BALLOONBOUND

High Grade Jay built Balloonbound after coming across a faded page from an old picture book. The little house on it was painted in colors too cheerful for most of Appalachia, and a tower of balloons rose from the chimney as if the whole place meant to leave the ground. Jay took that as a challenge and set the foundation against a rocky hill.

He pieced the walls together in pink, green, and mustard, then gave the narrow rooms a fireplace, tall windows, and just enough furniture to feel lived in. The rooms are tidy and bright, though the house sits crooked against the rock the way old homes often do.

I cannot say whether those balloons could carry a house anywhere, and I would not stand under it to find out. Still, the sight of them over the roof has a way of lifting a person’s eyes. Jay built a home that looks ready to travel while keeping both feet planted in West Virginia soil.