I'm looking to find a great area in NC that offers, art community, diversity, great restauraunts,lots of open land, hiking, and upscale housing, etc.? Any ideas? Does it exsist??

My friend is a custom fine furniture craftsman and is looking for a wonderful community to relocate to.

Thanks for your help!

ASHEVILLE!!!!

I would go with the Chapel Hill area. But NC has a lot of out-of-work custom furniture makers. Lots of furniture jobs have gone overseas.

He does custom pieces for movie stars, etc. He would want to open a studio so needs an art/upscale type of community.

Thanks!

Is he looking for movie stars? I don't know if Andie McDowell still lives there.

Is he looking for movie stars? I don't know if Andie McDowell still lives there.

Not a whole lot of movie stars in NC. Affluent people with expensive first and second homes, but movie stars? Nope.

LOL NO I just said that to let people know the level of furniture he makes. He is not an ordinary furniture maker.

He isnt' looking for movie stars, he just wants to be in a community where people do have the means to buy the pieces he makes.

Thanks!

Andie is here...one of my friends saw her at Malaprops this week.
Asheville is a great place.

Did she look as though she needs some furniture?

NewBe ROFL!!!! You are funny!

Asheville

NewbE, best line I've read on the board today!

Aw, thanks, y'all!

And Jenny, I do agree that your friend should look into Asheville, and not only b/c of dear Andie! It's not upscale like LA is upscale, but in NC, it has a reputation for being artsy and hip and attracts big spenders shopping for art and crafts.

Good luck, and if he meets Andie, tell her I said hi!

Another idea (but smaller market) would be the Highlands/ Cashiers area. But, MUCH smaller than Asheville.

The north Georgia/ North Carolina mountains are prime opportunity for high end, custom furniture.

Over 30 years ago, in the middle of nowhere in north GA a woman started making painted furniture that became a huge success. I wish I had bought the first Habersham Plantation hutch I saw. Now the company is just Habersham. A family member has done well with the same concept with a twist and I love my Eddy West sideboard.

Customers keep one rustic style furniture busy with orders and a waiting list. You can see some of his work at Timpson Creek Galleries and here's a link to his work -
http://www.timpsoncreek.com/aboutdwayne/index.html

Before you make a relocation decision, drive to Highlands and talk to the folks at The Summer House. Look at their merchandise, the vendors they use and ask about their clientele.

Well made, unique and custom furniture will always be in demand by the affluent residents of first and second homes in the mountains of N GA and NC. Down the road from Timpson Creek, rustic lake homes are being purchased for $1M, and torn down to build multi-million dollar homes. The homes are being furnished locally as much as possible.

Take a look at the HGTV 2006 Dream Home in Lake Lure, NC.
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/dream_home_..._38436,00.html

If your friend does some research he should be able to find a vendor list for the home.

Lots of $$$ up in those hills.

BUT, as far from LA as you can possibly get.