Category Archives: Fine Art

A friend told me in order to have a successful career in Asheville you needed to approach it in three directions.  Charlton Bradsher is going all out in creating his modern lifestyle by reselling folk art antiques from WNC, selling fine art and designing modernist interiors and architecture.

Charlton, along with his wife, moved to Asheville in 1993 from Southern California.  One of his first ventures was starting the Folk Art gallery on Biltmore Ave. at a time when downtown was half empty.  He ran the gallery for several years before taking his retail on the road by selling folk art at shows on the east coast.  As the economy weakened he found himself venturing out less and using his home as a base for business.  Fortunately, his redesigned mid-century home was a perfect background for showcasing all businesses he was involved with.  That’s when he created Charlton Brasher Art + Design.

 Charlton describes his business as this, “Whether it is providing a client with singular artwork, or providing them with space that is functional and exciting, Charlton Bradsher Art + Design is in the business of creating visual impact. Over the past 12 years, we have come to offer a fusion of services related to the worlds of art and design.”

 The showcase for both businesses of showing and selling art and design work is his modern home.   The house was built in 1956 for the Lapinski family.  It is now a 3200sq.ft. home with 4 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms.  Building from the bones of the original, designer Charlton Bradsher has taken their home and opened it up to become a rich expression of clean modern living.

The kitchen was placed where the old garage was and a new garage addition was added.  Charlton created a thoughtful break between the masses of the old and new with a reflecting pool. (See top photo)  On the inside a wall was torn out from the first bedroom to create a relaxing media room.  After opening up the living space a Brazilian cherry wood floor was installed to tie together the relaxing spaces.  The hallway was dressed with maple planks to add rhythm and texture.

I asked Charlton what he liked about ranch houses.  He stated,” They represent simple and easy living all on one level.  They are also set up for easy conversions.  It is the new historic home.”  I promise I did not prompt him to say this, as you already know I am a big fan of the ranch home.  Overall I was impressed with Charlton’s attention to detail.  He artfully brought in a mix of colors, textures and line that created interest and definition, but understood when to pull back and not interfere with the space of living.  He is thoughtful in his choices.  To find out more about Charlton Bradsher Art+Design click on the links on the right of this screen.   (text by Troy Winterrowd)