North Beach Sun Real Estate Holiday 2017

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HOLIDAY 2017R1 NORTHBEACHSUN.COM

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NORTH BEACH SUN REAL ESTATE HOLIDAY 2017

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NORTH BEACH SUN REAL ESTATE HOLIDAY 2017

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real estate HOLIDAY 2017 R7

Welcome home

R8

Town Report What’s happening all over the beach

R10 business briefs R11 Sun Salutations R12 SOLD!

Tips to sell your house R14 home spotlight

Preserving a beloved

Ocracoke home R18 passing through time

The coastal ghost town

of Wash Woods

Publishers Adam & Cathy Baldwin EDITOR Amelia Boldaji Art Director Dave Rollins Graphic Design Adam Baldwin Dylan Bush Sales Manager Helen Furr Account Executives Sue Goodrich Tori Peters NORTH BEACH SUN 115 West Meadowlark St. Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948 252.449.4444 phone 252.715.1303 fax

R20 Switched on

One man's quest to go solar R22 reflections on retirement

What? You, too?

R24 a medium of many means

Meet the concrete artisans

of Opus Stone R26 Mood board

A master suite oasis R28 fab under $50

Build your own "Hobbit Hole" R30 Classifieds

Writers Cathy Baldwin Amelia Boldaji Glen Baldwin Catherine Kozak Fran Marler Amanda McDanel Meg Puckett Kelley Shinn Abby Stewart

R24 R14 R18

Photography Cory Godwin Productions Ryan Moser Daniel Pullen K. Wilkins Photography Distribution Bob & Glen Baldwin The North Beach Sun is published quarterly by Access Media Group.

All works contained herein are the property of the North Beach Sun and/or its contributors. Opinions, responses, and inquiries are always welcome. You can email us directly at editor@northbeachsun.com or sound off at NORTHBEACHSUN.COM.

about the cover: From counter tops to candle holders, this concrete tri-colored planter is just one example of the diverse work being done by the dynamic duo behind Opus Stone. Story on page R24. Photo

by Ryan Moser. this page: Photos top to bottom by Ryan Moser, Daniel Pullen, and Cory Godwin Productions.

R5 NORTHBEACHSUN.COM

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NORTH BEACH SUN REAL ESTATE HOLIDAY 2017

welcome

home 2017 Parade of Homes One of the winning entries from SAGA Realty & Construction. Located on Bay Drive in Kill Devil Hills, it's an example of their Harbinger plan. Photos courtesy of Milepost Portraits.

The 25th annual Parade of Homes (which was held October 5th through the 8th) featured the diverse work of a dozen local builders who created a total of 15 unique, newly built homes that range in size from 1,240 to 10,010 square feet of living space, and are located everywhere from Corolla to Manteo. Here at the Sun we’d like to thank the Outer Banks Homebuilders Association for hosting this event every year, and extend our congratulations to this year’s winners for their overall expertise and ingenuity!

Judges’ Award of Excellence Winners

Salt House Designs, LLC Lenz Homes Neal Contracting, LLC Forrest Seal, LLC Albemarle Contractors, Inc. Finch & Co., Inc. People’s Choice Award Winners

Salt House Designs, LLC SAGA Realty & Construction Neal Contracting, LLC Costin Creations, LLC Finch & Co., Inc.

From the Editor Schrödinger’s cat (as it’s colloquially known) is a famous thought experiment that dates back to the 1930s.

If you’ve never heard of it before (or only vaguely remember it from some Philosophy 101 course), it essentially goes like this: First, a cat’s put in a solid steel box. Next (again, in theory only), you add some radioactive material, a Geiger counter and a vial of cyanide that will only be released if any radioactive decay is detected – and the chances of that happening are 50/50.

Then, you wait.

After about an hour has passed, according to Austrian physicist Erwin Schrödinger, the cat is either alive or dead – it absolutely, positively cannot be both.

But here’s the rub. According to quantum physics – which has proven this to be true, at least on a molecular level – until you open the box and see it for yourself, the cat is actually perfectly healthy (and presumably very angry at you for shutting it up in a box) and also, well, decidedly less so.

Point being that until an experiment is completely over, and final, observable results are on display, there’s no such

thing as a perfectly defined state. Instead, says science, things can absolutely, positively exist in more than one state at any given time.

That might seem like an odd (or, at the very least, circuitous) way to introduce this edition of the Sun, but perhaps the biggest takeaway from the paradox raised by Schrödinger’s cat should be that there are stories everywhere, and in every field, that have the ability to make us stop and think. About how the universe works and life in general – but perhaps primarily – about how there are very good reasons to question what we believe we know with unconditional certainty about, well, everything.

In this issue we took a walk through the coastal ghost town, turned state park, of Wash Woods – which the author poetically describes as occupying a liminal space that blurs the line between past and present (R18). In our home spotlight, author Kelley Shinn writes about how the process of preserving a beloved Ocracoke house brought a village together – and only added another chapter to the ongoing story of their community (R14). And in our feature article, we sat down with the dynamic duo behind Opus Stone – a

husband-and-wife team who are pushing the boundaries of what can be imagined and created with the unexpected medium of concrete (R24).

I’m no physicist, but it seems to me that – more often than not – things are in near-constant flux. Many of the stories in this issue not only highlight that idea, they embody it.

So my question would be, what happens if we never stop experimenting, thinking, and asking ourselves what if and what’s next?

We may never have those observable, conclusive results in hand to prove that things are absolutely, positively one way or another, but we may have something even better: The chance to throw seemingly established “rules” out the window, to go completely outside the box – and, yes, to recognize that the world is still so very, very full of the potential to surprise us.

It may not be magic, but it sure can feel that way sometimes.

I hope you enjoy the issue!

-Amelia Boldaji NORTHBEACHSUN.COM

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real estate

Kitty Hawk The last of the ambitious multi-town beach nourishment project was completed in Kitty Hawk in early fall. Contractor Great Lakes Dock and Dredge had already finished widening the beaches in Duck, Southern Shores and Kill Devil Hills.

town report

What’s happening in your town? Here’s a report from all over the Outer Banks.

Compiled by Catherine Kozak

The Kitty Hawk portion stretched along 3.58 miles of shoreline from Southern Shores to Kill Devil Hills, costing $18.2 million. Dare County shared the cost of the entire project with money from its dedicated beach nourishment fund. A portion of the county’s six percent occupancy tax is set aside for the fund, which can only be used for sand placement, beach plantings and sand fences.

Kill Devil Hills

Currituck County

Duck

County Commissioners voted unanimously in favor of a resolution asking the North Carolina General Assembly to repeal the state law that provides an 80 percent tax credit for solar farms.

Preparation for construction of the first phase of the bicycle and pedestrian multiuse trail improvements in Duck Village began in the fall, according to the town website. The project encompasses the east side of Duck Road between the existing Duck Trail north of Four Seasons Lane and Duck Deli.

The resolution states that solar energy development within the county took more than 2,200 acres of land with real property investment worth $210 million in 2015 – and the solar power farms were assessed a combined business and personal property tax of $210,600 rather than the $1,008,000 another commercial development without the tax credits would have been assessed. According to the resolution, solar projects reduce open space and useable farmland and create visual impacts, so therefore the host community should receive the full economic benefits of such development.

A beautification project is being planned in Corolla that will install landscaping along the N.C. 12 right-of-way from the Currituck County line to Corolla Village.

The project, designed by Laughing Gull Design Studio, includes the purchase and installation of plants, trees and shrubs at six designated locations along the highway, as well as maintenance and watering during a one-year warranty period. The work is expected to be complete by May 2018.

Planned improvements include a dedicated bike lane, landscaping and a sidewalk along the east side of Duck Road. Work will also involve utility relocation, installation of medians, and the enhancement of reflective crosswalks on Duck Road.

Some portions of the trail will be closed as needed. Most of the work will be done this winter and is expected to be completed by early May 2018.

Southern Shores The town council is considering allowing an amendment to its ordinance that would permit prior-approved residential structures to use habitable accessory space. The space would be limited to a maximum of 6,000 square feet of an enclosed living area, as long as it’s above flood level specifications. The matter was sent back to the planning department in October for minor language changes and is expected to be voted on by year’s end.

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NORTH BEACH SUN REAL ESTATE HOLIDAY 2017

The town’s 250,000-gallon water tower that can be seen off U.S. 158 just south of the Dare Centre will soon be replaced with a larger, 400,000-gallon tank. A 180-foot monopole will also be installed to hold antennas that are on the current tank.

The Kill Devil Hills Board of Commissioners approved plans for the replacement in October. Bids for the estimated $3 million project are expected to go out by this summer.

Nags Head The town has applied for a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to renourish 10 miles of oceanfront beach in 2018 with 2.3 million cubic yards of sand, according to its website.

