C H A R L O T T E
Real Estate News
“In this market and with the restrictions in place, I’m seeing a big demand for homes with a backyard escape or at least the space to create one.”
home design
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dedicated to showcasing charlotte’s distinctive homes
– Sasha Serna, The Stacey Sauls Group
Perfectly poolside The temperature is rising and so are COVID-19 cases. Cool off and stay safe with your own custom inground pool and backyard retreat. - story on page 6
real estate news
design instyle
design trends
straight talk
What’s new p4
Iconic restoration p12
Organization p16
Motor matters p20
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|real estate news
what’s new? compiled by Whitney Berongi
M/I OPENS MODEL HOME IN POPLIN GROVE IN INDIAN TRAIL Poplin Grove, a new community from M/I Homes in Indian Trail, recently opened a new model home for the community. Open daily, the model home showcases the Sonoma, one of M/I’s most popular home plans. With up to five bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms, it offers plenty of space for a growing or multigenerational family. The spacious kitchen opening to the breakfast area and family room makes a welcoming setting for entertaining. Interior spaces include formal dining room, study, rec room, loft, main-floor guest suites and open family gathering areas. This flexible plan also allows for either a two- or threecar garage. The exteriors combine James Hardie ColorPlus Siding with stone or brick accents. Home buyers can choose from a variety of outdoor living options, including a screened patio and covered porch. The Union County community features ranch and two-story homes from 2,056 to 3,704 square feet. Prices start at $344,990. Along with home sites, move-in ready homes are under construction and available for purchase. Poplin Grove is located at 4520 Box Elder Court in Indian Trail. Call 704-251-7571 or email salescharlotte@mihomes.com to schedule a tour or simply drop by. Visit mihomes.com/poplingrove to see seven different home plans from which to choose, a site map and photos of move-in ready homes as they are completed.
PREMIER SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY TO REPRESENT THE TOWERS AT MATTIE ROSE Premier Sotheby’s International Realty recently announced that it has been selected as the exclusive brokerage for The Towers at Mattie Rose, a collection of 18 townhomes situated in the historic Elizabeth neighborhood in Charlotte. Built by Grandfather Homes, the unique residences are inspired by Dutch-style charm and modern luxury. Each residence features an open concept floor plan with solid core doors. Exquisite appointments include Thermador appliances, quartz countertops, durable pre-finished hardwood floors, zero-maintenance turf and paver patios. All townhomes are equipped with Control4 Smart Home technology, and features can be fully expanded to each homeowner’s preference. For more information, contact the Grier Gentry Alexander team at 704-665-0527 or thetowers@premiersir.com, or visit livethetowers.com.
DICKENS MITCHENER LISTING PICKED AS FINALIST IN HGTV ULTIMATE HOUSE HUNT 2020 A listing represented by Vicky Mitchener and Marjorie Redding of Dickens Mitchener has been selected as a finalist in the HGTV Ultimate House Hunt 2020. The Ultimate House Hunt is a month-long online promotion held on HGTV.com annually, showcasing extraordinary homes for sale in eight categories. The Dickens Mitchener listing was selected by HGTV’s editors as a finalist in the Amazing Kitchens category. The Charlotte home was recently renovated by Don Duffy Architecture and Thomasson Construction Company. Kim Mauney Interiors was the interior designer for the project. The design features include high-end finishes, light-filled open living areas, large windows overlooking the backyard, curated wide-plank flooring on the first floor and a beautiful kitchen with an oversized kitchen island with seating for four. All nominees are represented by members of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World and Luxury Portfolio International. This is the ninth consecutive year HGTV has worked exclusively with Leading Real Estate Companies of the World and Luxury Portfolio International for the Ultimate House Hunt, which runs from June 30 through August 4. Consumers can tour the 89 homes selected as finalists by viewing photo galleries on HGTV.com and can cast a vote for their favorite properties. A winner will be chosen in each category based on the highest number of votes received, and an overall favorite will be awarded for the listing receiving the most votes. To view all homes and vote for a favorite, visit HGTV.com/househunt. To learn more about Dickens Mitchener, visit dickensmitchener.com. Email real estate news to homedesign@charlotteobserver.com. C H A R L O T T E
home design Editor
Coordinator/Designer
Christina Darnell
Melissa Kennelly
Creative Strategy & Real Estate Advertising
New Home Builder Advertising
Buck Brice, bbrice@charlotteobserver.com
Suzanne Parker, sparker@charlotteobserver.com
Sales Director Vic Bowers, vbowers@mcclatchy.com 336-402-4673 Section published by The Charlotte Observer • 550 S. Caldwell St., Charlotte, NC 28202. Editorial material in this section is the responsibility of the Observer Content Studio, 704-358-5185. It did not involve the news staff of The Observer.
