Issuu

wakeliving BRINGING THE CAPITAL AND ITS COMMUNITIES TO LIFE

MODERNISM COMES HOME SOMETHING’S BREWING AT NOCO TRUTH IN REMODELING

Where We

Belong homes borrowed and built September/October 2026

What if today was payday? You could get paid early and start earning more with Go Green Checking.1

Get Paid Early!

Get access to your money sooner with our Early Pay feature, included with direct deposit!1

Earn up to 5.00% APY2 Stop paying monthly fees and and get the checking account that actually pays you!

Exclusive Perks

Get discounts at the Coastal Credit Union Music Park, Hurricanes games, NC Zoo memberships, and more!

Open Go Green Checking Today!

COASTAL24.com/GoGreen SCAN TO LEARN MORE

Federally insured by NCUA. Membership eligibility required. 1. Not all direct deposits are eligible for Early Pay. See COASTAL24.com for details. 2. APY = Annual Percentage Yield. Rates on accounts are subject to change after the account is opened. APY is accurate as of the last dividend declaration date. $25 minimum opening deposit required. This is a tiered rate account. To earn the Premium Tier of 5.00% APY, you must post 15 or more debit card transactions per month. Premium Tier APY is applied to daily average balances up to $10,000. The Base Tier of 0.05% APY will apply to the portion of the balance exceedingWAKELIVING $10,000. If you do not meet the minimum transaction requirement for the Premium Tier during the calendar month, the APY for the Base Tier will apply to the entire balance in your account. Minimum balance required to earn APY is $0.01. A minimum balance of $5.00 must be maintained in a Primary Savings account to have access to all our products and services. Fees may reduce earnings on the account. Sign up for e-Statements to avoid paper statement fee.

October 30 - November 1

November 25 - December 6

December 29 - January 3

February 5 - 7

February 26, 27 & 28

March 5 - 7

Hurry for Best Seats

Introducing Arista Wood’s New Collection:

All shown in handcrafted rustic hickory.

North Carolina’s Largest Selection of Amish-Crafted Custom Furniture $3M+ solid wood furniture in stock for immediate delivery or custom order your style, size, wood species, or ﬁnish! APEX: 835 Hwy 64 W (984) 229-7566

RALEIGH: 5640 Capital Blvd (919) 954-1077

woodysfurniturestores.com F Mon – Sat 10– 6 | Sun 1 –5

VOTED Best Window Films Tinting/Solar Protection Company

Increase your Comfort & Improve the View while keeping your home Cooler in the summer & Warmer in the winter! with the ONLY Window Film for EVERY Season

• safety films • solar films • security films • decorative films • glare reduction • heat reduction

get the right perspective… on solar protection Scan this code to visit our website or go to

SunProtectionLLC.com

Call today for a FREE home consultation.

919.380.8994 or 1.866.380.8994

Experience Edenton, North Carolina

www.visitedenton.com

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026 7

1 Fenton Main Street | Suite 110 919-892-3878

GENTLEMEN’S CORNER

155 E. Chatham St. | 984-333-0150

contents

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

20 VERITAS: BUILT ON TRUTH

KIRBY DERBY

BACKYARD BLISS: THE NOURISHED GARDEN

MODERNISM’S OPEN HOUSE

54 SPECIAL SECTION: EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION

MECHE’S MOMENT

10 WAKELIVING

SPECIAL SECTION: THE ORIGINALS

Voted

tist” n e D t s e B “ by

g Wake Livineaders r Magazine than for more

10 years.

Expect something different. Supremia Dentistry emphasizes state-of-the-art technology, comfort, and an all-encompassing approach. We provide comprehensive, patient-centered care that promotes oral health, aesthetics, and overall well-being. Come see what contemporary dentistry is all about.

Welcoming new patients — schedule your appointment today!

General • Veneers • TMJ • Contemporary • Sedation 1704 S. Main Street • Wake Forest 919.556.6200 | SupremiaDentistry.com

departments 14

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

OUT & ABOUT IN WAKE COUNTY

SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT NOCO BREWS & BITES

PAY IT FORWARD AVENDELLE AT PICARDY POINT

CELEBRATED SPIRITS SUNDAY ROYALE SPRITZ

ADVENTURER 78 GARDEN THE INDIGENOUS ASTERS OF AUTUMN

82 WRITE LIGHT ON THE COVER: A corner of NOCO Brews & Bites, where a floral mural and worn leather make the case for staying awhile. Make yourself at home starting on page 29. Photo by Jonathan Fredin

wakeliving SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

GROUP PUBLISHER PUBLISHER EDITOR SENIOR EDITOR COPY & DIGITAL EDITOR SOCIAL MEDIA

Bill Zadeits Kris Schultz Erin McKnight Emily Uhland Tara Shiver Arlem Mora

CONTRIBUTORS L.A. Jackson David McCreary Teri Saylor

PHOTOGRAPHY Jonathan Fredin, Chief Photographer Annie Kimura

PRODUCTION Atiya Batts, Graphic Designer Dylan Gilroy, Web Designer Beth Harris, Graphic Designer Matt Rice, Webmaster/SEO Rachel Sheffield, Web Designer Lane Singletary, Graphic Designer

ADVERTISING Paige Gunter, Senior Account Executive Maureen Powell, Senior Account Executive Karen White, Senior Account Executive

PUBLIC RELATIONS S&A Communications, Chuck Norman, APR

ADMINISTRATIVE Kristin Black, Accounting Cherise Klug, Traffic Manager Lisa White, Senior Event Coordinator & Distribution Manager Valerie Renard, Human Resources

Wake Living © is published six times annually by Cherokee Media Group. Reproduction or use, without permission, of editorial or graphic content in any manner is prohibited. Subscriptions are $18/year. WAKE LIVING 701 Cascade Pointe Lane, Suite 103 Cary, North Carolina 27513 (919) 674-6020 • (800) 608-7500

Love local stories? Get more delivered straight to your inbox with our weekly newsletter.

12 WAKELIVING

www.wakeliving.com This publication does not endorse, either directly or implicitly, the people, activities, products or advertising published herein. Information in the magazine is deemed credible to the best of our knowledge.

Stronger Together. Your Family. Our Team. The diagnosis is cancer. You’re scared. You feel alone. But

you’re not. You have your family. Your friends. Their love. Their support. And, along with each other, you have us. An experienced, talented, multidisciplinary team armed with highly advanced treatment options and a “your cancer is our cancer” confidence that says we’ve got this. Instead of alone, you feel stronger than ever. To learn more, visit us online. We believe you’ll agree, together, we make a great team.

wakemed.org/cure

editor’s letter

Thanks for reading!

14 WAKELIVING

Erin McKnight, Editor

Jonathan Fredin

Every fall, Wake Living turns its attention to home — not just the four walls and roof, but everything a home is asked to hold. This issue, more than most, is about the many different shapes that word can take. Take Sean Gossett, founder of Veritas in Wake Forest, who traded the pulpit for the job site and continues to serve his neighbors. Or George Smart, who in 2007 set out to find a lot to build his house on and instead discovered a graveyard of Raleigh’s disappearing modernist architecture. Nineteen years and a 6,000-house archive later, his work has helped bring the Triangle’s midcentury bones back into public view. Or Melissa Rich, who turned her crash course in caregiving for an elderly parent into Avendelle at Picardy Point. The six-bedroom home, built without hallways so no one gets lost, is this issue’s Pay It Forward feature. Home shows up differently, too. At NOCO Brews & Bites, brothers Jay and Jeremy Bond built a place to hold an entire day around one question: Where would we Erin McKnight, photographed in the Wake want to spend our time? Living office, her home away from home. Well worth the drive to Cary is Meche Cocina Mexicana — named for the owner’s mother, whose churro recipe took months to perfect. The entire menu is built entirely around the food of home. A Raleigh location is in the works. None of these homes look alike. One is rebuilt board by board. One exists mostly as an archive. One holds a caregiver for every three residents. One serves espresso before beer. One is named after somebody’s mom. But each one answers the same question: What makes a place feel like where you belong? I hope you find a little of that answer in these pages.

I T T A K E S A L L K I N D S TO

make life feel limitless. Dinners with friends, spectacular amenities, and stylish apartments—all designed with you in mind. Add in campus-wide enhancements, a recent expansion, and a reimagined clubhouse, and you’ll see why there’s no place quite like Searstone. Enjoy it all with the confidence of on-site health care services, from rehabilitation to Life Care, at predictable costs.

Join our Wait List today with a refundable deposit. Schedule your personal appointment at searstone.com or call 919-897-7471.

170 01 SE ARSTONE DRIVE , CARY, NC 2751 3

searstone.com

What’s

Poppin’on the

PODCAST? Host Melissa Wistehuff takes you beyond the pages of

Camp Kesem: Empowering Kids through Shared Journeys From Shelters to Forever Homes: Highlighting Wake EPISODE SPCA with Kim Janzen 72 The Raleigh You’ve Never Seen: A Secret Guide to the City with Emily Price

EPISODE 74 EPISODE 76 Beyond the Traditional Classroom: Inside WCPSS Magnet Schools with Tamani Anderson Powell and NC Principal of the Year Dr. Mariah Walker

LISTEN NOW 16 WAKELIVING

EPISODE 75 Feeding NC: Amy Beros of Food Bank of Central and Eastern North EPISODE Carolina Fights 77 to End Hunger

FIRST TIME CUSTOMERS ONLY: Mention this ad and receive one free day of doggie daycare! K9 Resorts of Apex provides cage-free luxury boarding and daycare for your dog!

919-891-6747 k9resorts.com Stress-Free environment | Trained and loving staff Come tour our State-of-the-art facility

K9 Resorts Luxury Pet Hotel is the ultimate place for ALL dogs to play and relax.

Thank you for voting us Best Eye Doctor! We’re FOCUSED on Families At McPherson Family Eye Care, we provide comprehensive vision care for the whole family. Our eye doctors are leaders in their fields and offer diverse areas of expertise to provide the very best vision and medical care.

3150 Rogers Rd.,Suite 110 • Wake Forest, NC 919.263.9163 • mcphersonfamilyeyecare.com Convenient evening, early morning and Saturday hours. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026 17

BugFest

Charie Probus

Community Celebration of the Arts September 12, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wake Forest Renaissance Center bit.ly/WFCelebrationoftheArts

A 45-minute puppet show brings classic folk tales of The Frog Prince, Three Billy Goats Gruff, and the Three Little Pigs to life. The free event also includes hands-on artistic experiences, a slime bar, caricatures from Cartoon Jordan, giveaways, and a mini market.

Raleigh Fringe Festival

September 10–12 Theatre Raleigh Arts Center raleighfringefestival.squarespace.com Modeled after the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, which was founded after “a bunch of artists were told they were too weird to participate in a theatre fest,” this performing arts festival celebrates everything weird and wonderful about Raleigh. The weekend spotlights eclectic cinema, music, comedy, circus arts, burlesque, competitive solitaire, and lots more for those with unique tastes. See website for ticket pricing.

18 WAKELIVING

Carolina Circus Festival: The Greatest Show September 12, 3–10 p.m. Downtown Cary Park carolinacircusfestival.com

Sister publication Cary Magazine proudly sponsors this free annual festival devoted to the circus arts supporting mental health in the movement community. Aweinspiring performances include aerials, fire, LED, and ground acrobatics. The evening also includes workshops, food trucks, and vendors.

BugFest

September 19, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh naturalsciences.org/calendar/event/ bugfest-2026 The theme of the 30th annual event is Hoppers, so expect to learn lots about plant, leaf, and tree varieties! Stop by more than 100 exhibits, bring all your creepy crawly questions for entomologists, and even taste some buggy culinary creations if you dare. Live performances and science talks throughout the day.

september/october Pay It Forward: Night in Monte Carlo October 10, 6–11 p.m. Raleigh Marriott City Center caringcommunityfoundation.org

Join the Caring Community Foundation to raise money for North Carolina cancer patients in need. Every paddle raised changes a life in the legendary live auction. The evening also includes dinner, cocktails, live music, and casino games. $150 per person.