The town is recommending a tax rate of $.175 for 2018 or 2019 in the municipal service district (which includes the ocean-vicinity properties that most benefit from beach widening), while keeping the townwide rate for beach nourishment $0.027.

Dare County will provide about $12.6 million from its shoreline management fund – at least half of the anticipated $25.6 million project cost.

Nags Head’s 2011 beach nourishment project was expected to last 10 years, but a survey done after Hurricane Matthew in 2016 showed that the beachfront lost about 30 percent of its sand volume in the storm.

Manteo After 30 years at the post, town manager Kermit Skinner has announced that he plans to retire in June. Skinner, 63, said that he wanted to publicize his intentions before the upcoming town elections so it would not be perceived that he was unhappy with the results. He said he intends to stay on Roanoke Island, where he lives with his wife and numerous pets.

Dare County Concerns from Dare County officials about preliminary FEMA flood insurance maps has prompted the county to launch an education campaign, with the slogan “Low risk is not no risk,” which highlights the potential for the maps to underestimate flood risk. County Planning Director Donna Creef is urging property owners in previously high-risk zones to maintain flood insurance policies even if they’re no longer required to under the new maps, which are expected to be finalized in 2018.

The county is also working with the Outer Banks Home Builders Association to develop models that reflect a range of flood hazards in an updated flood prevention ordinance for unincorporated areas.

Contractors with the N.C. Department of Transportation will be doing deck maintenance over the winter on both the Virginia Dare Memorial Bridge and the Wright Memorial Bridge.

Work on the eastbound lanes of the Virginia Dare Memorial Bridge which crosses Croatan Sound between Manteo and Manns Harbor began in October and was scheduled to be completed in November. Work on the westbound lanes is scheduled on weekdays in November and December, with traffic to be detoured along U.S. 64 through Manns Harbor and Manteo over the William B. Umstead Bridge.

On the other side of the county, work also began in October on the Wright Memorial Bridge that spans the Currituck Sound between Kitty Hawk and the Currituck County mainland. Traffic was rerouted to the westbound lanes, which have already been repaired, to allow workers to repair the deck of the older eastbound lanes, with the speed limit reduced to 45 mph. The work is expected to be completed by mid-May.

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R9

real estate

real estate & business

briefs Compiled by Catherine Kozak

2017 Marks Centennial of Historic Station Twiddy & Company, with real estate offices in Duck and Corolla, celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Wash Woods United States Coast Guard Station on Oct. 20. Owner Doug Twiddy purchased the historic station and its outbuildings from a private owner in 1988. Today, the restored oceanfront station at North Swan Beach serves as the company’s Carova office, while the adjacent boathouse provides a family retreat in the off-road community. The Wash Woods Station was built by the U.S. Coast Guard in 1917 and was decommissioned in 1955.

Kitty Hawk Clinic Closes Sentara Albemarle Medical Center announced on October 2 that it will cease providing services at its Kitty Hawk location on Dec. 15. The nearly 30-year-old healthcare facility has been plagued with structural problems and air quality issues, according to Sentara’s website.

Healthcare services will continue to be provided at Sentara Family Medicine Physicians in Manteo and Sentara Cardiology Specialists in Kitty Hawk, as well as its clinic facilities in Moyock and Elizabeth City. Inter-hospital ground transport and the Sentara Nightingale air ambulance will also remain available.

Theatre of Dare Venue Likely Lost Forever The community auditorium at the College of The Albemarle in Manteo has been closed because of severe mold growth, and the high costs of removal makes it unlikely that it will reopen. The auditorium was built in 1958 as part of the former Manteo High School campus.

That leaves the Theatre of Dare (the Outer Banks’ community theater group that began in 1991) searching for venues throughout the county to perform during its 2017-2018 season. An appeal has been made to Dare County for assistance in finding a new location.

Iconic Kelly’s Restaurant to Be Replaced with Grocery Store After 32 years in Nags Head, Kelly’s Restaurant & Tavern is planning to close its doors at the end of November. In the decades it has served the Outer Banks, Kelly’s has posted sales of more than $72 million, filled more than 1,200 year-round jobs, and hired more than 600 seasonal workers. The popular Kelly’s St. Patrick Day Parade will go on for at least another year, says owner Mike Kelly. Also, he will continue to run his two restaurants, Mako’s in Kill Devil Hills and Pamlico Jack’s in Nags Head, as well as Kelly’s catering company.

The town has approved construction of a 36,000-square-foot grocery store at the site off the U.S. 158 Bypass at milepost 10. The retail store will be operated by Lidl, a German grocery chain that expanded this year to the U.S. According to a Feb. 15, 2017, article in Business Insider, Lidl stores are a hybrid similar to Trader Joe’s, with a focus on low prices and quality not quantity.

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NORTH BEACH SUN REAL ESTATE HOLIDAY 2017

Lightweight Plastic Shopping Bags No Longer Against the Law on the Outer Banks Ignoring widespread opposition on the Outer Banks, lawmakers in Raleigh voted during the recent legislative session to repeal a ban on plastic grocery bags used by retail stores on the barrier islands. The repeal was a small part of House Bill 56, which included a series of environmental measures such as funds to study a controversial chemical polluting the Cape Fear River and funds for shoreline protection.

This past September, Gov. Cooper vetoed the bill, but the Republican-controlled legislature – which has a veto-proof majority – voted on Oct. 4 to override the veto.

Despite support for the ban from many of the Outer Banks’ local businesses, citizens and governments, the bag ban repeal was tacked onto the environmental bill by state Sen. Bill Cook, a Beaufort County Republican who represents the Outer Banks. The repeal measure was introduced earlier in a House bill sponsored by state Rep. Beverly Boswell, a Dare County Republican. The ban, which also required stores to provide paper bags to customers, had been in effect since 2008 and only covered the Outer Banks' oceanfront communities in Hyde, Currituck and Dare counties. Boswell and Cook said they supported the N.C. Retail Merchants Association arguments that the ban cost jobs and was ineffective.

Discussions are planned throughout Dare County on how to address the impact of the repeal.

Late Outer Banks Hotline Director Honored The Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce announced that Lynn Bryant, the former executive director of Outer Banks Hotline, was posthumously awarded the 2017 For the Love of the OBX Award. Formally known as the Citizen of the Year Award, the honor for lifelong achievement and passion for the Outer Banks was sponsored by First National Bank. Bryant, also a psychology teacher at the College of the Albemarle, was instrumental in bringing the Coastal Studies Institute to the Outer Banks. She passed away last February in Manteo.

Long-Time Dare County Community Newspaper to be Sold The Coastland Times, owned for decades by the Meekins family of Roanoke Island, announced on Oct. 18 that it has been sold to Outer Banks Newsmedia LLC. The majority owner of the company is Steve Stewart, a former part-time resident of Manteo and vice-president of Boone Newspapers Inc. of Tuscaloosa, Ala. Former Times publisher and editor, Francis Meekins Sr., who was an active member of the community, passed away in 2010. According to the newspaper, the sale is expected to close by Dec. 1, and The Coastland Times will continue to be published twice weekly and maintain offices in Manteo and Nags Head.

sun salutations Joe Lamb, Jr. & Associates Beach Realty & Construction Beach Realty Recognizes Top Agents Beach Realty & Construction is pleased to announce the top three producing sales agents this year-to-date. Congratulations to Ilona Matteson, Tammy Russell and Danielle Taylor. Tammy Russell was named the September and October agent of the month and has closed more than 30 transactions so far in 2017. Tammy leads the Beach team in listing volume sold, listing units sold and total units closed.

Beach Realty & Construction is a full-service real estate company offering real estate sales, vacation rentals and new construction and remodeling.

For more information, contact salesteam@beachrealtync.com.

Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty Heather Sakers Named Top Producing Agent for Kitty Hawk Office Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty is pleased to announce Heather Sakers as the Top Producing Agent for the Kitty Hawk office. This award is based on closed sales volume for the period of January 1 through September 30, 2017. “Quite simply, Heather is the best real estate professional we have ever been associated with,” says a recent 5-star review. Heather can be reached at (252) 599-6814 or heather@cbseaside.com.

Heather VanderMyde Team Named Top Producing and Top Listing Team Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty is pleased to announce Heather VanderMyde and Team as the Top Producing Agent for the firm. This award is based on closed sales volume for the period of January 1 through September 30, 2017. Heather is also the firm’s leading listing agent, based on properties listed during the same period. “Heather has a strong reputation in the OBX area for being the most talented, knowledgeable and personable realtor in the area,” says a recent 5-star review. Heather can be reached at (252) 202-2375 or hvandermyde@gmail.com.

Mary Ann Palmer Earns SRS Designation Mary Ann Palmer earned the Seller Representative Specialist (SRS) designation, recognized by the National Association of Realtors as the premier credential in seller representation. The SRS designation elevates professional standards, enhances individual performance, and recognizes real estate professionals who demonstrate the knowledge and skills essential in professionally and ethically representing sellers. Mary Ann can be reached at (252) 599-6577 or maryannpalmer3@gmail.com.

