Plateau Picks

IN THE CLUTCH

Only found at Robin’s Nest, these one-of-a-kind artisan made acrylic clutches will be a stylish and fun statement to your wardrobe. Clutch Bag | $175 ea. Robin’s Nest | Cashiers

BLESSED MOTHER

This French 19th Century hand-carved wooden statue is sure to bring blessings to your space. Hand-Carved Wooden Madonna and Child | $1200 m&co | Highlands

FRAGRANT BEAUTY

Handcrafted by master glassblowers, these diffusers and candles will fill your home with a subtle fragrant warmth and artful beauty.

Alixx Vase Diffuser $64 | Alixx Candle $62.50 ACP Home Interiors | Highlands

a few of our favorite finds Picks Plateau

ADORABLE ANTIQUES

Hand-carved in Spain, these rabbits will be bring a pop of personality to any abode. Hand-Carved Wooden Rabbits | $95ea. Nearly New | Cashiers

THE JOYS OF THE JOURNEY

Take a tour of America’s great outdoors and discover the beauty and diversity of its most iconic and majestic national parks. National Parks of the U.S.A. Book | $30 The Book Nook | Highlands

THE SECRET CREEK

Take home this lovely exploration of nature by North Carolina resident artist, Bill Jameson. Original Oil Painting | $3,850 Ann Lea Gallery | Cashiers

FOR YOUR MOUNTAIN HOME

This gorgeous Black Forest style reproduction will make a great addition to your mountain home.

Black Forest Home Decor | $1318 The Summer House | Highlands

NATURALLY BEAUTIFUL

These wood inlay vases are the perfect decorative touch to any space. Large Vase $200 | Small Vase $150 Atelier Maison | Cashiers

Bella Cotn

Bella Cotn presents timeless designs delivered with modern flair.

Bella Cotn at 236 Highway 107 N in Cashiers Commons in Cashiers is a boutique you should visit often to stay in touch with the latest looks.

Fall is in the air and the rich warm saturated hues of their latest collections are the place to start to refresh your fall and winter wardrobe with classic looks to put your best foot forward.

Owner Diane Brady knows what her clients want after eight years in business and she knows how to home in on the quality and styles to carry you through seasons to come. The rich warm interior of this charming shop feels like an invitation to breathe deeply, settle in and take your time looking over their extensive inventory. Choose from carefully curated looks from lines such as Renaur, Liverpool, Kut and Lulu B. From casual clothing with a sophisticated feel to athleisure wear, Bella Cotn offers it all - jeans, jackets, slacks, blouses, tops, scarves, shoes, belts, tunics and more. Fall is also the perfect time to upgrade to a sumptuous robe or pair of comfy pajamas or a nightgown that are just right for settling in on the cooler fall nights. Treat yourself to sweet dreams in pajamas that are a cut above from names such as P Jamas, Softies, and Le Cera. Don’t forget to accessorize with one of Diane’s handmade Bee Bags.

Diane Brady

Dutchmans

Dutchmans is a breathtaking bazaar of custom furniture and sumptuous textiles for every room, custom-designed lamps, and finishing touches.

Who hasn’t been enticed by the charming storefront of Dutchmans at Highlands’ 342 Main Street and found themselves stepping into the warm embrace of this welcoming store? At first glance it’s a charming boutique filled with color and light and everything you need to make your home a retreat. Take a deeper dive and you’ll find the heart of this store is a serious home design enterprise. Owner Stephanie Nieuwendijk opened her business in 2000 and from that time the Dutchmans growth has exceeded her dreams. They now have five locations – the flagship location in Highlands and additional locations in Atlanta, Georgia; Athens, Georgia; St Simons, Georgia; and Cornelius, North Carolina. It’s clear that Stephanie’s eye for color, detail and design permeates every square inch of this store and she’s proud to offer the finest home accessories that turn your house into a home and a showplace.

