Livable Luxury

In 1912, the Fidelity Trust & Development Company of Wilmington purchased a 600-acre tract of land for $35,000 and developed a planned neighborhood overlooking the Cape Fear River and Greenfield Lake. Its name was decided by a contest in which Wilmington Star circulation editor, Montrose Bain won $10 for coming up with Sunset Park. Upon America’s entry into WW1 in 1917, Sunset Park’s proximity to the shipyards helping with the war effort made it a viable community. Victory Home Company began purchasing lots and constructing homes for the increasing number of shipyard workers moving into the area. Throughout the years, many architectural styles of homes were built in Sunset Park including Queen Anne, American Craftsman, Colonial Revival, Cape Cod and Ranch.

Today, Sunset Park continues to be a sought-after location and is an official Wilmington Historic District listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Sunset Park was the selected community for this year’s Historic Wilmington Foundation Azalea Festival home tour. A church and eight homes participated including the Maples home, circa 1940.

Visitors raved over the Maples home’s newly refreshed interiors by Rileigh Wilkins of Big Sky Design and the outdoor areas transformed by High Tide Landscaping and Design’s Josh Merwin.

Homeowner and local real estate agent Thurston Dawson asked for high-end comfort. Upon completion, the design was coined livable luxury.

Cohesion in an intermingling of styles can be found here. Fresh paint, a touch of wallpaper, and a smart combination of well-placed furnishings and fixtures come together in a design delivering stylish, comfortable living.

“I wanted to create a more modern take on traditionalism. I didn’t want to fight the architecture of the home, I wanted to enhance what was there. I just couldn’t figure out how to tie it all together,” Dawson says.

He turned to Wilkins for assistance.

“Thurston is a regular customer of our studio,” Wilkins says. “He came in one day and said, ‘I need some help.’ We were seeking a blend of styles, marrying traditional farmhouse styles with edgy transitional.”

For a soothing, welcoming entry, the original coffered ceilings and millwork are painted crisp white. Original sash windows are complemented by simple pleated draperies. A traditional solid mahogany sideboard is topped with modern marble lamps and a ceramic bust.

“There are a lot of plays with modern and traditional. You enter into this formal seating area with white linen swivel chairs. To tone down that formality and add some interest, I layered a 1950s vintage Moroccan rug underneath,” says Wilkins.

“The small things she did made such a huge impact, the sconces in the foyer with that little bit of teal tied in the greens,” says Dawson.

In the dining room, patterned wallpaper draws the eye. The ceiling kept its original wood tone.

“Here’s where the drama comes into play. We wanted excitement to build as you move throughout the home,” says Wilkins.

A vintage bar cart, plush geometric rug, a flush-mount light fixture and a handed-down dining table converge for relaxed elegance.

 “The traditional dining table was his partner’s grandmother’s. We modernized that by bringing in those masculine bronze metal dining chairs,” Wilkins says.

“With all that’s going on with the wallpaper, the simplicity of the chairs really balances that well,” Dawson says.

“The living room had the biggest transformation,” says Wilkins. “Coming in from the dining room you get a stunning peak of color. I decided to embrace the room full of windows and create a space that feels like a natural extension of the outdoors.”

The living room’s layout was reconfigured for better function and scale along with a fashioned desk area. To tie in the multiple tones of the kitchen, a focal wall was added.

“When you are sitting in the living room and you look over to the kitchen, then you see that back wall, a deep teal with that punch of fruit bowl wall art, it really ties that whole situation together,” says Dawson.

The living room’s paint color, Green Onyx by Sherwin Williams — described as being a muted green with a relaxed vibe — launched the project.

“I immediately went to that green, I said, ‘I would love to be able to incorporate this color,’” Dawson says.

The original property had extensive overgrowth and no room for enjoyable outdoor living.

“You couldn’t even see the backyard because it had been overtaken with bamboo and trees and bushes. I took out about 11 trailers full of concrete. It was a sight,” says Dawson.

Dawson called on High Tide Landscaping and Design to create a functional outdoor space and landscaping.

 “My aesthetic is cottagey traditional with all kinds of different flowers and trees. I didn’t want it to all be the same, I wanted it to look full,” Dawson says.

A large deck, fire pit, outdoor seating and lighting were added.

“I sit back there now, and I feel like I’m in the mountains,” says Dawson.

The home was such a hit during the 2023 Azalea Festival home tour it sparked a call from the head of the 2024 Azalea Festival garden tour.

“She called me and said, ‘Thurston, your house was the only house I felt like I could just sit and live.’ She made me feel like I reached exactly what I wanted, that elevated comfort. I want it to look good and high-end, but I don’t want people to be scared to come in and jump on the sofa, I’m more of a realist.”

Dawson has accepted as invitation to be on the 2024 Azalea Festival garden tour.