Coldwell Banker Seaside Agents Attend RSPS Certification Course

Joe Lamb, Jr. & Associates Welcomes Bobby Williams Joe Lamb, Jr. & Associates welcomes back Bobby Williams. For 17 years Bobby worked for Joe Lamb Realty full time and then 18 years of working for Joe Lamb Realty part time, for a total of 35 years. Among other things, Bobby owned his own association management business during the years he worked part time for Joe Lamb. Specializing as a buyer’s agent, listing agent and in investment properties, Bobby has returned full time. He is excited to be back in real estate and looks forward to serving new clients and established ones. He can be reached at (252) 207-9075 or bobby@joelambjr.com.

SAGA Realty & Construction Tammy Aycock Celebrates Five Years with SAGA As the former office manager and current principal broker in charge of SAGA Realty & Construction, Tammy wears a variety of hats, as she balances the requirements of individual departments into a singular forward direction of the company and their clients. “I love the construction and real estate business because it creates an opportunity to meet and serve a wide variety of people. I am a walking encyclopedia of construction knowledge, and I enjoy sharing my 25 years of experience with others,” says Tammy.

Gracelyn Mirick Celebrates 11 years with SAGA Being one of the “SAGA originals,” Gracelyn has been involved in several areas within the company. Today she is an integral part of the construction team, from permitting to obtaining certificates of occupancy.

Originally from Newport News, Gracelyn resides in Kill Devil Hills with her husband, Fred. A licensed N.C. Real Estate Broker, Gracelyn also has a BA from Christopher Newport University.

Sun Realty Sun Realty Recognizes Recent Agents of the Month For the month of June, Jackie Ricks-Sample was top agent. Jackie has been with Sun Realty since the company opened in 1980, and she brings not only a wealth of experience, but also a high level of customer service and integrity. Congratulations, Jackie!

Hugh “Scooter” and Gerri Willey of the Willey Real Estate Group were top agents for the company in both July and August. Scooter has been building and investing in real estate since 1985. The Willeys are known for empowering their clients with knowledge and providing excellent, stressfree service. Way to go, Willey Real Estate Group!

Coldwell Banker Seaside agents David Perrot, Mary Riddick, Lisa Strydom, Mike Pringle and Becky Rockis completed the Resort & Second Home Property Specialist (RSPS) certification course. This course focuses on the knowledge and skill base that real estate professionals need to specialize in buying, selling, or managing second homes in a resort, recreational and/or vacation destination and buying or selling properties for investment, development or retirement.

Coldwell Banker Seaside Welcomes Sunny Berle Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty welcomes Sunny Berle to the Kitty Hawk office. Sunny has been on the development side of real estate for the past four years on the Outer Banks and is looking forward to helping clients purchase and sell. Sunny can be reached at sunny. berle@gmail.com or (813) 480-0445.

Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty Welcomes Pattie Sexton Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty welcomes Pattie Sexton to the Elizabeth City office.

Newly licensed, Pattie is enrolled in the comprehensive Coldwell Banker® Launch online training program. “I believe a house is not just a building, but a place where life happens. I feel it is a privilege to serve my clients by helping them find their home so they can begin to enjoy their journey and a new beginning.” Pattie can be reached at pattiesexton@cbseaside.com or (910) 624-0384.

NORTHBEACHSUN.COM

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real estate

A well-staged home can make all the difference for potential buyers.

As if the beauty of the beach

wasn’t enough to attract buyers to your Outer Banks home like moths to a flame, there are still a few things you can do to spruce up your home if you’re thinking about selling. There's a good chance that you've heard of "staging" before if the time has come to move on to another home – so here are a few helpful tips to have potential buyers ready to sign that contract in no time.

Of course, you might think your home already looks great, but put your nostalgia, comfort and memories aside, and take a step back to imagine yourself walking through that front door for the first time again.

What do you see? Does the color scheme invite your attention? Is there an abundance of everyday clutter that goes unnoticed by you or your family? Does your furniture and its arrangement encourage visitors to enter and enjoy exploring your home?

To be sure you are putting your home’s best foot forward, you can invest a small amount of money for a cost-effective way to get a quick sale – or if you feel that you don’t have the knack for that sort of thing, there are professionals who make a living staging homes to better appeal to prospective buyers.

For most buyers, they can only imagine what they actually see, not what can possibly be, so whether you are looking to do-it-yourself or to hire a pro, here are a few areas that you should focus on to stage your Outer Banks home for selling.

Begin with curb appeal. It’s your home’s first impression on potential buyers, and it plays a big role in drawing them in. Ensure that your lawn and garden look great, tidy away

Sold! any toys, lawn equipment or extraneous lawn furniture, and be sure to keep your yard free of trash and debris. And if you aren’t ready to invest in painting the entire exterior of your home, consider freshening up the front door and making sure that your house numbers are visible. It will make a big difference. Add a few potted plants to the porch or flowers by the mailbox for an additional, alluring touch.

By depersonalizing your home, you open up the opportunity for potential buyers to envision themselves living in it.

Begin in your foyer (as it’s the first room your visitors will see) and continue throughout the house, putting away any personal items to allow potential buyers the chance to imagine putting their own personal spin on the space.

Accentuate the architectural aspects of your home by removing excess furniture and arranging the remaining furniture to accent details such as fireplaces and unique views.

By removing furniture and other obstructions, you will also allow potential buyers to move around the house both naturally and comfortably.

Upstaging the Competition When Selling Your Outer Banks Home

By Abby Stewart

Fix anything that might be broken, as buyers tend to look for flaws to negotiate a lower price on the home. No matter how minor the problem might seem to you on a daily basis, to a potential buyer it could indicate that something more serious lies beneath the surface. Play it safe, and take care of that leaky faucet, wobbly staircase knob, or loose bathroom towel rack. It will make a bigger difference than you might think.

Update what you can, and are willing to, put money into.

A fresh coat of paint goes a long way, and if you’re not sure what color to choose, a neutral palette is a good bet. Flooring is essential, so if you need to replace or repair carpet, wood or laminate flooring, make those improvements before showing your house for the first time. New hardware in your kitchen and in the bathrooms and doorways especially will provide an added enhancement that won’t go unnoticed.

By doing these things you can highlight your home’s strengths, downplay its weaknesses, and showcase its potential in order to attract the next new owner of your beautiful Outer Banks home!

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RELIANTNC.COM R12

NORTH BEACH SUN REAL ESTATE HOLIDAY 2017

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NORTHBEACHSUN.COM

R13

home spotlight

preserving more than an old home The village of Ocracoke is no more than a mile long in any direction. It's hard to get lost.

If, by chance, you were to get lost, then there's no doubt you'd find yourself ambling past one of Ocracoke's more than 200 nationally registered historic places. Each of these structures – most of them private homes – come with a story that is touched by pirates, shipwrecks, times of war, or simply good food and gatherings. In these stories, it is easy to get lost.

Four years ago, I became the first non-native to own the Charlie W. Garrish Sr. Family House, circa 1913. The home is located behind the British Cemetery, a cemetery named in honor of the British soldiers who lost their lives when a German U-boat sank their ship during World War II. The soldiers who washed up on the shore are buried there. Once a year, an ambassador from Britain returns to the island, and there is a ceremony R14

NORTH BEACH SUN REAL ESTATE HOLIDAY 2017

to commemorate the historic event and the men who gave their lives. I can sit on my "pizer" during the ceremony (the O'Cocker term for porch, from the Italian piazza) and listen to the bagpipes and the stories that carry through a buffer of live oak trees.

The Charlie W. Garrish Sr. home is a traditional "story and a jump" house that was favored on the island from the 1800s through the early 20th century.

The one-and-a-half story home, like many other island homes, has had additions made to it throughout the years – and like the Ocracoke family homesteads of old, there are several outbuildings on the property.

As the tourist industry grew in the second half of the 1900s, many of those homesteads were divided into lots and sold to "dingbatters" (the O'Cocker term for folks not from around here, including me). So it was a very difficult decision for the three brothers who still owned their family home to sell it to me. In fact, when the eldest brother told me that the land could be split

Photos by Daniel Pullen Story by Kelley Shinn

into three lots, my reply was, "Why in hell would anyone want to do that?" We shook hands shortly afterward.

The house, known on the island as "Conk & Micky's" (a reference to the beloved parents of the three brothers who lived here for 50 years), is sturdy. It has withstood 104 years of hurricanes. In 1960, Hurricane Donna heavily flooded the house and 27-year-old Mildred Garrish, who later became known as Micky O'Neal, refused to come down from the second floor because a large black snake was swimming halfway up the stairwell. In 1973, it was raised six feet above ground onto cinder blocks for the first and only time. It has never flooded again. (Knock on wood.)

