring a two-story covered timber deck with glass railings, a walk-out basement patio, white siding, and expansive black-framed windows.

From Miami to the Mountains: A Custom Home Journey in Blairsville, GA

For Jesse and Nadia Pena, the vision was clear: build a custom dream mountain home where they could comfortably transition into their soon-to-be empty-nester years. Leaving behind the bustling life of Miami, they set their sights on the serene beauty of the North Georgia mountains.

After securing a stunning 2-acre sloped lot in the Highland Park community of Blairsville, GA—complete with breathtaking lake and Blue Ridge mountain views—they partnered with Reynard Architect to turn their vision into reality.

What followed was a collaborative architectural design experience that allowed our clients to be creative and see their ideas unfold before their eyes.

Watercolor architectural rendering of the rear exterior of a custom sloped-lot mountain home featuring a stone-clad walk-out basement, two-story covered timber deck, expansive black windows, and a tall stone chimney. Reynard Architectural Designs

Creating the Vision for a Mountain Family Home

Architectural design process officially kicked off in November 2022 with drone footage, site photos, and a shared excitement for a modern mountain aesthetic. The Penas wanted an open-concept living space with high ceilings, exposed beams, and a strong emphasis on indoor-outdoor living.

Because the clients were not in a rush to build, the Reynard design team had the luxury of getting every detail exactly right. Architect James Knight dove into the site’s unique topography to design a site plan that would capture the mountain views and minimize land disturbance. The sloped lot presented a wonderful opportunity for a walk-out basement, but it also required careful navigation of Union County setbacks and septic requirements.

The design process was highly iterative, driven by Jesse’s thoughtful feedback and James’s rapid, creative solutions. Key lifestyle design moments for this Blairsville mountain home included:

The Entertainer's Kitchen: Evolving to feature a two-island layout—one dedicated prep space and a massive seating island for eight. A custom bar area with an ice maker and beverage cooler was perfectly positioned between window shelving.
A Spa-Like Master Bath: After a weekend design session, the team completely opened up the master bath, removing an enclosed toilet room in favor of a bright, airy space featuring an oversized double vanity and a massive walk-in shower.
Framing the View: James strategically placed full-length windows and a four-door sliding glass system to blur the lines between the living space and the sprawling back deck, ensuring the mountain and lake vistas were always center stage.

Image of three bears holding up a wooden sign against a stacked stone background in Highland Park community in Blairsville, GA. Reynard Architectural Designs

Project Snapshot: The Winding Ridge Custom Home

Architectural Details

Location: Highland Park Community in Blairsville, GA (Union County)
Lot Size - 1.43 Acres
Square Footage: ~5,830 heated square. feet. (including walk-out basement)
Architectural Style: Modern Mountain Craftsman

Site plan of Winding Ridge custom home in Blairsville, GA. designed by architect James Knight of Reynard Architectural Designs.

Completing Design and The Start of Construction

By Spring 2023, the floor plans were locked in, and the team moved into the highly technical Design Development phase. This is where a house concept becomes a buildable structure. James drafted precise measured drawings, roof plans, and extensive window and door schedules.

The collaboration continued to shine. After a weekend of pouring over the blueprints, Jesse and Nadia provided a final wave of refinements—swapping standard doors for modern sliding bypass barn doors and ensuring the entryways were handicap-accessible for future-proofing.

Every custom home build faces challenges, and for the Pena project, it was engineering delays. When an external engineering firm missed crucial deadlines, the Reynard team stepped in to advocate for the client, eventually pivoting to a trusted partner to get the job done. Through it all, Jesse remained a model of patience:

"No stress... I knew this would be a process so we started with you earlier, thanks for the update."

With engineering secured, the focus shifted to the exterior finishes required for Highland Park's community architectural review board (ARB). Balancing the architectural impact with the construction budget, James and Jesse worked together to value-engineer the exterior stone cladding .

To meet a strict HOA submission deadline, James worked through the weekend, delivering a stunning final render featuring a bright white exterior, dark contrasting roof, and strategic natural stone accents.

After the completed set of construction documents and interior selections were submitted, the family patiently waited for their preferred builder's schedule to open up and finalized their property sales in Florida. However, the partnership didn't stop. The Reynard team continued to check in throughout early 2024, ensuring the Penas felt supported as they prepared to break ground.

"Winding Ridge" is a story about what happens when clients with a clear, passionate, yet patient vision collaborate with a dedicated, responsive architectural design team. It is more than just a set of floor plans; it is a meticulously designed space that will become a forever home.

Ready to start your own custom home journey in North Georgia?

Contact the team at Reynard Design today to discuss your vision!

"You're amazing!This is it. We are there! Huge thanks for the quick turn around. The additional renders they are awesome!"

3D architectural rendering of the rear exterior of a custom sloped-lot mountain home. The design features a stone-clad walk-out basement, a prominent two-story covered timber deck, white board-and-batten siding, and large black-framed windows, all integrated into a lush, heavily wooded landscape.

Aerial front exterior view of the sprawling modern mountain custom home in Blairsville, GA. The design features crisp white board-and-batten siding, contrasting dark roofing, a grand timber-framed porch, and a sweeping concrete driveway, all set against a scenic backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains.