The design team, consisting of Joe and Yumie Britt (homeowners), Big Sky Design (interior designer Leslie Stachowicz), Mark Saulnier (thoughtful and wise architect), and Dave Thomas (DPT Construction specializing in historic restoration and renovations), worked together to bring this once grand old beauty back to life.  Aside from the structural, water, and aging issues, the interiors demanded lightening and brightening. My only direction from the Britt’s was to keep it simple, “do what you think” and be thoughtful about the cost impact. This was not a home they were going to live in, this was a home that, we at Big Sky realized, they were restoring out of love, and this is how we approached the project.  The Britt family set the tone of this project by the way they completely trusted us as interior designer, builder, and architect, to do what we do and I believe we all took this trust as a gift and worked in that spirit.

Our approach to the interior design was to “keep it simple” but keep in mind the “grandness” of the home. We removed all the wall to wall carpet to expose the hardwood floor beneath it which we had refinished and stained a dark tone.  We salvaged, at the owner’s request, a portion of Granny’s carpet to bind into a rug to be reused in the Music Room.  The Entry foyer flows up to the grand upstairs hall so we had a faux finisher come in and add a beautiful pattern to the walls, based on a wallcovering design, that would help manage the scale of the space while adding subtle color and pattern.  The first floor ceilings were 11’6″ so we wanted to emphasize the height of the rooms by bringing the custom window treatments above the windows to direct the eye upward. As self-described “tile junkies” we were in heaven selecting the tiles and stone for the nine fireplaces as well as the for the renovated bathrooms. I could go on and on…..

When interior finishes started to go up, Dave Thomas emailed the Britts that the “Grand old lady is getting her lipstick on!”  I thought that was great!  Well, after 14 months of renovation we completed the interiors and are so proud of our work! We lightened and brightened, we updated, we refinished and faux finished, we reupholstered and even did some dusting and washing, and “Granny Alma’s house” came together beautifully.  Everyone was thrilled with the results!  It was truly a “labor of love.”

-Wilmington’s wine history dates back to 1870 with Castle Hayne Vineyard Company?
-Sol. Bear Winery had the biggest wine cellar in the South in 1902 producing 200,000 gallons of wine annually by 1904?
- New Hanover County was one of the first places you could purchase alcohol after the end of Prohibition in the State.

Big Sky is helping The Cape Fear Museum with a major fundraiser coming up November 7th. Perfectly paired appetizers will be served to highlight holiday favorites along with recipes to make your upcoming party planning a breeze.  

Sampled wines will be available for order the night of the tasting only- you have to be there to get these great deals!  There will also be exciting raffles for winery tours, gift baskets, and a 50/50 raffle.  Proceeds from the event will benefit the Cape Fear Museum so they can continue to educate the public about the importance of preserving our region’s history.

Tickets are available at the museum or by calling the museum at 798-4364 or online capefearmuseum.com, $55 for members, $65 for nonmembers.  Please rsvp by October 20th to enjoy this fabulous event!

Big Sky Design has been working hard with the museum planning Message in a Bottle. We have helped the museum previously with their 2006 and 2007 Galas but are really excited about this one. Come and join us for a tasting of “historic” proportions!!