Triangle Oktoberfest October 2 & 3 Koka Booth Amphitheatre triangleoktoberfest.org

The biggest, most authentic Oktoberfest in North Carolina returns for another year! Eat and drink your fill of traditional Bavarian food and seasonal beer while enjoying live music from King Guys Oktoberfest Brass Band, stein hoisting championships, wiener dog races, and more friendly competitions. Ticket pricing varies, but kids 15 and younger get in free! The Kinder Platz zone will keep them entertained with inflatables, crafts, a scavenger hunt, and other activities.

Halloween Boo Bash October 17, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Downtown Wake Forest

Geared for children ages 12 and younger, this free day of fun includes exhibits, inflatables, carnival games, activities, DJ tunes, and food trucks. Costumes highly encouraged! Sensory bags with noise-canceling headphones, fidget toys, weighted lap pads, and other aids are available from the Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources tent.

NC State Fair

Spellbound at Mordecai

From the livestock and rides to the notorious fried food and exhibits, this annual showcase needs no introduction. Special admission days include College Day (Oct. 15), Sensory Day (Oct. 18), Senior Citizens’ Day (Oct. 20), Military Appreciation Day (Oct. 21), and Hunger Relief Day (Oct. 22).

This Halloween market is all about the kids! Participate in a costume contest and parade, but please no horror, gore, or full face masks. Create spooky crafts, decorate a pumpkin, shop handmade items, and meet mysterious creatures and amazing magicians. Free to attend; preregistration encouraged.

October 15–25 NC State Fairgrounds, Raleigh ncagr.gov/ncstatefair

October 24, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mordecai Historic Park, Raleigh paperandstarsstudio.com

Falling for Local

October 3, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dorothea Dix Park, Raleigh shoplocalraleigh.org Fall festival season is in full swing. Take a hayride, stop by the pumpkin patch, and enjoy games, inflatables, food trucks, local beer samples, and live music. Plus, shop goodies from more than 150 local makers. Free to attend! Spellbound at Mordecai

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026 19

Built on Truth Veritas brings a people-first approach to home remodeling. WRITTEN BY TERI SAYLOR

Courtesy of Veritas Custom Homes

This North Raleigh complete kitchen, scullery, and dining room remodel was completed earlier this year.

20 WAKELIVING

The word veritas holds deep meaning for Sean Gossett, defining both his mission and his business philosophy. The Latin word for truth, he felt it was the perfect name for his premiere Wake Forest home remodeling firm specializing in luxury custom home renovations. It’s also a powerful branding tool that expresses the company’s values every day. “As we began thinking about a name, we wanted something that was strong,” he says. “And then as I thought through the idea of building my business truthfully and communicating truthfully, the word ‘veritas’ had a strong message, and it represents who we are.” Sean is grounded in faith. He holds a bachelor’s degree in music performance from Appalachian State University and a master’s in vocal performance from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. He is an ordained minister, and while he loved his career as a worship leader in churches in Texas and Florida, he wasn’t a fan of the view from behind a desk. “I’m a people person,” he says. “I want to know my neighbors, serve them and do business with them.” In Florida, Sean served a church at Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island and found inspiration among congregation members who ministered to others through home construction missions. “Disasters would happen and I would lead mission trips,” he says. “I was inspired by our congregation’s willingness and desire to serve people that way.” He also caught the construction bug, and in 2009, he formed MCG Homes in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida, a general contracting firm that bought and remodeled homes, logging 70 renovation projects between 2009 and 2016. He and partner Mathew Meskimen still manage the firm, which today has 32 employees and designs and constructs new homes in addition to renovation work. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026 21

Jonathan Fredin

Veritas co-founder and CFO Sean Gossett

In 2016, Sean and his family wanted to be closer to relatives, so they moved to Wake Forest, where his father-in-law is a professor at Southeast Theological Seminary. “I continued to manage my Florida company 500 miles away, but once again I found myself in an office doing the financials and running spreadsheets,” he says. “I wanted to know my neighbors and serve them and do business with them.” Sean and Mathew started Veritas in February 2025 and today have four employees. The partners meet regularly in Fernandina Beach and Wake Forest and hold weekly online meetings to manage their businesses. Veritas is known for its unique “budgetbackwards” approach to home remodeling and construction. Instead of designing a project first and pricing it later, Sean starts with a client’s maximum investment amount and designs the scope, layout, and materials to fit that budget before work even begins.

22 WAKELIVING

During the design phase, the budget can rise or fall depending on any changes that take place along the way. “We call that concept ‘budget-and-design fluid,’ which means we continue to tailor the design to meet the client’s budget,” he says. “The client is involved every step of the way.” A construction schedule helps everyone stay on track. “When we start construction, we can build with confidence because we’ve put in the work planning the project on the front end,” he says. With his real estate background, Sean is well versed in home values and construction costs and advises his clients on how to get the most value for their dollars without overspending on updates that don’t increase the value of their home. “For instance, if they’ve got a $500,000 home and they want a $300,000 kitchen, that’s not always the right investment,” he says.

But he also advocates for taking the intangibles into consideration and realizing that overall value doesn’t live in money alone. Sometimes value is in the eye of the beholder. He recalls building an Olympic-sized pool for a Florida homeowner who had been an Olympic swimmer for Great Britain in the 1970s. “He lived in a $700,000 home and we put a $400,000 pool in his backyard. For him, having that excellent pool was important,” Sean says. “We were not going to tell him not to build that.” Today’s economy plays an important role in the housing market, and right now, it’s friendlier for people who wish to remodel than those looking to buy. With interest rates above 6%, homeowners are choosing to stay in their homes, especially if they purchased or refinanced them when interest rates were below 4%. And to some extent, the lack of available land

A 2026 screened-in porch and outdoor living space addition in Wake Forest

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026 23

Courtesy of Veritas Custom Homes

Veritas project managers are onsite and involved during every step of construction.

Courtesy of Veritas Custom Homes

The Wake Forest homeowners wanted their kitchen and living space expanded to be usable as a large gathering space for their children and grandchildren.

in Wake County has dampened new home construction, Sean says. “We also saw a huge inflationary bump during and after covid, so people who bought their homes before 2020 not only have the lowest interest rates, but they also have equity from that inflationary pressure,” Sean says. “So some of those people might be locked into their home because of their interest rate.” On the other hand, many people choose to stay in their older homes simply because they love them. After spending a lifetime making memories in one place, they are not motivated to buy another house. And that’s a sweet spot for remodelers. Today’s marketplace is complex, Sean says, and Wake County is faring better than

24 WAKELIVING

other places, thanks to the influx of business and industry moving into the Triangle region and the state’s consistent ranking as a top place to live and do business. “Overall, I would say there are many opportunities and a lot of money moving into Wake County,” he says. “There’s also a lot of aging inventory here too. Many Raleigh homes that were built in the 1980s and ’90s with good value but outdated footprints are ready to be remodeled.” Popular updates for those older homes include expanding doorways and raising headers to create a modern open floorplan. Whether taking on new construction or renovating special spaces, Sean advises people who hire general contactors to visit

the website of the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors to ensure they are fully licensed and qualified. “State licensure is there to protect the community,” he says. “And so I encourage people to research builders or contractors coming through their door to make sure they’re who they say they are.” He also advises homeowners to pay attention to the process involved in construction, “because if they plan properly, they will have a better chance of success,” he says. “One mistake people make is getting too excited thinking about the finished product and failing to do proper planning to help avoid making mistakes. “We go by the ‘five Ps,’ he says: “Proper planning prevents poor performance.” Veritas serves a narrow territory in northern Wake County, including Wake Forest and Raleigh north of the Beltline. Most jobs are priced over $100,000. “In North Carolina, any project under $40,000 doesn’t require a state-licensed general contractor, and we’re built for large projects, so we don’t take on smaller remodels,” Sean explains. “We market to people who are already thinking big, and then we help them allocate those dollars wisely.” He advises homeowners who want smaller remodels to seek out smaller design firms. And for those on a modest budget, YouTube instructions and do-it-yourself guides can lead the way. “There are absolutely a lot of things people can do to improve their home,” he says. “Changing paint colors is inexpensive, and if you’re not a good painter, you can just hire one.” Installing tiled kitchen backsplashes and updating appliances are also good ways to increase a home’s value. “I encourage people to get curious and research their options,” he says. The pandemic opened doors for remodelers like Veritas, driving people outside where the fresh air seemed safer. They discovered that they enjoy living and playing in the great outdoors, and Sean has seen an uptick

Courtesy of Veritas Custom Homes

The result is a bright and airy expanded kitchen and dining area for the whole family to enjoy.

in clients who want to create kitchen and living areas outside the walls of their home. “And North Carolina is perfectly suited for this lifestyle where we’ve got great weather for nine or 10 months of the year,” he says. Everything Veritas does is custom made according to the clients’ wishes. “We’ve done over 400 jobs of at least $100,000 and have never done the same thing twice,” Sean says. Veritas recently finished a project for a couple with six grown children and 11 grandchildren that Sean cites as one of his favorite remodels. The large house features a backyard paradise for kids, but there wasn’t enough eating space for family gatherings. “They’re from Louisiana, and they love college football and Mardi Gras parties,” Sean says. “They have a pool in the backyard, playground equipment with a zip line, and they enjoy having all the kids around.”

The Veritas team removed the back of the house at the kitchen and expanded the space using half of a large covered porch. They added 6-foot-tall clear glass windows and a sliding door leading to the backyard. They converted a countertop into an island, creating a new eating area that faced the windows and giving a view of the backyard playground and the pool Sean also has a large family, so the project’s success in bringing the client’s family together resonated with him. “I love being able to maximize a space where people can enjoy their families,” he says. “And for me, it’s often not just about making a house bigger or prettier; it’s about improving people’s lives.” Sean and his wife, Anna, have five kids ranging in age from 15 to 24. Their first grandchild was born last March, “so I’m Pappy,” he says with a grin.

“My point is that we’re not just out there to do projects,” he says. “We care about people, and we want to serve them well and not just sign a contract because we can do the work.” Sean considers his work as part of his ministry in the sense that he’s looking after others by providing meaningful work for his employees and bringing value to their lives and to the lives of his clients. “One of our core values is that we’re others oriented,” he says. “And that means we’re going to build according to true construction principles, and we’re also going to deal truthfully with our clients, our vendors, our employees, and the public.” Sometimes, when clients ask him for advice on how to improve their living spaces and lifestyles, he knows just what to say. “When given a choice, I always think remodeling is a great idea,” he says. t veritas-nc.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026 25

KIRBY DERBY PHOTOGRAPHED BY JONATHAN FREDIN

Thousands turned out for Raleigh’s annual Kirby Derby on August 23 at Dorothea Dix Park, where zany homemade soapbox cars, costumes, live music, food, and beer made for a day of creative chaos. Founded in 2002 by the Pullen Park Terrace neighborhood and relocated to Harvey Hill in 2017, the event opens with a community parade and a kids-only pinewoodstyle race before gravity-propelled soapbox cars take the hill, with trophies awarded for fastest time, most creative design, and people’s choice.

26 WAKELIVING

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026 27

2808 ROGERS ROAD WAKE FOREST | 919-435-0128 | www.austinalans.com

Follow up on

austinalansnc

Dracula WORLD PREMIERE

October 15–November 1 FLETCHER OPERA THEATER

Cary_Mag_Half_Page_2627.indd 1

28 WAKELIVING

20% off with code: CARYDRAC20 Restrictions May Apply

8/10/26 12:44 PM

small business spotlight Coffee, a soft pretzel, and coffee cake share the table at NOCO, where breakfast has a way of turning into brunch.

NOCO

Settles In WRITTEN BY ERIN MCKNIGHT | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JONATHAN FREDIN

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026 29

By 7 a.m. on a weekday, the doors are already open at NOCO Brews & Bites. The place fills fast, with climbers from Triangle Rock Club next door stopping in before or after a session, laptops opening at the communal tables, and the espresso machine getting a running start on a day the taps won’t join for hours yet. None of it happens by accident. That’s the thing about NOCO that’s easy to miss if you only see the finished space: how deliberate it is. “We kept coming back to one question: Where would we want to spend our time?” says Jeremy Bond, who cofounded NOCO with his twin brother, Jay. “We wanted to build a place we’d genuinely enjoy coming to ourselves — a place we’d be excited to bring our families, meet our friends, work for a few hours over coffee, or unwind at the end of the day.” That question

Jeremy (left) and Jay Bond

30 WAKELIVING

shaped everything from the layout to the hours, and it’s baked into NOCO’s tagline: From First Cup to Last Call™. Jeremy and Jay already know what it takes to construct something people love. A decade ago, the two, along with co-founder Whit Baker — who remains a partner at Bond Brothers but isn’t involved with NOCO — opened Bond Brothers Beer Company in downtown Cary, back when “there really wasn’t a lot going on” there, Jeremy says. “We started Bond Brothers almost 16, 17 years ago,” he explains of the slow growth before it was incorporated in 2014. It officially opened in 2016, and downtown Cary grew up around it. Since then, the award-winning brewery has grown into a second downtown Cary location and a presence inside RaleighDurham International Airport. It’s proof, if

any were needed, that the Bonds know how to create a place people want to return to. NOCO isn’t a rebrand of that success, though, and the brothers are careful to say so. “We didn’t start by deciding to open another brewery, a coffee shop, a restaurant, or a bar — Raleigh already has so many great places to enjoy all of those experiences,” Jay says. NOCO is an independent concept, built to complement rather than replace what they’ve already built in Cary. “After more than a decade of building places where people love to gather, NOCO gave us the opportunity to bring everything we’ve learned together in one place,” Jay says, “and create something with an identity entirely its own.” That identity starts with the name. Literally, NOCO means no company. “There’s obviously a philosophy, and the thought process behind everything we do,”

Jeremy explains. “However, we try to do things very naturally. We don’t really try to force anything.” That’s a distinction worth sitting with. NOCO was built to feel relaxed and unforced. The layout, the seating, the power access, the food and beverage program, the outdoor space, the ability to serve people well from morning through last call … all of it was thought through in advance. The brothers “think very similarly,” Jeremy says — Jay studied music, Jeremy art — which made it natural to do something together. When Triangle Rock Club, the climbing gym anchoring the Salvage Yard side of Raleigh Iron Works, came calling about the space next door, the brothers didn’t have to think long. But NOCO wasn’t designed around TRC’s climbers alone. It was conceived, from the outset, for a much broader cross-section of the neighborhood. A straight transplant of Bond Brothers wouldn’t have worked here, Jeremy says, and the food and beverage program reflects a wider ambition than beer alone. Protein-forward options lead the light-bites menu — bacon, cheese, and hashbrown bites; a sausage, egg, and cheese croissant sandwich — alongside grab-and-go offerings from local partners Union Special, Benchwarmers, and Sweet Nothings Bakery. “Not that beer is unhealthy,” Jeremy says. “It’s perfectly fine. But not having a food component and just bringing Bond Brothers here, we felt would not work.” Enter Daniel Elliott, NOCO’s brewmaster, whose beer education traces straight back to Bond Brothers. Daniel trained there, left for a stint at Trophy, came back, went again, and finally landed at NOCO, where the Bonds already knew his beer, his personality, and his fit. The inhouse beer program now spans seven brews, anchored by the flagship NOCO LOCO, a 4.4% ABV Mexican lager, alongside three ongoing collaborations with other local breweries and a couple of ciders. Coffee wasn’t an afterthought, either. “We knew we wanted it to be a place for people to come and spend a long period of time,” Jeremy says, “so we wanted to bring

NOCO brewmaster Daniel Elliott

First pour of the day, right on cue

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026 31

Duck in for

Cary | 100 Wrenn Dr #101 Cary, NC, 27511 | 919-468-8722 | Open 6am – 7 pm daily

Cary

Durham

Raleigh

Durham | 5320 McFarland Rd #140 Durham, NC 27707 | 919-973-1305 | Open 7am – 7 pm daily 100 Wrenn Dr #101 5320 McFarland Rd #140 2414 Wycliff Rd #100 Cary NC, 27511 Durham, NC 27707 Raleigh, 27607 2414 Wycliff Rd #100 Raleigh, NC 27607 | 919-322-0846 | Open 6am NC – 7pm daily Raleigh | 8323 Creedmoor Rd Raleigh,919-973-1305 919-468-8722 NC 27613 | 919-847-3800 | Open 919-322-0846 6am – 7pm daily Open 6am - 7pm daily Open 7am - 7pm daily Open 6am - 7pm daily

Wendell | 2210 Big Falls Drive Wendell, NC 27591 | 919-366-6194 | Open 6am – 7pm daily

32 WAKELIVING

Guests settle in beneath NOCO’s floral mural, one of the many corners built for lounging and lingering over a drink.

Last call starts here. A NOCO brew poured fresh from the tap. Tucked into Raleigh Iron Works’ Salvage Yard, NOCO’s industrial exterior gives way to a landscaped patio that supports sticking around.

the coffee component to the space.” It’s part of the same all-day logic behind From First Cup to Last Call: Offer a single space that holds a full spectrum of the day, rather than a brewery that happens to also sell coffee. The mornings at NOCO now belong to remote workers who’ve traded a home office for a communal one. “We have power sources everywhere,” Jeremy says. “Outlets on the floor, outlets on the wall, comfortable seating, tables … different nooks where they can kind of focus and be in their own zone.” By afternoon, the climbers filter in, and the green space fills with something entirely different. “We do get a lot of parents and children, which we love,” Jeremy says. “They can come and relax while the kids run around and enjoy themselves outside. We get quite a variety.”

That variety is written into the floor plan itself. Rather than one undifferentiated room, NOCO is organized the way a house is, into the Library, the Living Room, the Sunroom, the Porch, the Yard, and the Bar, each planned with a specific kind of guest and a specific kind of day in mind. Remote workers tend to claim the Library and Living Room, tucked-in spaces built for focus. Families spill toward the Porch and the Yard, where there’s room to run. And as the day tips toward evening, the Bar takes over. It’s not the first time the brothers have built this kind of intentional community programming. Before Bond Brothers could even legally pour a beer, they’d already started a run club, meeting at the pharmacy next door because their own taproom wasn’t open yet. Over the

years, that club has grown to more than 4,000 members. At NOCO, they planned for the same kind of community-building from day one, launching a climbing club that met for the first time just days after NOCO opened its doors. Raleigh Iron Works itself is still being written, and that’s part of the draw. “Salvage Yard is phase two for the crowd, and what they do is amazing,” Jay says of the redevelopment, adding that the craft beer world is “a small, tight-knit family.” NOCO has already been trading notes with fellow tenant Ponysaurus Brewing Co. about what it’s like to help evolve a destination from scratch. “There’s still a lot to create,” he says about the desire for NOCO to feel like a home away from home. For Jeremy, “home” isn’t really a metaphor. He lives in Raleigh, close enough that NOCO SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026 33

is almost an extension of his own neighborhood and not a commute. “I only live about six minutes away,” he says, almost in passing, as if it wasn’t the whole point. But it is, in a way. You can’t build a place for people to linger in if you’re not willing to linger there yourself. It’s part of why the beverage program stretches well past beer and coffee to craft cocktails, wine, and THC-infused seltzers that sit alongside nonalcoholic options like mocktails, NA beer, and seasonal Italian sodas. Appealing to all tastes so guests feel welcome to stay awhile is a different kind of pressure than what Jeremy and Jay felt opening Bond Brothers. Back then, Jeremy says, he and Jay were young and, by his own admission, a little naive — “We just were excited about beer” — opening in a downtown Cary block that had more promise than proof. These days, “I know all the responsibility and the amount of work it’s going to take,” Jeremy says of NOCO. “I can see the road ahead. I know what we need to focus on, and it’s a little bit intimidating.”

But pressure isn’t the whole picture, and Jeremy is careful not to let it be. “I’m excited; I’m looking forward to it,” he says, almost correcting himself mid-thought. The weight of knowing exactly what’s ahead — the work, the responsibility, the community’s expectations — hasn’t dulled the appeal of it. If anything, it has sharpened it. This isn’t the wide-eyed excitement of two brothers who didn’t know what they were getting into. It’s the excitement of two people who know precisely what they’re signing up for and are choosing it anyway. None of it runs on Jay and Jeremy alone, and they’re the first to say so. Between long hours, little sleep, and a lot of hard work, the thing that’s actually made NOCO possible is the team they’ve built around themselves. “We were pretty fortunate with a lot of people that we were able to find and hire,” Jeremy says. It’s a team that’s taken the reins on the day-to-day, freeing the brothers to work behind the scenes and be pulled in whatever direction the day requires. “We’re

Regulars and newcomers alike find a friendly face behind NOCO’s bar.

34 WAKELIVING

traveling back and forth between Cary and here, dealing with whatever needs to be dealt with,” Jeremy says. “A lot of it’s unexpected.” What hasn’t changed is what the Bonds believe a place like this owes the people who walk in. “You open a place, and you hope the community comes, and you’re hoping for a space that they enjoy and love, but you don’t know until,” Jay says. “There’s a responsibility when you’re opening, and it is for the community,” Jeremy adds. It’s why NOCO doesn’t read like a brewery with a coffee bar bolted on, or a coworking space that happens to serve beer. It reads like a house with a lot of deliberately built rooms, each one planned with a specific kind of guest, and a specific kind of day, in mind. Pops of pink on the walls, six named rooms, the dawn-to-drinks menu … every facet was intentional. What’s left up to the guests is simply how they use it. That, as much as anything, is what makes NOCO feel like home. t nocobrewsandbites.com @nocobrewsandbites

BACK YARD BLISS

Edible gardens made easy WRITTEN BY EMILY UHLAND | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JONATHAN FREDIN

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026 35

Water. Fertilize. Mow. Weed.

It’s a cycle common to many trying to keep their lawn lush with green grass. A cycle that can sometimes feel like a battle. Corinne Beirne thinks there’s a better way to love your landscaping. Better not just for our homes, but for our health as well. “If we could turn toasty grass into a place where something productive and beautiful can be grown, that’s a win,” she says. Corinne owns The Nourished Garden, which designs and implements kitchen gardens and coaches homeowners on growing their own herbs and produce. “A kitchen garden is a beautifully designed space that is front and center in your yard. It has the foods you eat in it: lettuce, carrots, tomatoes. It has a beautiful archway; it’s also an entertaining space,” she says. Under Corinne’s practiced guidance, gardens are no longer relegated to the back corner of the lot, but become beautiful landscape features with raised beds, trellises, and plentiful plantings mere steps from the back door. “Have you ever had a recipe that required basil, and you went to the grocery store to pick up a pack of $8 basil then used four leaves and the rest sat in the refrigerator? It’s a waste of money, and that basil probably sat on a truck for a week before it got to you,” Corinne laments. “With a kitchen garden, if I’m making a salad or pasta sauce tonight, I’m gonna just step outside and pinch off what I need.” Her passion for gardening grew out of a search for calm and quiet in the midst of a busy lifestyle as a working mother of two.

36 WAKELIVING

Owner Corinne Beirne loves working in the garden with her children, Kennedy and Beau, finding that “there’s something different” about eating food that they’ve grown at home.