Stephanie Nieuwendijk In addition, they offer top to bottom in-home packages for owners who are building new homes in the area; or those who have bought a home that they are refurbishing. Working hand in hand with Stephanie and her design team you’ll be amazed at how joyous planning your interior spaces can be.

CK Swan

Furniture, fixtures and one-of-a-kind treasures inform every corner of CK Swan, 233 North 4th Street in Highlands.

CK Swan has been a local fixture for 33 years. One visit and you’ll immediately understand why. Owner Ashley Harllee clearly has an eye and an understanding of what it takes to keep a business relevant and vibrant, and she knows how to help you make your house feel like a home, while looking stunningly classic. Its welcoming brick façade is a foretaste of the welcome that lies within. Whether you’re looking for quality furniture pieces-think cozy chairs and couches, oversized tables, lamps or lighting, or home accessories, Ashley offers a great selection to choose from. She also offers custom upholstery and pillows so you can create your own look.

If it’s home accessories you’re in Ashley Harllee the market for, you’ve come to the right place. Coffee table books, candles, fragrances, pillows, fine linens, tableware, glassware, barware, contemporary art, mirrors, baskets, and high-end florals are to be found delightfully displayed throughout the store. If you love to entertain, this is the store for you. Stop by and upgrade your entertaining pieces and make your next gathering one to remember. Interspersed among all the gorgeous home items you will also find a little something for everyone from jewelry and readers to a nice selection of luggage. Don’t miss their children’s corner with its darling baby and children’s items as well as a large selection of children’s books.

Mountain Mermaid

Mountain Mermaid is just as fun and beguiling as its namesake. Discover for yourself at 121 Highway 107 N in Cashiers.

Have you ever passed the cute little shop at 121 Highway 107 N just north of the crossroads in Cashiers and wondered “just what is a mountain mermaid?” You owe it to yourself to stop in and see what this cute boutique has to offer. Owner, Becca Burch, is herself a mountain mermaid-someone who grew up on an island on the gulf coast of Florida, and who also loves the mountains. She couldn’t resist combining those two loves into her boutique where you’ll find clothes that are right at home in the mountains or at the coast.

She offers an extensive selection of athleisure wear and resort wear, as well as classics and basic pieces ranging from cashmere, to rain boots, tanks, tees and wraps. Whether you’re looking for classic black and white or prefer something a bit more colorful Mountain Mermaid likely has what you’re searching for. For sports lovers, look no further than her quality sportswear collections for the latest styles. Whether your sport is golf, yoga, tennis, croquet, or pickleball, Becca Burch you’ll find outfits here that are stylish, comfortable and durable. If looking good is part of your game, you’ll be off to a winning start with looks from Mountain Mermaid. For your everyday looks check out their classic pieces from Saint James or Jude Connally, unique one-of-a-kind pieces from Vilagallo, and trendy but classic pieces from Elliott Lauren.

From Classics to the Unique

m&co, 782 Dillard Road in Highlands, continues a family tradition of offering rare and exquisite treasures for the home.

Marlene Buckalew, Michael Buckalew, and Al Scudder

Marlene Buckalew grew up in the shadow, or should we say the midst, of her father’s auction gallery so from an early age she developed an aesthetic for home design and an eye for quality. Marlene’s dad is Al Scudder, whose gallery on Main Street was a much-loved Highlands institution. Marlene says she learned from the best.