Is there a neighborhood you’d like to see featured? Do you know of a new design trend on the rise? Did you use one of our ideas for your own home or home purchase?
We’d love to hear from you. homedesign@charlotteobserver.com
facebook.com/TheCharlotteObserverHomeDesign *Copyright 2020 by The Charlotte Observer. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or reprinted without written permission.
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|living poolside DID YOU KNOW? Water chemistry is No. 1 when it comes to pool maintenance. There are different means of sanitization—chlorine, salt/chlorine generator, ozone and UV—but the water chemistry must be balanced for any of them to work effectively.
by Julie Cooper
EAT Craft City Social Club Located at the Sheraton Charlotte Hotel on S McDowell St., this chic poolside bar and lounge offers fun in the sun, seasonal small plates and crafty cocktails. marriott.com
PLAY Latta Park Head to this quaint park in Dilworth for a wander along the walking trails, a play on the playground and a splash on the “sprayground.” mecknc.gov
EXPLORE Freedom Park Set out to this popular park for some quality nature time, enjoying the splendor of its ambient 7-acre lake. mecknc.gov
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f COVID-19 has taught the world anything, it’s to make your home your sanctuary. Prepandemic, people relied on shared community amenities like fitness facilities, playground equipment and swimming pools for health, entertainment and fun. Since crisis struck, much of that has been rendered null and void with everyone forced indoors and stuck within the confines of their own yards. Now, with the temperature and number of COVID-19 cases rising, it’s a great time to consider installing your own swimming pool. “The stay-at-home orders have really accelerated our business. Customers are taking time to look at their property and think of ways to enhance it,” says David Todd, partial owner of Edgewater Pools. “Not only do they have time to reflect on what they want to have, but now they also have more time to meet with us to create a perfect backyard retreat.” Edgewater Pools is Charlotte’s premier swimming pool contractor, specializing in building custom, in-ground gunite and vinyl-liner pools. With more than 115 years of combined swimming pool construction experience, the folks at this locally-owned company are committed to helping customers create the perfect pool design to
elevate their backyard living space. Beyond a beautiful custom pool that fits their backyard like a glove, Todd says many are also looking to incorporate add-on features, making the backyard more usable than ever. “Many customers are adding outdoor kitchens, firepits, fireplaces, pergolas or cabanas,” he says. “The more features they add, the more use they seem to get out of their backyards.” Having a usable backyard with a pool pays off in more ways than one. “The convenience of not having to load up and go somewhere is a big advantage to owning a pool. Kids want to stay home finally and have their friends over to visit,” Todd says. “Plus, a pool will likely be the focal point of your outdoor landscape, and the ambience it creates is second to none.” Today, there’s a pool for everyone. Small, big, asymmetrical, natural, lighted or not, it’s available. “Our commercial division has done some rooftop pools and elaborate water parks,” Todd says. “On the residential side, one of the most interesting pools was one on Lake Norman. It was a vanishing edge pool that had about a 20-foot spillover to the catch pool. The customers also added some fire and water features. It was a really interesting project.” As far as trends go, Todd says
they’re starting to see more requests for geometric pools and spas with more elaborate designs than previous years. “The pool market is maturing, and people are starting to see the long-term benefits of having a pool,” he explains. “Customers really seem drawn to the many new color LED lighting options available. As far as decking, natural stone, pavers and porcelain are popular choices. We’ve also done some wood-grained paver decking in various colors that have been very attractive.” “In-ground pools with stone features and a jacuzzi attached have been high on our buyers’ wish lists,” adds Sasha Serna with The Stacey Sauls Group of Keller Williams Realty. “Waterfall features and custom grill areas are also trending. And having a pool house or an entrance to a bathroom, shower and changing area is a total gamechanger, especially if the family has kids.” These days, not only is a pool an investment in your family’s health and happiness, it’s also a good thing to have at resale. “Everyone is looking for a pool,” says Serna. “In the past, pools didn’t really hold full value. In this market and with the restrictions in place, I’m seeing a big demand for homes with a backyard escape or at least the space to create one.”