“I am a yoga instructor, and I’ve been teaching people how to calm their nervous systems for the last several years. I discovered that plants and gardening can really help with our nervous systems and help us heal in ways that we can’t in a yoga studio.” Lingering health issues led Corinne to deep research on herbalism, gardening, and how to restore her own well-being.

“I became very fascinated with growing my own food in addition to growing my own medicine. It started with herbs, and then I wanted cleaner tomatoes and cucumbers that didn’t have pesticides all over them. “I started doing this gardening work for my own nervous system. It’s not about the tomatoes. It’s about getting outside and honoring your circadian rhythm with sunlight and fresh air,” she explains.

“

With a kitchen garden, if I’m making a salad or pasta sauce tonight, I’m gonna just step outside and pinch off what I need.”

— Corinne Beirne SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026 37

The Nourished Garden ensures that designs are beautiful, as well as functional, so that kitchen gardens become entertaining spaces for family and friends.

Grow Your Own Backyard gardens made easy with The Nourished Garden’s full-service approach

Step One: Planning Owner Corinne will identify the most sunny and practical location and design the garden layout. Working with the homeowner, she’ll create a vision board for what they want to grow. “I really listen to, ‘What do you eat?’ If you don’t eat beets, we’re not going to plant beets.”

Step Two: Installation The landscape team prepares the site and installs the raised boxes, trellises, and irrigation.

Step Three: Planting “So I come out, and I coach and teach people, and I plant with them,” says Corinne, who supplies the seeds and seedlings to start the garden.

Step Four: Follow-Up Clients of The Nourished Garden receive monthly return visits for planting checks, coaching, and troubleshooting with Corinne. “I visit once a month until … they feel empowered to grow on their own.”

38 WAKELIVING

“I’ve become hyper focused on how to create an environment for ourselves where we live well. That means slowing down. What are ways we can do that? The research says to be outside and to eat healthy food.” As her knowledge expanded, Corinne became a resource for friends, family, and neighbors, and eventually, The Nourished Garden took root. Education is a large component of the business, and you’ll often find Corinne hosting planting workshops at local garden centers or leading children’s gardening activities at farmers markets. “A lot of people want to garden, but they don’t know how,” she says. “They don’t know where to start.” The Nourished Garden’s full-service model — including landscape design, raised bed construction and installation, planting assistance, and monthly follow-ups — means a kitchen garden is achievable for almost anyone with space and desire, no experience required. “If you want to grow food, I’m gonna hold your hand; I’m gonna show you how. We’re going to grow what you want with your vision, but I’m going to make it easy,” she says.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026 39

“

Fragrant herbs such as thyme, rosemary, and basil outline Corinne’s garden beds for natural protection from pests.

“My gardens are intensively planted. They’re bordered with herbs for organic pest protection. The pests really don’t like the smelly, stinky herbs like basil, rosemary, and thyme. And then we intensively plant on top of each other tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, lettuce, radishes, sugar snap peas, all of it. And they grow beautifully. It actually makes watering easier with all those root systems together; they don’t need as much watering because there’s not as much dry space in between.” In Corinne’s own home garden, she’s found a beautiful refuge from life’s hustle and bustle and a place to connect with her children, ages 5 and 14. “My son is 5. He was horrified when I put peas on his plate for a few nights for dinner. But now we grow peas together, and he sits in the garden and eats the peas right off of the vine. “That is a beautiful thing. There’s something different about eating food that you grew from a seed,” she says.

40 WAKELIVING

Involving the entire family makes a kitchen garden that much more impactful. “It’s a place where children can reconnect with nature in this digital world and find an excuse to be outside. They learn how to care for something that is alive and to nurture it. It teaches patience. “It’s also taught me and my kids to appreciate the bees. They’re not just a nuisance anymore. They are the reason that we have the fruits of our labor.” The Nourished Garden’s Instagram account (@the_nourished_garden) serves as another avenue for sharing expertise and planting tips and getting to know Corinne herself. “I’m trying to use the platform to teach and educate, and to reach people,” she says. “Learning to harvest herbs and food when they’re in season and just slowing down — it’s something that people, I’m finding, are really thirsty for.” Above all, Corinne wants her clients and the local community to feel empowered to garden on their own in order to reap the

I’ve become hyper focused on how to create an environment for ourselves where we live well.”

— Corinne Beirne culinary and wellness benefits, connect with nature, and feel the sense of accomplishment that comes with harvesting your own food. “I’m really passionate about teaching people. If you’re making popcorn tonight, chop up some rosemary and melt it in the butter and drizzle on popcorn. Go use your herbs and make them a part of everyday life. It’s not only medicinally (beneficial), but just being outside and the feeling of pulling something from the garden and eating it slows your nervous system down. A slower nervous system is what we all need right now for health.” t thenourishedgarden.com @the_nourished_garden

Courtesy of DWR

Modernism’s Open House WRITTEN BY ERIN MCKNIGHT

Soft linens, warm wood tones, and a skylight-lit ceiling give this bedroom its modernist ease.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

On what he describes as a dark and stormy night in January of 2007, George Smart sat down at his computer to look for a lot to build a house on. What he found instead was a graveyard. Scrolling through what remained of Raleigh’s postwar architecture, he kept coming across houses he’d never seen before. Some were already torn down, while others were clearly headed there. George grew up in this city. His father was an architect. He’d thought he knew all the important places. He didn’t. So George started a list on a yellow legal pad. It reached 50 entries before he showed it to a few of his late father’s friends, retired architects who took one look and said there were hundreds more. If George came to pick them up, they offered to show him where. For the next several months, George drove

Jonathan Fredinh

George Smart in his Durham home

42 WAKELIVING

80-year-old architects around Raleigh in his Mini Cooper, “like The Italian Job,” he says, chasing down houses most of the city had forgotten it still had. Nineteen years later, that legal pad has grown into a three-part story about how Raleigh fell for modernism and decided to keep it. This year alone, the movement has a new address, a wider audience, and a bus. In August, modernist retailer Design Within Reach opened its second North Carolina showroom in North Hills. In September, NCModernist, the nonprofit George founded, sends its Modapalooza tour through the Triangle for a 13th year. And behind both is George’s own quieter project: a 6,000-house archive built to make sure Raleigh never again mistakes what it has for something ordinary.

Design Within Raleigh’s Reach

The state’s first Design Within Reach (DWR) location, Charlotte’s South End store, opened in June 2019. The Raleigh shop followed seven years later, on August 21 of this year. Seven years is a long gap between a first store and a second, but Raleigh had been on the radar the whole time, says Debbie Propst, president of global retail for MillerKnoll, DWR’s parent company. “Raleigh has been a market of interest for several years due to its population growth, strong design culture, and increasing customer engagement with the brand,” Debbie says. “When the opportunity to establish a presence at North Hills arose, we saw a unique combination of location, audience, and timing that made it the ideal moment to bring DWR to the Triangle region.”

Midwifery • Rejuvenation • y h p a r mog D Mam 3 • yn Ob/G

Schedule today

919-678-6900 600 New Waverly Pl., Suite 310, Cary, NC DR. VIJAY SHESHADRI |

DR. LANDON WILLIAMS

| DR. SUBHRATHA MAREDIA | DR. NADIA TOMA

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

44 WAKELIVING

Erin Bell - Bull City Photography

The 4,790-square-foot showroom is built from reclaimed oak flooring, custom oak millwork, and 100% recycled pale brick sourced within state, with floor-to-ceiling windows pulling in natural light. This nod, deliberate or not, is to the very houses George has spent two decades documenting. That local sourcing wasn’t incidental, Debbie acknowledges: “Over the past few years, as part of the continued evolution of DWR, we have made a concerted effort to develop each of our stores through a localized lens. The architecture of the space and the design choices we made were influenced by the region.” Inside, the shelves read like a modernist syllabus. The Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman, the Womb Chair, the Artichoke Pendant, the Wishbone Chair, alongside contemporary work from Herman Miller, Knoll, Louis Poulsen, Fritz Hansen, Flos, GUBI, and Carl Hansen & Søn. A design services team offers space planning and 3D renderings free of charge for anyone who wants professional help getting the look right. “Our decision to expand into Raleigh was driven by the region’s remarkable connection to design,” Debbie says. “Few places have contributed more to the story of American modernism and furnituremaking than North Carolina. From its world-class design schools and architectural legacy to its culture of craftsmanship and innovation, Raleigh is a community that deeply values the kind of authentic, enduring design that DWR represents.” It’s not just design pedigree driving the decision, either. North Carolina has long been the nation’s furniture-manufacturing capital, centered an hour west in High Point where a deep bench of local makers can build the things designers imagine. Layer in Raleigh’s place inside the fast-growing Research Triangle, and DWR’s bet on this region looks less like an experiment than math long overdue.

Floor-to-ceiling windows, reclaimed oak, custom millwork, and locally sourced recycled brick fill DWR’s 4,790-square-foot North Hills showroom.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

Coins and Precious Metals

proud to protect Wake County Thomas Walters 919-554-0267

WE BUY GOLD & SILVER!

Wake County twalters@allstate.com

COINS • GOLD SILVER • DIAMONDS E S TA T E J E W E L R Y • F L A T WA R E

APPOINTMENTS ONLY 103 Kilmayne Dr., Suite A • Cary, NC 27511 919-461-0014 • jewelsbyjr@yahoo.com Owners: Jeff Reid & Josh Bobbitt, American Numismatic Association

46 WAKELIVING

Coins Partner

Globally sourced wines, locally sourced ingredients.

LUNCH • DINNER • CATERING Lafayette Village 8450 Honeycutt Road, Raleigh, NC 27614 919-890-8143

Erin Bell - Bull City Photography

Raleigh Mayor Janet Cowell speaks at the opening of Design Within Reach on August 21, 2026.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

Showcasing

NCModernist

“

The Fowler House — Chad Wilkins, 2026. Modapalooza’s newest stop is proof that modernism doesn’t have to look like 1950 to count.

new homes on the Modapalooza tour “encourages people to engage architects and build the homes of their dreams.” — George Smart

That legacy has a specific address as a classroom and not a factory floor. In 1948, NC State recruited a young dean named Henry Kamphoefner away from the University of Oklahoma to build what would become the School of Design. “It changed everything about all buildings, really,” George says. Before Kamphoefner arrived, NC State’s architecture program was, in George’s telling, a fairly conventional engineering track. Kamphoefner did things deans don’t get away with today by firing much of the existing faculty and recruiting students and instructors from design programs around the country in a push to make the school the nation’s leading center for modernism. Two years later, in May 1950, Frank Lloyd Wright came to Raleigh to lecture in the newly built Reynolds Coliseum, drawing what George calls the largest architecture audience in the world at the time, 5,000 in attendance, in a city of roughly 70,000 people. Kamphoefner stayed dean for 25 years. His faculty lectured alongside Marcel Breuer, Mies van der Rohe, Charles Eames, and Eero Saarinen, and his graduates went on to design schools, hospitals, post offices, office buildings, and churches across the state, which is why Raleigh’s modernist inventory runs so much deeper than most cities its size.

