A Promise Kept

The home that started as a dream decades ago is now a gorgeous reality

By Brittany Conley » Photos by G. Frank Hart

You can’t exactly smell the sea air in Wilson, North Carolina, but it is closer to the coast than the mountains to the west. It would be fair to assume that families in Wilson would travel more often to the shore than the Smokies, and the children of Wilson’s families may develop an attachment to the sand and salt water. That was exactly the case for Tim Wilkerson. During his childhood, he and his four brothers would occasionally spend time splashing in the ocean and building sandcastles. He knew from an early age that one day, vacationing there every once in a while would simply not be enough. Wilkerson knew where his roots were planted, and he promised himself he would one day have the beach home of his dreams, no matter how long it took. Decades later, Vahue Custom Homes made his coastal dreams come true.

“I worked at Wrightsville Beach one summer after college and I just loved it,” says Wilkerson, whose college days ended in 1982. Though the urge to stay was strong, the career path he had worked toward took him north and Midwest, to New Jersey and Indianapolis, for six years. While he was away building his stellar reputation in the insurance industry, he kept coming back to vacation in the area. “Eventually, my brother had a condo on the north side of the island, which I shared with him for a while,” says Wilkerson, who found the pristine water and the quiet, easy pace too compelling to want to be anywhere else — except work, again, had different plans.

“I’ve been living in Charlotte for 38 years,” says Wilkerson. “It’s the longest place I’ve ever lived. And I love Charlotte and the community where my home is, but I never stopped wanting to live at the beach.” A father of two daughters, he says even though his girls lived in Charlotte most of their lives, they practically grew up in the Wrightsville Beach area during the summers. “Ever since they could get in a car seat, I’ve been bringing them to the beach.” And with his romantic partner living in the Raleigh area, Wilkerson frequently traipses the whole state of North Carolina. With retirement on the horizon, he knew there was one thing he needed to secure: his own home in the beach town he’d loved his entire life.

The dream had changed ever so slightly. He had once believed he needed sand at his front door with the ocean in sight of every window. Now, he knew he wanted just a little distance from the actual beach. But what had not changed was his desire for a home with a modern coastal feel, similar to the houses he and his partner had seen in Rosemary Beach, Florida. Choosing Airlie at Wrightsville Sound was among the easiest decisions he could make. A short quarter-mile from the Intracoastal Waterway, Airlie at Wrightsville Sound is a smaller neighborhood with big appeal. The homes are gorgeous and in keeping with the style Wilkerson is drawn to, and even the thoughtful streetscapes in the neighborhood envelop you, allowing you to relax as you head home.

“There are a few prequalified builders the community recommends,” says Wilkerson. “I interviewed three of them, and there was just something about Vahue Custom Homes. I work in commercial [construction] insurance, and while this is residential, there are similarities. When I went to Vahue, there weren’t a lot of people to go through. The owner, Marty, is a very hands-on kind of guy, and I liked that. I didn’t have a single issue during the entire build. Marty is a true professional, and I would recommend him to anyone.”

There are a lot of things that go into building a home that set up the project for success. Beyond the blueprints, lumber and skill, having a good working relationship between homeowner and builder is a major factor in how the project flows. Marty and his entire team at Vahue Custom Homes excel in both building homes and building relationships. Vahue Custom Homes has been in Wilmington since 2014, but Marty Vahue has been working in the industry in some form or fashion since 1977, studying first under his father and then making a name for himself as a master of custom trim work.

“Airlie at Wrightsville Sound is a very nice place. It’s just a bike ride away from the beach and right across from Airlie Gardens. It is a great location. These aren’t your typical beach houses — they’re refined, Charlestonesque homes. And that’s what Mr. Wilkerson wanted. He was very good at articulating his ideas. We listened to him, looked at photos that inspired him; he had a vision. He was very prepared and easy to work with,” says Vahue, who joked that if builders rated customers, he would give Wilkerson 10 stars. That easy, respectful working relationship helped streamline the process, with the home being completed a full two months earlier than expected — something nearly unheard of in this industry.

Looking at Wilkerson’s home from the street, the eye is drawn to the subtle yet dramatic detail of the canopies over the windows, a beloved feature for him. “I think I have over 50 windows in this house and I love it. I love the foyer and all of its natural light. It’s so nice to come in here after a day of work,” he says. Coming through the front door at any time of day would surely feel like a hug, looking up at the stairwell with either the sun warming the soul or a twinkling night sky melting away the day’s stressors.

Everywhere you look around the home, it’s designed and decorated to inspire tranquility. Wilkerson’s daughters and partner worked diligently with his interior decorator, Chris Groeschen of Bridgett Mazer Interiors, on all the details — from color schemes and fabric choices to light fixtures. “Left to my own devices, I would never have come up with any of it. It turned out really lovely. The interior design team really killed it,” says Wilkerson.

Of course, many people gravitate to the kitchen, often referred to as the heart of any home — and the kitchen in this home is stunning with its floor-to-ceiling custom cabinetry, the large island for casual meals and entertaining, and a suite of appliances that would delight any home chef. But the place where Wilkerson finds himself relaxing most often is the patio. “I wanted to design the master bedroom so that I could see the patio and the pool. We used French doors there so I could go out and enjoy that space. Vahue Custom Homes really pulled it off and I love spending time out there,” says Wilkerson, who finds the gentle splash of the pool’s waterfall to be just the thing he needs to decompress after a long day.

“The property is long and narrow, so trying to get the pool into the design to fit with the home’s footprint was a challenge,” says Vahue. “But every custom home is a process, and that’s part of it.” That penchant for problem-solving is one of the things Vahue Custom Homes’ customers have come to appreciate, and what has given so many families homes with features they may have thought impossible.

At the core of Wilkerson’s dream home, it was never just about the beach. All the way back to his earliest days of beachcombing with his siblings and bringing his daughters there every chance he got, the beach and his family have been intrinsically linked. Throughout his discussions with Vahue Custom Homes, family has been at the forefront. Adding a carriage house with its own entrance so his daughters can have their own private retreat when they visit, the large open floor plan to one day be a place for the pitter-patter of little feet as future grandchildren run from room to room — all of it has been to create a space to bring the family together.

Families like Wilkerson’s have been counting on Marty Vahue and his team at Vahue Custom Homes for more than a decade, and with their unparalleled quality and attention to detail, coupled with their commitment to listen to each individual customer as if they were their own family, it is not hard to see why. Check out more of their work and find out how Marty and his team can help you keep your own promise to one day have your dream home by visiting VahueCustomHomes.com.