BALD HEAD ISLAND — Are you looking to build a new home? Need a little creative inspiration for your home decor, or just window shopping for your dream house? Then pay a visit to the “2017 Southern Living Idea House,” located just a short boat ride away on Bald Head Island.
Over the past several years, Southern Living magazine has worked across the southeastern U.S. to construct and showcase “the ultimate southern home.” This year, the group ventured to the Carolina coast, bringing their sense of style to the island’s “upscale” Cape Fear Station neighborhood.
Nestled between the Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Ocean, Bald Head fits the definition of an “island retreat.” The island is only accessible by water. Except for police and maintenance vehicles, there are no cars on the island. Residents and visitors get around by golf cart, bike, or their own two feet.
It seemed like an appropriate location for the magazine, which had set out to create its “dream beach house.”
“We want to create the ultimate Southern home, and I feel like we’ve been able to do that,” Southern Living Editor-in-Chief Sid Evans said. “The reason we’ve been able to do it is because of the team of people that came together to make it happen.”
According to Southern Living’s Misty Chandler, the group teamed up with Brunswick County construction company Whitney Blair Custom Homes, developer Bald Head Island Limited, Moser Design Group Inc. and Coral Harper Interior Design, to create a home that was stylish, in addition to being environmentally conscious.
The Idea House, located at 204 Whale Head Way, is designed to “provide creative ideas and inspiration for visitors,” with signage and information throughout the home on specific fabric designers, artwork, furniture, and appliances.
“The strategy of how this house was designed and laid out, and how it breathes and flows with the materials I used, were designed around living freely,” designer Eric Moser said. “I hope that this house makes sense, that it flows well, that it’s comfortable, that it’s not contrived, it’s authentic.
“Otherwise, quite frankly, I hope just hope folks will want to kick off their shoes, throw open the doors, plop down someplace, and just say, ‘ahh,'” he said.
At two stories high and 3,281 sq. feet, the home features an “L” shaped design, with a second story catwalk connecting the main part of the home to a “crofter” (room) above the garage.
Wrapped in porches and windows, the home is bathed in natural light, providing a view of a meticulously maintained landscape, which drops back into the islands “lush” maritime forest.
Supporting Bald Head Island
“The Southern Living Idea House is an important marker in the island’s development,” said Charles Paul, III, CEO for Bald Head Island Limited. “It will bring great exposure to the island, but most importantly is consistent with the Mitchell Family’s legacy of sensitive land planning and architectural design in harmony with nature.”
According to the Bald Head Island website, of the island’s 12,000 acres, only 2,000 allow for development, leaving 10,000 acres of beaches, salt marsh and maritime forest protected for visitors to enjoy. The island is also rich in history, with the states oldest lighthouse, “Old Baldy,” dating back to 1817.
A portion of ticket sales from the Idea House will go toward the Old Baldy Foundation, which works to protect and maintain the 200-year-old lighthouse.
Tickets are $15 for adults, and free for children under 12. The home is open Wednesday through Saturday until Labor Day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.
The home will be open weekends throughout September and October.
Plans for the home can be purchased through Southern Living, and specific information on interior design can be found on its website at southernliving.com. For more information on Bald Head Island, visit baldheadisland.com.
Get in touch with Reporter Cory Mannion: follow him on Facebook, Twitter, or send an email at cory@localvoicemedia.com.