48 48 WAKELIVING WAKELIVING

Ask Debbie how much that specific history factored into DWR’s decision, versus standard retail metrics like population growth or household income, and she describes it as inseparable rather than either-or. “The region’s design legacy was absolutely an important factor, but it wasn’t an eitheror decision between culture and retail fundamentals,” she says. “We look for markets where strong customer demand intersects with a meaningful connection to design, and Raleigh offered both. From a business perspective, the Triangle’s continued growth and strong engagement with the DWR brand made it an attractive market. At the same time, Raleigh has a unique place in the history of modern design. The influence of Henry Kamphoefner and NC State’s School of Design helped establish a culture that embraces modernism, creativity, and thoughtful design — values that align closely with DWR’s heritage.” The Archivist

George’s list didn’t stay a list for long. In 2007 it became Triangle Modernist and covered Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill. The organization went statewide in 2013 and national in 2015, rebranding as NCModernist. It is now the state’s largest open digital

archive, with more than 6,000 North Carolina houses catalogued and roughly 25,000 nationwide on its sister site, USModernist. George runs it all using his background as a management consultant specializing in strategic planning and executive development. “This is not a job for an architect,” he says. “Architects are here to design things. We’re not designing anything. We’re running an organization for fans of architecture and a documentation operation for the history of architecture.” What’s at stake, George says, is simpler than architectural theory. “The community is losing art that is livable.” Not every house is worth saving, he adds. “Many that were intricately designed have a much longer life than people think.” He explains that “they can be restored and live on for another 50 years.” The way these houses are usually lost follows a pattern. A husband and wife raise a family in a midcentury house; both parents eventually pass, and their children inherit it. “Usually one of them wants to save the house,” George says, “and the other two just want to sell the property and don’t really care what happens to it.” The house sells, gets torn down, and something not better goes up in its place. The other common path runs through well-meaning renovation: An owner hires

a general contractor without modernist experience — “their cousin Earl,” a deadpan George says — who advises against fixing the place up on the theory that the money won’t be recouped. Often, he says, that advice is simply wrong, delivered by someone who’s never worked with an architect who understands how these houses handle space. The house that still haunts George is the Catalano House, a 1954 hyperbolic paraboloid structure of just 1,700 square feet that was, for decades, the second-most-famous house in the state after Biltmore and was recognized by architects around the world. Its last owner, an attorney, moved out after waking to find a snake inside. The house then sat empty until a roofing contractor working on repairs cut a key support cable and the roof began to collapse. The house was eventually sold and demolished. A pair of McMansions stands on the site now.

Loss like that is why NCModernist exists, but so is rescue. The organization has helped roughly 500 houses change hands by building the first listing service specifically for modernist real estate. Until approximately a decade ago, George says, the multiple listing service had no modernist category at all — only a catch-all called “contemporary” that “could be anything: a yurt, an igloo, a modernist house.” Vacancy, he says, remains the single biggest threat a house can face. An empty house isn’t monitored, and no one notices a leak, a break-in, or a squatter until real damage is done. George’s advice to families with an inherited house that’s sitting empty is to get someone living in it, rent-free if necessary, just to keep the lights on and the mail collected. For houses worth extra protection, NCModernist points owners toward two legal tools. A deed restriction is, in George’s

words, “a temporary homeowners association for one house”: a one-page filing that blocks demolition for a set number of years and must be disclosed to any buyer. A preservation easement goes further, protecting specific architectural features, like a signature fireplace or original roofline, permanently. Ask George whether the answer is new legislation or a broader cultural campaign, and he demurs. The tools that already exist work, he says, when people know to use them. “If we didn’t exist, there’d be many more teardowns. This is what happens all over the country: A weird old house at the end of the street, nobody knows anything about it. The last owner passes away. It gets sold. It gets torn down. It’s gone. ...” Zoom out far enough and the story of these houses is the story of a single idea that boomed, went out of style, and then came back again. Modernism traces to around

Jonathan Fredinh

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026

1915 on the West Coast, gaining momentum as immigrant German and Austrian architects brought Bauhaus thinking with them. Its real boom years ran from 1945 to 1970, driven by the postwar need for housing. Then it crashed due to an oil crisis and the fact that material science hadn’t caught up with design ambition. Flat roofs leaked. “The word on the street became ‘Don’t buy a flat-roofed house,’” George says. It took 20 years and the arrival of computer-aided design for materials, and taste, to catch back up. This revival started in the late 1990s and, he says, “has really not stopped since.” What keeps people restoring these houses today isn’t nostalgia, in George’s telling, so much as how well they still function. “They were working on being green before that was even a phrase,” he says. Yet even at its most popular, modernism has never been anything but a sliver of the market. George estimates it at roughly one-fourth of one percent of North Carolina’s

housing stock. What defines that sliver comes down to four features: a flat or low-pitched roof; an abundance of openings (windows, courtyards, atriums, skylights, big sliding glass doors) that pull the outdoors in; an unusual geometry; and an open floor plan, only possible when central heating and air meant houses no longer had to be chopped into small, separate rooms. “Back in the day, open floor plans were like the Bitcoin of their era,” George says, “so new and different and unusual.” Most of what NCModernist spends its year encouraging, beyond the archive, is its 30-plus annual events. Built on the theory that people don’t want an architecture lecture — “That’s for architecture students,” George says — they want to experience the buildings themselves, whether that’s a house tour, a movie night, or a martini in a striking living room. It’s programming built for converts and skeptics alike, which matters a lot every spring and fall, when the archive rolls out of the browser and onto a bus.

Mod on the Move

Twice a year for the past 13 years, NCModernist has turned its archive into a field trip. Modapalooza tours load ticket holders onto buses in Research Triangle Park and spend a day visiting private homes. This fall’s tour, on September 26, stops at eight houses and a farm across Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill. Four of the stops sit within Wake County. The lineup mixes new construction with midcentury landmarks: Lightwell II in Chapel Hill (Kata Walters, 2026); The Hughes House in Chapel Hill (Arielle Condoret Schechter, 2026); Dover Road House in Durham (Szostak Design/Phil Szostak, 2024); Von Mod in Durham (Distinctive Architecture/Bill Waddell, 2025); Robert Carr House II in Durham (Robert Carr, 1952);

50 50 WAKELIVING WAKELIVING

NCModernist

Burkett Farm — REdesign/Will Alphin, 2024. The stops on Modapalooza’s September 26 tour are mostly houses, but this one is a working farm that was founded in 2014 as a modest vegetable garden that donated its harvest to local food banks before growing into a hub for regenerative agriculture.

SUNDAY

OCT 11 SIGN UP

TODAY!

& FESTIVAL!

38TH ANNUAL WALK & FESTIVAL

HOSTED BY

• DELICIOUS FOOD • MUSIC FROM LIQUID PLEASURE • GREAT FAMILY FUN!

NCModernist

The Fadum House — James Fitzgibbon, 1950, with a later addition by Brian Shawcroft. The oldest stop on this fall’s Modapalooza tour is tucked into a wooded Raleigh lot with the low-pitched roofline, deep eaves, and walls of glass that define modernist style.

The Fowler House in Raleigh (Chad Wilkins, 2026); The Fadum House in Raleigh (James Fitzgibbon, with a later addition by Brian Shawcroft, 1950); Burkett Farm in Raleigh (REdesign/Will Alphin, 2024); and Umstead Park House in Raleigh (ThoughCraft/ Jason Hart, 2026). Ticket holders, many of whom get to meet the architects in person, pay $159 to $179 for a full day that includes coffee, lunch, a tote bag and, notably, an airconditioned, restroom-equipped bus. Much of the tour showcases new houses on purpose. “All of modernism was originally designed to be affordable for everybody, postwar,” George says. “You can take a modernist design and really bling it out and spend a lot of money — but you don’t have to.” He points to the efficiency baked into good architectural planning, where a house someone assumes needs 3,200 square feet might live just as large at 2,600, once an architect who understands space gets involved. “That’s 600 square feet you didn’t have to pay for,” George explains.

52 52 WAKELIVING WAKELIVING

He doesn’t have a personal favorite stop on the tour; he’s just glad to get people into houses they’d otherwise never see, some tucked down driveways most residents pass without a second look. A fair number of ticket holders come as reluctant pairs, one partner a devoted modernist and the other skeptical. “This is a propaganda trip for the modernist fan, to persuade the other one,” he says, “and it frequently works, because the people who dislike modernism the most generally haven’t been inside the houses.” More than a few architects on the tour have picked up new clients by the end of the day — proof, George says, that the movement keeps feeding itself. Modapalooza’s growth from a passion project into a waitlisted annual event is the clearest evidence of the shift DWR is now betting on. “When we started this, I hoped a few dozen people would come,” George has previously said. “Now it’s a phenomenon comprised of eight houses, a full fleet of buses, and a waiting list.” This fall’s tour

is sponsored by Anderson Pope of Northern South, Pella, and Anna Hartwell of Hartwell Financial Group. Tickets and details are available at ncmodernist.org/palooza. Nearly two decades after that yellow legal pad, George still tells people the fastest way in doesn’t require a ticket at all. Get on the NCModernist newsletter, he says, where every event, local and national, gets posted to a calendar. Then find the map on the website — roughly 4,500 of the archive’s 6,000 houses are geo-located, clustered enough that the pattern becomes obvious. North and South Lakeshore Drive in Chapel Hill. Country Club Hills in Raleigh. Drive those streets, he says, and look, respectfully, from the sidewalk. The Catalano House is gone but the houses around it, for now, are not. t ncmodernist.org @ncmodernist dwr.com @designwithinreach

Excellence in

EDUCATION A LOOK INSIDE THE TOP SCHOOLS IN WAKE COUNTY

SPE CIAL ADVER T ISING SEC T ION

Excellence in education

CHESTERBROOK ACADEMY A Campus Built for Curiosity // 10200 Strickland Road // Raleigh

Since 1995, Chesterbrook Academy in Raleigh has been a place where children from 3 years to 5th grade are encouraged to ask questions, explore their interests, and discover just how much they are capable of. In its close-knit community, every child is known, supported, and encouraged to grow with confidence and purpose. That spirit begins in preschool and grows throughout the elementary experience, where learning becomes more active, hands-on, and designed to spark curiosity. Challenging academics extend beyond textbooks through projects, collaborative, multi-grade problem-solving, and real-world exploration. Students conduct experiments, tackle STEM challenges, create with classmates, and learn by doing — building knowledge while developing the confidence to share ideas, solve problems, and try something new.

QUICK LOOK

CONTACT (877) 340-1261

NorthRaleigh. ChesterbrookAcademy.com

54 WAKELIVING

GRADES 3 Years – Grade 5

The school’s unique wooded campus acts as an extension of the classroom. A winding nature trail, outdoor amphitheater, sport court, and plentiful outdoor spaces give students room to investigate the natural world, bring science lessons to life, collaborate on challenges, and connect what they learn in lessons to the world around them. Students also explore interests through music, drama, art, STEM, PE, and Spanish, while leadership and service opportunities like student council and annual food bank drives further build confidence, responsibility, and empathy. Through meaningful relationships and experiences that invite students to explore, participate, and lead, Chesterbrook Academy helps shape curious, capable young people prepared to make an impact on their school and larger community.

ENROLLMENT 115

STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO Varies by grade level

COST Varies per program

Excellence in education

PRIMROSE SCHOOL WAKE FOREST 844 Heritage Lake Road // Wake Forest

In Wake Forest, strong communities begin with strong foundations. More than a daycare, Primrose School of Heritage Wake Forest provides trusted childcare and early education that help children become confident, curious, and caring learners — from infancy through transitional kindergarten. Inside each classroom, the exclusive Balanced Learning® curriculum brings together purposeful play, teacherguided discovery, and meaningful conversation. Children strengthen early literacy, mathematics, and critical-thinking skills while also learning kindness, cooperation, responsibility, and healthy habits. This whole-child approach helps children build the academic, social, and emotional readiness they need for kindergarten and beyond.

QUICK LOOK

CONTACT (919) 453-2554

Experienced educators create a safe, joyful environment where every child is known and encouraged. Families stay connected as teachers celebrate developmental milestones, share classroom experiences, and work alongside parents to support each child’s individual journey. As a five-star licensed child care center in North Carolina and a Cogniaaccredited school, Primrose School of Heritage Wake Forest is committed to high standards in education, care, and continuous improvement. Conveniently located on Heritage Lake Road near Heritage Elementary School and Smith Creek Soccer Center, the school proudly serves Wake Forest and surrounding communities. Meet the educators and experience Balanced Learning® in action. Schedule a tour at primroseheritagewf.com.

