Outdoor living areas, swimming pools, paver patios, and fire features are just a few of Old North State’s additions to the industry, bringing comfort, style, and innovation to Triangle homes.
For nearly forty years, ONS has pushed the industry’s envelope to provide a one-of-a-kind atmosphere while struggling to present polished designs in clients’ backyards, sharing site plans blowing in the wind, or watching homeowners dodge rain showers or seek shade. After many of these presentations, a more suitable approach was envisioned. The transition from “tailgate” meetings to a more comfortable environment manifested in the opening of a new downtown Durham sales and design studio. Here, homeowners see 
their projects come to life through a detailed, virtual rendering of their luxury home investment.
The new Bull City location shares the neighborhood with an architectural firm and a custom flooring contractor, tucked in behind the old Durham ballpark. Despite the pandemic, in the spring of 2020 ONS took steps to secure this space for its clients because of the company’s deep confidence in downtown Durham and the need for a more hands-on customer experience.
Welcoming clients at the door is Jim Frier, ONS director of operations. Frier hosts clients while they experience a 3D walkthrough of their proposed outdoor living space—comfortably and in a professional setting. ONS designers Whitney Morris and Stephanie Carnahan are trained to modify plans and renderings during real-time 
collaboration. Designers can replace a paver color, swap one tree for another, or rework the pool style, allowing clients to see the results immediately on screen. This impressive visualization technique has been enthusiastically embraced by clients. ONS estimator Joshua Huttle prices projects on-site so that imagination can meet reality.
An additional function of the downtown studio is a showroom, where a myriad of Old North State’s vendors showcase their products for client selection. Clients can view everything from pool finishes to natural stone and concrete pavers to outdoor lighting fixtures. Project materials are chosen during a selections meeting, where clients spend time honing in on the details with experienced landscape professionals.
Homeowners find the new location to be a premiere place for brainstorming new design ideas and receiving professional assistance on luxury landscape design.
WILL STROPE is a co-owner of OLD NORTH STATE LANDSCAPE DEVELOPMENT. The full team can be reached at 919-384-1800, ONSLANDSCAPE.COM, or in downtown Durham at 601 FOSTER STREET.