Design

The view is spectacular, encompassing 180 degrees of marsh and hammock and the Pamlico Sound beyond. Sited in a hidden wedge of maritime forest near the Outer Banks village of Frisco on NC Highway 12, Hatteras Island's narrow artery, the new residence was completed in 2011. The home is nearly invisible at the end of a winding drive that crosses a small pond and settles into a slight rise overlooking the sound. The unsullied setting is rare, and building sensitively in this landscape was difficult, requiring a myriad of permits, special construction techniques and a vision.

The result is clearly worth the effort. A successful interpretation of Southern Low-Country and Caribbean architecture, the home is the creation of a professional couple with a background in residential development and horticulture. They assembled a team that included a retired architect, with whom they had worked previously, a local designer/engineer experienced in coastal construction and a local landscaper, who is also a licensed captain and fishing buddy.

And it is all about fishing. Owner Lee grew up fishing on the Jersey Shore and discovered the Outer Banks in the 1970s when a friend encouraged him to try surf fishing in Nags Head, NC. One thing led to another and soon the intrepid angler was hitch-hiking down Highway 12 from Nags Head to the Village of Buxton where the great Hatteras Lighthouse holds pride of place with Cape Point, one of the most fertile surf fishing areas on the East Coast. Cape Point is a slender hook of land that reaches far out into the crashing confluence of the chilly Labrador Current and the temperate Gulf Stream. The unusual location some would say on the edge of America -- is a perfect spot to view or cast for migrating species of sports fish including the mighty red drum, an especially feisty variety of the channel bass. Not for nothing is Hatteras Island known locally as the Drum Fishing Capital of the World.

After years of enjoying a friend’s soundside vacation house and sharing with him a sturdy catamaran rigged out for ocean or sound fishing, Lee and wife Jody decided to build their own house on Pamlico Sound. But they didn’t plan it as a vacation house. Jody, a former equestrian and skilled horticulturist, reports that after fishing from coast to coast, she and her husband found that they were “most at home in their skins” on Hatteras Island.

They turned to friend and architect Ann, who had designed their previous residences.

“We were seeking to consolidate our living space while creating comfortable guest rooms for our friends and children,” says Jody.

She says she had always admired the architecture of the South Carolina Low Country with its characteristic wraparound porches sheltered beneath deep overhanging multi-tiered rooflines. That style was perfect to capture the home’s predominant view, the wide expanse of Pamlico Sound.

Lee then went to work with an experienced Outer Banks engineer and builder, to ensure the infrastructure and the choice of materials would withstand the punishing winds and waves of the island’s periodic hurricanes and violent Nor’easters. As Lee points out, “New England isn’t the only place that experiences nor’easters.” After careful research, Lee and his engineer/builder produced a high-tech, energy-efficient house at home in its coastal environment.

Drawing on research and his experience with custom building, Lee selected HardiePlank, a pre-finished weather-resistant composite, for the exterior shakes. The HardiePlank was installed over a weather resistant barrier (WRB) material that formed a drainage plane, ensuring that there would be minimum intrusion during prolonged surges of wind and water. All fasteners were stainless steel and the architectural-shingle 50-year roof was both glued and nailed, an old island technique learned from a friend and fellow angler.

Of all the innovations employed in the new residence, Lee is most proud of his geo-thermal heating and cooling system.

“These systems are becoming more and more popular as they lower the amount of energy it takes to heat or cool the water in the HVAC system,” says Lee. “The water used in the system runs through underground pipes, so it remains at a consistent temperature until ready to be heated or cooled.”

Lee notes that even with a 30 percent federal tax credit, the system is more expensive initially, but the reduction in energy bills soon justifies the cost.

“When you’re downsizing from 8000 square feet to 3500 square feet, you can put the square footage savings into good systems.”

Visitors are welcomed to the home by stairs leading to an overhanging pedimented porch that forms a nice staging area for taking off boots or shaking off sand before entering the brightly lit foyer. This entry space captures the unique character of the house with its dark Tigerwood floors (a sustainable wood product), classic moldings, and bright transom and side-lit doors and windows. A handsome chest overhung with a brushed metal mirror presages Jody’s fine collection of antique and reproduction American furniture. Lee’s father’s collection of Moroccan daggers and war memorabilia add a touch of exotica that resonates well with the home’s Caribbean feel.

Entering the great room, the impression is of a careful integration of nature and man-made design. The transomed windows and sliding French doors open to a series of screened and open porches with the sound and marsh beyond. The great room is simply a large rectangular space, subtly defined by several furnished spaces that flow from a sitting area before the floor-to-ceiling fireplace and bookcase wall into a spacious kitchen built around an expansive dine-in or work-on island covered in a luscious leathered granite finish.

The furnishings for the great room include a comfortable sofa upholstered in a hard surface blue fabric with a fine-lined graphic pattern that sits before the fireplace. The cushiony sofa is made even more inviting by throw pillows of fish-patterned batik. A pair of low-slung arm chairs with wide bands of rattan fiber along the base and back complement the sofa. This conversational grouping faces the windows and doors overlooking the sound.

An unusual mixed-wood table by Pennsylvania craftsman Bryce Ritter is set before the windows. Over the years Jody has collected many Ritter pieces that feature authentic American Colonial designs created from antique wood. This piece features scalloped edges on each corner and graceful curved legs leading to spooned feet. The table has become the joint space for coffee and computer work each morning. The design of the porch railing allows an uninterrupted view of the natural area beyond.

The dining table -- with Windsor-style chairs and a Windsor bench is located behind the sofa within easy view of the kitchen where Jody and Lee, both enthusiastic cooks, spend time preparing freshly caught seafood and opening wine for their family and many guests.

The kitchen is a work-of-art. Practically equipped with a professional-grade Thermador range and two Thermador ovens, two Miele dishwashers and a wine cooler, it features extensive decorative tile back splashes that transition between the working surfaces and fine custom cabinetry by Kountry Kraft Kitchens. A lowered and coffered ceiling adds to the refined design of the room, as does Jody’s selection of the color, Bleeker Beige by Benjamin Moore Paints.

The stairway leading to the upper level of this livable family house provides ample wall space to display Jody’s collection of graphics by American Minimalist Charles (Charley) Harper and Ikki Matsumoto, a student of Harper’s. Harper’s stylized subjects are often of wildlife, and he and Matsumoto are both considered nature artists and illustrators.

The bedrooms on the second floor carry out the tasteful blending of Americana and Caribbean island style.  Colorful quilts cover the poster beds and cool colors provide tranquility for the couple’s two daughters, parents, siblings and friends on frequent visits. The upper level is also the location of an office for Jody, and exercise equipment is tucked into a landing in the tower room that leads to a completely air-conditioned attic space.

This carefully sited Hatteras Island home seems a perfect expression of Lee and Jody’s love of family, friends, nature and their life together.