AVERAGE COST Varies by program

STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO Varies by age

YEAR FOUNDED 2007

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026 55

Excellence in education

THE RESOURCE ROOM LEARNING CENTER 2100 Crossway Lane // Holly Springs

The Resource Room Learning Center provides personalized educational support for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Our services include subject-specific tutoring, homework assistance, executive functioning support, study skills, and individualized support for students with IEPs, 504 Plans, ADHD, autism, anxiety, dyslexia, and other learning differences. We also offer comprehensive SAT, ACT, EOG, EOC, and private school admissions test preparation, along with academic assessments and customized learning plans. Beyond tutoring, the Resource Room offers engaging STEM-based Summer Camps, Track Out Camps, Teacher Workday Camps,

QUICK LOOK 56 WAKELIVING

CONTACT (984) 777-1244

holiday camps, LEGO robotics and coding programs, enrichment activities, and Parent Night Out events. Pathways Academy, located within the Resource Room, is a private micro high school program serving students in grades 9–12. Pathways provides customized academics in a small, supportive environment while emphasizing executive functioning, life skills, career exploration, internships, trade skills, leadership, and preparation for life after high school. Our goal is to help every student build confidence, strengthen essential skills, and achieve meaningful academic and personal growth. Pathways Academy accepts both ESA grants as well as Opportunity Scholarship grants.

GRADES Preschool to 12th grade, including some college-level math and science courses

STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO 1:1

YEAR FOUNDED 2015

Excellence in education

WCPSS MAGNET & EARLY COLLEGE SCHOOLS 5625 Dillard Drive // Cary

Wildwood Forest Magnet Elementary School

WCPSS Magnet & Curriculum Enhancement Programs

Centennial Magnet Middle School

Wake Forest iSTEM Magnet Elementary School

Since 1982, WCPSS Magnet Programs have offered tuition-free educational options. As a Wake County family, you have choices! These award-winning schools open doors of opportunity with programs that match your child’s unique strengths and interests. Today, WCPSS hosts over 60 school choice options organized into six program pathways. Is your child a creative soul? Arts Plus pathway schools integrate the creative and design process into learning, helping students generate ideas, solve problems, and collaborate. Want your child to follow their passions? Gifted and Talented pathway schools offer an extensive menu of elective courses that allow students to discover their individual talents and pursue their interests. Interested in global impact? International Baccalaureate and

QUICK LOOK

CONTACT (919) 533-7289 wcpss.net/magnet

GRADES PK–12

East Millbrook Magnet Middle School

Smith Magnet Elementary School

Global Studies pathway schools prepare students to lead positive change through cultural exploration and language study. Love world languages? Language Immersion programs teach Spanish or Chinese while building English skills and cultural understanding. Do they love to tinker? STEM pathway schools show students how to apply emerging technology to solve problems, improve the world, and build decision-making skills. At Wake Forest iSTEM Magnet Elementary, students can prepare for a global STEM workforce by also having the opportunity to learn Spanish or Mandarin. Ready for college early? Early College High Schools, including the single-gender Wake Leadership Academies, partner with local colleges to give students a head start.

ENROLLMENT 160,000

STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO Varies by grade

COST $0

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026 57

Own What’s Next A day to connect, learn and move forward with confidence.

MEET THE HONOREES: LUNCHEON & PANEL DISCUSSION

Mandy Becker Owner, Swagger Boutique

Dr. Bobbi Stanley Dr. Mariah Walker

Joanna Helms

Director, Apex Economic Department

Principal, Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy

Owner & Dentist, Stanley Dentistry

Susan Weis

Communications Director, Town of Fuquay-Varina

LIMITED SEATING!

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 THE UMSTEAD HOTEL & SPA

PROUD PARTNERS MER I DI A N CA RY

themeworks 58 WAKELIVING

MER I DI A N EAST CHATHAM

pay it forward

Avendelle at Picardy Point WRITTEN BY ERIN MCKNIGHT | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JONATHAN FREDIN

Three generations of women on the porch that started it all: Melissa Rich with her children, her mother (seated), and her mother-in-law at Avendelle at Picardy Point in Cary.

Melissa Rich found her father’s care home the way most families never do: by walking her dog past it every day, hearing it mentioned once at an HOA meeting she almost skipped, and then reverse-searching the address herself because she couldn’t find the name anywhere online. “I literally stalked the house,” she says. That house — a small, residential assisted living home tucked behind her own neighborhood — became Avendelle, the model that would eventually shape Avendelle

at Picardy Point, the six-bedroom home Melissa is opening in Cary. But before she was an owner and operator, she was a daughter driving back and forth between her own house and her parents’ with two toddlers in the backseat, trying to keep her father safe, and discovering appointment by appointment, denial letter by denial letter, how little anyone tells families before the crisis hits. The numbers explain why her story is becoming so common. In Cary, 15.5% of residents are now 65 or older, already above

the Wake County average, and North Carolina’s senior population is projected to nearly double over the next 20 years. More families in their 40s and 50s are now caring for young kids and aging parents at the same time, often with no idea where to even start. “It might not happen tomorrow,” she says, “but the silver tsunami is coming.” Melissa’s father had a hemorrhagic stroke in 2013, out of nowhere, at 60. An electrical engineer with an MBA, a business owner, an Air Force veteran — the planner, the Boy SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026 59

Scout, the one who always had it together — he came back from the stroke cognitively intact enough that no one used the word dementia yet. He’d also caught shingles on his face during that hospital stay, pain Melissa describes as a 10 out of 10 every time he reported, and it permanently affected his vision. Looking back, she isn’t sure the dementia had a clean start date at all and perhaps simply crept in over the years that followed. By early 2025, it had accelerated into something else entirely: agitation, paranoia, a conviction that the neighbors doing yard work were actually running a cult. Melissa would get calls from her mother mid-workday because her father was outside yelling at neighbors, refusing to come inside, refusing to be reasoned with. More than once, Melissa huddled with her two young kids in a hallway while her father, a man she calls the most

amazing person she’s ever known, spiraled in the next room. “It’s like a modern-day zombie,” she says of watching dementia take her father. “Your dad looks like your dad. There’s still things about them that are the same, but they’re not there.” Part of what made the diagnosis so slow, she says, is a phenomenon caregivers rarely hear named out loud. Her father would sail through cognitive tests at the doctor’s office while at home he was a different man entirely. Nurses would tell her how sweet he was. “Great,” she says she’d think. “I’m glad you saw my true dad.” The gap caused by masking is something Melissa now wants families to know to expect, so they walk into those appointments prepared to insist that the 15-minute test in a quiet office isn’t capturing what’s happening at 9 p.m. in their own kitchen.

The care team at Picardy Point provides specialized dementia and assisted-living care around the clock, so residents and their families can rest easy.

60 WAKELIVING

A nursing home rejected her father two days before he was supposed to move in, after reviewing his hospital notes and flagging his wandering and agitation. Melissa had already done every bit of the research, packed hope into it that then had nowhere to go. That’s what sent her looking again, and what eventually led her to Esther Cromwell, the founder of the Avendelle model, who told her flatly that the traditional facilities weren’t working, instead of insisting they were doing their best. “It was a breath of fresh air,” Melissa says about having her feelings validated. Her father moved into a six-bedroom Avendelle home in Apex, where the ratio ran one caregiver to three residents by day and one to six overnight. It was small enough that someone always knew him, not just his chart. One caregiver showed up days early, before her father even came home from the

Picardy Point is a real home on a real Cary street. Warm gathering places make even a shared meal a calm, meaningful experience.

hospital, and didn’t leave his side until the family was comfortable. He was the one who took her father golfing in a cart, sending Melissa a video from a day she’d stepped away. Her father hitting the ball made him look, for a few minutes, entirely himself. “I never thought I would see this again,” she remembers thinking, in tears. Toward the end, her father’s needs outgrew even Avendelle’s setting, and he needed one-on-one attention Melissa describes as constant. The family brought him home, supported almost around the clock by CareYaya, a platform that connects families with local medical students for caregiving shifts. Over the course of her father’s care, Melissa estimates 40 to 50 different CareYaya caregivers came through their home. He passed away in November 2025, cared for at home, surrounded by the people who had shown up for him. Every design choice at Avendelle at Picardy Point traces back to something

Melissa wishes she’d had. No hallways, so residents like her father have fewer places to get lost. An open floor plan, so caregivers can see the whole house at once. A sidewalk out front built for pushing a wheelchair, because her father wanted to go outside constantly and getting him into a car had become impossible. A playground within walking distance, because visiting a parent in a facility with young kids in tow is its own kind of hard. Even the backyard has become an exercise in the community stepping up around her, Melissa has discovered. A local garden center has donated flowers; another is discussing a donated backyard makeover; a local photographer is gifting videography of the house at no cost. Melissa tears up not because she expected help, but because she didn’t. But she isn’t just building a house. She’s building an answer to the question that haunted her the entire time: Why did no one tell me this existed? Alongside Avendelle, she’s

launching a community education series called 1 Topic, 3 Experts, pairing one aging-related subject — dementia, paying for care, aging in place, veterans’ benefits, caregiver burnout, hospice, fall prevention, and more — with three professionals from different specialties, each answering the same handful of questions: What’s the biggest misconception families have? When should planning start? What’s one resource families often don’t know about? The answers will be distilled into a single infographic, with optional short introductory videos experts can record and share themselves, so a caregiver with five minutes between a work meeting and a doctor’s appointment can actually use the information instead of being handed a 30-minute podcast to watch in their nonexistent off time. Melissa’s also thinking beyond the infographic. Estate planning, hearing loss and its surprising link to cognitive decline, how to actually talk to aging parents about moving, SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026 61

Picardy Point is home to just six residents and is furnished for real life with thoughtful touches and bright shared spaces.

62 WAKELIVING

Melissa’s goal is not just to talk about the house, but to talk about the Avendelle care model and the fact that something exists for those who need more.

“We take it day by day.” – Melissa Rich, Owner, Avendelle at Picardy Point

what to do when doctors disagree — all of it, she says, needs to be broken into pieces small enough for an exhausted caregiver to absorb between other things. And she wants at least one piece of it to simply say to families that they’re doing a good job. Caregivers get none of the encouragement that flows toward new parents, she points out, even though the emotional weight is just as heavy. “We take it day by day,” Melissa says, echoing something her mother repeated throughout her father’s illness. “We’re doing the best that we can.” Hearing “You’re doing a good job” would have made all the difference. Melissa is candid that staffing a residential care home has surprised her more than almost anything else about opening Avendelle. She interviewed 17 candidates for caregiving roles, and more than half never showed up. It’s

a small window into why the industry struggles to retain the kind of caregivers families like hers depended on, and why she’s determined to pay as well as she can. Melissa wants Avendelle’s opening to be the beginning of that visibility, not the entirety of it. A house with a sidewalk and no hallways, and a slower, steadier promise underneath it that the next family to search a street behind their own neighborhood won’t have to stalk a house to find help. Families interested in touring Avendelle at Picardy Point, contributing as an expert to the 1 Topic, 3 Experts series, or learning more about upcoming caregiver education events can reach out to Melissa at avendelle.com or on the Avendelle at Picardy Point Facebook page. t avendellepicardy.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026 63

WORTH THE DRIVE

meche’s moment How Delia Kloefkorn and the team around her have turned a hidden gem into one of Cary’s best restaurants WRITTEN BY DAVID MCCREARY | PHOTOGRAPHED BY JONATHAN FREDIN

64 WAKELIVING

Tucked into a quiet corner of the Millpond Village shopping center, near the Publix off Kildaire Farm Road, Meche Cocina Mexicana doesn’t announce itself. There’s no flashy signage competing for attention. You could drive past it a dozen times and never know what’s waiting inside. But walk through the door, and it quickly becomes clear why word has spread: Meche is doing something few restaurants in the Triangle attempt, and accomplishing it with meticulous, personal care.

