Raleigh and Durham Named Best Places to Live in America

Central North Carolina’s reputation as a wonderful place to work and live continues to grow, as people and companies move to the region.

Among the accolades and recognition: Raleigh and Durham tied for third place as “Best Places to Live in America” in US World News and World Report’s Best Places to Live rankings for 2023-2024.

Green Bay, Wisconsin came in first, followed by Huntsville, Alabama.

The designation was based on life quality, job market, housing affordability, cost of living, and desire to be here.

Among the categories analyzed, Raleigh and Durham scored highest in quality of life for access to museums, theaters, a thriving restaurant scene, parks, greenways, and college and professional teams.

Besides #3 in the best places to live in the country, U.S. News found Raleigh and Durham:

  • #29 in best places to retire
  • #1 in best places to live in NC
  • #13 in best places to live for quality of life, and
  • #21 fastest growing places

Contact Travars Built Homes about building your custom home in one of the most desirable locations in the nation.

Travars Built Homes builds incredible custom homes in Chatham County and surrounding regions extending into Alamance, Durham, Harnett, Johnston, Lee, Moore, Orange, Randolph and Wake Counties.

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We work with you to build your home the way you want it in Fox Oak, other available homes and land or on your lot in Pittsboro, Chatham County and surrounding regions extending into Alamance, Durham, Harnett, Johnston, Lee, Moore, Orange, Randolph, and Wake counties.

New home architectural styles in North Carolina

Today’s most sought after new home styles in NC reflect a blend of Modern Farmhouse, Craftsman, Colonial, Traditional and Contemporary – and even reflections of several design approaches in a single dwelling.

Mixed architectural exterior

Note the difference in style between the front porch, columns, siding, railings, window frames, trim around the windows, front door design, detail work and roof line of this home. It’s a great example of how today’s new homes aren’t held back by old fashioned norms.

New home architectural styles in North Carolina
2824 sq ft | 4 Beds | 2.5 Baths | Two Story Home

Get a flyer and pricing information for the Joanna and similar NC home plans, here.

Traditional and turret home exterior

The turret on this home adds a touch of whimsey to a cost effective custom home plan. Stately brick and touches of metal complete its modern medley of styles.

New home architectural styles in North Carolina
2758 sq ft | 3 Beds | 2.5 Baths | First Floor Master

Get a flyer and pricing information for the Cooper and similar NC home plans, here.

Craftsman home exterior

This home has all the makings of a Modern Craftsman style – with splashes of bold color to add dimension.

New home architectural styles in North Carolina
3227 sq ft | 4 Beds | 2.5 Baths | Main Floor Master

Get a flyer and pricing information for the Leigh and similar NC home plans, here.

Modern Farmhouse home exterior

Board and batten siding and a crisp facade says Modern Farmhouse. Look closely and you’ll see Arts and Crafts windows and a colorful front door, with personality.

New home architectural styles in North Carolina
2328 sq ft | 4 Beds | 2.5 Baths | First Floor Master

See the photo tour and request pricing information for the Rodanthe, here.

Contemporary Modern Farmhouse exterior

Lots of windows provide Contemporary appeal. Simplicity says Modern Farmhouse. Metal roof accents add artistic appeal.

New home architectural styles in North Carolina
2418 sq ft, 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths

Get a flyer and pricing information for the Bluffton Way and similar NC home plans, here.

Colonial home exterior

This Colonial exterior belies the Contemporary features and finishes inside – a no-holds-barred approach to capturing your own sense of adventure, without everything having to follow the same flow, when you design/build your new home.

New home architectural styles in North Carolina
3470 sq ft | 5 Beds | 4 Baths | First Floor Master

See the photo tour and request pricing information for the Inara, here.

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7 barn door design ideas

Barn doors are big in North Carolina new homes. See the best places to add a barn door – with the flexibility to fit every architectural style, from modern farmhouse to contemporary.

