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Home Team Advantage
home
Fancy Hogan adores this sitting room; it’s where she gets to show off her favorite color: pink.
Home Team Advantage
The Hogan family sought the help of local experts to renovate a Hope Valley house into their dream home
BY COURTNEY HAYES PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN MICHAEL SIMPSON
Fancy Hogan and Hobson Hogan – along with their sons, Nicholas, 16, Sutton, 13, and Reed, 10 – moved to the Hope Valley neighborhood from Governors Club in Chapel Hill in October 2020. After years of driving their kids to school at Durham Academy –“We were spending four hours a day in the car, at a minimum,” Fancy says – they decided it was time to ease their commute.
The Hogans built their last home from the ground up in 2005 and “wanted to find a house that we loved” closer to the boys’ school, Fancy
The bonus room is the perfect space for the boys and their dad to enjoy Ping-Pong, foosball and a Pac-Man arcade machine. On the other side of the room are deep sofas where they like to watch movies and play video games.
– hobson Hogan says, “but we were totally open to renovations, and we felt pretty strongly that any house we bought we’d have to do some renovations just to make it more to our liking.”
Their list of must-haves included a downstairs master suite, a modern kitchen and a mudroom and laundry room combination by an entrance. “We didn’t make those requirements necessary for our house,” Hobson says. “We were just looking for the ability for the house to incorporate that through renovations.”
There were several features that stood out to them about the home they ultimately bought in July 2019. One was the breathtaking beauty of the exterior. The floor plan fit what they were looking for, and the home had enough property on one end to turn a guest room into a master bathroom and closet. Plus, it had the space to create that mudroom and laundry room where their sons could drop off all their sports gear every time they enter the house. “From the outset, we knew it had great potential,” Hobson says.
Fancy and Hobson worked with a team of people to turn the house they bought into their 6,000-square-foot dream home, 900 feet of which were added on to the original footprint. Residential designer
Hutch Johnson of WHJ Design helped the Hogans determine what was possible from a structural standpoint, while Jeff Grau and
Danielle Quinn of Grau Building Company took on the task of renovating the home.
The Hogans remained in their Chapel Hill home during renovations, which kicked off in December 2019. A few months later, COVID-19 began affecting the construction timeline. “We were at a critical point of the project when the COVID lockdowns began,” Danielle says. “Not only did we have to keep everyone safe and healthy on the job site, but we also faced the real issue of not being able to get our hands on the products we needed when we needed them. But I am so proud of how our
All three of the boys play sports, so a big, lush backyard is a necessity. LEFT Caption BELOW Caption
team and the Hogans worked through these challenges together. We were able to finish on schedule, and the house is an absolute show-stopper.”
Once the major renovations wrapped up, Katherine Connell of Katherine Connell Interior Design and Mary Kate Bedell of Fresh Air Designs transformed the home into an inviting space that the Hogans could enjoy for years to come. “They wanted a comfortable family home that felt light and fresh, but was livable for their family of five,” says Katherine, who helped choose paint colors and plumbing fixtures, plus find decor and furniture throughout the house.
Mary Kate assisted with the cabinetry and design in the kitchen, laundry room, mudroom and bathrooms. Though the house is comparable in size to their previous one, it’s layout works better for the Hogans. “They wanted well-thought-
out organization and storage for all of their needs,” Mary Kate says. “Fancy and I worked diligently to make use of every inch of space – planning a place for each and every little thing while still creating beautiful areas!”
One of Fancy’s favorite spaces is the formal living room, which she lovingly refers to as “the Fancy room,” and looks forward to hosting friends there for pre-dinner cocktails when she’s able to have company over again. “My favorite color has always been shades of pink, and having three boys, I don’t get to use pink a lot,” Fancy says. “For this space, I said I wanted four pink chairs to face one another.” The soft pink chairs add a pop of unexpected color against a stunning marble fireplace and a modern black-andwhite printed rug. “My joke was that the only people who can enter this room who are male have to be 40 and older.”
Moving on to the kitchen, with its counter-to-ceiling marble backsplash, large island and gold hardware that shimmers against bright white cabinets, it became more than a place to cook – it’s also where the family likes to gather. “The new kitchen is such a dramatic change from the original in the house,” Mary Kate says. “The openness and bright nature of the space are welcoming and cheerful. It is wellplanned for function yet pleasing to the eye.”
Hobson’s office setup also received a boost in the move to Durham. “I got a big upgrade, personally,” says Hobson, who’s worked from home for more than 10 years
ABOVE Fancy sits at the vanity in the recently renovated master bathroom, which was once part of a guest room. RIGHT Hobson’s office is decorated with memorabilia from his favorite sports teams: the Atlanta Braves, UNC Tar Heels and the New Orleans Saints.
as a former investment banker who now manages private investments. “I now have my corner office, windows and all.” It’s also near the master bedroom in a quiet spot that’s on the opposite end of the house from the bonus room, where his sons like to hang out.
