A Local French Twist

At home with Nancy Welch
written by Nancy Welch
photog raphed by Kris Decker

From Greer Now, September 2007

This experience made me reflect on the wealth of beautiful homes we have right here in the Upstate. From the Biltmore Estate to private estates, our local landscapes are enriched with the beauty of well-designed homes that are a feast for our eyes whether we are inside or out.

One of these visual feasts is just outside of Greer at Cliffs of Glassy, the home of Bill and Martha Canata. We all know that Paris is about love. So is the story of Bill and Martha. They met in the seventh grade in Chattanooga, Tennessee and have been together ever since. And then there is the story of this house that they both love, and what is not to love?

Bill and Martha Canata (right) gave me a gracious tour of their home, and one of my favorite things was the spiral staircase

The Canata’s home is reminiscent of the designs
found in and around Paris. If a trip to Paris is not on your
list of things to do this fall, sit back and sip a lovely glass
of wine and inhale with pleasure the beauty of a home
that will remind you of the old country. The small tower,
or “turret,” was quite popular several hundred years ago
in Paris and can be found on buildings in the city. This element
is present on the Canata home, and sets the visual
tone for the rest of the house.

The French also love spiral staircases. The lovely cottage
where my husband and I recently stayed in Provence
had a spiral staircase that led to our suite. In Paris, our
small hotel also had a spiral staircase up to the rooms.
The Canata home has both of these French features — the
turret and, in fact, two spiral staircases; one in Bill’s office
going up to his library and one going from the back of the
house to the second floor. In case you don’t feel Parisian,
there’s also an elevator!

Martha Canata says that the inspiration for the
house came from the lot location, nestled in the beautiful
mountains we know as Glassy, as well as the desire
to live in the Carolina mountains again after their career
life in New York. The couple also wanted to be near their
son (they have 2 children and 7 grandchildren) who was
living in Asheville at the time, and to build a house that
would accommodate their furniture, rugs, and favorite
things collected along the way.

“I looked at house after house and said I liked this
or that,” Martha recalls. After several conversations with
their architect, Bruce Eason of New South Design, LLC in
Greenville, Eason determined that what Bill and Martha
were looking for was a true French Country home.
Morgan Keefe Builders of Arden, North Carolina,
along with Bruce Eason’s design team, were able to make
the Canata’s plaster stucco, local mountain stone, and
slate-roofed home a realization. The butter-gold and
French blue home has architectural details from France
as well as Holland, England, Spain, and Argentina, and
is a subtle blend of high-tech conveniences with antiques
and collectibles. In keeping with the bronze and copper
details on the house, they also have bronze statues of their
grandchildren “playing” in the yard.

Certainly the heart of the home is the
kitchen and this one is no exception. With its
soft yellow antiqued cabinets and pale bluegreen
walls, this kitchen has everything — a
steam oven for vegetables and rice; a deep fryer
where the grandchildren love to fix French
fries; a backsplash behind the stove adapted
from an antique metal firescreen; a raised
dishwasher so you don’t have to bend over to
load or unload; a tablecloth closet; and a working
pantry with open shelves that expose vases,
bowls, and dishes for various uses as well as
stocked food shelves ready for bad weather.
In the master bathroom on the first floor,
the favorite item is the heated, contoured
bench in the shower where you can sit and feel
the warmth of the ceramic tile on your back
as you relax. And then there are the remote
controlled blinds on the windows and doors
so from the bed you can let the day in or keep
it out, depending upon the way you feel that
morning!

Throughout the house, most of the
chandeliers are antiques and came from Harrison
Lighting in Greenville. Some had to be
adjusted to work in the house but all were
perfectly selected with the rooms in mind.
Martha said that Mr. Harrison had to talk her
into the large crystal chandelier in the dining
with matching wall sconces that came out of a
home in Savannah. She didn’t think she wanted
to wash crystals anymore! Mr. Harrison hung
the fixture and said, “Just live with it for awhile
and see what you think.” He was right. It was
perfect. So are the other fixtures like the foyer
chandelier that came from England, the two
matching living room chandeliers that came
from Belgium, and in the downstairs hall, the
two matching fixtures that came out of her
mother’s home.

