The Johnson House is perched on a steep north-facing slope on the south edge of Montreat Cove. The house parallels the topography to create a space between the house and the mountain and frame long views of the Graybeard ridge two miles across the cove. The form and color palette for the house are informed by the Scottish blackhouse, a favorite precedent of the client. Material choices respond to a rich local tradition of building with river stone and wood, specifically shingle cladding. The modern form possesses a strangely familiar aesthetic that hides in the shadow of the mountain side.