She and her husband, Michael, owned an interior design and antique business in Atlanta for over 40 years before moving to Highlands where they kept a store presence in the Scudders Gallery building. When that building sold, it didn’t take them long to find their spacious new location at 782 Dillard Road, newly opened as m&co. This completely remodeled building is the perfect home for their store of treasures. Light-filled, with high ceilings, it is the perfect backdrop for their antique and mid-century furniture, including a large selection of European antiques, and lamps, lighting, paintings, accessories, and more. They excel at seeing an antique fragment or unique item and reimagining it for a new, useful, and creative purpose, and that’s when the magic begins. They also specialize in architectural pieces – those larger-thanlife statement pieces that become the focal point of a room. From oversized dining tables built of antique reclaimed wood to massive doors, windows, and paintings that can form a backdrop for the most spectacular spaces, you’ll find it here. Much of their artwork is European from France, Belgium, and The Netherlands, featuring landscapes and animal scenes, but they also have newer modern pieces as well. Don’t miss their selection of rugs, antique and contemporary for any space. For that special finishing touch, they offer a great selection of accessories – you can complete your look here or add a bit of pizzazz to your current look. Scudder’s gallery had an almost cult-like following for their pearl jewelry and m&co continues to carry those pieces, as well as more fun, contemporary items of jewelry, some handmade and all unique. m&co also carry hand-painted pieces by local artist, Meridith Watson who paints scenes on everyday items such as chargers, mirrors, and lampshades. If you don’t find what you’re looking for just ask and Meridith will create a personalized look for you. For the classic and the unique, stop by m&co. You’ll be glad you did.

by Mary Jane McCall

For the Love of Art The landscapes adorning Watershed Studio and Shoppe, 84 Commons Drive in Cashiers, are testament to an abiding reverence for nature.

Martina Henderson

Artistic endeavors have been a lifelong pursuit for Martina Henderson. Her resume and background are extensive and have culminated in the Watershed Studio and Shoppe, which is an opportunity to see and purchase the results of Henderson’s talents as well as those of others.

Henderson first visited a friend in Highlands 30 years ago and then met her future husband in Highlands. But her career has taken her far and wide, so she sought the Plateau as a respite for many years but only became a full-time resident two years ago. “I have been an art director and artist starting back in the early 90s in New York City designing ads for the likes of British Airways, MTV/VH1, and Comedy Central.” While living in New York City working as an art director at Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising, she was browsing through a local landmark used and new book shop and stumbled across a copy of Seeing the Light: Wilderness and Salvation: A Photographer’s Tale by Clyde Butcher, who photographed the Everglades with his large format black and white camera. “The images were like nothing I had ever seen before, and I was immediately hooked on learning more about black and white photography. I fell in love with the way an image could speak to you on an emotional level unlike that of a color image. Over the years, my focus turned to the natural landscape.” Henderson’s mixed-media artistry began to be shaped by her photography. “I would go out with an intention to shoot for black and white, but I found some of the landscapes just didn’t translate like I had hoped, so I started to play with the mixed media and loved the result.

“I like to shoot early morning landscapes when there is still some fog drifting about and any body of water in the early morning or just before sunset.” She prints black and white images in her studio. “There is no mass production as each piece is printed on rag paper one at a time and hand-deckled, then signed in pencil.” Watershed Studio and Shoppe opened this summer in Cashiers. “My tagline is: A consciously curated collection of Southern fine art, stationary, botanicals, home, and garden goods. For example, our wool blankets are made of recycled wool by a husband-and-wife team in Scotland. Our most popular candles are made in small batches by a retired ballet dancer from Atlanta.”

In addition to visiting her gallery, you can visit thewatershedshoppe.com. CK Swan in Highlands also exhibits some of Henderson’s art.

by Deena Bouknight

Visit Our Advertisers ON THE HILL 302. Wish & Shoes 303. Mirror Lake Antiques 305. Jeanie Edwards Fine Art 306. Acorn’s 310. McCulley’s WEST END 1. On The Verandah Restaurant 2. Highlands Smokehouse 5. The Bascom: A Center for the Visual Arts 6. The Bascom Shop 311. Martha Anne’s on the Hill 312. The Ugly Dog Public House 313. Old Edwards Inn 318. Peggy Crosby Center: - The Kitchen Carry Away & Catering 319. Lakeside Restaurant 7. The Dave Drake Ceramic Barn at The Bascom