Since day one, I have been keenly aware of what an honor it is to be a steward of this home and its history.

Many babies were born in this house, and a few adults passed away here. There has been laughter and sorrow and bearing witness to the passing of historical events on this homestead. When the men play bagpipes and

the shotguns go off in a 21-gun-salute during the annual British Cemetery ceremony, I think of the folks who lived in this house before there was this small live oak buffer, before there was a paved road and cars. Who sat on the pizer then, watching the bodies of soldiers as they were buried in the front yard? These things matter.

So, when I moved in to find leaks in the roof, a rotted girder, mold isAs word of the project sues, and faux-wood interior panspread, the villagers eling (circa the 1970s) that was – both native and nonsplintered and falling away from native – began to come the interior wall, I grabbed a crowout of the woodwork. bar and some friends, and began to tackle it. Eventually, we tore through four layers of flooring and five layers of wall. Under all of those layers of linoleum, subflooring and paneling was a bevy of bead board, heart pine and red oak floors, a cache of marbles in between floors, and an old photograph of one of the brothers perfectly preserved behind the brick and mortar where the woodstove sat – all the residue of memory rising to the surface.

I knew we'd found the original flooring when outside light shone through the floor in a few select places: Old Outer Bankers almost always drilled holes in their floors to help prevent the structures from being carried off their bases when flood waters rose. It may not be a coincidence that those holes are perfectly stopped up with wine corks.

In the structure of the gutted home, we found pieces of shipwrecks (distinguished by shape, cut and color), and

wood from the old Cherry Point Military Base in Havelock, some 70 miles south. We also found wood from one of the crates that carried the famous Sears, Roebuck and Company houses-in-a-box that were distributed just after WWII – and we used that to make a kitchen island.

We made the kitchen counters from Conk's outdoor fish carving table, which he made from cable ties that he procured from the electric company, where he worked most of his life. In the old days, wood was scarce on the island, and folks combed the beach and wherever else they could for supplies. We tried to do the same when restoring the house, using as much from the old homestead as we possibly could. We wanted to preserve its story.

As word of the project spread, the villagers – both native and non-native – began to come out of the woodwork. They told stories of times they'd spent at the homestead – dancing, shucking oysters by the ditch in Conk's backyard kitchen shed, laughing. There was always laughter. The homestead had been a gathering place for many villagers, and they not only began to share their stories with us, but they brought us wood, an antique door, whatever they had that matched our needs, whatever they had to keep those memories alive.

While I'm in this home, I plan to keep the gathering place alive – full of the same laughter that has kept these hearty people going through tough times. And maybe, one day, someone else will sit on this pizer telling stories, and I will be one of them, a voice floating through the live oaks, a heart left over in a piece of wood.

Images of the Charlie W. Garrish Sr. Family House, including a front view of the home, the kitchen counters and an island made from reclaimed wood found in the house during restoration, the backyard canal (or, what old-timers still refer to as “the ditch”), and an image of the house’s current owner, Kelley Shinn, sitting underneath a marker commissioned by the Ocracoke Preservation Society to identify the house as being listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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real estate

Passing T hrough T im e The Story of Wash Woods

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NORTH BEACH SUN REAL ESTATE HOLIDAY 2017

A liminal space is a threshold between past and present, the beginning and the end. It’s a place of transition and change that also feels familiar in a way that can be difficult to pinpoint. In liminal spaces, reality feels altered and ethereal, and the veil between what was and what is going to be thins.

The more developed our world becomes, the There is now a fence marking the state line; a harder it can seem to find these types of places. But barrier that stops vehicles from continuing north there is a tiny bit of land here in this area that hovers on the beach in North Carolina, or from doing the between two states – and seemingly between two same via Ocean Pearl Road in Carova. There are worlds – where the past and the future blur together only a precious few who hold keys to the gate bein the most organic way. tween the two states. At one time they were given Cradled by Sandbridge to the north and Corolla out to full-time residents on the North Carolina side to the south, Wash Woods straddles a line still so they could continue to use the park property to marked by stone monuments placed there nearly travel to Virginia. The keys could be willed to rela150 years ago. In the 1700s, when William Byrd II first tives, but that practice is no longer allowed, so the surveyed the land, there was no visible distinction Carova landowners who still have a gate key now will between North Carolina and Virginia. Sandy dunes be the last. Then the only traffic through the remains gave way to maritime forests, which turned into of Wash Woods will be by foot or bicycle, and the ocmarshes that emptied out into what is now called casional State Park Service vehicle.

Since being designated a state park in 1966, the the Currituck Sound. The birds and the wild ponies didn’t have much use for lines and latitudes, but hu- nearly 4,000 acres of land has been restored to its mans did, and for more than a century that nebulous natural pristine beauty. What were once pastures line has been the topic of some contention. cleared for grazing cattle are now healthy wetlands, No Outer Banks history is complete without bare dunes have been covered once again with live a shipwreck, and like many of its oaks and loblolly pines, and there’s Over the decades, neighboring villages, the original an abundant and thriving populacommunity of Wash Woods was tion of native wildlife. But the memharsh conditions, mostly built using the timbers of floods and isolation ory of humans is everywhere you vessels lost to the Graveyard of the turn in the park, even if you somedid not make life Atlantic. Generations of survivors times have to move a branch to see easy for the hardy passed down ghost stories about it. families who made the cries of drowning children The skeleton of an old wooden a full-time living in heard in the trees, and told tales of skiff serves as a miniature wetland how the land had been cursed by ecosystem.

Wash Woods. the men who had died.

All that’s left of a once-vibrant Over the decades, harsh conchurch is a cedar shake steeple restditions, floods and isolation did not make life easy ing on a carpet of pine needles. for the hardy families who made a full-time living in A short-needle Virginia pine, not native to this Wash Woods. That said, through the first half of the part of the state, stands alone along a sand path.

20th century the community was at one point 300 A cemetery sits in the middle of the woods, the people strong, thriving with a grocery store, a school gravesites marked with whelk shells. and a church – and you could even grab a beer and A tree grows up through the hood of a rusted spin the roulette wheel at Three Balls Tavern. There Studebaker. was an active lifesaving station that employed many All subtle reminders that we were here. Wash of the men, and residents also labored as farmers, Woods may have been left a ghost town many demade decoys, fished and acted as guides for visiting cades ago, but it certainly doesn’t feel deserted.

To the north, Wash Woods and False Cape waterfowl hunters.

Wash Woods was given its name for good rea- State Park transition into Back Bay National Wildlife son, though. It was not uncommon for the water to Refuge, then Sandbridge, and finally the busy resort rise and flood from sound to sea, inundating the area city of Virginia Beach. To the south, Wash Woods with brackish water that ruined crops and destroyed merges with Carova and technically ends at the lifehouses. By the 1930s there were not many full-tim- saving station that bears its name. From there, the ers left in the community, in 1955 the Wash Woods sandy roads lead to Swan Beach, and then several Lifesaving Station was decommissioned, and the miles farther, the hard-surface road starts in Corolla.

Wash Woods is a primitive in-between space, Ash Wednesday Storm in 1962 was the final straw for most of the remaining residents. By the 1970s the bookended by humanity and civilization on either state of Virginia had acquired all the land from the side. It’s a place where permanence seems to be unNorth Carolina state line up to Sandbridge in Virginia achievable; the one place from Hampton Roads to Beach. Today the remains of Wash Woods are locat- Nags Head that refuses to be settled. Maybe it’s a ed inside False Cape State Park, the last right of emi- curse, and maybe it’s not, but either way it’s hard to nent domain park established in the country. argue against the otherness of Wash Woods.

Photos by Cory Godwin Productions Story By Meg Puckett

Images left to right, top to bottom: A still-deteriorating shed; Official trails wind through what is now False Cape State Park; An abandoned car rusts away in the woods; What remains of the Wash Woods church steeple is now enclosed for preservation purposes; The wooden footprints of houses; The fence that marks the state line; A stone monument from the 1800s commemorates the 1728 land survey that established the state line; Headstones in the old Wash Woods cemetery; The roulette wheel from Three Balls Tavern is on display at the park’s visitors’ center; According to local lore, Mary is Wash Woods’ resident ghost; False Cape State Park manager, Kyle Barbour, oversees the remains of Wash Woods; A headless vintage duck decoy stranded in marsh grass.

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real estate

Switched On One Man’s Quest to Go Solar

Photo by K. Wilkins Photography / Story by Catherine Kozak

When the power goes out, Mike Wilkinson powers up. Or more accurately,

his 24-watt solar power system does it for him.

Not only does the system of rooftop solar panels and batteries provide enough energy to keep his lights on and his refrigerator humming indefinitely in his Nags Head home, it gives him peace of mind and lower power bills.