Love a floor plan, and want to add a barn door? Ask the team at Travars Built Homes what it takes to build your new home with a barn door for your kitchen, office, owner’s suite, sitting room, keeping room, pantry, bathroom, laundry, or closet during our custom home build process.

Stained wood sliding barn door

This barn door has a rural feel to it, with the 2×4 “X” across the door taking it one step further to a branded look.

Barn door design ideas | North Carolina New Homes

Antique white wood barn doors

Don’t take the term “barn door” literally. It’s a free ranging door style that can take on a different feel depending on the materials it’s crafted with – like the glass barn doors you see here, framed in white – with contemporary appeal.

Barn door design ideas | North Carolina New Homes

Opaque glass barn doors

Barn doors take twice the amount of wall space as swinging doors. However, they can add functionality to an area where a swinging door is not feasible. That’s why they have become so popular in bathrooms, like this:

Barn door design ideas | North Carolina New Homes

Double sliding barn doors

Barn doors are typically attached to the wall on metal girders like this, which are purposely big and dramatic to call further attention to them as a focal point:

Barn door design ideas | North Carolina New Homes

Double barn doors are a great fit for larger spaces. They can be held open most of the time, like a frame around an entry place that can be closed off when desired.

Glass panel sliding barn doors

Sliding barn doors can lend importance to libraries like this, off the great room. The glass panels reflect the wall of windows in the room. White trim denotes elegance. Subtle metal rods and hinges meld into the home décor with classic appeal. Nothing rural about these barn doors!

Barn door design ideas | North Carolina New Homes

French door style barn doors

Barn doors serve a decorative purpose in rooms like this. On the outside, they slide across the doorway. On the inside, they look like traditional French doors with an open view from an office, dining room, keeping room, sitting room or any other room that can be set apart by sliding doors.

Barn door design ideas | North Carolina New Homes

Brushed nickel hardware for barn doors

Barn doors are often preferable to pocket doors in NC new homes – talk with the builder team at Travars Built Homes about why. Here, they add charm as well as functionality to the mud room.

Barn door design ideas | North Carolina New Homes

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Where to use tile, wood, carpet – and other types of flooring in your new home

What kind of flooring will your new home come with, when you build an NC custom home?

It can depend on what your builder offers, and the floor plan that you choose. Here’s what to expect in a Travars Built Home.

Kitchens

New Home Flooring Types | NC Custom Homes

Most kitchens in North Carolina new homes have hardwood floors. With Travars Built Homes, site finished, real oak hardwood is our standard. Ask us what some homeowners want for flooring when they have dogs. We’ll also tell you why tile isn’t as common in NC kitchens as in some parts of the country.

Living rooms / great rooms

New Home Flooring Types | NC Custom Homes

Hardwood in the living room gives a clean, fresh look to gathering areas, with easy cleanup. Decide which stain color you’d like to go with on site, when you go there during the build to see what looks best with the cabinetry, in the sunlight.

Breakfast rooms

New Home Flooring Types | NC Custom Homes

The hardwoods keep on flowing throughout all the main living areas in your Travars Built Home, with sweeping open space that’s beautiful from one room to the next, like this breakfast room.

Laundry rooms

New Home Flooring Types | NC Custom Homes

Laundry rooms have tile floors in Travars Built Homes. Have fun choosing the personality you want in spaces like this, that get a lot of use! Ask us how to make your laundry room even better, with folding tables, cubbies, shelves, and more space.

Mud rooms

New Home Flooring Types | NC Custom Homes

Mud rooms have tile floors too. They’re designed for easy cleanup of everything that tracks into the home from outdoors. It’s also great for furry friends. Ask how to tuck a dog house, pet shower, or other accommodation into your custom home, like the one you see in this mud room.

Bathrooms

New Home Flooring Types | NC Custom Homes

Every full bathroom in a Travars Built Home comes with a tile floor, too. There’s a big trend right now for tile that looks like wood, which can give it a rustic, contemporary look that can be really beautiful, like this floor.

