N OT E WO R T HY
TAKE NOTE WITH IMAGINATIVE DESIGNS AND TANGIBLE CREATIVITY, THESE SKILLED ARTISTS AND ARCHITECTS ARE LOOMING THE FABRIC OF THE TRIANGLE. PRODUCED BY ANNE MARIE ASHLEY
NATE SPRANKLE
JAMES COLLINS LARRY DEAN
Born in Oxford, North Carolina, Larry Dean was destined, it seems, to be an artist. After his mother, a talented painter, became blind at thirty-two, she encouraged Dean to become a musician. He still plays piano today, and even has his own band called North Tower. In 2001, at the urging of his wife, he took his first acrylic art class. Soon after, he began selling his paintings. “I’ve spent my life traveling the region as a musician, and I’m constantly stopping to take pictures for future paintings,” says Dean. Exclusively represented locally at ArtSource, Dean’s work covers a variety of landscapes, but he has gained quite a following for his depictions of local landmarks and popular parts of Raleigh. This year, he plans to hone his work on nocturne paintings. artsourcefineart.com
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HOMEDESIGNDECORMAG.COM
Architect James Collins has been designing gorgeous homes in the Triangle for over twenty-five years. In 1999 he founded his own firm and dedicated his career to classical and traditional design projects. His knowledge of historical preservation and architecture is unmatched and his talent for weaving European and American elements together can be seen in every detail of his home designs. Collins’ elevations are evocative of English country homes and rural French farmhouses, which emit a sense of comfort and heritage to the surrounding Triangle landscape. “It is comforting to help create spaces where people and families live the most meaningful part of their lives: living, raising families, retiring.” explains Collins. “This year we get to work on Dutch Colonial, Georgian Revival, Carolina Low Country, and French Norman homes, as well as a few additions to Historic District homes.” jamescollinsarchitects.com
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: SARA COFFIN PHOTOGRAPHY; AURA MARZOUK PHOTOGRAPHY; COURTESY OF LARRY DEAN.
A native of Chapel Hill, woodworker Nate Sprankle is busy carving a niche for himself in Raleigh. After realizing a desk job stifled his innate creativity, Sprankle set out on a journey that wound him through trim carpentry in Charlotte and building a tiny home in Colorado. He landed back home in Cary, where he builds high-end custom furniture for clients and designers. “Combining my supply chain background with my love for design and carpentry has been the best decision I’ve made, and I’ve built Sprankle Custom Works from the ground up,” says Sprankle. Naturally, the orders for tables, chairs, and custom pieces have been rolling in. “I enjoy a variety of requests, but I love doing variations of my original designs while also keeping solid wood tables as my sweet spot.” spranklecustomworks.com