“I don’t want to stand in line for my food,” Mike says while contemplating his 1,600-square-foot elevated ranch tucked off a quiet cul-de-sac in the South Ridge subdivision. “I’m a fan of a cold beer and a steak.”

But his real motivation for installing solar power eight years ago went beyond concern for his own comfort. Losing electricity became more than an inconvenience after his wife was diagnosed with cancer, he says.

“When I looked at the reasoning of it, if you lose power for a few hours, it’s not such a big deal. But if you lose it for a week or a month, that’s a different story,” he says. “Refrigeration and lighting are two necessities during an outage.”

Initially, Mike looked into the purchase of a whole-house generator. But the cost was high – about $3,500 to $5,000 – and the fuel storage requirements were unrealistic for an extended outage.

“It was never going to give me any return on my investment,” he says, recalling his rationale at the time. “It was just going to sit there until the power went out.”

Then his friend suggested rooftop solar panels, which were eligible for federal and state tax credits and would eventually pay for themselves in electric bill savings.

A tinkerer and craftsman by nature and trade, Mike, who works as a boat builder at Bayliss Boatworks in Wanchese, was intrigued by the challenge and the practicality of using solar as a power back-up. He didn’t want his wife having to deal with fueling up a generator when he wasn’t home, and he didn’t want to deal with running out of fuel because the gas stations had no power. Solar struck him as a reliable, environmentally friendly alternative.

“I had a fuse lit under me, and I decided I was going to do it,” he says.

It was a big commitment – nearly $10,000 – but for every $1,000 he invested, he got back about $640 in tax credits.

Plus, he was using less grid power.

“Almost all of my thinking was long-term,” he says. “I knew my investment in the system was going to pay off in eight years, and I knew I would still have refrigeration and lighting during an outage.”

Showing off his system, Mike points to the dozen dark blue 200-watt panels bolted at an angle on his roof, totaling 2.4 kilowatts of electricity. From the panels, two banks of six individual cables lead into the attic and down to a circuit box.

As he winds his way under the living quarters, through a garage and a carport, and past his workshop, Mike, 46, casually acknowledges the four vintage cars in various stages of restoration: a 1967 Dodge Dart, a Dodge Coronet, a 1970 Plymouth Duster and a 1974 Dodge Barracuda.

“I stay busy – idle hands are the devil’s workshop,” he says matter-of-factly. Unsurprisingly, Mike also assembled and installed the solar system himself, although he insists it was not difficult.

“Because I’m in the marine industry, I was able to get a lot of cable and wiring out of the recycling bin,” he says, pointing to a 50-amp power cable. “My boss gave me his blessing to salvage whatever I could use.”

When Wilkinson bought the solar panels in 2008, they cost $2.33 a watt. Now they’re about 58 cents a watt. His whole system cost $7,050. With tax credits, the costs were equivalent to about $5,000.

“So those circuits are taken out of the breakers that are on the main panel and taken to a sub-panel,” he says, explaining the connection between the circuit breaker and an unremarkable-looking controller with a screen that resembles a fancy thermostat. That mechanism includes an inverter and a link to the main grid.

“This is the brain – it controls the system and will determine whether the selected circuits on the sub-panel are running off of power from the grid or power from the batteries,” Mike continues. “It’s completely independent.”

Two 12-volt banks of batteries, connected together to make 24-volts, are stacked near “the brain,” and a certified licensed electrician has inspected the whole low-voltage setup.

When the sun rises in the morning, the system determines how much charge the batteries need. Excess power will push back on the grid and slow down his meter, Mike explains.

He unplugs one cable connection. “By unplugging this, I’ve disconnected from the grid and now I’m running on solar,” he says. “It switches over so fast. The only reason we know the power is out is because the smoke alarms chirp.”

The screen on the controller shows when the power is inverting and how much power is being produced, how much is being used, and how much he's buying and “selling” – or, more accurately, It was a big saving – in energy usage. commitment – Outlets in the kitchen, bathroom nearly $10,000 and living room were also retrofitted, and he purchased LED light bulbs to – but for every further save energy. He cooks on a gas $1,000 he stove, and heating and air conditioninvested, he got ing are only grid-powered. back about $640 “When I did this, I started acting like my father and went around the in tax credits. house turning off the lights,” he says.

“Just because you have solar and batteries doesn’t mean it’s unlimited. It made my system more efficient, and it lowered my power bill.”

Combined with using low-energy lights and monitoring his power usage, Mike says that going solar has reduced his power bill an average of $50 a month. “So it has really made sense economically,” he says.

Better still, he’s got his electricity back-up. Even his patient wife, Trish, has seen the light.

“She wasn’t really into it until we lost power a while back,” Mike says, recalling the utter darkness in the neighborhood.

“She was sitting here drinking a glass of cold wine and watching television and she said, ‘Hey, this isn’t so bad.’”

Mike Wilkinson at home in Nags Head with his selfassembled solar array.

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reflections on retirement

By Glen Baldwin

What? You, Too? To paraphrase a famous C.S. Lewis quote, “Friendship is born at that moment

other here through a variety of activities such as Hand and Foot (I know – a disgustingly named card game); classes like wine glass painting at the Baum Center; visits to the Outer Banks Fishing Pier (we all love the music, the wait staff, and the view); shopping excursions in Duck, Corolla and even Williamsburg (we ladies will go anywhere for a sale); and, of course, dancing.

Sparks from many sources can light a fire, and lighting the flame of friendship is no different. Over the years, the initial spark that has drawn

me to people has changed, but the outcome has not. Companions bring such richness to our lives. Of course they provide social pleasure, but far beyond that is the sharing of affection, of common beliefs, and especially of comfort in these retirement years, comfort in knowing that we're not alone as we face this late phase of our lives.

Whatever the reason may be for our choices, like the warmth of a cozy campfire, friendship brings joy; and for so many friends – often for so many different reasons – I give thanks.

Glen Baldwin is a wife, mom, and grandmom who’s spent the past 45 years as an English teacher, greenhouse grower, and real estate agent. Living here at the beach now, she’s waiting to see what her next career will be.

when one person says to another: ‘What? You, too? I thought I was the only one.’”

For me, this is so true. From Maine to the Outer Banks, I’ve gathered friendships based on some of the common bonds I've discovered with other women.

Of course, as a young child our common bond we were all strapped economically (and nothing was simply the neighborhood where we built snow binds you like shared poverty!). Consequently, rathforts and slid down snow-covered hills. Religion, pol- er than expensive restaurant and movie excursions, itics and philosophical conversations didn’t deter- our families shared camping experiences, movie mine who we played hide and seek with. rental nights and weekend hikes.

I suppose my choice of friends became more As our children entered their teen years, even sophisticated by my teenage years, however. At 14, I more friendships developed through high school met Judy because we both played the French horn music and sports boosters. We cheered our kids side-by-side, neither of us striving to be very good on through games, many of which ended in wet(which is a polite way of saying we didn't give a hoot). cheeked losses; passing the tissue box around the As a matter of fact, we were terrible, choosing on oc- bleachers was one more way to connect. And there's casion to depart from our bandleadnothing quite like a four-hourer's choice on page five, and instead, long car trip north in a blizzard after muffled giggles, blatting out with other parents to watch sparks from our choice on page eight. For shame. your child's team lose a basketmany sources Looking back, I suspect it may not ball game! That's not just bondhave been just the instrument that ing; it's a nightmare. can light a fire, we had in common, but a need to be Five years ago, however, and lighting with the children grown and a different, to stand out (or should I the flame of say, act out). Still, I give Judy credit for move here to the beach, I found friendship is no bringing out a bit of derring-do in me myself looking once again for different. pals. Thankfully, in a matter of that I’ve hopefully channeled to better use in my adulthood. months, my husband and I disAs a young mom in my twenties, I covered common ground with met Julie and Judy (a different one), many folks on the Outer Banks. women I'm still friends with today in spite of the Through our church, we met wonderful people who miles that separate us. The basis for those relation- introduced us to shag (we love to dance!). Joining ships was our early dependence on one another for the Outer Banks Shag Club on Monday nights support as we raised our kids in the middle of rural brought us into contact with even more fun people Maine. We gathered often, frequently replenishing (two of whom are also from Maine – and you know our teapots as we came up with child discipline solu- how folks enjoy having a shared history, especially tions, shared holiday recipes, exchanged craft ideas when it involves a funny Yankee accent and a love of and confided the occasional marriage hiccough. the Patriots!).

Because we had chosen to be stay-at-home moms, More than a dozen of us now connect with each R22

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real estate

A Medium of Many Means opus: (n) Any artistic work, especially those on a large scale.

When David and Julie Bancroft set about crafting a new piece of work, the possibilities are endless – and the result can be both flexible and lighter than granite. If you guessed some sort of plastic or other processed material, try again.

