A Place to Call Home
"It's a community designed for both pleasure and convenience, a place to share coastal memories for generations to come," says River Dunes developer Ed Mitchell. "Out your front door, you've got the harbor, and out back you have endless views and opportunities for recreation on the big water of Pamlico Sound. You can slip out after dinner, go fishing, and return home in time for a nightcap."

Anchored by the largest protected inland marina between Florida and the Chesapeake Bay, River Dunes has preserved the area's bountiful natural resources. "We have maintained existing vegetation and landscaped with indigenous plants," says landscape architect and community planner Bill Lincicome. "There's an absolute commitment to the native species. Everything reflects the environment of coastal North Carolina."

Though the community is still under construction, Ed envisions exciting programs for residents. There will be sailing, fly-fishing, and angling workshops for owners and guests, and facilities for painting classes. Canoe and kayak clubs will welcome both novices and experts. Hikers will enjoy miles of nature trails.

When completed, River Dunes will contain more than 600 single-family homes, plus additional living accommodations. Bikes and carts will be the primary means of transport. The town center will include a post office, coffee shop, bakery, and an ice cream parlor. A spa, two outdoor pools, an indoor pool, tennis courts, and a harbor club will provide land-based entertainment. A fitness and wellness center, two chapels, and nine honeymoon cottages will follow.

With all these amenities, it's still primarily a boating community, "a place to learn about life on the water," says Ed. (The charming village of Oriental, just minutes away, has long been called "the sailing capital of North Carolina.") Fifty years from now, residents' grandchildren will swap stories about time spent at River Dunes, "and they'll remember it with a smile," says Ed. For more on coastal North Carolina, log onto visitnc.com. Get directions to the Idea House here.

by design
A design team from Historical Concepts, the award-winning Georgia-based architecture firm, designed the 10th Anniversary Idea House in classic coastal style. "The house doesn't feel overly formal, but at the same time it has a certain dressiness," says founder Jim Strickland.

Sited to take advantage of Grace Harbor views, the home features an open plan, high ceilings, and large windows. "The simple square columns and lantern crowning the roof reference 19th-century designs found from North Carolina to New England," says project manager Joshua Roland.