SOUTH END

25. 4118 Kitchen & Bar 27. Dauntless Printing 38. Lupoli Construction 39. Allen Tate/Pat Allen Realty Group 46. M & Co 47. ACP Home Interiors 48. Nancy’s Fancys/

The Exchange 50. The Summer House 57. Blue Elephant Consignment Studio 58. Head Innovations 59. Cake Bar & Chocolate Heaven

MAIN STREET

100. Main Street Nursery 101. Rosewood Market 103. Highlands Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center 124. Landmark Realty 126. Shiraz Oriental Rug Gallery 132. Elevation: High Fashion for Women 134. The Southern Way 136. Dutchmans 140. The Toy Store/The Book Nook 141. Bags on Main 142. Main Street Gifts 146. Wit’s End Shoppe 147. Calders Coffee Cafe 148. Highlands Fine Art & Estate Jewelry + Wine Shop 152. Highlands Sotheby’s International Realty 153. Allison Diane Clothing 158. C. Orrico 159. Colonel Mustards 160. TJ Bailey for Men 163. Spoiled Rotten 166. Annawear 167. The Christmas Tree 169. Country Club Properties 174. Elena’s Women’s Golf and Activewear 175. S’More Kids Klothes 178. McCulley’s II 185. Ristorante Paoletti 187. The Dry Sink 189B. Smitten 190. Wolfgang’s Restaurant & Wine Bistro 191. Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Meadows Mountain Realty 194. Old Edwards Inn 195. Madison’s Restaurant 196. The Wine Garden 197. Four65 Woodfire Bistro + Bar 201. Hudson Library 202. Country Club Properties 205. Silver Creek Real Estate Group 207. Creative Concepts Salon 208. Highland Hiker Shoes 210. Highland Hiker

WRIGHT SQUARE on MAIN

(Factoid: Named after Whiteside hero) 117. Country Club Properties, Wright Square Office 119. Highlands Pharmacy

SPRING VILLAGE

400. Jannie Bean Fine Custom Jewelry 406. Brookings

OAK STREET

601. Highlands Playhouse VILLAGE PARK

613. Cleaveland Realty 615. Shakespeare & Co. 617. Fressers Courtyard Cafe 618. Elevated Properties

CAROLINA VILLAGE

709. High Dive 709. Truckin’ at the High Dive 711. Chambers Realty & Vacation Rentals NORTH END

801. Green Mountain Builders 803. Invocative Fine Art 814. Martin-Lipscomb Performing Arts Center 814. Highland-Cashiers Players

OUT NC 106

➡ Aery Chiropractic ➡ Peak Experience ➡ Futral Construction ➡ Highlands Outpost ➡ Scaly Mountain Crafters ➡ Highlands Aerial Park ➡ 37 Vineyard at High Holly ➡ Fire + Water ➡ Bella’s Junction Cafe ➡ Pat Calderone Gallery

OUT 64 EAST

➡ Black Rock Design Build ➡ Berkshire Hathaway Homes Services Meadows Mountain Realty ➡ WHLC ➡ Highlands Lawn & Garden ➡ Skyline Lodge/ Oak Steakhouse ➡ Highlands Rock Yard ➡ Futral Construction ➡ Center for Plastic Surgery ➡ The Brier Patch ➡ Allen Tate/ Pat Allen Realty Group ➡ Highlands Dermatology

For a complete listing please visit our website, thelaurelmagazine.com. Being added to our listing is easy! Simply advertise with The Laurel.

