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The Designers

Designers Christen Showhouse in Preparation for its Transformation

Interior designers and other Cashiers community members gathered in late March for light hors d'oeuvres and a champagne toast while enjoying their first peek at Chinquapin's Designer Showhouse. The Showhouse will bustle with activity over the next three months as designers work to wow the public when the house opens for viewing for four weeks beginning June 14.

Designers Gathering

Meet the Designers

Acorns/Old Edwards Inn
www.oldedwardsinn.com 465 Main Street, Highlands, NC 28741
828-787-1877
acrons@oldedwardsinn.com

Kitchen/2nd Floor Gallery

ACORNS AND ACORNS ANNEX offers an elegant shopping experience in Highlands North Carolina. Evident throughout the store is a love for beauty and finely crafted excellence. The shop is a must see for chandelier lovers, antique buffs and those wishing to dress any table in a casual or elegant style. Attention to detail is evident throughout the store with the touch of Joe Extine manager of Acorns. His forte is creating high-style vignettes allowing clients to visualize how a collection might look in their own home. The Acorns staff will work with each client to create a rustic elegance befitting the casual lifestyle of the mountains. Joe knows that the customers visiting Acorns are looking for a style uniquely different for their mountain retreats.

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Dovetail Antiques
252 Highway 107 South, Cashiers, NC 28717
828.743.1800

The Atelier

SALLY JOHANNESSEN, the owner of Dovetail Antiques became an antique dealer by accident. Trained as a fine artist, she taught oil painting classes at her studio in Newport Beach, California. As a visual person, she felt comfortable surrounding herself with interesting treasures. Something of a "packrat" since she first discovered pockets in her camel hair coat at age three, she has always been a collector. Sally filled her studio with the unique and curious and soon found that the antiques overtook the art... at least for a while. In 2005, she and her husband Steven moved to Cashiers and Sally opened her little French warehouse in an old garage just south of the crossroads. She now enjoys putting together interiors with finds from her buying trips to France and her original artwork. Sally travels to France several times a year hunting for the unusual in Paris and strange and wonderful secret places throughout the countryside. She never knows what she will find but always looks for treasures at an affordable price whether it is a massive piece of furniture or something to hold in the palm of your hand. "I am always thrilled to have a part in bringing a unique piece to its happy home. These antique pieces and artworks are like my foster children and it's gratifying to send them off to a family that loves them as much as I do."

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Fletcher & Lee
Upper Level, Mountain Brook Center
Highlands, NC
828.526.5400
"RELAX, LIVE, ENJOY!"

Upper Guest Retreat / The Dog Pound

EDWIN LUSK and DAVID PATERSON, owners of Fletcher and Lee in Highlands, NC, believe that you should surround yourself with things you love. They have been in business for 19 years and offer 4000 square feet of antiques, Drexel Heritage/Lillian August Upholstery, lamps, accessories and art. They have traveled north, south, east, and west to make people environments a place to relax in, live well and enjoy!

Their main inspiration for design comes from many trips to Europe and staying in all styles of lodging, one in particular came to mind in a quaint alpine village next to Mont Blanc named the Lodge Park Hotel in Megeve France, "sitting in horn chairs around a cracking fire in the library lounge surrounded by birch trimmed bookcases, cozy plaids and wonderful wools in the evening enjoying a martini would inspire just about anyone." Needless to say country French and English mixed with mountain is their favorite style. They also offer reproduction and new furniture and new furniture lines, fabrics and can help with selections of wallpaper, drapery, paint, carpeting and tile. If you want to recover and give a new look to something old they can do that too.

Whether you are designing a new home or redecorating at your present one stop in and see the guys and visit the pups! (Darby and Heidi).

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Audio Visual Architects
205.706.4995 cell
828.743.7803 office
www.avaincnc.com
bryce@avaincnc.com

Upper Guest Retreat

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Interior Enhancements
PO Box 518, Cashiers, NC 28717
828.743.5840
"Think Design—Create Character and Style"

2nd Floor Bedroom & Bathroom

YVONNE DORAU is president and lead designer of Interior Enhancements, Inc., a retail shop and interior design firm. She has for the past 17 years designed many prestigious homes in the Highlands/Cashiers/Lake Toxaway area. On occasion, projects have taken her to Texas, Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee. She has four of her interiors shown on the Lake Toxaway Tour of Homes.

Yvonne attended the Art Institute of For Lauderdale, where she received an Associates Degree in Interior Design. She moved to Highlands in 1989 with her husband. They have two wonderful children, ages 8 and 12. Along with the busy schedule of the business, Yvonne supports many local charities as well as being an involved parent in the Summit Charter School.

