A kitchen straight out of Larry Richardson’s wildest dreams By Cynthia Adams Photographs by Bert VanderVeen and Stacey Van Berkel He saved up for 20 years before creating the kitchen of his dreams. Then, in a historic Mediterranean home in Sunset Hills, Larry Richardson fashioned something that anchored a fantasy to reality. The […]
High Point designer Leslie Moore just might have found it By Ross Howell Jr. • Photographs by Amy Freeman Atop a steep escarpment with majestic views of Grandfather Mountain to the south and the Watauga River Valley to the north, Echota on the Ridge bills itself as a resort community providing homes […]
Life through the lens of Lindley Battle By Jim Dodson The moment the front door of the cozy white house on a leafy street in Greensboro’s Old Starmount opens, you feel the energy and charm of Lindley Battle, a brilliant young branding expert and special events photographer whose talents are quietly taking the world […]
HighBrow Hippie Jessica Yelverton By Jim Dodson • Photographs by Bert VanderVeen At the top of a narrow staircase, late October sun falls like a benediction through the western window of a cozy room where a gray tiger cat named Britin keeps a calm, watchful eye on a visitor who has climbed the […]
Fiber and Natural Dye Artist Kelsey Brown By Ashley Wahl • Photographs by Bert VanderVeen On a rainy evening in late October, tropical storm Zeta steadily gaining momentum in a quiet neighborhood in Winston-Salem, fiber artist Kelsey Brown, 31, is sitting on her covered porch, cradling a mug of hot tea with both […]
Rankin Willard’s bold and playful signature By Ashley Wahl • Photograph by John Gessner High Point artist Rankin Willard can throw a knockout punch. Consider Hotdog + Avocado = Sushi. Or Pineapple = Egg – Chocolate. He aims for the playful space between realism and minimalism — a place marked by exaggerated light […]
Krystal Hart’s soulful contemporary visions By Ashley Wahl • Photograph by Bert VanderVeen There’s something about 35-year-old Krystal Hart’s abstract paintings that is, well, abstract. And so, you sit with them. You study the delicate textures and how the light dances across the surface, sporadically catching a scrap of silver leaf or some […]
The Mixed Media Brilliance of Jon Rollins By Jim Dodson • Photograph by John Gessner On a golden Indian summer afternoon not long ago, mixed media visual artist Jon Rollins, 29, stands with a visitor in the middle of a quiet gallery room at High Point’s innovative COHAB space talking about the power […]
A Family Affair In the vineyards of rural Stokes County, the family Younts helps grow the future By Peter and Amy Freeman Regular phone calls to coworkers during the turmoil of Covid crisis have become something of a challenge in current work life. But after I was recently unable to reach one of our […]
Days of wine and song “This is a great latitude for growing grapes, the same as South Sonoma,” says Max Lloyd, owner of Grove Winery & Vineyards near Gibsonville. The former high-tech entrepreneur who fell in love with wine culture during a business trip to Sonoma in 1992 and transformed himself into one of […]
Artist and designer Linda Lane finds a permanent haven in Greensboro’s Fisher Park By Cynthia Adams • Photographs by Amy Freeman From the outside, the Bob and Linda Lane home has a friendly, grab-a-seat-and-enjoy-the-shade, sort of vernacular. “Simple, not too showy,” in the words of Benjamin Briggs, executive director of Preservation Greensboro. […]
At Raffaldini Vineyards, a generational legacy endures By Cynthia Adams • Photographs by Amy Freeman Raffaldini Vineyards “is a beautiful dream.” With a stone-gated entry and Italianate villa on a hill, the winery emerges on approach just as Barbara Raffaldini describes. Visitors with food hampers contentedly sip beneath tents on the piazza […]
From milk to mother’s milk On the drive into Shelton Vineyards, with dramatic views of the surrounding mountains, grapevines line both sides of the road and beginning in late summer they are ripe for harvesting — by hand. As far as the eye can see are row upon row of European varietals: cabernet franc, […]