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living poolside| MORROCROFT ESTATES 7101 Old Dairy Lane, Charlotte, NC 28211 Price: $3,275,000 MLS: 3601480 Listing Agents: Ducie Stark, Dickens Mitchener & Associates, 704-641-5398, dstark@ dickensmitchener.com Estate home in the SouthPark gated community of Morrocroft Estates. Custom renovation throughout. Steel construction, smart home with top-of-the-line technology and security. Main level includes custom millwork and 10-foot ceilings. Gourmet kitchen with commercial-grade Wolf range and double ovens, built-in Miele coffee maker, warming drawer, SubZero fridge and hands-free faucet. Master suite with huge cedar walk-in closet. Spa bath with heated flooring. Addition also included a sunroom, full bath, exercise room with sauna and barber station overlooking a Japanese garden. Second level includes four bedrooms with private baths and media room. Third-floor bonus room with full bath. Resort-style backyard with hot tub, pool and cabana with swim-up bar seating and bar/ entertainment area.
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|living poolside SOUTHPARK 6237 Sharon Acres Road, Charlotte, NC 28210 Price: $1,375,000 MLS: 3601489 Listing Agent: Karen Parsons, Allen Tate Realtors, 704-408-0401, karen.parsons@ allentate.com Serenity in the middle of SouthPark. This 2016 custom home is tucked away on .48 acres of total privacy down shared driveway. Enjoy the vaulted stone wood-burning fireplace on the covered patio while enjoying the saltwater heated in-ground pool. Covered entertaining space, surround sound speakers inside and out. Open floor plan with gourmet kitchen featuring soapstone countertops, large island with prep sink, built-in micro-drawer, built-in refrigerator, Thermador burner range with griddle, custom hood and double oven. Bar area with wine fridge and glass cabinets. Great room with coffered ceiling, double sliders to patio and built-ins around gas fireplace. Family room with glass sliders is an extension to the patio and pool area. New carpet and newly refinished wood floor throughout home.
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BAY CROSSING 145 Bay Shore Loop, Mooresville, NC 28117 Price: $1,749,000 MLS: 3614043 Listing Agents: Meredith Tomascak, 704-806-7650, meredith@hmproperties. com; Josh Tucker, 704-634-8323, joshtucker@hmproperties.com; HM Properties Waterfront home situated on Lake Norman. Spacious, open floor plan with large windows throughout. Great room is open to breakfast area and chef’s kitchen. Elevator off kitchen grants easy access to each level. Enjoy the office/study off the foyer with serene lake views. Second-level landing includes a loft area overlooking the great room, desk nook, laundry room and three secondary bedrooms. The third level is entirely dedicated to the master suite, which has a private balcony overlooking the rear yard. Full basement with media room, rec area, gathering room and built-in kitchen/bar area. Relax by the pool on the outdoor patio, enjoy a night around the stone fire pit or head down to the dock.
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|living poolside DILWORTH 723 Mt Vernon Avenue, Charlotte, NC 28203 Price: $3,750,000 MLS: 3616636 Listing Agent: Marcy Basrawala, Dickens Mitchener & Associates, 704-280-1469, marcy@dickensmitchener.com Welcome to this contemporary craftsman masterpiece designed by one of Charlotte’s finest architects, Harry Schrader. This one-ofa-kind Dilworth home boasts five bedrooms and 5.5 baths. Master bath comes with sauna, steam shower, heated floors and huge closet. Main floor has bamboo floors and a floating iron staircase. Floor-to-ceiling windows look out to outdoor oasis with saltwater pool, swim jet, hot tub and sweeping views of the city skyline. Open floor plan. Spacious living room includes automated sliding doors to hide TV, and a fireplace. Downstairs has a theater room, kitchen, man cave, home gym. Car elevator with enough space to park five cars in basement garage. Whole-house generator and water filtration. Geothermal HVAC.