Visit Our Advertisers

SLABTOWN

2. Zookeeper Bistro 13. Crossroads Custard

NORTH 107

16. Stork’s - Wrap. Pack. Ship 19. The Look Boutique 20. Mountain Mermaid 21. Sashay Around Ladies Boutique

THE SHOPS AT CASHIERS COMMONS

25. Bella Cotn. 27. Bird Barn & Garden 28. Cashiers Kitchen Co. 30. Bombshell Hair Boutique 31. The Watershed Shoppe 33. Zoller Hardware

AT THE CROSSROADS

37. Landmark Realty Group 41. Highland Hiker

CHESTNUT SQUARE

43. A Jones Company 45. Cashiers Valley Real Estate 47. Lehotsky & Sons, Builders 55. Fusion Yoga & Wellness 55. The Bungalow Boutique

EAST 64

64. Alexander Gardens: - Victoria’s Closet - Victoria’s Closet Shoes & Purses - Vic’s for Men 75. Carolina Rustic Furniture 76. Blue Ridge Bedding 77. The Designers Market 78. Ann Lea Fine Art Gallery 81. Jennings Builders Supply

VILLAGE WALK

80. A-List Antiques 80. Josephine’s Emporium 80. Laura Moser Art 82. The Village Hound 86. Nora & Co. 89. Nearly New

Furniture Consignment 90. Gracewear Boutique

SOUTH 107

101. Narcissus 102. TJ Bailey’s for Men 103. Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming 104. Brookings Fly Shop & Cashiers Village Outfitters 105. Atelier Maison 106. Edgewood Antiques & Fine Art 107. Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Meadows Mountain Realty 108. Landmark Realty Group 109. Ugly Dog Public House 110. McCulley’s 111. Rusticks 112. Vivianne Metzger Antiques 115 J Gabriel 121. Robin’s Nest 123. Caliber Fine Properties 128. Mountainworks Custom Home Design LTD. 131. Tampa Bay Trust Company 136. McKee Properties 137. Bounds Cave Rug Gallery 138. The Orchard Restaurant, Events Barn & Guest Cottage

THE VILLAGE GREEN

142. Village Green Commons 143. The Village Green 147. Bazaar Barn

WEST 64

155. Cashiers Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Center 156. Creekside: - Silver Creek Real Estate Group 172. Whiteside Art Gallery 173. Betsy Paul Properties 176. Lenz Gifts

DOWN 107 SOUTH

➡ Silver Run Reserve

VISIT CULLOWHEE

➡ Four Seasons Landscape

VISIT GLENVILLE

➡ Silver Creek Real Estate Group

VISIT LAKE TOXAWAY

➡ Appalachian Construction ➡ Balistreri Realty ➡ Bear Tracks Travel Center ➡ Earthshine Lodge ➡ Grand Olde Station ➡ The Greystone Inn ➡ Headwaters Outfitters ➡ Historic Toxaway Foundation ➡ Historic Toxaway Market ➡ Killer Bees Honey ➡ Mountain Cafe ➡ Lake Toxaway Company ➡ Panthertown Cafe ➡ Petit Properties ➡ Root 64 ➡ Southern Highlands Reserve ➡ Whistlin’ Dixie

VISIT NORTON:

➡ Town and Country General Store

VISIT SAPPHIRE:

➡ Appalachian Golf Cars ➡ Sapphire Valley Real Estate

Cashiers, North Carolina

For a complete listing please visit our website, thelaurelmagazine.com.

Being added to our listing is easy! Simply advertise with The Laurel.

Destination for Culinary Delight

A meal at Grand Olde Station is a delicious indulgence from a more gracious age.