For Michael and Patricia West, Divine Llama Vineyards represents a beautiful marriage of wine and design By Jim Dodson • Photographs by Amy Freeman “Everything here,” says Michael West, “ is connected – the llamas to the land, the land to the grapes, the grapes to the wine. By design, it’s almost […]
North Carolina vintages have ascended to a new level There was a time in the decades that followed Prohibition when pairing the words “North Carolina” and “wine” was unthinkable. And in the minds of sophisticated palates, who eschewed the state’s sweet, muscadine-based wines, undrinkable. European varietals? Fuggeddaboudit. Conventional wisdom declared N.C.’s soil and humid climate […]
Ciao time! Driving down a winding country road just off Highway 67, you’d be hard-pressed to notice Cellar 4201, a small gem nestled among the rolling hills of East Bend, were it not for a sign bearing the boutique winery’s distinctive label: an arrowhead set against a brilliant orange-red background. The logo, explains Donna […]
Race to a long finish “Since I came here almost 20 years ago,” says Childress Vineyards winemaker Mark Friszolowski, “the population of North Carolina has grown by 850,000 people. These are folks who came here from all over the country and discovered not only what an amazing place this is to live, but the […]
Burgundy in the Foothills “Nobody goes to the Louvre and comes back and says, ‘Did you see the frame around the Mona Lisa? It’s unbelievable!’ So my painting is the grapes — it’s what God gave us, and the weather. It’s history in a bottle.” Such is the philosophy of winemaking — terroir taking […]
A taste of rusticity On the banks of the Roaring River in Traphill, a little slice of French-German heaven is nestled not far from Stone Mountain State Park. Roaring River Vineyard is a combination mountain resort, vineyard and restaurant inspired by co-owner Joséphine Silvey’s childhood home in the Alsace-Lorraine region of France. Joséphine and […]
History, Hipsters and What the Heck? There’s no jaywalking in Jamestown By Nancy Oakley • Photographs by Amy Freeman “Let me carry that.” Amy is reaching out her left hand, her right grappling cameras, lenses and a backpack. “You’ve got your hands full,” I say, pausing. “Don’t you trust me with the […]
TimberTop Garden in Blowing Rock takes gardening to the extreme By Ross Howell Jr. • Photographs by Sam Froelich Google “extreme gardening” and you’ll get some tantalizing results — how to create an organic garden in the Southwestern desert, for example, or how to grow perennials in the Alaskan wild. Gardening where […]
Victoria and Neill Clegg’s haven in the heart of Greensboro’s Westerwood neighborhood Story and Photographs by Lynn Donovan The gardens of Victoria and Neill Clegg exude mystery and enchantment. The duo responsible for curating and performing, respectively, O.Henry Hotel’s Jazz Series, has surrounded their 1930s English-style cottage in the Westerwood neighborhood of Greensboro with […]
Jane and Richard Green’s newly constructed house of happiness among some of Greensboro’s oldest By Cynthia Adams • Photographs by Amy Freeman Welcome to the happily realized vision of homeowners Richard and Jane Green, where everything fits perfectly inside a shipshape, 950-square-foot house. The bungalow sits in Greensboro’s oldest historic district, College Hill […]
Freeman Kennett Architects and the reawakening of High Point By Jim Dodson • Photographs by Michael Blevins & Amy Freeman On a quiet afternoon as winter gives way to an early spring, upstairs in a cozy office on High Point’s busy North Main Street, architect Peter Freeman glances at his left foot and laughs. […]
Asheboro, Delightfully Repurposed An architect and an artist prove you can go home again By Amy & Peter Freeman It was that time of year again: my wife, Amy’s annual rejuvenation project requiring an army of assistants — meaning, son Louis and me. As in years past, her plans for a reorganized closet, a replanted […]
Ever Green (and Red) A cozy, jewel-toned library is the perfect place to unwind By Nancy Oakley • Photographs by John Koob Gessner Outside its lone window, swaths of green — a sweeping lawn punctuated by towering pines — undulate in waves in the flickering afternoon light. But it’s the swaths of green […]
