fieldstone from Tennessee, ordered through Jacob's Creek Stone Company in Denton.
"The color that we selected was for the warmth," Mary Dunlop says. "We got some incredible stone masons from Troy, who worked very hard on laying the stone. It took them a year, because we were very specific about how we wanted it to look."
On the rear of the addition is a three-stall garage, with wooden arches setting off the stonework and designed to produce an appearance of an old barn or stable. In the dormer space over the garage is Craig Dunlop's office, together with an exercise room.
Craig Dunlop, a Canadian, and Mary, who was born and raised in Ireland, lived in Edmonton and Toronto, as well as in other Canadian cities for many years. Craig, who was in the furniture business, often came to High Point, and discovered the Southern Pines-Pinehurst area on one of his trips to North Carolina.
"He loved it, brought me down on a subsequent trip, and we bought a small house near the lake in Pinehurst as a getaway place," Mary says. "The big attraction, aside from the warmer climate, was the golf. We are both avid golfers."
Later Craig's company transferred him to Italy where they lived for three years, spending time between Milan and Paris. Now retired from that company, he is presently doing consulting work.
Stone Oaks Farm, which the Dunlops have occupied for just under two years is a gem of country-style living.
"We didn't want a pretentious, extravagant house," says Mary.
The overall ambience of the residence is a tasteful reflection of their lifestyle.
In the hallway just outside of the original living room is a pair of antique mirrored wall sconces that belonged to Mary's mother, and on a side table in the room itself. An eye-catching French clock that was her mother's adds to the décor. Other family keepsakes are a mahogany sideboard with a delicate inlaid design fronted with leaded glass and a tranquil oil painting of a lake scene by a French artist.
The living room has bowed shelving on either side of a fireplace, showing off a collection of family photographs. The fireplace wall is paneled with heart of pine, and a flag from a green at Forest Creek Golf Club, where the Dunlops are members, has been framed and hung above the fireplace.
A step down is a lovely sun porch with warm burnt orange cushions on the comfortable chairs. Here again there is rich wood paneling. Mary mentions that shortly after they moved into the house, a man knocked on the door one day and told her all of the wood used in the sun porch paneling came from his grandfather's barn.
On the other side of the main hallway was a "little strip of a room, good for nothing," according to Mary, "We doubled it in size and made it into our dining room. We added a fireplace, too."
An unusual round dining table with eight curved back chairs upholstered in a warm beige fabric is the centerpiece of the room. Art on the walls includes two notable charcoal pieces done by an artist in Toronto, and a selection of smaller cityscapes that the Dunlops picked up in Milan.
Right off the dining room is a butler's pantry with an extra dishwasher that comes in handy when the Dunlops are entertaining. The oblong kitchen with three original beams features wide windows facing a landscaped area. A double closet, built to look like a substantial armoire and containing a pantry in one side and a coat closet on the other side provides an interesting touch, together with a neat corner workspace.
Mary says she wanted a different look to the kitchen, something unique, and an open appearance has been accomplished with two outsize islands dividing the area. One has a granite top and holds the sink and dishwasher, while the other is topped with Iroko wood from Africa, and underneath are spacious drawers for silverware and other utensils. The final third of the kitchen area is furnished with an informal setting of a round breakfast table and chairs.
A built-in refrigerator and oven occupy a space that also has a touch of Mary's Irish homeland -- a piece of Canberra marble forming an inlaid backing for the cooktop. She is quick to point out that Canberra is the only marble in the world that is considered a semi-precious stone.
The ultimate achievement in the new addition to Stone Oaks Farm is the great room, with a two-story high vaulted ceiling and a huge fieldstone fireplace, adorned with a Celtic knot, a duplicate of the one on the exterior of the building. Facing the fireplace is a grouping of twin sofas and a loveseat in a deep wine and midnight blue pattern, and shelving on either side of the fireplace holds decorative artifacts that the couple have picked up on their travels.
Although the oak and cherry floors throughout the house are emphasized by a fine selection of Oriental rugs, in the great room the Dunlops chose a buff-colored carpet. In one corner stands an unusually shaped Oriental screen, and nearby is a magnificent mahogany buffet that belonged to Craig's family
A striking painting done by an aboriginal artist in Edmonton portrays an eagle juxtaposed with the formidable painted face of a North American native. Hung in a prominent place at the top of the stairs overlooking the Great Room is a fascinating work, depicting what another aboriginal artist believes is the show-off in every tribe.
Off the great room is a mammoth wine cellar that holds 600 bottles of wine, a cozy den with another smaller fireplace and rich leather sofa and chairs, and a guest room with bath. Up the stairs over the great room is a comfortable reading area, leading to an attractively decorated master suite, and two additional guest bedrooms.
The hallway between the guest rooms has a display of memorabilia collected by Craig Dunlop. As a Canadian, he naturally played ice hockey while growing up, and has remained a devout fan of the sport. Consequently, it's no wonder that souvenirs of hockey games are exhibited with pictures of Bobby Orr and Wayne Gretsky.
The Southern Pines Garden Club has been hosting the annual tour since 1948 and proceeds from the tour benefit the many beautification projects that the Club has provided over the years for the town of Southern Pines and the surrounding areas of Moore County.
Advance tickets for the tour, scheduled from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., are $15, and can be purchased at The Country Bookshop at 140 NW Broad St., Southern Pines; the Campbell House at 482 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines and Lyne's Furniture Gallery at 105 Magnolia Road in Pinehurst. Tickets are also available on the day of the tour at each house for $20.
A clearly marked map available at the Campbell House, the tour's starting point, will direct visitors to six distinguished homes in Southern Pines and Pinehurst.
An added feature of the tour is the art exhibit at the Campbell House. Called Hope Floats, the display shows works of artists from Bay St. Louis, Miss., an area devastated by hurricane Katrina in 2005. The exhibit is presented in partnership with Moore Friends of Mississippi, a group that adopted Bay St. Louis as Moore County's sister community to help in their recovery efforts.
Contact Pinehurst freelance writer Mary Elle Hunter at mhunter104@yahoo.com.