Upstairs you will find everything for
guests who come to visit. There are four
bedrooms with their own baths and all are
themed, from the French bedroom with
blue toile fabric to the equestrian-themed
bedroom with horses and riders in red and
brown. There is the gallery where you can
sit and enjoy a book, the artwork on the
walls or better yet, the view of Greer.

There is a kitchenette with drinks and snacks and a closet full of games. If you happen to be the grandchildren, going upstairs at Grandmother and Granddaddy’s is like going to Disney World. Harry Potter has nothing on this house! There is even a secret door behind a faux bookshelf that with a push opens up a bonus room full of bears, trains, a Ping-Pong table, video games, and toys, toys, and more toys. There are two toy trunks that are really twin beds that pull out of hiding places in the wall. What little boy or girl wouldn’t love to be a grandchild in such a fantasy room?

For me, I’m content downstairs in the den, admiring the lovely picture over the fireplace that, at the touch of a button, becomes a flat screen TV, appreciating the high coffered ceilings, and enjoying the large windows on the rear of the house that afford an incredible 270-degree view of the mountains. This room, like all of the rooms
on the back of the house, is a perfect spot to watch the ever-changing atmosphere outside, whether it’s a thunderstorm, lifting clouds, or a perfectly blue-skied sunny day.
The view inside the den takes your eye over two stately pieces of furniture whose richly carved wood speaks of the old country. Both the antique mantel and breakfront came from Architectural Warehouse in Landrum, but had former lives in France and Spain, respectively. Such rich details only enhance the feeling that this is a French-inspired house. In keeping with the theme, let’s take a peek inside the media room...

If you love movies as the Canatas do, then you will
join them in another favorite thing: the media room,
complete with eight overstuffed red leather lounge chairs
and a popcorn machine. The screen and sound system
are tucked away in another richly carved antique — a
hand carved bar also found at Architectural Warehouse
in Landrum whose original home was once in Spain. The
antique bar-turned-facade had already been altered so the
Canata’s didn’t mind rearranging some of the parts to fit
the room, and to create a few storage drawers and nooks
to disguise the speakers. The result is a magnificent wall
surrounding the movie screen. The walls feature old movie
posters altered by Bill’s friends when he retired. They
reflect his mythical “starring role” in each one, including
his face and his name. The posters look so authentic that
some unfamiliar visitors have asked Martha how long Bill
was in the movies!

As you pause to say goodbye, you can take a seat in a rocking chair in the back of the house, overlooking the view and enjoy just a few more moments of feeling like you’re in France. The Canata’s is truly a beautiful blend of gracious living and Southern elegance —attributes both Martha and Bill shared with us. Now that you are completely engulfed in France, let me top this experience off with some culinary pleasures...

I must say that eating in France was wonderful and one I would repeat anytime. One of my favorite meals was a seafood
delight with risotto. We enjoyed this meal at Raphael & Pierre L’Oustalet, a small restaurant in Lourmarin, Provence.
The entrée reminded me of our shrimp and grits but certainly with a French twist. I also enjoyed a lovely salad on the first
level of the Eiffel Tower. What a view. Riding up on the elevator was quite a thrill looking out over Paris from a different
vantage point. The salad, as well as the view, was memorable.

No French meal would be complete without croissants, wine, and simply the best dessert — Crème Brûlée. For such
an elegant dessert, the preparation time is astonishingly short. The contrast between the cool, creamy custard and the crisp,
warm caramelized sugar is classically superb. If you made the Baked Alaska from the June issue, you have your torch, which
is one tool you will need to finish off this impressive dessert. No matter what meal you are serving, Crème Brûlée will be the
perfect ending. Hope you’ve enjoyed our quick visit to France via The Cliffs and your palate. Viva la France!