MYERS PARK 2137 Foxcroft Woods Lane, Charlotte, NC 28211 Price: $2,250,000 MLS: 3635848 Listing Agent: Marcy Basrawala, Dickens Mitchener & Associates, 704-280-1469, marcy@ dickensmitchener.com This stunner, built in 2016 by Grandfather Homes, sits on .88 acres. Amazing location in Myers Park is minutes away from SouthPark, Myers Park Country Club and Uptown. Easy access to nearby shops and restaurants. Master suite comes with spa-like bath, including deep soaker tub, dual shower heads and rain shower. Tons of closet space. Open floor plan overlooks an outdoor oasis, including saltwater heated pool and hot tub, gas grill and fire pit. Gourmet kitchen features Thermador stainless steel appliances, including an 18-inch wine fridge. Four spacious beds upstairs, 3.5 baths. Upstairs also includes bonus/media room and home gym. Three-car attached garage. Whole-house water filtration system and whole-house generator.
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Photos are courtesy of RH Charlotte.
|design instyle
Iconic restoration RH Charlotte’s new gallery is set to transform Charlotte—and your home by Vicki Donatelli
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t’s impossible to miss the new RH Charlotte, The Gallery at Phillips Place. The 50,000-square-foot, three-level experience, which includes a rooftop restaurant, wine bar and park, was formerly known as Restoration Hardware—and it has transformed Phillips Place.
RH’s beautifully produced product catalogues are legendary. The moment I stepped into the park surrounded by 9-foot boxwood hedges I was transported physically into the pages of those impeccable catalogues. Now you can touch, feel and wander through rooms filled with RH Interiors collections and design ideas.
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The exterior is a charcoal grey Venetian plaster with an expanse of glass and steel French doors that open onto lush garden courtyards. The scale of the landscaping is picture perfect and fully developed. The exterior lighting features crystal chandeliers encased in glass and steel frames. The multi-level contemporary structure is filled with fresh air and natural light. “RH Charlotte represents the RH of
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the future,” RH Chairman and CEO Gary Friedman said. “We don’t build retail stores. We create architecturally inspiring spaces that activate all the senses and cannot be replicated online. It’s an immersive experience that blurs the lines between residential and retail, indoors and outdoors, home and hospitality, and we’re proud to introduce it to the Queen City.” You are welcomed by a 25-foot threshold of retractable glass and steel
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doors. The central hall features 14-foot ceilings. A floating staircase transports you to the Rooftop Restaurant. Along the periphery of the main floor are barrel-vaulted passageways that lead to flawlessly designed rooms featuring RH Interiors collections from internationally renowned designers, as well as oneof-a-kind antiques and artifacts from Friedman’s world travels. But unlike flipping through an RH
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catalogue, I was standing in the space and looking through the glass and steel doors into a private garden retreat. The RH outdoor collection and the beautifully landscaped park spaces extended every room and stretched my imagination. As difficult as it was to tear myself away, I had lunch reservations. So I climbed the stairway to heaven, the Rooftop Restaurant—a year-round glass house and garden escape with crystal
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chandeliers, elegant banquet seating and heritage olive trees surrounded by a landscaped park. It was furnished with RH Outdoor lounge pieces with overhead canopies, trellised London plane trees and fountains. Don’t underestimate the quality of the restaurant’s ingredient-driven menu. RH is a dining destination complete with a climate-controlled wine bar with carefully curated wine and champagne. This is the place Charlotte has been waiting for. Put on your summer frock, invite your best friend, go shopping and enjoy lunch.
I was so impressed with the food, the service and the surroundings that I returned with my husband, Jerry, on Father’s Day. He was equally captivated. The RH Modern collection shares the second level with RH Interior Design Firm & Atelier. This interactive studio features private client presentation rooms with state-of-theart technology. You can discover new finishes, textiles, lighting and the RH Rugs Showroom. I asked Friedman, “Why Charlotte?” He said, “We have a very successful
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legacy store in Charlotte, and the data supports expanding in the current market. Second, in New York and Chicago we readapted historic buildings, and RH Charlotte is an entirely new design built from the ground up. Our first restaurant in Chicago was on the ground floor in a central courtyard while RH Palm Beach and RH New York we tested Rooftop Restaurants with even greater success. RH Charlotte is an entirely new design. We’re proud to bring this new iconic Gallery to the Queen City.” As I took in the sunset and the view
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over the treetops of SouthPark, I was proud of our city and its powerful draw. Just as RH has transformed Phillips Place, it will alter the way you visualize space inside and outside your home.
