39 flat rock road

A TRULY MAGICAL RETREAT: This is, quite simply, one of the most magical properties I have ever experienced, where the outside world seems to fall away. What began as a small yet elegant mountain home built in 1951 was transformed some 40 years later when a brilliant botanist discovered “Flat Rock” and began creating an extraordinary private sanctuary. With an artist’s eye and a botanist’s knowledge, he designed gardens connected by meandering pathways, dancing creeks, waterfalls and serene koi ponds. More than 30 varieties of Japanese maples join dozens of native and hybrid specimens beneath soaring mature trees providing the perfect balance of sunlight and shade. Everywhere you wander, there is another discovery. Pathways of wood, stone and earth wind through boulder gardens, across creeks, beside waterfalls and into quiet hidden spaces. Open and covered decks offer peaceful places to disappear with a book, enjoy morning coffee or listen to the water as sunlight dances through the canopy. The creeks are alive, singing through the gardens and tumbling over approximately a dozen natural waterfalls into peaceful pools and ponds. The Great Room, sunroom, kitchen, bedrooms and decks are surrounded by this extraordinary natural beauty, allowing the gardens and mountain landscape to become part of the home itself. THE HOME IS JUST AS SPECIAL: Indoors, the botanist and woodworker spared no detail. Stone fireplaces, vaulted ceilings, warm natural materials, a gourmet kitchen, formal dining room and inviting gathering spaces create the character of an elegant mountain lodge while preserving the charm of the original residence. Although served by a four-bedroom septic system, the home offers six bedrooms plus three additional bunk beds, offering wonderful flexibility for family and guests. With no known restrictive covenants, possibilities include a private family compound, mountain retreat, destination property or, subject to applicable approvals, a distinctive lodging or hospitality concept. THE WOOD WORKER'S EXTRAORDINARY WORKSHOP: An accomplished woodworker, the owner constructed an impressive approximately 2,500-square-foot workshop on the primary lot, creating even more possibilities. The upper level is fully heated and finished with pine walls, vaulted ceilings and a half bath. A spectacular approximately 565-square-foot partially covered deck overlooks the gardens and waterfalls, framed by towering pines and oaks with year-round views toward the Great Smoky Mountains. Ground-level access from a separate rear gravel driveway opens to a spacious, level backyard with raised gardens, a chicken house for fresh eggs and a fire pit perched above the mountain creek and waterfalls. I will leave that wonderfully quiet space to your imagination. The unfinished lower level offers additional flexibility and is heated by a wood-burning stove and propane wall unit. AND THEN THERE IS THE ADJOINING LOT: The adjoining parcel continues the magic, bordered by creeks, mature trees and cleared areas. A separate gated, natural driveway leads to a 40' x 16' pole shed, installed in 2006 for an RV, with ample turnaround space. This mostly level parcel offers possibilities for recreation, gardens, outdoor amenities, overflow parking or future uses subject to applicable approvals. Altogether, the property offers more than 5,600 square feet of heated space, extraordinary gardens, waterfalls, creeks, mountain views, multiple outdoor living areas, workshop space and room to dream. Numerous updates include HVAC systems, windows, roofs, crawlspace encapsulation, stone skirting and more; a comprehensive list of improvements and botanical specimens is included in the attachments. This is not simply a mountain home. IT IS A SANCTUARY—an artist’s retreat, a natural playground and, above all, a transformative garden lovingly cultivated for decades. There are places you appreciate when you see them—and then there are places you feel. This is one of those rare places.