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Lu Bagwell Interiors
221 South Pendleton Street, Easley SC 29640
864.859.1731
www.lubagwellinteriors.com

Master Bedroom & Bathroom

LU BAGWELL - As president and owner of Lu Bagwell Interiors, Inc., Lu has practiced design for over 30 years. She is well known for both her commercial and residential projects. With her energy, enthusiasm and passion for design Lu has led Lu Bagwell Interiors to become one of the most innovative and respected design firms in the upstate.

ANN HEARD - Ann has worked in the design industry for over 20 years. Ann always listens to the client and draws from them their needs and desires and creates their space accordingly. With a diverse portfolio of projects, she also has specialized knowledge of the residential and commercial flooring industry.

ERIN NUTZ - Erin has a bachelors degree in interior design and over 10 years of professional design experience. She has experience in a variety of design styles as well as commercial disciplines. Erin's attention to detail in every aspect of the job coupled with her ability to understand a client's desires truly distinguish her as a designer.

LINDA PRYOR - Linda has over 35 years of professional interior design experience. She has extensive experience in both commercial and residential design, including projects such as The Cliff's La Bastide as well as some of the most beautiful residences in the southeast. With her gifted eye for color, Linda is known for creating unique and exciting designs.

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Mountain House Home Furnishings
118 Highway 64 West, Cashiers, NC 28717
828.743.5500

Children's Bedroom & Bathroom

"SUCCESS IN THE AFFAIRS OF LIFE OFTEN SERVES TO HIDE ONE'S ABILITIES, WHEREAS ADVERSITY FREQUENTLY GIVES ONE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCOVER THEM." (Horace)

MOUNTAIN HOUSE HOME FURNISHINGS lends a fresh approach to mountain elegant and rustic furnishings. The shop carries everything from fine furniture and art, to bedding, lighting and unique decorative accessories.

AUDREY WOOD is the owner of Mountain House Home Furnishings in Cashiers, NC. Originally from Miami, Florida, Audrey studied Fashion Design at the International Fine Arts College.

Audrey has teamed up with CHERYL BENITEZ, one of the shop's creative sales consultants, to create a special room for the Chinquapin's Designer Showhouse. Because Mountain House Home Furnishings is the only store in the area that also carries a wide assortment of children's furniture Audrey and Cheryl have chosen to decorate a child's room for the showhouse. Mountain House Home Furnishings was originally called New West and specialized in lodge and ranch style furnishings.

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The Summer House
2089 Highway 106, Highlands, NC 28741 828.526.0028
www.summerhousehighlands.com
tigermtn@brmemc.net

Great Room & Dining Room

THE SUMMER HOUSE is Highlands' premier home furnishing center. Established 20 years ago by Paula and Barry Jones, they have brought a lifetime of education and experience in the arts, design, marketing, advertising and the home furnishing industry to create a true shopping destination.

The Summer House carries a wide range of furniture styles, accessories, lighting, antiques, kitchen and keeping room décor, and outdoor furnishings. TIGER MOUNTAIN WOODWORKS is their division that produces handcrafted rustic and traditional custom furniture.

PAULA JONES, owner, ensures that each customer receives a high level of customer service in assessing their needs, evaluating scope of the project, guiding decisions, integrating design layout, and purchasing. The same high level of attention has been given to the Chinquapin Showhouse.

SAM NEVILL, showroom manager, brings 40 years of experience in retailing and merchandising to The Summer House team. He has been responsible for design and execution for a variety of project types. Sam's design expertise and excellent product and procedural knowledge have contributed to the success of The Summer House.

ANN BERGHOLT is an energetic, innovative designer with more than 27 years of experience in residential and commercial interior design. She now specializes in resort mountain home designs and is a design consultant for The Summer House. Ann is known for creating outstanding interiors and spaces that are perfectly laid out, inspiring and balanced, and for putting people in a lifestyle they will enjoy. Ann has transferred this expertise into making the living and dining area at the Chinquapin Showhouse one that is inviting and comfortable to all visitors.

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Summit One Gallery
South Second Street, Highlands, NC
828.526-2673
www.summitonegallery.com
summitonegallery@verizon.net

Artwork Throughout Showhouse

SUMMIT ONE GALLERY in Highlands NC is an art gallery that brings together the work of some of the finest painters and craftsmen in the country. The owner, MARY ADAIR LESLIE, believes that "a community is only as good as its members make it." To that end, she is helping to make her community of Highlands NC a center for the arts, not only through volunteer work, but also through her professional work.

Mixing art with business is something Leslie has enjoyed for many years. Originally from Texas, studied ballet at the University of Oklahoma but also discovered that she enjoyed many of her summer jobs working in retail stores. In 1989, her interests in the arts and business came together when she accepted the position of Director of Retail Operations for the Columbia Museum of Arts in South Carolina.