We’re talking the world of concrete.

But not everyone thinks about using concrete to make pieces of art. Generally speaking, the word alone calls to mind images of loud, crusty trucks churning away while workers put the finishing touches on driveways or sidewalks.

“It’s so much more than that,” Julie explains with a smile. “The medium of concrete has been very popular in Europe and Australia for quite some time. Here in the States, folks tend to think of it as some rough material that will crack and stain, when in actuality it can be made smooth, cool and chic.”

As far as getting people on board? “Well,” she says, “It’s only a matter of changing people’s perspectives.”

And that’s exactly what Julie and David have been doing over the past two years with no employees – just each other, a couple of rubber aprons and the radio on full blast, making it happen.

Although Opus Stone is a relatively new R24

venture, David has an extensive background in the construction industry, and, as Julie explains, he’s always been artistically inclined.

“Anytime he sees something that’s beautiful, he wants to learn how it works,” she says.

“And in his field he was constantly noticing spaces that weren’t being used to the best of their ability.”

“I was inspired by seeing how other artisans were beginning to use concrete as a medium,” David adds. “And we wanted to do something different that no one else on the beach has been offering.”

After ruling out a number of schools that were too far away (the couple has two daughters), David finally found The Concrete Countertop Institute, which hosts classes all around the world, but is based out of Raleigh. Taking a leap of faith, the Bancrofts invested heavily in the necessary equipment, and David enrolled in an intensive course at the institute where he was able to work with well-known engineer Jeff Girard – a pioneer in the process of using Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete (GFRC).

Sounds a bit like a new NASA program, right? Not quite. However, the materials are dynamic enough that the

NORTH BEACH SUN REAL ESTATE HOLIDAY 2017

International Space Station could be outfitted with some of the Bancroft handiwork.

“GFRC is lightweight, pliable, and it can literally become whatever you want it to be,” Julie explains. Which is great when one considers how many unique spaces exist in a home and how hard it can be to find the right materials to fill them.

And the process from prep to finish is nothing short of a labor of love.

“Most commonly we’re working on countertops, sinks, benches, tables, hearths or fireplace surrounds,” Julie says. “First we meet with the client to find out what they’re looking for and to choose a color or

colors, the thickness and the finish. We can do everything from matte to gloss, and we can even leave it as a creamier finish or grind the surface to expose more of the aggregate for a unique look.”

The next step involves taking measurements and creating original forms. And from that point forward, the concrete begins to flow.

David and Julie Bancroft recently crafted this teal blue concrete counter top for a poolside cabana as part of a joint project with Urban Cottage interior designer, Amy Crisler, and contractor Storm Coast Homes. Beside them are a variety of Julie’s more delicate work – from coasters to candle holders. Below: By using lots of different molds, Julie can create planters in a variety of shapes.

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Photos by Ryan Moser / Story by Fran Marler The first layer in the form is a mist coat, followed by many thin layers of GFRC. When the concrete has cured, the form is removed and the polishing process begins, along with any grouting or acid staining. A final sealant is applied, and voilá! The result is a modern work of art.

Did we mention they can also add things like a glow-in-the-dark detail? Or craft benches that look like real wood?

As with any trade, the early days were filled with lots of trial and error – and perhaps a bit of concrete.

“We actually started out experimenting in our garage,” Julie says with a laugh. “There I was barefoot, covered in concrete with colors flying everywhere. There’s no telling what the neighbors thought we were up to.

Thankfully, there were no complaints!”

But now, after a few years, lots of practice and endless research to keep their game on point, David and Julie have put Opus Stone on the forefront of custom home decor.

Homes and businesses from one end of the beach to the other are showcasing just how cool and artistic concrete can be.

And it doesn’t end with larger-scale home decor. Julie has even taken it a step further.

“We always have excess uncured concrete lying around,” Julie explains. “And then one day I had this ‘Aha!’ moment. I thought, why can’t we take all this extra material and

make something?”

While concrete can be large in character, Julie has shown that it can also be paired down to create delicate pieces for every space, inside and out.

“My first experiment was a little planter,” Julie says. “But I literally look at everything as a mold these days – from silicone and 3-D molds to things I just happen to find in grocery stores, thrift shops and the Dollar Tree.

I’ve been able to create everything from soap dishes to trivets, ring holders, wine coolers and all sorts of seasonal home decor.”

At this point Opus Stone has its own Etsy shop and can be found not only in local stores but also in stores as far west as Detroit – and so far they’ve shipped their pieces all over the U.S. and to international locations such as Canada, Norway and Australia. They even have a workshop in Point Harbor that they moved into last May…and they’re already outgrowing it.

Above all, the creativity and passion that David and Julie put into their craft is palpable.

“We love what we do,” Julie says. “We love getting dirty and being covered in concrete. Our clients are always challenging us and pushing us to new limits, and we have new ideas and visions everyday. It’s truly endless – and we’re excited to see where it takes us next!”

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MOOD BOARD

A Master Suite Oasis

Compiled by Amelia Boldaji

Local certified interior designer Amy Hilliker Klebitz recently took to the drawing board to create a cozy and inviting master bedroom perfectly suited for Outer Banks living – and relaxing.

“Designing locally lends itself to adding coastal touches,” Amy says. “So I wanted to work with a color palette that evokes the ocean and the sand.”

To keep things interesting, Amy incorporated a number of different textures, including hardwoods such as the flooring (1) and the slatted ceilings (2), which complement textiles like cloth wallpaper (3) and a blue-hued area rug (4) – plus other accents such as a modern leather bench (5) placed at the foot of the bed.

She also put an emphasis on different lighting sources, incorporating a centered chandelier (6) and bedside pendant

lights (7) to keep things soothing. The floating nightstands (8) and a pillow-covered window seat with roman shades (9) allow natural light to flow through the room.

A few other details round out the space, such as monochromatic artwork (10), a coral sculpture (11) and bedside books (12) – in addition to a fireplace (13) and a comfy bed with an oversized headboard (14).

A computer-generated 3D rendering of the room shows the master suite in its finished state (above). “It’s so realistic that it almost looks like a staged picture,” Amy says with a laugh.

“But it really only exists in my head.”

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4

6

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fab under $50

The Hobbit Hole

By Amanda McDanel

battery powered lights vintage book pages

window cut out security system comfy accessories

Harbor McDanel enjoys the cozy space of her very own "Hobbit Hole."

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NORTH BEACH SUN REAL ESTATE HOLIDAY 2017

There is a six-inch scar that runs horizontally across my stomach. It’s

faded a bit, but it’s still visible, a little rigid and red. It marks the spot where the doctor sliced open my bulging belly seven and a half years ago when our first daughter, Harbor, entered the world. Her sister, Avalon, made the same passage just two years ago. The responsibilities of pregnancy, childbirth, two separate 18-month nursing stints, late nights, early mornings and the daily chore of chasing two whirling clouds of noise with dirt on them has taken a toll on my body. It’s the sign of motherly love. Yet, the moment when I really, truly realized how much I LOVE my children was the moment I decided to write this article.

When I first moved in with my husband, he had a 900-ish-square-foot beach box on stilts with oversized outdoor bamboo furniture in the living room and two large 65-pluspound dogs. Long story short, I immediately implemented the "woman's touch," and the bottom of the house was enclosed in order to give us a total of three bedrooms, two bathrooms, two living areas and a home office (and no outdoor furniture indoors).

Spacious, right? Except the transition between the two floors is the laundry room – a.k.a.

Mount Laundrymous – with several tall storage cabinets against one wall, a folding table on the opposite wall, and a cozy nook underneath the stairs that holds the hot water heater and the largest storage area we have in the house. It’s home to extra blankets, pillows, sleeping bags, replenishment paper towels and toilet paper, picnic baskets, out-of-season throws and soft coolers – so pretty much the equivalent of two linen closets in a normal house. Oh, and our dog hides under there during every thunderstorm because it’s her safe space.

So the moment I declared that we should turn the space under the stairs into a hideout/playroom for the girls I knew that: 1) My love for my children knows no bounds, and 2) I had lost my ever-loving mind. Who gives up the biggest storage space in a home with literally NO storage space so that a two and seven-year-old have a special place to read, watch videos and have tea parties? #SUCKER. But growing up, my cousin had what we affectionately called “the hole” underneath her basement stairs.

Essentially, my uncle had simply boxed in the stairwell and then cut a small square in the fake wood paneling. We only had a single light bulb with a pull cord and a few old towels for sitting on the cold concrete, but to us it was a perfect secret hideout where we relished telling stories, eating PB&Js, and torturing the family cat out of parental sight.

