Custom Carolina home builder Cress Bell was creating a home for his most important clients ever … his parents.
In 2018 Bell convinced his parents, Vicky and Van Bell, to move closer to his family in Wilmington, N.C. Despite having moved 21 times in their 50-years of marriage, Vicky and Van prepared to give up the mountains of northern North Carolina for the coastal area of Wilmington.
“From a very young age, Cress always knew he wanted to be a builder,” says Vicky Bell. “One day as we were settling into our new home it suddenly struck me … our son had built this home!”
For more than a year her son had worked to design and create the perfect “last home” for his parents.
“We lured them here with the grandchildren,” remarks Cress Bell, president of Bell Custom Homes. “Now our two families are within walking distance of each other and we couldn’t be happier.”
The Bell’s new sprawling four-bedroom home in the Landfall Lake community of Wilmington fits in perfectly with the surrounding neighborhood. Located about 1,000 feet from the Intracoastal, the property was designed as a Craftsman-style home with Asian influences.
That’s where the selection of a DaVinci Single-Width Slate roof in Evergreen color comes into play.
“The aesthetics of the composite slate roof was the entire reason why I selected it,” says Bell. “We were looking for something different and more unique than standard asphalt shingle roofing tiles. There’s a modern/Asian feel to the exterior. The DaVinci product just had the desired look and ‘feel’ to complement the overall design of the home.”
“We love the eclectic look of the roof,” says Vicky Bell. “It just seems to organically go with the house style.”
While her son may have been focusing solely on the curb appeal of the DaVinci products, his mother also appreciates the many features of her new roof.
“When we think about the long-term benefits of this roof, like its resistancy to high winds and impact, that brings me strong peace-of-mind,” says Bell. “Cress actually rode out a hurricane in the house while it was under construction.
“There are homes in our neighborhood that still have blue tarps on the roof from that storm. Before we ever moved in, this roof proved itself.”
Now, with golfing and grandchildren on their minds and everyday schedules, Vicky and Van Bell are ready to settle down for good in their custom Carolina home.
“This was our 22nd move,” says Bell. “I’m done with the packing and unpacking. This home, that my son built for us, is exactly where we’re going to stay.”