The tuna tostadas fall under small plates, but they’re big on flavor.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026 65

Braised pork, pickled onions, queso fresco, and more find a home atop these hand-pressed sopesitos.

Delia Kloefkorn anchors it all, owning 51 percent of the restaurant and setting out from the start to create a place people would want to visit time and again. Softspoken but warm, she talks about Meche less like a business and more like a calling. “I had the crazy idea of wanting to open a Mexican restaurant because my husband and I love quality food,” says Delia, a native of Jalisco, Mexico. “I was just not happy with the existing local options for Mexican cuisine.” That dissatisfaction became the catalyst for Meche. Delia brought her husband, a physician, into the idea, and the two began imagining a restaurant that didn’t rely on the familiar Americanized Mexican menu found elsewhere, known for deep-fried combination platters and interchangeable enchilada plates. She wanted something rooted more directly from her home country.

66 WAKELIVING

The turning point came during a trip to Mexico City, where Delia and her husband fell in love with a single restaurant. Rather than simply admiring the food from a diner’s seat, the couple reached out to the chef directly. She and her sister-in-law (more on her a bit later) returned for 10 days, working alongside him in his kitchen. When Meche neared its opening, they flew the chef to North Carolina to train the staff in person. The eatery’s bill of fare captures Mexico’s regional diversity rather than a single flattened idea of Mexican food. Small plates hold their own against anything else on the menu. The smoky tlacoyos are built on fried, hand-pressed corn cakes stuffed with refried beans, then topped with a pepita spread, smoked swordfish escabeche, quinoa, and avocado — a dish that manages to feel both rustic and refined at once. The tuna tostadas

take a lighter approach: two blue corn tostadas piled with guacamole, thinly sliced rare tuna, crispy leeks, and chipotle mayo, finished with pickled onion for a bright, acidic snap. The colossal La Cemita provides reason enough to plan a lunch visit. Stacked onto a fluffy La Farm Bakery bun, the sandwich combines a breaded chicken cutlet with melted Oaxaca cheese, avocado, arugula, tomato, red onion, chipotle mayo, and a fiery house chipotle in adobo, arriving with a side of french fries and a size that could easily satisfy two people. It’s only available at lunchtime and Saturday brunch, which may be for the best. Indulge in one too often, and you’d need to loosen your belt. Mole enchiladas draw from Oaxacan tradition, steeped in a sauce with nearly 30 ingredients, incorporating nuts, dark chocolate, dried chiles, and warm spices simmered

into something deep and complex. It’s a dish, Delia says, that people either fall for immediately or need time to understand. The tacos, by contrast, are simpler, punchier, built for speed and flavor rather than layers. Speaking of the tacos, popular options include the quesabirria: crispy corn tortillas filled with slow-braised beef birria, cheese, onions, and cilantro, served alongside a rich birria broth for dipping. The skirt steak tacos, crowned with melted cheese, pico de gallo, and avocado on flour tortillas, command their own devoted following. A seasonal chile en nogada involves a roasted poblano stuffed with spiced ground beef, pork, apple, peach, and pear, topped with a walnut-goat cheese sauce and pomegranate seeds. When it disappears from the menu each year, the Meche staff hears about it. “That’s the dish people get upset about when it goes away,” she reveals. “It’s dependent on the pomegranate seeds being available.” Dessert gets no less devotion. Meche, as it turns out, isn’t just the restaurant’s name — it’s also what Delia and her family affectionately call her mother, Mercedes, who spent months helping refine the churro recipe until it was right. They’re served with house-made chocolate and berry sauces. And the transcendent flan carries hints of hibiscus and fresh

fruit. When asked what makes the flan special, Delia replies, “It might be the lime zest.” Nothing at Meche is an afterthought, not even the irresistible Tajin-inflected chips and salsa that arrive to guests before anything else. The bar takes the same uncompromising approach as the kitchen, and the margaritas prove it. “We use fresh-squeezed lime, quality tequila, and real agave syrup, with no shortcuts standing in for flavor,” Delia explains. Among the cocktails, the Mi Oaxaca leads the pack, a top-shelf margarita built on Creyente mezcal, mandarin orange, and lime, arriving at the table with a smoking cinnamon stick perched on top that perfumes the drink as it’s set down. Beyond the classics, the cocktail list wanders into more adventurous territory: a dragon fruit hibiscus margarita, a rotating Margarita de Sabor with flavors like passionfruit, mango, and tamarind, and a Paloma fashioned with blanco tequila, Aperol, grapefruit juice, and a splash of Jarritos grapefruit soda. To help shape the drink list, Delia consulted with Jordan Joseph, the beverage director at Crawford Hospitality, but the concept, and every drop in the glass, remains distinctly Meche’s own. Long before any food or drinks ever reached a table, Delia faced a significant challenge: finding a landlord willing to The mole steals the show — a sauce with more layers than the enchiladas it covers.

rent to a first-time restaurateur. The search dragged on for nearly two years, growing so discouraging that she nearly abandoned the idea altogether in favor of a food truck. Then, just as she was ready to give up, one finally said yes. Meche opened in the summer of 2025, and the early months tested her resolve. Some days, only a few tables were filled. “It felt embarrassing and stressful,” she admits. But the guests who did come kept coming back, and they told their friends. The growth built steadily, month after month, until early May of this year, when a social media influencer with a large following posted a video hailing Meche as the best Mexican restaurant in North Carolina. The response was immediate. “Cinco de Mayo was absolutely crazy,” says Delia. “On Mother’s Day we were booked up with reservations, and we still had a long wait list of walk-ins.” That momentum shows no signs of slowing, either. Delia and her team are already laying plans for a second restaurant location in Raleigh. Family sits at the heart of Meche. Delia’s brother, Fran Ponce, co-owns the restaurant alongside her. “He genuinely loves people, and they love him back,” Delia says fondly.

The tender beef birria makes these succulent tacos worth the mess.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026 67

Delia Kloefkorn makes the rounds, checking in with guests like old friends.

The scratch-made churros come with two dipping sauces, each one worth savoring.

68 WAKELIVING

“He has a way of making everyone feel welcome and at home.” Her sister-in-law, Lupita Garcia, serves as sous chef. “She works incredibly hard behind the scenes every single day and is the heart of the kitchen,” Delia notes. She also credits Lupita with recruiting a team of genuinely kind, capable people. “We hold high standards, and we expect them to take good care of our guests,” Delia says. Those standards come from a real sense of responsibility Delia feels toward every person who walks through the door. “When people come in, they’ve chosen to spend their money here, so we want to make sure we provide a positive experience,” she explains. And on the rare occasion something goes wrong, there’s a go-to remedy: “When we do mess up, we try to fix it with some churros.” Chef Elias Gallegos completes the core team. “His talent, consistency, and leadership are a huge part of what makes Meche what it is,” Delia says.

Working with relatives hasn’t strained the family; it’s strengthened it. “I have a closer relationship with my brother than before opening the restaurant,” shares Delia. That same warmth extends to the community. Meche partners with local organizations including the Mama Edna Project thrift store, Healing Transitions, Briarcliff Elementary, and Roots with Purpose, donating 10 percent of net sales every Thursday to support families facing food insecurity. Through it all, Delia returns to the same guiding idea: honoring where she’s from without losing what makes it feel like home to Cary, too. “We wanted to bring traditional Mexican food that we like and enjoy. Just elevated,” she reflects. It’s a promise she keeps one plate, one cocktail, and one grateful regular at a time. t mechecocinamexicana.com @mechecocina_cary

Just like Wake Living is the original source for the best of Wake County, these individuals and companies are the originals in their fields. Whether you’re looking for a veterinarian, handcrafted furniture, or a place to pick up dinner, these local businesses deliver expertise, service, and quality you can count on.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026 69

adorn home furnishings

or five years, Adorn Home Furnishings has brought beauty and personality to the homes they adorn with pieces they thoughtfully curate based on style, domestically made quality, and comfort. Owners Ben and Sam, along with their talented team, have created a welcoming destination where exceptional customer service, including free in-home space planning, and meticulously selected custom furnishings, unique to you, make the shopping experience feel special and personal. Whether you are refreshing a room or furnishing an entire home, the Adorn team is ready to help bring your vision to life. Stop by, meet the team, and celebrate five years of inspired interiors and a passion for making every space a reflection of you.

111 n. main street, fuquay-varina (919) 762-7176 ncadorn.com

70 WAKELIVING

The

Originals in

personalized SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026 71 style

The

Originals in

raising the grooming standard

dirty dogs spa & boutique

ounded by Vanessa Davis in 2012, Dirty Dogs Spa was inspired by her beloved golden retriever, Taylor. What began as a passion for helping dogs look and feel their best has grown into a trusted pet-care brand offering professional

grooming, self-serve dog washing, premium products, and compassionate service. Vanessa’s commitment to natural care, exceptional customer experiences, and the well-being of every pet has shaped the company’s welcoming culture. Today, Dirty Dogs Spa continues to expand through franchising, giving other entrepreneurs the opportunity to build successful businesses centered on quality, community, and a genuine love for dogs. Vanessa also founded Taylor’s Team, a nonprofit supported by proceeds from her new children’s book series, Brady’s Buddies.

929 heritage lake road, wake forest 7490 creedmoor road, raleigh (919) 453-0765 dirtydogsspa.com 72 WAKELIVING

garibaldi trattoria

p for some delicious, authentic pizza in Fuquay-Varina or Garner? Look no further than Garibaldi Trattoria Pizza Pasta! Rated #1 among over 60 restaurants in the area, Garibaldi Trattoria serves some of the best Italian food in Wake County and beyond! We offer New York–style pizza, Grandma pizza, and white pizza as basics. The fun begins with our Specialty section. These pies are fresh-made, hand-tossed Neapolitan pizzas topped with highquality sauces and ingredients. Years of practice have allowed us to really perfect the recipe. Aside from pizza, we offer a variety of different calzones and strombolis for that real Italian feel. We also have substantial pasta options. You won’t go wrong with either regular or baked, as both are equally delicious! The must-try House Specialty pasta dishes are on a whole other level of tastiness. We also offer veal and chicken pasta options, as well as other luscious meat-based dishes. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free meals are available, too. Open every day of the week, we can’t wait to welcome you for a hearty meal in a friendly atmosphere. If you prefer to dine at home, though, you can order for pickup through Slice and receive 5% off your order.

900 n. main street, fuquay-varina (984) 208-2947 fuquaygaribalditrattorias.com 60 son-lan pkwy, garner (919) 322-5604 garnergaribalditrattorias.com The

Originals

turning dinner into tradition

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026 73

The

Originals bringing people together

noco brews & bites

ow open in the Salvage Yard at Raleigh Iron Works, NOCO Brews & Bites is a fresh take on the neighborhood gathering place. Created by the Bond brothers, Jay and Jeremy, NOCO brings coffee, cocktails, craft brews, and thoughtfully selected small bites together under one welcoming roof. Settle in for a

2320 salvage yard drive, raleigh 74 WAKELIVING

morning meeting, spend the afternoon co-working, or meet friends for drinks after hours. With comfortable spaces inspired by the rooms of a home, plus an inviting outdoor green space, NOCO makes it easy to sip, snack, work, unwind, and stay awhile in one of Raleigh’s newest and most welcoming destinations.