The bonus room gives them space indoors, but the boys are also enjoying a newfound freedom outside the home. “They went from having to have their parents be involved in every play date to shuttle them to and from it to now really having school friends and neighborhood friends,” Hobson says. “It’s
ABOVE The beautiful exterior of the home was a major selling point for the Hogan family, pictured right.
a totally different existence for them being able to bike and walk and do activities in the neighborhood.”
The couple applauds the team who worked together with them and are over the moon with the way their home turned out. “You hear all these horror stories about renovation, and we didn’t really experience those,” Hobson says. “You have to commend the team that we put together to help us along. … The final product speaks for itself.”
BIZBRIEFS
ON THE MOVE
Duke University Fuqua School
of Business alumnus Brett Wheatley was named CEO of TransLoc, which develops intelligent software and services for transit agencies, in March. “Efficient transit services are critical to the economy and the future of U.S. cities,” Wheatley said. “New developments in connected and autonomous vehicles will continue to improve how we travel, but their success is dependent upon how we integrate these services into our existing transit systems across cities, campuses and corporate enterprises and continue to provide equitable access. I’m excited to lead the talented team at TransLoc to meet these challenges and collaborate with Ford’s other mobility businesses to help ensure everyone has access to affordable transportation options.”
Disaster and crisis management company IEM added James Clark and David Andrews to its team in March. Clark serves as director of response and recovery and has more than 13 years of experience in the private and public sectors, including in Louisiana at the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.
Compiled by Madeline Taylor
Andrews serves as director of international homeland security and brings more than 20 years of experience, including at Alaska’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. “Clark and Andrews are incredibly accomplished emergency managers, and we are excited to have them join IEM,” said Bryan Koon, IEM vice president of homeland security and emergency management.
Knox St. Studios, a resource hub for entrepreneurs, appointed
Selena Haggins
as its executive director in March. She leads the organization’s educational program strategy to establish corporate partnerships for students to gain experience in the STEAM field. “… Now is the right moment for corporations to fund nonprofits such as this by offering professional development opportunities for free or at a deep discount for Black and minority students,” Haggins said.
Independent energy storage technology company FlexGen named Kelcy Pegler as its CEO in March. Pegler previously served as executive chairman of solar, roofing and storage software company Sofdesk. Yann Brandt was also named CFO after doubling the revenue of solar hardware company Quick Mount PV, leading to its acquisition. “There are no more excuses or limitations to creating a more intelligent power grid,” Pegler said. “Energy storage is a critical part of today’s energy transition and will create a cleaner and more resilient system.”
NEW ON THE SCENE
Brightway insurance agent Charvon Parker opened Brightway Insurance, The
Parker Agency
at 2606 S.
Miami Blvd.
in March. Brightway offers customized insurance needs from multiple brands. Parker joined the company in 2019 with more than 20 years of sales and customer service experience. “Many times customers come to me just to purchase insurance because it is something that they know is needed,” she said. “My goal is to educate customers about why it is important to insure and how the policy protects them and their families.” Biogen Inc. plans to build a gene manufacturing facility at its Research Triangle Park campus with hopes to grow its supply of therapeutic medicines for those with neurological or neurodegenerative diseases. The 175,000-square-foot space will be designed with advanced sustainability standards, and the company expects the site to create around 90 local jobs in addition to its 1,900-person workforce. It is slated for completion in 2023.
Durham Technical Community
College launched seven Guided Career Pathways, which provide Durham Tech students with clear paths aligned to their career interests, at the end of March. Students can shift among short-term, long-term and university transfer options within a Pathway with easier transitions. The launch of Guided Career Pathways comes after two years of planning and restructuring at the college and is based on a national Pathways model that has shown success in increasing student persistence and completion rates. The pathways are: Building, Engineering and Skilled Trades; Business and Entrepreneurship; Creative and Liberal Arts; Health and Wellness; Information Technology; Human Services and Public Safety; and Science and Math.
Google Cloud announced in March that it’s establishing an engineering site in Durham. It will initially sublease space in downtown under an agreement with Duke University and is evaluating several locations for its permanent home. The office will serve as a hub for Google Cloud’s engineering team and is expected to create more than 1,000 new jobs in the area and grow into one of Google Cloud’s top five engineering hubs in the U.S.
PARTNERSHIPS, ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS
Studio G Aesthetic & Family Dentistry and its sister company Triangle Mobile Dentistry partnered with The Forest at Duke retirement community earlier this year to take over its Medicare-certified dental clinic on May 5. Dr. TJ Dakermanji and Dr. Travis Hampton oversee the newly upfitted clinic, which offers on-site dental services for independent living residents and team members. Studio G, a Chapel Hill-based dentistry, is located 15 minutes from The Forest at Duke and also provides dental care to residents of record on days when the in-house clinic is not open and for emergencies.