An artful take on furniture at Winston-Salem’s Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art By Nancy Oakley • Photographs by John Koob Gessner Come sit a spell! But before you plop down onto the seat of that aluminum chair with geometric patterns seemingly etched into it, you might want to think again, and ease yourself […]
Kimberly Hixson’s revitalized — and revitalizing — High Point renovation By Quinn Dalton • Photographs by Amy Freeman As with most of Kimberly Hixson’s projects, the house at 111 West Farriss Avenue in High Point found her, not the other way around. But this one kept finding her even when she tried again […]
Our many different cultures notwithstanding, there’s something about the holidays that makes the planet communal. Even nations that do not celebrate Christmas can’t help but be caught up in the collective spirit of their neighbors, as twinkling lights dot the landscape and carols fill the air. It’s an inspiring time of the year. – Marlo […]
Orange Dream(cycles) Cool, Fresh, Frizzin Treats in Hillsborough By Amy and Peter Freeman Where to go that has a neat street scene and meets our criteria — food, drink, cycling and design — with a little something extra? Amy and I recently headed east with the sun to Hillsborough, the Orange County town that […]
The inspired and artful life of Winston-Salem’s Reine Cenac By Nancy Oakley • Photographs by Amy Freeman It would likely escape your notice; in fact, you’d probably pass right by it, zipping down one of Winston-Salem’s busiest thoroughfares. And even if you were aware of this unassuming, postwar Cape Cod, painted a sedate […]
How one woman’s passion for her Mexican heritage and traditions of ancient coppersmithing is taking the home design world by storm By Jim Dodson • Photographs by John Koob Gessner On a warm Saturday afternoon not long ago, the family of Alejandra Thompson and North Carolina furniture industry icon Fred Starr gathered at […]
A “Palette in Blue” produces joy in Steve and Kathy Rohrbeck’s High Point home By Cynthia Adams • Photographs by Amy Freeman Kathy and Steve Rohrbeck’s “new” house smells of sunshine and fresh paint — the former courtesy del sol. The second, courtesy of Sherwin-Williams’ “Palette in Blue.” Out with the old […]
There’s no greater muse than the outdoors for inspired gifts and quenching the thirst By Amy and Peter Freeman As the weather heats up, we get a little perky, peeling away from the couch and the comfortable confines of inside and make our way to the wonderful world outside. The front door stays open a […]
For floral designer Randy McManus, the soul’s journey begins in the soil By Jim Dodson Photographs by Amy Freeman and Aesthetic Images Photography As he suddenly steps in to help one of his employees maneuver a massive floral centerpiece spilling over with spectacular late-spring flowers out the front door of his shop, Randy McManus offers […]
Anne Rainey Rokahr’s colorful, eclectic style By Nancy Oakley • Photographs by Amy Freeman In Anne Rainey Rokahr’s world, there are, quite literally, no shades of gray. “It’s depressing!” exclaims the energetic designer of the recent trend toward interiors done in the subdued tone. As owner of Winston-Salem’s Trouvaille Home, as well as […]
With a designer’s help, an older Greensboro home is carefully — and brilliantly — refreshed By Nancy Oakley • Photographs by Michael Blevins When Amy and Matt Eskridge returned to the Triad in 2012 after being away for several years, they knew they wanted to live in an older house. Matt’s budding career […]
Glass Half-Full and Refilled Sunday Funday at Winston-Salem’s West End Mill Works By Amy and Peter Freeman Sure, we all love a little bubbly on New Year’s Eve, an explosion on the Fourth of July, and St. Paddy’s encourages us to party until we’re green. But hands down, Sunday Funday is the best holiday on […]
Late Bloomer Dean Johnson’s art of seeing beauty By Jim Dodson “Flowers restore something vital in me,” says Paul Dean Johnson with a gentle smile. “I might even say they make me believe in God. Georgia O’Keeffe said flowers should be painted large. And then there’s the famous Monet quote – ‘Flowers and more flowers […]