Those memories must have evoked a sense of responsibility to recreate that for my own children (or perhaps it was a few too many glasses of wine), so Mr. McD and I took it upon ourselves to build what we’ve decided to refer to as the “Hobbit Hole.” Underneath the stairs turned out to be a great place for us to carve out a children’s-only play area, but a walk-in closet, a small bifold door closet, or a dormer area would also work nicely. Depending on what type of space you use, this project can push the Fab Under $50 limit (the wood to frame the space, including the door panel, screws and the other materials we used was approximately $100), but since we consider ours a Christmas gift to the girls, we decided it was worth it.

Once it’s framed, you can really customize the interior according to your little one’s interests. For toddlers, putting in a small swimming pool filled with balls can create an out-of-theway ball pit. If you have a little artist, you can buy a fold-down-style table/desk that mounts to the wall from Overstock.com for about $40.

Repurposing a crib mattress as a bed inside the space allows room for lounging, watching movies or quiet reading. Play kitchens also work well, and can transform the space into a mini house or restaurant. For little ones with lots of stuffed animals, hang a mesh hammock from the corners to corral all of their cuddly buddies. We used a combo of these ideas to include a space for reading and watching movies, as well as an art/homework space with a fold-down work station.

Lighting can be a challenge in a small space though, especially if there are no electrical outlets, so we decided to get battery-powered tap lights and used Velcro adhesives to attach them to the ceiling. Battery-powered string or fairy lights can also be strung across the space to make it look like stars at night. If you do have access to power outlets, consider adding Christmas lights or a small lamp to provide some ambiance.

For the walls, get creative! You can paint the interior with chalkboard paint so the children can literally color on the walls, or mount a piece of Plexiglas on the wall so the little ones can draw on it with washable or whiteboard markers. Because we are huge book nerds over here, I took pages from my favorite vintage children’s books and used Mod Podge to create some nostalgic wallpaper.

Whatever you choose to do, carving out a special space just for them will allow your kids to create enchanting childhood memories – even if it does require the sacrifice of space. And who knows? Maybe one afternoon they’ll walk in to find Mommy taking a much-needed nap in the magical little hobbit hole.

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real estate Southern Shores Soundfront – High, elevated home with spectacular sound views from great room, dining room, kitchen, both screened porches, and both sundecks. All bedrooms have a private bath.

Outdoor, covered lap pool, hot tub, and a wide, lengthy pier with benches. $945,000. #8579.

classifieds Kill Devil Hills – 3 lots available near the Nags Head Woods Preserve. Lots of new homes on this street.

Starting at $67,900. Multiple MLS. Brindley Beach Vacations & Sales (252) 261-7550.

Carova Beach Semi-Oceanfront – 8 BR, 8 FB, 2 PB. 4-wheel drive area. Amazing ocean views, elevator, theater room, pool, hot tub and beautiful furnishings.

MLS #96741, $749,000. Call Joanne at Beach Realty & Construction, (252) 453-3131.

Ocean Sands Oceanside – 7 BR, 6.5 BA. Tons of new updates including new kitchen, granite in the baths, flooring, theatre chairs, hot tub. The list goes on and on. MLS #97902, $739,000. Call Joanne at Beach Realty & Construction, (252) 453-3131.

Kitty Hawk – Commercial rental space. Lease is calculated at $18/sqft. Referral calculated at 1 month rent. Was East Coast Game Rooms. Possible warehouse space available. MLS 97905. Brindley Beach Vacations & Sales (252) 261-2186.

Whalehead Oceanside – 7 BR, 6.5 BA. Great rentals with plenty of living space, large pool, hot tub, and volleyball court! Direct ocean access down Shad St. MLS #94897, $524,900. New price! Call Danielle at Beach Realty & Construction, (252) 261-6600.

Nags Head Oceanfront – 8 BR/8.2 BA. 5,008 square feet. MLS#97688. $1,955,000 with over $220,000 in annual rental income. Ocean views, elegant upgrades, all masters, home theater, game room with pool table, heated pool, hot tub and newly expanded back yard. Call Barry Breit, (252) 2021043 at Carolina Designs Realty.

Duck Sandhills Oceanside – 6 BR, 5 FB, 2 PB. Stunning sunsets, large game room, pool, top floor master suite and a short bike ride to charming downtown Duck. This home has it all. MLS #98132, $529,900. Call Ilona at Beach Realty & Construction, (252) 261-6600.

Duck Oceanside – 6 BR/4.1 BA. 3,229 square feet.

MLS#97654. $665,000. Views, elevation, amenities and the makings of a perfect vacation. Schooner Ridge has a first-class gym, indoor pool and 2 outdoor pools. Call Gray Berryman, (252) 573-9503 at Carolina Designs Realty.

Carolina Dunes Oceanside – 4 BR, 2 BA. Very neat, clean, affordable and close to the beach in Duck.

Roof top deck gives wonderful views. Enjoy all that Duck has to offer. MLS #97603, $388,000. Call Jim at Beach Realty & Construction, (252) 261-6600.

Duck Soundfront – 6 BR/6.2 BA. 2,850 square feet.

MLS#98027. $875,000. Tremendous sound and sunset views from this classy all master bedroom home with private pool, hot tub and gazebo on the water's edge plus platform pier for crabbing and fishing. Call Stacey Baittinger, (252) 202-5588 at Carolina Designs Realty.

Kill Devil Hills – 17 vacant lots available in Carlyle on the Sound, a soundside community. Starting at $69,900. Varying MLS numbers. Call Brindley Beach Vacations & Sales (252) 453-3033.

Grandy – 255’ of road frontage on Highway 158.

Great Commercial location – level and ready for construction. $149,000. MLS 91893. Call Brindley Beach Vacations & Sales (252) 453-3033.

Edenton – Unique 5 acre soundfront lot w/a path in back that leads to the Yeopim River. $143,000.

MLS 91911. Brindley Beach Vacations & Sales (252) 453-3033.

Duck – Oceanfront lot next to Southern Shores.

30,200 sqft. Short walk to downtown Duck. Ideal investment property. $1,240,000. MLS 97350.

Brindley Beach Vacations & Sales (252) 261-7550.

Powell’s Point – One acre, semi-soundfront home site located on a quiet side street. Sound views. $75,000. MLS 97422. Brindley Beach Vacations & Sales (252) 453-3033.

Corova – Oceanfront in 4-wheel drive area. Huge stable dune line. Beach access to the north and south. $349,000. MLS 97459. Brindley Beach Vacations & Sales (252) 453-3033.

Nags Head – Great location close to Dowdy Park between the highways. Easy stroll to the beach.

Most affordable lot in Nags Head. $179,000. MLS 97519. Brindley Beach Vacations & Sales (252) 261-7550.

Corova – 4-wheel drive lot amidst live oaks and wild horses. Land adjoins federal land to the west and has conservation easement for the horses east. $155,000. MLS 97557. Brindley Beach Vacations & Sales (252) 453-3033.

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Kill Devil Hills – 112 Tanya Drive. Spacious one-level living with plenty of coastal inspired décor and accents. This unique home sits in between the highways in Kill Devil Hills. Close to public beach and a host of restaurants, shops, and attractions.

Offered at $267,500. Call Heather VanderMyde with Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty, (252) 202-2375.

Duck – 131 A Jay Crest Road. 2 story townhouse located in the sound front community of Nantucket Village, just minutes from Duck. The main level offers a kitchen, dining area, and large living room with a gas fireplace as well as a half bath, access to the 2-car garage and a screened porch. The 2nd floor has 3 BR including the master suite with a private sound view sun deck (amazing sunsets!), and 2 additional BR that share a full bathroom and laundry area. Offered at $299,900. Call Heather Sakers with Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty, (252) 599-6814.

Kill Devil Hills – 1406 Captains Circle. Soundfront home on Kitty Hawk Bay with easy access to the multi-purpose path. The first level features an open floor plan along with a master suite, sun room, laundry room and an additional master suite that is easily a lockout unit. Sundecks are on both the east and west side of the house. The west side also has a screened in porch. Access finished attic space through the eastside bedroom closet. Offered at $499,900. Call Melissa Morgan with Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty, (252) 202-5636.

Kitty Hawk – 4800 N Virginia Dare Trail. Welcome to paradise! 6 BR, 4.5 BA home is located at the corner of the beach road and Luke Street.

Overlooking the newly widened shoreline in Kitty

NORTH BEACH SUN REAL ESTATE HOLIDAY 2017

Hawk, there will never be new construction blocking your ocean views. The house was positioned to provide seamless ocean views. Extras include a concrete salt water pool, hot tub, outdoor shower, sink and bar, and sand volleyball court. Offered at $1,320,000. Call Cameron Mast with Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty, (919) 390-4537.

Duck – 115 Trinitie Drive. Located in the Port Trinitie subdivision just 2 miles north of Duck Village.

Contemporary floor plan offers an expansive great room on the top level along with an open dining area and kitchen. Large decks offer space for entertaining. Beautiful saltwater private pool and patio located in the large fenced backyard. Offered at $539,000. Call Lauren Rickard with Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty, (252) 202-2815.

