Location: Raleigh, North Carolina Price: $2.25 million When it comes to contemporary design, Frank Thompson and Charman Driver are at the center of Raleigh’s scene. For more than 20 years, the couple has invested in the downtown Warehouse District, bringing the Contemporary Art Museum (CAM Raleigh) to the area in 2011. Driver, who ran a Pilates studio for 15 years, is the current chairman of CAM. Thompson, the owner of an audio-visual production services firm, serves as chair emeritus. The couple also owns a two-story modernist home in the Cameron Village neighborhood, which recently hit the market. In 1996, Thompson bought the lot, which included a small house. “We tore it down and built a brand new house from the ground up,” he said. The home was finished in 2000, the same year the couple was married. The house is a study in minimalist design. Glass walls in the living room overlook the swimming pool, bathing the interiors in natural light while opening the living areas to the manicured grounds. “It’s quite magical,” Driver said. The Stats
The 3,325-square-foot home has two bedrooms and 2½ bathrooms. Design Pedigree Built by a local firm, Greg Paul Builders, the house is comprised of steel, glass and concrete. The home includes custom windows from Hope’s Windows, which the celebrated architect Frank Lloyd Wright is said to have used in his designs. Amenities The front yard features a patio with a rectangular swimming pool, anchored around a roughly 50-foot-tall oak tree. More trees envelop the wall that runs along the perimeter of the property, offering shade in addition to privacy. “When people drive by the house, they don’t even know it’s there,” Driver said. Neighborhood Notes The house sits in Cameron Village, a neighborhood built in the 1950s. “It’s mostly small ranch homes on large lots,” said Thompson, but added that modern homes were built in recent years. The house is an easy walk to shopping and dining, and only a short drive to Raleigh’s bustling downtown. Why is the couple selling the home? “We’re a building a new house,” Driver said. The family’s new home will be only a few blocks away, so the neighborhood can expect another modern addition. Accolades This month, NC State’s College of Design will present Driver and Thompson with its Designlife Award, which recognizes significant contributions to design in the Southeast. Browse the gallery above for a look inside the home. Agents: Jack Arnold and Anna Ball Hodge of Hodge & Kittrell Sotheby’s International Realty View this listing
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