You Can Go Home Again A family farmhouse in Winston-Salem is restored to its original glory By Billy Ingram Photographs by Mina von Feilitzsch Last time I caught a glimpse of Sides Mill Farmhouse, it was in the rearview mirror of a ’72 Dodge Dart Swinger. The year was 1978. I was moving out of […]
From Traditional to Transitional A designer’s challenges in creating her own space By Nancy Oakley • Photographs by Amy Freeman Apart from the fierce barking of a protective 9-year-old Cockapoo named Gracie, one would never guess that designer Patti Allen’s Greensboro condominium — an oasis of calm, with its soothing palette of creams, […]
Bringing Saxy Back Getting fresh in Saxapahaw By Amy and Peter Freeman A sunny brisk North Carolina afternoon does wonders to get the juices flowing and what better way to get fresh than with a short jaunt to Saxapahaw? A short and scenic drive kicked off our frisky excursion to the reawakened historic cotton mill community […]
Handmade Faith In Greensboro, Sam Rouse Furniture makes clients’ dreams come true By Jim Dodson • Photograph by John Gessner Ancient wisdom holds that someone who follows their passion may travel a lonely and challenging road but will find deeper meaning down that road, a tale as old as a guy named Noah. “In my […]
Above it All Winter magic abounds at Lee Carter and Greg Bradley’s Blowing Rock aerie, Eagle Crest By Cynthia Adams • Photographs by Amy Freeman Standing on the southeastern ridge of Grandfather Mountain above Blowing Rock, with an organic façade of wood and stone, is the home of Lee Carter and Greg Bradley. […]
Universal Oneness Sheila Brame’s artful life in Winston-Salem By Nancy Oakley • Photographs by Amy Freeman For Sheila Brame, moving to Winston-Salem was a leap of faith. “When I came here, I didn’t know anything about anything,” says the youthful-looking, soft-spoken blonde, who lived in Wilkesboro 40 years before relocating. She had planned […]
Solid as Faith The Fogle Brothers’ enduring architectural imprint on Winston-Salem By Ross Howell Jr. • Photographs by Amy Freeman Winston-Salem’s Washington Park historic district is leafy, lush with big oaks and green lawns behind iron or picket fences. I pull up to the curb on West Cascade Avenue in front of a […]
The Collector Tom Fitzgerald explores context and meaning among the exquisite objects that have filled his Greensboro home over time By Cynthia Adams • Photographs by Amy Freeman Near a leafy park among houses approaching the century mark, Tom Fitzgerald created a European-inspired home. When he built his house in the 1990s, Fitzgerald […]
A Legendary Flower with Many Names By Noah Salt • Photographs by Amy Freeman Lycoris Radiata is nice surprise in the autumn. Sometimes called the Hurricane or Red Lily — also the red Magic or Resurrection flower — this hardy perennial owns a treasured place in many Triad gardeners of our acquaintance. A member of […]
Water Babies Photographs by Lynn Donovan The French Impressionist giant Claude Monet spent the final 30 years of his life attempting to capture the perfection of water lilies in his summer garden at Giverny. He found them to be one of nature’s most exquisite creations, which explains why he devoted more than 250 paintings to […]
A Tale of Two Clubs Spiritual cousins from the Golden Age of American Golf, Winston-Salem’s Old Town and the Roaring Gap Club share more than sporting DNA By Lee Pace From the third hole of R.J. and Katharine Reynolds’ six-hole golf course just to the northwest of the town of Winston-Salem in 1913, a golfer […]
The Art and Magic of Living A storied High Point home enters its third act By Nancy Oakley • Photographs by John Gessner In 2013, after they had been house hunting for two years, Patrick and Susan Harman had more or less decided on a modern-looking house in High Point’s Emerywood Forest […]
A Life Made by Hand How a pair of childhood lovebirds became two of the South’s most respected preservationists and collectors of rare antiques By Jim Dodson • Photographs by John Gessner “It’s an old-fashioned love story and kind of a funny,” says Dr. Tom Sears Jr. with a smile. “I suppose […]