Today, Summit One Gallery features artists, primarily from the southeastern U.S., with an emphasis on the Carolinas and Georgia, as well as artists from Texas and Santa Fe are represented. The artists range from the newly discovered to the well established. Many of the artists are included in the permanent collections of museums, such as Jamie Davis, Don Penny, and Jonas Gerard whose works are included in the Smithsonian and Toby Penney in the collection at the Museum of Modern Art, NYC; and many others. "It is a very eclectic collection, ranging from paintings of the Hudson River School to Contemporary Abstract to Ceramic, Glass and Wood, and also specializing in large format art." she said. Summit One Gallery features a new exhibition monthly from Memorial Day through New Years and is open year round.

Leslie said that much of the art she sells is destined for summer homes in the Highlands and Cashiers area. But because more and more of her clients are also buying for their primary residences the work of her artists is now finding its way into homes across the country.

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Tony Raffa Design Associates
211 Buck Creek Church Road, Highlands, NC 28741-8908
828-787-1070
www.raffadesignassociates.com
araffa0000@aol.com

Outdoor Seating Areas

TONY RAFFA has always had a passion for design and has been in the profession for over twenty-eight years. He is a licensed designer, a charter member of the International Interior Design Association, and a long-standing member of the American Society of Interior Designers.

After graduating from Florida State University in 1979 with a major in Interior Design he specialized in the design of healthcare and fitness facilities. He was a partner in a Houston firm for over ten years before starting his own business and turning his expertise to residential design.

His projects span the country with installations in Texas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland, and Canada. His work has been selected for several publications, including The Mountain Laurel, and he writes a weekly column that appears in The Highlander and Cashiers Crossroads newspapers. He is one of three featured designers in the prestigious annual Design Guild publication which showcases extraordinary designers and their use of art.

Tony is excited to have recently opened an office in Highlands. His personal design style is comfortable and eclectic, often featuring one-of-a-kind antiques blended with contemporary art and a bit of whimsy. He especially enjoys participating with his clients in the design process and believes that positive relationships are essential for a successful project.

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Darren Whatley Interiors
828.526.2954

Entrance Foyer & Stairwell

DARREN WHATLEY and ANN SULLIVAN have worked together for the past eight years. In 2006 they opened a new design practice in Highlands.

Darren and Ann together have over 40 years of design experience in design and renovation work. Ann was a principal in Architectural Kitchens of Atlanta and Highlands before moving to Highlands full time 3 years ago. Darren had duel studies in Landscape Architecture and Interior Design from LSU. He was a designer for a large national retail organization, as well owned and operated design services in Fort Worth and Chicago. Both Ann and Darren have had featured work in regional and national publications. Darren had also been featured on HGTV.

Sullivan and Whatley specialize in the renovation of Mountain homes, creating spaces with a mountain casual elegance.

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The Decorative Touch

121 Highway 107 North, Cashiers, NC 28717
828.743.7787
www.thedecorativetouch.com
priscilla@thedecorativetouch.com

Upper Guest Retreat

PRISCILLA WODEHOUSE, ASID Allied, has been in the design business for over 35 years. Her career began on Beacon Hill in Boston, where she was educated in design and began to travel to Maine, Buck's County, CT, New York and Florida....to work on projects from casual styles to very European formal. She moved to Ponte Vedra Beach after years in the northeast to relocate her business The Decorative Touch. For 13 years she served her clients there participating in Showhouses and other design events. In 2005 Priscilla moved to the mountains, sold her business in Florida and opened a new store on Route 107 complete with a new design facility to serve her new cliental. She also teaches Interior Design at Western Carolina University. The store which offers furniture, art, rugs, accessories, lamps and gifts and a design studio have been involved in a variety of charity events and showhouses since opening and Priscilla says she is looking forward to yet another wonderful year serving our community with good spirit and good taste.

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Mountain Hardscapes

P.O. Box 85, Highlands, NC 28741
828.526.0533
mtnhardscapes@msn.com

Outdoor Entrance

JAY CALLOWAY founded MOUNTAIN HARDSCAPES in 2001. Over the past seven years Mountain Hardscapes has established itself as one of the premier landscape design/build firms in the area, specializing in creating unique landscapes tailored to each individual site. Whether designing a simple water garden or cascading waterfall, building a stone patio with a fire pit or creating a mature setting for a new home, each garden design provides clients with a relaxing outdoor environment. With a team of artists, landscape designers and highly skilled craftsmen, Mountain Hardscapes maintains a commitment to quality, service and integrity.

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