Retail Space for Rent – Premium retail space available. St. Waves Plaza unit #1 is 3,074 sf., which was formerly a bank. It’s a turn-key operation with 2 vaults, ATM and security systems, etc. Units 8 & 9 are 2,200 sf. each of prime rental space. Call Carolyn H. Bibeau, (252) 562-2485 at Elan Real Estate.

Unfurnished Yearly Rentals – University Park Townhomes located in Powells Point, only 3 miles from the Wright Memorial Bridge. 3 BR/2.5 BA, 1450 sf., lovely back patio with storage, community pool with club house, playground and basketball court. Call Carolyn H. Bibeau, (252) 562-2485 at Elan Real Estate.

Furnished Rentals – University Park Townhomes located in Powells Point, offer fully furnished rentals for long term. Only 3 miles from the Wright Memorial Bridge. 3 BR/2.5 BA, 1450 sf., community pool with club house, playground and basketball court. Call Carolyn H. Bibeau at Elan Real Estate, (252) 562-2485.

Outer Banks and Currituck Mainland – Looking for a long term rental in a beautiful upscale townhouse community, or to buy or sell your real estate on the Outer Banks or Currituck mainland? Give Carolyn H. Bibeau or Janice Scarborough a call at Elan Vacations (252) 491-8787.

Nags Head between the Highways – 3314 S. Linda Lane. 5BR/5.5BA, 3,209 heated sf. MLS 98001, $635,000. Beautiful house that shows like new!

It’s all about the details with this property. 4 master bedrooms. Enjoy the pool and hot tub. Neighborhood dedicated path to ocean access. Call Shelley O’Grady, (252) 722-2786.

Kill Devil Hills between the Highways – 1511 Wrightsville Blvd. 4BR/2.5BA, 2,023 heated sf. MLS 97987, $369,000. This towering property makes for a great rental and is located near restaurants and shopping. Pool and hot tub to enjoy. Contact Bobby Williams, (252) 207-9075.

Nags Head between the Highways – 104 Hollowell Avenue. 5BR/4BA plus 2/half baths, 2987 heated sf. MLS 98171, $585,000. Ocean views, pool, hot tub and easy access to beach. This property has a consistent rental history and is a must see! Contact Bobby Williams, (252) 207-9075.

Kitty Hawk Canalfront – Custom 3BR/3.5BA home with views of the Albemarle Sound and Kitty Hawk Bay. Bulkheaded waterfront with boat lift and dock.

Features include an elevator, screened porch, patio, sun deck, 2-car garage, gas fireplace and custom kitchen cabinetry with quartz counter tops. $468,000. #8580.

Corolla – 879 Whalehead Dr. $1,095,000. MLS 98143. Extraordinary, one-of-a-kind oceanside home! 7 BR, 6+ BA. Call Jack and Carol Riggle, 252-457-6457. ResortRealty.com Corolla – 153 Salt House Rd. $2,075,000. MLS 96021. Stunning, Pine Island oceanfront home with outstanding income! 6 BR, 5.5 BA. Call Randy Jones, 252-202.2573. ResortRealty.com Duck – 120 Sound Sea Ave. $599,900. MLS 96435. 250 ft. to the ocean access. Pool, hot tub and more! 4 BR, 3.5 BA. Call Cheri Beacham, 252202-6998. ResortRealty.com Kill Devil Hills – 3117 N. Virginia Dare Trail. $449,900. MLS 98164. Must-see oceanfront bargain! 4 BR, 2 BA. Call Michelle Gardner, 252715-1911. ResortRealty.com Nags Head – 114 W Seawatch Ct. $1,100,000.

MLS 98039. Gorgeous semi-soundfront and golf course! 7 BR, 7+ BA. Call Mike and Stacy Siers, 252-489-3861. ResortRealty.com

Run Hill Luxury Apartment Villas – The Outer Banks’ first and foremost luxury apartment community features casually elegant living accommodations with an array of first-class amenities. Located in the heart of Kill Devil Hills, the community offers 1, 2 & 3 BR apartment villas with optional garages available. Estimated completion for the first phase is early spring 2018. Now accepting priority reservations. Call (866) 364-9534 or visit www.

RunHillApartments.com.

Southern Shores Oceanside – Great 4BR/2.5BA home only two lots back from the ocean. The upstairs kitchen/dining area can be made private from the adjoining living room with dual pocket doors. Enjoy a maintained walkway within steps from the home going to the ocean. Low traffic area with no roads to cross. $449,000. #8454.

Corolla Westside – Bright and airy 3BR/2.5BA Currituck Club home with a huge wall of windows in the living area looking out into the wooded common area. Beautifully decorated with a private pool, screened porch and hot tub. Wonderful community amenities! $344,000. #8524.

Southern Shores Westside – New construction in 2017! 3BR/3BA low country style ranch home with an optional fourth bedroom on a private cul de sac in Chicahauk. Bright, open and spacious 2,114 square feet of space with one level living if desired. $484,900. #8551.

Southern Shores Westside – Great sound views from this high 5BR/3.5BA home. Located in the desirable X flood zone, this 3,300 sqft. home has vaulted ceilings, gorgeous hardwood floors, a huge living area, large screened porch and a 2-car garage. $624,900. #8557.

Southern Shores Oceanfront – Classic historic 3BR/3BA oceanfront home in fantastic shape.

Accented by lovely tongue and groove woodwork throughout with a vaulted ceiling and wood burning brick fireplace in the living area. Remodeled kitchen and a large screen porch on the ocean side.

Handicap accessible walkway to the beach with a large dune top deck with seating. $1,099,900. #8571.

Kill Devil Hills between the Highways – Great commercial location with a stop light at the corner of Helga Street and the 158 Bypass. Currently being used as a retail store, but has many endless possibilities. Large 30x52 retail space with 30x40 living area upstairs with 2BR/1BA, full kitchen and office. $499,995.00. #8587.

Southern Shores Westside – Elegant 6BR/5.5BA home that sits on a high dune, and won the NC Builders Parade of Homes Award for New Construction. Private heated pool, hot tub, and Tiki bar. Other features to enjoy are the game room and home theater. $699,000. #8588.

Southern Shores Westside – Exceptionally wellmaintained 6BR/4.5BA within easy walking distance to Hillcrest Beach. Enormous private pool, beautifully decorated home with numerous porches and decks, and screened porch. Recent upgrades include new heat pumps. $569,000. #8591.

Kill Devil Hills Westside – Great 3BR/2BA home in a great location. Beach box with a cathedral ceiling in the living area, plenty of cabinet space, new dishwasher, finished sunroom with a wall heater and window air conditioning unit. New carpet in sunroom and interior stairs. Attractive wood laminate Pergo floors in the living area and hall. Outside deck recently replaced w/Trex style boards. $249,900. #8589.

Duck Oceanside – Fantastic opportunity in the heart of Duck. Beautifully maintained 6BR/5.5BA home conveniently located near Duck shops and restaurants. In ground private pool and hot tub, wonderfully landscaped yard, AND only 560 yards to a private beach access! $624,900. #8609.

Nags Head Westside – Perfect 4BR/2BA family home in an established neighborhood in move-in condition. Large family room w/gas fireplace, main level laundry, built-in book shelves, and updated kitchen appliances. Nice wooded lot with fenced in back yard and shed for extra storage. Covered front porch and one car garage. $309,000. #8618.

Corolla Westside – Undoubtedly one of the most impressive homes in Monteray Shores and Corolla.

The former showcase model home is built with state-of-the-art designs, materials, appliances, elaborate tile work, upgrades and furnishings. 6 BR/ 5.5BA exquisite home with fantastic HOA amenities. $599,999. #8604.

Corolla – Oceanside, 6 BR, 4 full and 2 half BA, located in Ocean Sands. MLS #94942, $549,000.

Contact Paul Sabadash at (252)453-8811 ext. 8232 or PaulSabadash@SunRealtyNC.com.

Kitty Hawk – Soundside, 3 BR, 2 full and 1 half BA, located in Kitty Hawk Landing. MLS #96188, $338,000. Contact Mary Fouty-Davis at (252)2613892 ext. 5232 or MaryDavis@SunRealtyNC.com.

Kill Devil Hills – Between the highways, 3 BR/2 BA, located in Kitty Hawk Shores. MLS #96516, $293,900. Contact Madonna VanCuren at (252)441-8011 ext. 3232 or MadonnaVanCuren@ SunRealtyNC.com.

Avon – Soundside 4 BR, 2 full and 1 half BA, located in Kinnakeet Shores. MLS #97576, $309,900. Contact Mike Wynn at (252)995-5821 or MikeWynn@SunRealtyNC.com.

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NORTH BEACH SUN REAL ESTATE HOLIDAY 2017