If on a cool October day, you amble around Lake Toxaway, you might find a group of cheerful people gathered around the Grand Olde Station restaurant. There’s a gracious spirit attached to John Nichols’ restaurant, a former train depot which he has restored and decorated with artifacts and memorabilia from the lake’s history. This is a place to revel in the good times that have always been associated with the lake and its community. Out front, a historic train caboose keeps company with a restored 1941 fire truck and three wooden Chris Craft boats are mementos of another century. A dog park straddles the property and a two-story competitive barbecue rig and food truck sit conspicuously on the site, along with a 24-foot movie screen. Inside Nichols has transformed the interior into a showcase of keepsakes rescued from the historic Toxaway Inn – the longgone summer refuge of America’s first families that was razed 80 years ago. Doors salvaged from the inn serve as tabletops, and vintage wooden boat paddles hang above a window. Relics of another era fill the room and adorn the walls – historic boat motors, old water skis, antique pictures, surveys and maps. Shelves are crammed with an array of coffee tins and mugs. Stuffed animals – a full sized black bear, ducks and a wild boar populate the walls, while a panther lolls on a table reminding folks of what lives in the surrounding woods. One can’t be blamed for wondering whether this is a restaurant, a museum or a community center. Definitions melt – it’s fun, its all of those. But you came here for the food – and you’ll be glad you did. Executive Chef Josh Payne grew up in Lenoir, North Carolina, and attended culinary school at Caldwell Community College where he was trained in classic French preparations. He spent the last several years working in kitchens around Western North Carolina, most recently at Trillium Links Golf Club, before assuming the top job at Grand Olde Station. He’s best known for dishes pulled from local foodways, including fresh mountain trout (pan-seared or smoked), barbecue smoked over a mix of local woods, and apple bourbon bread pudding. He says he likes to “keep it pretty Southern.” Which is why his menu features crisply fried green tomatoes, tender cornbread, creamy mac ‘n cheese, piquant trout dip and an irresistible succulent tea brined chicken. More casual menu offerings – burgers, soups and sandwiches –share the menu and encourage diners to return often. An extensive wine list, and top shelf bourbon and tequilas round out the offerings. At Grand Olde Station, Nichols has given the community a worthy reminder of the lake’s history and a destination for culinary pleasure.

by Marlene Osteen

Cooler Weather Outdoor Opportunities

If anything, the cool October weather makes Headwaters Outfitters’ services even more valuable. For more information, visit headwatersoutfitters.com.

As the seasons change from summer to fall, inevitable chilly weather is ahead. However, this does not mean that every day needs to be spent indoors. For 30 years, the family that established Headwaters Outfitters in Rosman has been discovering, planning, and taking customers on memorable trips across the French Broad River watershed. In fact, founders Debi and David Whitmire, as well as their daughter, Jessica Whitmire, and her husband Chris have created such year-round outdoor opportunities that Headwaters Outfitters is recognized throughout Western North Carolina as a primary source for family-friendly fishing, paddling, and tubing trips. While tubing trips wrap up after Labor Day, paddling trips continue on through to the end of October. Guided fly-fishing trips are offered year-round. Throughout the year, the retail shop is fully stocked with novelty gifts, performance wear, technical gear, canoes and kayaks, fly rods, and reels, and other outdoor necessities.

Jessica noted, “We have definitely grown from a small seasonal outfitter to a year-round business.” In fact, no matter the interest or skill level, full-time fly-fishing guides offer instruction every month of the year in rivers such as the tributaries to the French Broad River, Davidson, Tuckaseegee and Pigeon; plus, there are more than 250 miles of small creeks locally to explore. Headwaters Outfitters provides basic instruction to ensure a sound foundation in fly fishing as well as more in-depth courses for experts. Included in fly fishing trips, whether they are walking, wading, or boating, is the necessary equipment: rod, reel, fly line, leaders, tippet, and flies. In addition to the fishing program, Headwaters offers a variety of self-guided and guided canoeing and kayaking river trip options, primarily on the first 20 miles of the French Broad River. The paddling trips offered are enjoyed on class 1 water, meaning mostly moving flat water. This is a great possibility for both beginners and experts alike, pointed out Jessica. Finally, a popular local hangout place at Headwaters Outfitters is The Forks of the River taproom. Riverside and barstool seating is available and on the menu is local craft beer on tap and a variety of beer, wine, and cider. Jessica explained that The Forks of the River is a taproom that celebrates the birthplace of the French Broad River and provides 12 taps of beer made from pristine mountain waters. The Forks of the River keeps noon-to-evening hours daily.

by Deena Bouknight