Bedrooms

New Home Flooring Types | NC Custom Homes

Bedrooms typically come with carpet, which Travars Built Homes makes more comfortable and long lasting with 8 pound pad beneath and a variety of choices. We can install hardwood instead – it’s one of the many things you can decide what to do with, when you build a custom home the way you want it.

Library / home offices

New Home Flooring Types | NC Custom Homes

Most offices and libraries in Travars Built Homes have beautiful oak hardwood flooring like this home. It can depend on the location of these rooms – all main living areas on the first floor typically have hardwood as a standard. Ask us about other flooring you’d like in your home – cork, bamboo, concrete, laminate – we can create whatever effect you would like.

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How to Build a Modern Farmhouse in North Carolina

“Modern Farmhouse” conjures a feeling of peaceful countryside living. But in a traditional sense, this popular architectural style adapts the term “farmhouse” loosely.

Looking for modern farmhouse builders? Travars Built Homes can build a custom farmhouse on your lot in North Carolina. Here’s how:


A Modern Farmhouse is actually one of the most adaptable architectural styles, with the flexibility to invoke touches of urban, contemporary, traditional and industrial effects, on a palate that can be easily personalized with your own whimsey – like this:

White and Black Modern Farmhouse Bath | Mebane NC New Homes

Add a touch of Shiplap walls. Hint of cedar. Traditional brick fireplace surround. (Or a wide variety of other outdoorsy touches.)

Brick Fireplace Built Ins | Mebane NC New Homes

Nothing says “Modern Farmhouse” better than white board and batt. Metal roof accents. Black framed windows.

Mebane NC New Homes | White Farmhouse Exterior

Carry that theme inside, with back to back to basics simplicity in white and black kitchens designed for home cooking.

Chatham County NC Custom Homes | Two Story Kitchen

Modern Farmhouse kitchens get a lot of attention, as a great place to combine contemporary and urban appeal, with ample space to create.

Chatham County New Homes | Farmhouse Kitchen

Be clever with black hanging lights when you design your Modern Farmhouse feel. Consider creating a sense of support structure, with cedar wood beams in the ceiling.

Chatham County New Homes | Beam Ceiling

Another mix of architectural styles in Modern Farmhouses is the industrial look of metal to add functionality and style, like sliding barn door accents with black light fixture tie-ins.

Chatham County New Homes | First Floor Owner Suite

Consider the artistry of hand painted look like these faux wood gray framed mirrors, set amongst lantern style lights. Can you name the 3 architectural styles that blend into this small space?

Chapel Hill Modern Farmhouse

Like the look of black framed windows that’s a signature look on many Modern Farmhouse exteriors? Carry that through to the glass in your bathrooms, for a bold, contemporary feel.

Farmhouse Bathroom | NC Homebuilder

Take your time looking at tile choices – what you do with your floors can add a lot of personality to small spaces. See how different a laundry room can look with a black and white pattern like this:

Chapel Hill Modern Farmhouse | NC Homebuilder

Versus a black and white tile floor pattern like this. (Note the open storage spaces, too, that are also a big trend in Modern Farmhouse new homes in NC.

Laundry Mudroom Door to Master Closet | Mebane NC New Homes

Ask your NC custom home builder how many places you can add built-in storage centers, cabinets and closets. You might be surprised at the flexibility you have when you design build your new home with a builder like Travars Built Homes.

Built In Cabinets Walk In Closet | Mebane NC New Homes

Drop zones are a huge draw for every architectural style of new homes – and a must for a Modern Farmhouse feel. How big do you want it to be? What kind of tuck away access do you want it to have?

Raleigh Custom Homes | Built in Drop Zone

Bathrooms are one of the best places to mix architectural styles to achieve today’s Modern Farmhouse appeal – like this blend of quaint and classic, with a barn style framed mirror, trough sink and chrome faucets.

White and Black Bathrooms | Mebane NC New Homes

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