The Country Club of North Carolina holds a storied past behind its gates.

Over time, its historic grounds have evolved into a neighborhood that is home to ­generations of families. Children bicycle down the streets laden with pine trees, while their parents, and often grandparents, enjoy the lakes, golf courses and community that only CCNC can offer

EDS’s Candlelight Tour of Homes, which will be held this afternoon (Sunday, Dec. 2) from 1 to 6 p.m., has often featured remarkable properties from this neighborhood, and this year is no exception.

Family Affair

The home of Ken and Marilee Huntley is far more than just a house. It is a creation born from the creativity and skills of their son, Will, daughter, Mariette Roland, and daughter-in-law, Ashlee. Come this Christmas, it will be the backdrop to a celebration of four generations of the Huntley family.

Ten years ago, Will Huntley launched his company, Huntley Design Build. While he was based in Raleigh, this former N.C. State golfer found his family traveling to Moore County to enjoy golf and a slower pace of life. He joined CCNC in 2004. The following year, his parents followed suit.

When Will and his parents began to make plans for their retirement home, the quiet enclave of CCNC seemed the perfect place. But finding a home that fit their dreams and needs was quite the challenge. Many of the homes they saw required extensive renovations and still had the ­possibility of not being quite right. Fortunately, the Huntleys had the perfect team to turn to — their own family.

Will Huntley is not your typical builder. He holds a degree in finance, and he has taken his training in organization and budgets and combined it with a passion for traditional architecture. With this background, he created a company that specializes in building custom homes.

His sister and wife, both interior designers, are intimately involved in guiding clients to an extraordinary range of finishes, from antique heart pine floors and salvaged tobacco barn beams to classic stonework and grand kitchens.

Taking his parents’ dream of the home that would be a backdrop for their retirement years was like putting together the pieces of a ­puzzle. The home should be fit for grandchildren, but also readily able to entertain friends. It must include indoor and outdoor living spaces to enjoy the mild Sandhills weather. Most importantly, it would be able to grow with the family through their retirement.

After months of modifying plans, the Huntleys began construction. Less than a year later, the home was completed. The casually elegant living spaces have met and exceeded the needs of the Huntleys.

As this year’s Christmas draws near, the family is preparing for a holiday complete with their parents, two children and three grandchildren.

As Christmas dinner is being cooked in their gourmet kitchen, gifts will be opened next to a roaring fire. It is a home for memories and traditions to be made today and remembered forever.

Quiet Cul-de-Sac

Nestled just steps from the gates of CCNC on a quiet cul-de-sac sits the home of Dr. Patrick and Kara Simpson.

While the stature of the house, with its wide brick foundation, is grand, it’s clear from the moment you walk through the front door that this home is an impeccably renovated retreat ideal for a vibrant and young family.

The Simpsons left Nashville 12 years ago, returning home to their North Carolina roots. Seeking a home for the family they hoped to have, they chose CCNC, complete with its bicycle friendly roads, first class golf and feeling of safety.

This home was meant to be a project, a chance to bring a grande dame of CCNC into the 21st century.

Out went the 1980s and in came a modern home, reminiscent of classic Sandhills architecture. The walls of the family room have been paneled and whitewashed, providing a backdrop to the family’s collection of artifacts and art.

The Simpsons have traveled around the world on medical missions, providing developing nations a chance for first class care. These travels have brought back a trove of unique pieces that reflect the cultures they have experienced, including teak artifacts from Myanmar.

Christmas is a family affair at the Simpson home that begins the day after Thanksgiving. Gathered over the remnants of Thanksgiving dinner, the family erects at least four trees throughout the home.

In the foyer, a 12-foot tree reaches to the second floor and is covered in miniature photographs of the family, friends and pets. In the family room stands the children’s tree, covered in a myriad of colors and lights. Both Gracie, 6, and Oliver, 8, have their own trees in their bedrooms featuring fairy princesses and impish sock monkeys.

But the most important Christmas decoration in the Simpson home is a ceramic nativity scene created by Kara’s grandmother, Henrietta Ruxer.

Gifted to them after their wedding, this hand-painted work of art finds a perfect place over the mantel. The fact that this treasure was one of Henrietta’s last works before going blind lends guests a chance to enjoy the magical hand of God working through a blessed and talented artist.

Tickets for the Candlelight Tour of Homes are $20 the day of the tour and are available that day at the CCNC homes on the tour, and at The Country Bookshop and Gulley’s Garden Center, in Southern Pines.