Press Coverage

“Hallmarks of rustic style are the reliance on locally gathered natural materials like wood and stone, and the visual harmony of buildings with the land around them; the elevation, through superior craftsmanship, of unrefined or unfinished architectural elements like posts and beams, brackets and moldings, mantels and railings, into treasured art forms; and a romanticism about the charms of sylvan innocence in the midst of a machine-driven society.

In that last respect, the original bark house style was also a lifestyle, one of classic elegance and high society amid the deep, remote wilderness: the refinement of white linens and afternoon teas, and elaborate dinners and dances, of decorous fresh-air pastimes like carriage rides and croquet, played out against the lush primeval backdrop of moss-covered boulders and dark, soaring timbers. Imagine those long-ago scenes – before cell phones, before television, even before radio – when the tinkling sounds of merriment drifted into the forest and melded with the murmurs of swift-running creeks and the haunting cries of wild animals and unseen birds. With the modern revival of bark house style comes the invitation to relax again like this, to dream, to dedicate oneself to companionship and well-nourished ease in the bosom of Nature.”

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“"None of us have ever seen it before,” said project manager Ray Hanian of the poplar bark shingles that were first manufactured by Highland Craftsmen Inc. in North Carolina in 1990 and have now become a staple of what is called the Bark House style.”

Read article at SunJournal.com

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“Spruce Pine native Chris McCurry hopes to cement the architectural style of bark shingle homes into the mountains of Western North Carolina. McCurry’s 2008 Gibbs Smith new-release, top selling book, “Bark House Style: Sustainable Designs from Nature,” aims to do just that.”

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“Parson’s radical makeover brings the life of the school down to street level and will no doubt have profound effects on what happens on the school’s upper floors.  And while the complex already provides a venue for a range of activities, from quiet study to critiques and parties, it will be interesting to see how, in the hands of design-oriented occupants, new and unexpected uses of the space will emerge in the future.

Sources:  Bark Paneling:  Highland Craftsmen Inc”

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“Chris McCurry and Nan Chase have completed their book Bark House Style: Sustainable Designs from Nature and are holding two launch parties to celebrate.
Afternoon tea parties from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. will be held on Saturday, September 13, at Eseeola Lodge in Linville and on Sunday, September 21, at The Inn at Ragged Gardens in Blowing Rock.

Chris McCurry is the co-founder and vice president of Highland Craftsmen Inc., the original poplar bark shingle manufacturer located in Spruce Pine. She is a pioneer in today’s indoor-outdoor Bark House® design and creator of the Bark House® style…”

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“Living in a bark house never seemed so cutting edge. As green building surges in popularity throughout Western North Carolina, a new book titled Bark House Style: Sustainable Designs From Nature (Gibbs Smith, 2008) highlights the rustic aesthetic of bark shingles, a traditional building material that’s making a comeback as an element of green design.

The trend may be due in part to the conversation generated anytime a new bark installation is completed…”

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“Poplar Bark House shingle siding is made with bark that is removed from yellow poplar trees before they are shipped to sawmills for use in furniture and other manufacturing. The shingles are kiln-dried to prevent shrinking and crackling, and they contain no chemical additives…”

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“Bark House Style describes the many and diverse uses for bark siding. Color photographs throughout the book show bark being used a variety of building projects and mixed with other construction materials including stone, rock, glass, wrought iron and copper. From Adirondack to Modern, the styles that can be enhanced with bark products are unlimited…

For years in our region, chestnut bark was used to make shingles and siding. Sadly, the chestnut blight obliterated the species by the mid-1940’s and the practice of using tree bark in construction nearly faded away. That began to change when Chris and her husband Marty saw several old homes where bark had been used both inside and out. With a deep interest in all things green and sustainable, the couple founded Highland Craftsmen in 1990 and began producing a product line they named Bark House.”

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“Today’s revival is thanks to a development, by Marty McCurry, of a process for manufacturing bark on house shingles from yellow poplar (tulip poplar).  McCurry and his wife Chris, who is co-author of the book Bark House Style are experts in vernacular and sustainable building practices.”

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“This impressive collection of historic and contemporary stories and images demonstrates the diversity, flexibility and longevity of the natural bark shingle. This book will be an inspiration to interior designers, builders and architects…”

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“An architectural artform indigenous to North Carolina, bark siding essentially died out with the demise of the mountain chestnuts in the early 20th century, but in recent years, the practice of sheathing structures in bark has undergone a resurgence, thanks to the discovery that poplar bark is similar in function, appearance and longevity to chestnut bark.

To celebrate the history of bark structures and its comeback, two local women have collaborated on a new book, Bark House Style, Sustainable Designs from Nature…”

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“Among the forward-thinking design details are an entire wall of bark, which acts like a noise sponge in the airy lounge, and a raised “dining bar” separating the lounge from the dining room.”

Click here to read the Washington Post article.

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“The bark, often from chestnut trees, was peeled off in large intact sheaths and nailed onto the side of a home. Some original bark-covered homes are still standing in the Linville, North Carolina area.

The McCurrys started making bark shingles out of poplar trees in 1990, and now they sell rustic-looking railings, moldings and split-rail fencing as well. Making shingles out of bark is a good way to make use of what is normally a logging industry by-product, Nan says, which appeals to eco-minded builders. The bark is kiln-dried, which makes it relatively stable (and sterile), but still, bark siding can come complete with woodpecker holes and with traces of poison ivy. The fact that bark is thicker than some other types of siding can make it a good sound insulator…”

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“Be it door hardware, siding or the store’s two glass-paneled elevators, many of the buildings elements are trimmed with reclaimed barn wood, fiberglass logs, stamped tin, bark shingles or cedar-based siding…”

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“Everything with the exception of the sink and faucet, is natural or reclaimed. Vincent works with High Sierra Custom, High Camp Home’s in-house builder, to reclaim old barnwood to use for siding. Rough-cut native stone is used for the countertop. Poplar bark shingles add rustic texture and are available from Highland Craftsmen…”

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“And local builders increasingly are relying on local, natural materials to help cut down on the effects of long-haul transportation and manufacturing: wood, stone, even low-tech but long-lasting poplar bark remain a force in the mountains…”

The images on page three of the article are HC® products.

Click here to download the pdf article from the US Airways website.

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