Natural beauty with plenty to do

Mark Carruth and his wife, Dena, built a second home in Cashiers, N.C., because of its laid-back locale and proximity to high-end homes Carruth was building in the area, including in Trillium. Carruth, co-founder of Windsong Properties, which also creates active adult communities in metro Atlanta, chatted about their North Carolina getaway.

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Photos courtesy of Mark and Dena Carruth

Mark and Dena Carruth’s home in Trillium, a Cashiers, N.C. golf course community.

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The open floor plan works well with informal entertaining and spending time with family.

Getting there

Take I-85 north to the South Carolina line. Take Exit 1 onto S.C. 11 (Westminster/Walhalla). Turn left onto S.C. 11 and travel 19.7 miles. Merge onto S.C.-28 West via the ramp on the left. Travel 9.3 miles. Turn slight right onto SC-107. Travel about 24 miles. Continue on S.C. 107 into North Carolina to the second traffic light in Cashiers. Continue on 107 North for about 1.7 miles and turn left on to North Norton Road. Blue Ridge School sits on the corner of North Norton and 107. Continue on North Norton for 1.6 miles and turn left into the main Trillium entrance.

See more photos of the Carruth vacation home

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Their place: This is the couple’s third home in Cashiers. Features that they haven’t had in previous vacation homes include the outdoor fireplace. “Especially this time of the year, we enjoy sitting around it. That would be the most unique feature about the house,” he said. While their home in Atlanta is more formal, the North Carolina house features natural materials such as stone and antique beams and distressed wood floors. “It’s very cozy, warm. It just has a real good feel to it,” he said. Across the street is an unusual amenity n a croquet court - and their home also backs up to a garden golf course and trails. They’re walking distance to the activities center, which has a gym, spa and indoor tennis courts.

How far from home: About three hours from the north side of Atlanta. “You’ve got this incredible drive, for the most part,” he said. “When you get off the interstate, you get into some beautiful scenic areas.”

How often theyire there: Carruth is typically there every week, for work and relaxation.

What they love about it: The solitude. “We’re in a very quiet area where you’ve got the natural beauty of the mountains surrounding you,” Carruth said.

What they do when they’re there: Golf on Trillium’s mountain course. They also enjoy hiking and mountain biking. “It’s just incredible trails, with tremendous views. We had some friends up (one) weekend and hiked up to Chimney Top,” he said. On Friday evenings, they often meet with neighbors at wine and cheese events sponsored by the development. “That’s sort of where you connect and you go out to dinner and make arrangements for weekend activities from there,” he said.

At a Glance

Mark and Carruth’s home has 2 bedrooms, 2 baths and features such as a master on the main, vaulted ceilings and a stone fireplace. The home was completed about two years ago.

Community Overview

Trillium has more than 300 existing homes, with a total of 500 planned. Prices range from $400,000-$3 million in the community, which started development 12 years ago. The homes range from 1,500-6,000 square feet, with lot sizes averaging 1 acre. They have four bedrooms and 4 baths, on average, and features such as outdoor fireplaces or fire pits and a master on the main. Amenities include a lake, 18-hole golf course and golf learning center, tennis courts, pool, two restaurants, fitness center, garden golf and croquet. Annual dues in the community, developed by Trillium Links & Village, range from $6,000-$8,500.

More Info

Trillium

Recent sale

$1.225 million: Audubon Trail. A 5-bedroom, 5-bath home with a lake view and outdoor living space.

For sale

$1.6 million: Links Drive. A 5-bedroom, 5-bath home with a long-range view, outdoor living area with a fireplace and terrace-level entertainment area.

$1 million: Balsam View Drive. A 3-bedroom, 3-bath condo with a private porch and outdoor fireplace.