Wilmington, NC
Carolina Place Bungalow
Kristina and I were walking to the gym one day and saw a free wicker table base and glass top by this house. We wondered if the house was about to come up for sale. It had renters in it since we moved to the neighborhood, 3 years earlier.
Two weeks later I was browsing one of my real estate listing apps, and there it was, this house, for sale. We called our realtor immediately. This home was right in our neighborhood - my commute to work could be walkable!
We had an emotional connection to this property…it was the same neighborhood we lived in and loved; we were afraid that one of the “cheap and cheerful” flippers would buy it and do a really low-grade reno. We saw what happens when the quick-and-cheap flippers come to the neighborhood–they don’t show much care or value in what they are doing, it’s about fast and cheap; cover things up and make it look good enough to sell fast. This is not how we do business
This house was is an early 1900’s bungalow at heart but over the years additions and renovations gave it a different feel and appearance, like the vaulted ceiling in the living room and kitchen area.
Instead of trying to erase its history, it’s story, we wanted to add to it, building upon where it started and where it currently was. This project was not about trying to make it feel like a 1930’s bungalow, rather it was an effort to embrace the decades that were represented in the home and give them some renewed life.
Carolina Place is a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places that is just outside of Downtown Wilmington. Carolina Place homes were constructed at the turn of the century and are made up of craftsman-style bungalows, Queen Anne, and classical revival-style architecture. Residents enjoy this close-knit community and it’s return to front porch living.