A preview of a tour of gardens presented by the Garden Club Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County By Jim Dodson According to one old saw, there’s always something new to see or learn even in an old garden — especially when spring is at hand. Fresh hands and inspiring adaptations might well […]
Greensboro artist Carol Cole finds nurturing through art and home By Maria Johnson Photographs by John Gessner Wearing a halo of gray curls, which radiates her considerable energy, Carol Cole throws open the doors of her heart and her home with equal freedom. So you do the natural thing. You step inside the modern, […]
Remembering High Point design icon Pat Plaxico By Cynthia Adams I met Patricia Lynn “Pat” Plaxico at the height of her professional fame in the late 1980s at a log cabin in Colfax, one owned by her friend Patricia Stafford. Overlooking a creek, it was restful, and Plaxico enjoyed going there. It was also quite different […]
On a hot day last June, Buddy Glasscoe stood on the porch of his Lewisville home, greeting a stream of visitors, some from as far away as Raleigh and Charlotte, who filed through his brand-new dwelling perched atop a woodsy knoll. As the mellow strains of wind chimes intoned from a passing breeze, he explained, […]
Meet the other — and otherworldly — Adams family, namesake of High Point’s Historic Adams Inn By Cynthia Adams Photographs by Amy Freeman Part Christmas story, part ghost story, this tale centers on a magnificent High Point home that is nearly a century old. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Adams Inn […]
Penny and Bill Spry’s empty nest atop the iconic Reynolds Building in downtown Winston-Salem rekindles a newlywed passion By Jim Dodson • Photographs by Amy Freeman “I was worried that Bill wouldn’t want to live downtown,” says Penny Spry with a laugh. “Penny’s right,” husband Bill confirms. “I loved our gardens and our house […]
Remembering the Americana of Mary’s Antiques By Ross Howell Jr. • Photographs by Steven Burke When Hillsborough collectors Steven Burke and Randy Campbell heard that Mary Wells — their friend of nearly four decades — would be closing the doors to her South Elm Street antiques business in Greensboro in May 2017, they were […]
STITCH Design Shop in Winston-Salem gives new expression to Modernism By Nancy Oakley • Photographs by Amy Freeman “I say it’s the Dr. Seuss house,” says Kelly Wainscott, jokingly referring to the newly constructed dwelling that she and her husband, Mike, and their two children, Elizabeth (“Eli”) and David, moved into in March. “Everybody likes […]
Before it was an art museum, Winston-Salem’s iconic Reynolda House was a hub for progressive farming, as realized by Katharine Smith Reynolds By Nancy Oakley • Photographs courtesy of Reynolda House Museum of American Art Strolling its shaded, paved paths alongside joggers, dog-walkers and young parents pushing strollers, it’s hard to imagine the clip-clop of […]
Von and Houston Kimbrough bring a European touch to Guilford County By Ross Howell Jr. • Photographs by Amy Freeman Three days of rain — and still it falls. Tufts of cloud shroud the ridge lines. Leaves glisten against black tree trunks. Two whitetail does amble across the road in front of my […]
An innovative haven for Winston-Salem’s innovator-in-chief By Nancy Oakley • Photographs by John Gessner With a bemused expression, Eric Tomlinson explains how his house has caught the attention of various filmmakers over the years. One used it as the setting for a music video, “in which a girl rises out of a bed and ends […]
Interior designers John Loecke and Jason Oliver Nixon of High Point’s Madcap Cottage transform a guest room at Pandora’s Manor into a detail-driven, relaxed, English-inspired retreat By Jason Oliver Nixon • Photographs by Bert VanderVeen In the film A Night at the Opera, Groucho Marx picks up the phone, and the scene goes like […]
Margaret and Taylor Lanier’s stunning renovation of Pandora’s Manor in High Point By Maria Johnson • Photographs by Bert VanderVeen Greensboro’s Taylor and Margaret Lanier have four children. They really don’t need another. But they have one — a 112-year-old baby that hangs out by the railroad tracks in downtown High Point. That would […]