Vicki Payne Donatelli is an interior designer, project coordinator and popular speaker for renovation and new construction projects. She is the host of the national PBS series “For Your Home.” Visit her blog at ForYourHome.com.
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Photos are courtesy of Perfect Fit Organizing.
|design trends
Finding Your Home’s Best Face: Organization by Bethany E. Starin
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hen Charlotte locals hire Brittany Daley, owner of Perfect Fit Organizing, to help them get their home more organized, they’re usually already on the right track, she says. “A lot of my clients are organized people, but they are just really busy,” she says. “When you start throwing things like two working parents or children into the mix it’s hard to be organized even if you want to be.” That’s where Daley comes in. “There is no shame in outsourcing something. If I can come in and organize—which is something I love—and they get to enjoy the benefits, it’s a win-win for both of us.”
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Take Mattie Weingarten, a fairly organized but busy psychotherapist, who hired Daley to help organize for her and her fiance, Sean Pardy. They were moving from their South End apartment into their first house in Sedgefield. “I was in a tough spot moving while my fiancé was working as a civil engineer in Antarctica—I was truly flying solo! Friends can only do so much, and hiring an organizer was the best investment I could’ve made,” Weingarten said. “I was so overwhelmed, and Brittany got me completely unpacked in the span of two days. She was amazing.” Weingarten’s South End apartment had large closets, and while their
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new home was charming, its closets were small and bathroom storage options limited. “Brittany was a great collaborator on the organizational systems I already have, but also had suggestions I’d never considered,” she said, adding that Daley shopped for organization supplies and installed them while she was at work. “She found clever solutions for any tricky spots.” Daley, a personal trainer and dietician by trade, launched Perfectly Fit Organizing two years ago to help people just like this duo, taking her love for people and coaching a different direction. “I love breaking organization down into simple tips so clients can maintain
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that after I leave,” she says. “I also love the feeling of moving clients into a fresh space and setting up the systems.” Long before Marie Kondo was a trend, Daley jokes that she had enrolled her little sister as her very first—albeit unwilling—client. “Whether my sister wanted me to organize her things or not, I was constantly rearranging our bedroom and organizing.” With most clients, their biggest roadblock is holding onto items they feel guilty of getting rid of, Daley says. “They’re holding onto the things they don’t even really want—gifts from family members, things that have been passed down. My clients are just organizing around those things but don’t have any
attachment to them,” she says. “That’s really where an organizer can help you. It helps to have a different perspective on your stuff.” For Weingarten and Pardy, Pardy is the one who tends to hold onto family items. Daley helped Pardy create a stylish display for them. “His office doesn’t feel cluttered or overstuffed,” Weingarten explains. Whether she is organizing her own home or those of her clients, Daley has three simple steps she follows: declutter, categorize and contain. “Decluttering is a catch-all term for getting rid of things you don’t need, use or like. This could be things expired in your pantry, sports equipment nobody
uses or clothing that’s too small for your kids,” she says. “It does not have a place in your home if nobody is using it.” Not sure what to keep and what to toss? Daley suggests using the “year” rule. “Have you used it in the last year? And if you use it very rarely, would it be easy and cheap for you to replace? If so, let go of it,” she suggests. “A lot of my female clients feel guilty about getting rid of shoes and clothing that were never worn or only worn once— and they spent a lot of money on it,” she says. “That reality check is tough, but your closet is valuable real estate.” If it’s too hard to get rid of it, Daley suggests storing it and seeing if the items are missed. If not, donate them. Instead of
keeping dresses you wear once a year, consider borrowing or renting cocktail dresses for special occasions. Second, Daley moves on to categorizing, or grouping, things in like piles. In a closet, this could be shoes, work clothes and athletic clothes, or for a fridge, it would be condiments, produce, dairy, etc. “If it’s jumbled up, you want to group before you start putting it back,” she says. The last step is to contain. “This is where you take those groups of items and you contain them in some way. Put things back in the closet in baskets or bins that give you defined parameters.” So as not to create more clutter, make sure to measure and get the right size and style of bins, Daley says. A few of Daley’s
