home of distinction
Pelican
Brief
by Marimar McNaughton
photography by Joshua Curry photography assisted by Alex Constantinou
styled by Liz Carroll styling assisted by Caroline Hood
O
n a wall inside this circa 1970s Wrightsville Beach house, matted and framed, are
four photos of the Pelican Drive cottage taken in successive decades.
Purchased about 10 years ago by a High Point couple, the cottage, fully
furnished, was conveyed as is.
The furnishings were dated, 1990s peach, blue, yellow, orange and green,
recalls interior designer Liz Carroll, who was consulted about a year and a half ago when the
homeowners wanted to remove the dark green wall-to-wall carpet and restore the hardwood floors.
As they walked through the house, Carroll learned more about the couple’s evolving family dynamic
— that three grown daughters were starting their own families — and realized a full renovation was
in order. They refurnished the house to make the space more livable, without creating expensive
additions. The result was more functionality for an active family of adults with room for a growing brood
of children.
Carroll was especially impressed by her clients, who insisted the furnishings be donated to two local
nonprofits: Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity’s Re-Store and Sharing Our Bounty.
Opposite: Outdoor curtains soften the hard angles of the open porch that overlooks Lees Cut and the
Intracoastal Waterway. In addition to blocking the sun’s rays that flood the indoor space at certain times
of day, Carroll says the curtains are a polite way to create privacy.
“What I love most about outdoor curtains is that it extends your living room,” Carroll says.
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WBM september 2013