(919) 322-5874 nocobrewsandbites.com

The

Originals in

restoring rest

parkway sleephealth centers

t Parkway SleepHealth Centers, we believe no one should wait half a year for answers. While most sleep centers have 6- to 8-month waitlists, we get you in within weeks — because your health can’t wait. As North Carolina’s Fastest Path to Better Sleep, we make access easy with virtual consultations, home sleep testing,

130 preston executive drive, cary

and fast CPAP support. Locally owned and operated for over 20 years, we’re proud to serve the communities we live in. If you’re tired of feeling tired — and waiting for help — Parkway is here to make sleep care simple, fast, and personal. Because we don’t just treat sleep. We know sleep.

(919) 462-8081

parkwaysleep.com SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026 75

rescued wood rehab

he secret to Rescued WOOD Rehab: “It’s More than WOOD; It’s an Experience!” Owner Marty Woodward, Amber the Shop Dog, and Master Craftsman Keith Veronesi headline an amazing team ready to create your

custom woodworking projects. Whether it is with live edge slabs or quality lumber, we can custom build anything with WOOD. Visit us for your tables, bars, fireplace mantels, shelving, cabinets, and more! If you have a project you have in mind, we would love to make a plan with you! Just looking? That’s okay! Watch us work, get inspired, have some fun, and maybe spend some time with our Shop Dog, Amber! Whatever your needs, Rescued WOOD Rehab is a destination experience.

718 n. main street, fuquay-varina (919) 285-2653 rwrnc.com

The

Originals 76 WAKELIVING

live edge living

triangle area trading cards

riangle Area Trading Cards was created with one goal in mind: to build a place where collectors, players, families, and hobby enthusiasts can come together and fully enjoy the hobby they love.

2856 jones franklin road, raleigh

More than just a card shop, we’ve built our business around community, transparency, and exceptional customer service. We offer an extensive selection of sports cards, Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, One Piece, Lorcana, Star Wars: Unlimited, sealed products, singles, supplies, and more. We also regularly buy, sell, and trade. At Triangle Area Trading Cards, the hobby is about more than what’s inside the showcases. It’s about the people you meet, the memories you make, and the community that grows around a shared passion.

(919) 615-0914 triangleatc.com

The

Originals in

cards, community & collecting

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026 77

garden adventurer

The Indigenous Asters of Autumn

The delightful sprites of climbing aster

As summer ends, many gardeners turn their attention to the blazing colors that will soon adorn autumn landscapes. I, too, enjoy watching sections of my landscape gradually go up in “flames,” but for me there is still time to enjoy ornamentals sporting cooler hues. In particular, purple is just beginning to be served up in heapin’ helpings courtesy of asters, which save their regal shows until fall’s arrival. And when it comes to the asters of autumn, I lean toward native selections, with three of my favorites below: New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae). From big-box nursery centers to independent garden shops, this

78 WAKELIVING

Purple wave! New England aster flowers can almost cover their entire plant.

is probably the easiest indigenous aster to find locally. It salutes the coming autumn with a purple wave of starry blooms that can almost cover the whole plant, which typically stretches 5 feet tall and wide. True to its tough native roots, New England aster is not only drought and deer resistant, but is also tolerant to heavy clay soils. In addition, it is an early fall favorite of lingering bees and butterflies. Plant breeders like it, too, and have created many cultivars, with the compact ‘Purple Dome’ (2 feet high and wide) being one of the easier to find. Aromatic Aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium). As advertised, this aster has

leaves that, when rubbed, release a pleasant scent similar to a balsam fir. The fragrant leaves also provide a solid green backdrop to help highlight a profusion of dazzling lavender flowers. Although usually short in stature — about 3 feet high and wide — aromatic aster makes up for it visually with its bloom boom that starts in September and can last until November. This native pretty is a sun lover that does best in well-draining sites. Aromatic aster isn’t as well known as its New England kin, but it can still be spotted locally, with the popular cultivar ‘October Skies’ being a standard find. Climbing Aster (Symphyotrichum carolinianum). While many native asters

Written and photographed by L.A. Jackson

are somewhat mounding in their growth habit, climbing aster is a rambler. Behaving like a vine, this oddity can stretch out to over 8 feet long, making it a candidate to help doll up a bare trellis or clunky fence in the fall with sweeps of pleasing pinkish-purple sprites. In spite of its Southeast origin, climbing aster is not a typical sight at area nurseries. I have seen it at the Farmers Market in Raleigh, Carolina Habitats (formerly Niche Gardens) in Chapel Hill, and Plant Delights Nursery during their Open House days, but check with your favorite local garden shop, too, just in case. t L.A. Jackson is the former editor of Carolina Gardener Magazine. Want to ask L.A. a question about your garden? Contact him by email at lajackson1@gmail.com.

Timely Tip The State Fair will start its 10day fun-fest on October 15, and its Flower and Garden Exhibit will be holding horticultural competitions that include floral arrangements, bonsai designs, and display gardens as well as contests for best flowers, houseplants, vegetables, and fruits. With so many blue ribbons up for grabs, why not give some of your botanical best a chance at winning? But don’t dally — registrations close September 15th. For more information, go to: ncagr.gov/divisions/ncstate-fair/competitions/generalcompetitions/flowers-and-gardens

Is there a blue ribbon winner in your garden?

To Do in the Garden SEPTEMBER

• The fall season’s arrival means it’s time to switch to fullblown cool-season crop mode in the veggie patch, as such delectable edibles as cabbage, lettuce, turnips, carrots, radishes, spinach, edible-pod peas, kale, mustard greens, onions (bulbs), cauliflower, Swiss chard, and collards can all be started this month. • Before herbaceous plants die back, place ID markers beside them to lessen the chances of them being disturbed during next spring’s planting frenzy. Also, think about adding when each plant was put in the garden on its marker to help monitor the maturity rate of your perennial pretties. • Houseplants have had their outside vacation this year, but it will soon be time to start bringing them indoors before the autumn chills arrive. During this transition, carefully check each plant for insects and especially their eggs, which could hatch in balmy room temperatures and cause problems for your overwintering pretties.

OCTOBER

• Pumpkins are, of course, necessary accessories for fall decorating, so make sure yours remain in good shape through the Halloween season and beyond by setting them in an area that is not baking in strong sunlight. Also, picking pumpkins with a few inches of stem attached will help prolong their show-off life. • Planting in the veggie patch is winding down for the year, but at the beginning of this month, there is still time to squeeze in new crops of onions (bulbs), spinach, lettuce, or Chinese cabbage. • Still have packets of seeds left over from your buying binges this growing season? Properly store them in an airtight container or bag and place them in a cool, dry, dark location to await a second chance to get growing next spring.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER JULY/AUGUST 2026 79

A Modern Dental Practice Means More Than Just Technology HOW PATIENT CARE AND COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES CREATE HEALTHIER, MORE CONFIDENT SMILES CONTRIBUTED BY DR. EDMOND SUH, D.D.S.

Modern dental practices have transformed the patient experience by combining advanced technology with personalized care. Rather than simply treating dental problems after they arise, today’s dentists focus on prevention, early detection, and patient comfort while offering a full range of services under one roof. These improvements help patients enjoy healthier smiles, more convenient care, and greater confidence in their oral health. State-of-the-Art Diagnostics

One of the greatest advantages of a modern dental practice is having access to new technology. Digital X-rays, intraoral cameras, and 3D imaging allow dentists to identify issues earlier and with greater accuracy. Early detection of cavities, gum disease, infections, and structural concerns enables treatment before problems become more serious or costly. Proactive Care

Routine dental exams, professional cleanings, and personalized oral hygiene education help patients avoid common dental problems before they develop. Modern practices work closely with patients to create preventive care plans based on their individual needs, reducing the likelihood of extensive procedures in the future.

have postponed treatment due to dental fear, making routine visits far less stressful. Integrated Care

In addition to preventive and restorative care, many practices provide comprehensive services that eliminate the need for multiple specialists. Patients can often receive cleanings, fillings, crowns, dental implants, root canals, orthodontic solutions, and periodontal care in one convenient location. This integrated approach saves time, simplifies scheduling, and ensures continuity of care while allowing the dental team to monitor a patient’s oral health over the long term. Cosmetic Dentistry

Patient Comfort

Modern practices recognize the value of cosmetic treatments, such as professional teeth whitening, porcelain veneers, restorations, and smile makeovers, which help patients improve the appearance of their teeth while maintaining healthy function. These services can boost selfconfidence and create natural-looking results that complement each patient’s unique smile.

Through the use of comfort-focused amenities, many modern dental offices are creating welcoming and relaxing environments with comfortable seating, calming décor, entertainment options, and advanced treatment techniques that minimize discomfort. Sedation options and gentle care approaches can help reduce anxiety for patients who may

At Supremia Dentistry in Wake Forest, Dr. Edmond Suh has built one of the most advanced dental offices in the state. Dr. Suh is a recognized name in the field of contemporary dentistry, also serving as a faculty member of The Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies. He practices physiologic-based den-

80 WAKELIVING

tistry, which is an all-encompassing approach, meaning you get an objective and complete analysis of the entire system. This approach creates optimal, long-term, and aesthetically pleasing results for his patients. If you aren’t getting everything mentioned above at your current dentist, make an appointment with Supremia and expect something different! Edmond W. Suh, D.D.S., is the owner of Supremia Dentistry in Wake Forest. He is an international lecturer on advanced esthetic dental procedures and leads an award-winning team that has completed extensive training and continuing education to implement the latest technologies and techniques. For more information or to make an appointment, call (919) 556-6200 or visit supremiadentistry.com.

celebrated spirits

PHOTOGRAPHED BY JONATHAN FREDIN

SUNDAY ROYALE SPRITZ from noco brews & bites

2 ounces soda water 2 ounces Wheatley vodka ¾ ounce Blackberry Royale Syrup 1 ounce lemon juice 3 drops saline mint, for garnish

General Manager Cameron Wilson wanted something “light, refreshing, a little pink … like you’re sitting on the porch on a Sunday kind of day” with this Tom Collins riff. After sampling the Blackberry Royale tea from Tin Roof Teas, he turned it into a syrup that’s added to the vodka and lemon before being finished with soda water and a touch of saline to make it “pop.” Garnish the Collins glass with mint for an aromatic greeting with every sip.

In a shaker with ice, combine Wheatley vodka, Blackberry Royale Syrup, and lemon juice. Shake and strain over fresh ice. Top with soda water and saline, and garnish with mint.

For Blackberry Royale Syrup: Bring 16 ounces of water to a boil. Add 4 teaspoons (12 grams) of Blackberry Royale Tea and steep for 8 minutes. Strain, add sugar, and mix to combine.

Created by the team behind Bond Brothers Beer Company, NOCO Brews & Bites is an all-day indoor-outdoor pour house and modern taproom that transitions from morning coffee shop into evening social hub at The Salvage Yard in Raleigh’s Iron Works. nocobrewsandbites.com @nocobrewsandbites

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026 81

write light

BY JONATHAN FREDIN

Shade of the season A Halloween pennant dragonfly rests on a stem, its amber and sable wings channeling autumn colors and lending a spooky grace to the dying year.

82 WAKELIVING

WHERE IN THE OBX CAN YOU DISCOVER ADVENTURE BEYOND THE SUMMER?

Only in The Northern Outer Banks

Fall transforms The Northern Outer Banks into a place where every sunset seems to linger a little longer. Discover iconic landmarks, walk miles of quiet beaches, and wander through the timeless charm of Historic Corolla Village. Here, nature leads the way. Start exploring today.

N o r t h e r n O u t e r B a n k s .c o m SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026 83

Voted Best Medical Spa every year since 2018 Michael Law MD, Voted Best Plastic Surgeon in the Triangle every year since 2018, owns and operates Blue Water Spa.

Award-Winning Medical Spa specializing in Transformative, Safe & Effective Services Natural Looking Neurotoxin, Filler, PRF & Lasers for ALL Skin Types

bluewaterspa.com • TEXT 919.769.6044 • @bluewatersparaleigh

84 WAKELIVING

North Raleigh + Brier Creek Locations