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go-to products include the MultiPurpose Bins, the White Plastic Storage Bins with Handles and the Water Hyacinth Storage Bins with Handles—all from The Container Store. Daley says her guide to picking the right container is to think about where they are going. Do you want to see through them (pantry) or keep them opaque (living space or closet) so it looks more tidy? Organization isn’t just for the freedom that it brings you visually, but the freedom it brings everyone in your home, Daley says. “Organizing is helpful because it allows you to delegate responsibility in your family,” she says. “If you want your children to help clean up but you have no
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system, then they can’t help. But if there is a system in place and they understand it, they can join in on that responsibility.” At the end of the day, the goal isn’t that our homes look perfect, Daley says, but that we have systems in place so when we want to tidy up, it takes no longer than 10-15 minutes. “I am not perfect at tidying up in my own home, but if I want to clean up because someone is dropping over, I can within 10 minutes. There is a place for everything. My job as an organizer is to make those systems easy for you to maintain.” For more information on getting organized or on Daley, go to perfectfitorganizing.com or follow along on Instagram at @perfectfitorganizing.
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|straight talk
Motor matters The motor is just one consideration when choosing a ceiling fan by Allen Norwood
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balanced the ceiling fan on the screened porch the other day. I added clothespins to the rear edge of the blade that I suspected might be the one responsible for the wobble. I experimented with the number and location. Then, when the fan was spinning smoothly, I replaced the clothespins with weights. The balance was perfect. Then I realized it was blowing upward, pushing air toward the ceiling. No problem. I just flipped the little switch to reverse the direction. It immediately started to wobble a bit. I’ve never dealt with this issue before. And, it turns out, neither has Johnson Krajewski of Lighting & Bulbs Unlimited on Monroe Road in Charlotte. Why would a fan run smoothly in one direction but not the other? “One
thing comes to mind,” he says. “If it’s an older motor, it might be something inside if it has some hours on it. Gears inside might be worn.” Indeed, it has hours on it. It has also been moved several times. We’ve used it in a couple of rooms indoors over the years, even though it’s an outdoor fan. Most of the time it has been blowing in one direction—upward. The solution: “Balance it again,” Krajewski says. The lesson: “Don’t throw the balancing kit that comes with the fan away,” he says. “Hang onto it.” I would only add: Balance the fan while it’s blowing in the direction you use most often. I’m guessing that for most fans in most homes, that would be down. We’ve talked about ceiling fans here
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before. The topic seems timely again, in the middle of July with everyone sticking close to home. We’ll get to a few fan tips in a moment, but first, a bit about fan technology that’s becoming more common. Fan makers, including familiar brands such as Fanimation and Minka Aire, are offering more fans with DC or direct-current motors, instead of the more familiar AC or alternating-current motors. DC fans are more efficient, Krajewski says. They use less electricity, run quieter and can move more air. They tend to cost more, but, especially if you’re considering a high-end fan, you’ll want to learn about the technology. Here are fan tips from Krajewski and other fan pros: – If a fan begins to wobble after running smoothly, odds are that something has worked loose. Tighten all the screws that attach the blades to the arms and arms to the motor. Most of the time that cures the problem. – If you’re selecting a fan, size it
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properly and pay attention to how much air it will move. Pros suggest a fan needs to move at least 4,000 CFM, or cubic feet per minute. An inexpensive fan might move only half that much. “An $800 fan might move 10,000,” Krajewski says. – Blade pitch hints at the quality of the motor. A fan with a pitch of 14 or 16 degrees will move more air than one with a lower pitch and requires a better motor. It will provide more air flow at lower speeds. – If you spend a bit more, you’ll get a stronger, longer-lasting motor. You can get pretty good quality in the $100 to $250 range, Krajewski says. – Outdoor fans are rated for three levels of use: damp locations—outdoors, but protected—wet locations and marine. Some outdoor finishes are more durable than others; you might want to avoid silver finishes such as chrome and brushed steel.
Allen Norwood: homeinfo@charter.net
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