Vestaron announced a partnership with Bee Friendly Farming (BFF) in March to promote their shared mission to protect honeybees and their role as agricultural pollinators. Vestaron uses peptidebased biopesticides to target invasive pests but not harm the local ecosystem and has gained a foothold with crops like almonds and pistachios that rely heavily on bees as pollinators. “Bee Friendly Farming is a natural partner for us at Vestaron because we share the priorities of working collaboratively with farmers to implement practices and technology that keep our bee populations healthy,” said Ben Cicora, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Vestaron. Vestaron will donate $30,000 to BFF during this three-year collaboration. Advertising technology firm Esquire Advertising partnered with furniture and mattress retailer Furniture First in March to supply Furniture First members with market strategies and insights for improved store performance. “With many markets rebounding from last year’s pandemic, our partnership will give members both the knowledge and tools they need to successfully understand consumer behaviors and tap into the industry’s growing consumer enthusiasm,” said Esquire Advertising Founder and CEO Eric Grindley, pictured.
MOVEMENT & DEVELOPMENT
Keen Decision Systems, a datadriven marketing company that helps businesses with branding, relocated to Frontier RTP in April. The company celebrated the milestone move with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting. Keen has been listed on Inc. 5000’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America since 2019, climbing 913 places in 2020 with a three-year growth rate of nearly 182%.
Brii Biosciences, a biotech company developing therapies for diseases, completed a Series C financing of $155 million in March. The company will use the funding to advance its infectious disease pipeline and central nervous disease program. Brii Bio is currently conducting several clinical studies for multiple infectious diseases, including COVID-19.
Vestaron, which develops environmentally conscious biopesticides, announced $18 million in Series B-1 financing, led by Northpond Ventures and joined by investors Cavallo Ventures, Novo Holdings, Syngenta Ventures, CGC Ventures and Anterra Capital. “This funding will allow us to build on our commercial success to date, delivering our innovations to more growers here in the U.S.,” said Anna Rath, CEO of Vestaron, “and, in the near future, Mexico and Canada, where producers are facing similar pest and environmental concerns.”
AWARDS & HONORS
Policygenius was recognized by Forbes for the second year in a row as one of the best startup employers of 2021. More than 10,000 companies are considered and of the 500 companies recognized, Policygenius is
FORECASTING
The Greater Durham
Chamber of Commerce
hosts its second virtual panel as part of its Take No Bull Women’s Series – a spinoff of the annual women’s conference – on June 17. Women who work in the male-dominated tech industry will share how they broke barriers to get to the positions they now occupy. Featured speakers are: Alisha Rene Johnson, technical lead at Black Girls CODE for the Raleigh-Durham chapter; Izzy Hinnant, web developer Kompleks Creative; Belindia Scott Taylor, network operations manager at Cisco; and Sally Scruggs, owner of 88 Creative Studio. A boxed lunch from a local restaurant is included in the registration as well as a Breaking Barriers swag item. members.durhamchamber. org/events/details/take-no-bull-breaking-barriers-june-17
among the top 40 overall and the top 10 finance companies. Three main areas were considered for selection: reputation as an employer, employee satisfaction and company growth. The online insurance company has headquarters in New York City and Durham. a Durham-based company that NetSuite bought six years ago for $200 million. Oracle acquired NetSuite in 2016. The last day of service for the email marketing program is slated for May 31, 2022.
Baebies, a company specializing in disorder screening for newborns, announced in March that it has delivered 10 million tests globally to newborn screening labs. The testing technology, called SEEKER, diagnoses lysosomal storage disorders. “This milestone translates to 10 million chances to save a life,” said Richard West, cofounder and CEO of Baebies. “While these diseases are rare, screening at birth is the fastest path to treatment and the best possible start in life.” One in seven babies born in the U.S. are currently screened using SEEKER.
Maria
Gorlatova, the Nortel Networks assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Duke University, was awarded a National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Award in March. The $550,000 award supports Gorlatova’s work, which uses nearby Internet of Things electronics to improve the performance of augmented reality (AR) devices, over the next five years. “To get to these ideal experiences, we first have to lay the foundational work, which is truly what this project is aimed toward,” Gorlatova said. “We’ll be examining how to let AR devices and users both have some control over some of the environment. … We want to create a new understanding of AR systems so that we can make them significantly more reliable than they are now.”
IN OTHER NEWS
Oracle NetSuite declared “end of life” status for the Bronto Marketing Platform created by Bronto Software,
WHERE INNOVATION MAKES ITS HOME DOWNTOWN
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