Nellie Holland Vail and Daniel Sartain transformed a 1965 split-level into a vibrant, functional space for their family of six – merging bold design, vintage charm and plenty of room to gather
By James Dupree | Photography by John Michael Simpson
Nellie Holland Vail and Daniel Sartain’s journey began almost eight years ago, having met through a mutual friend at Durham’s Bar Virgile, where Daniel is owner and operator. Both navigating new chapters in life, they instantly connected over their shared love of travel, live music, good food and mutual interest in each other’s careers. The couple now also co-own popular Bull City cocktail lounge Annexe and the bar High Dive.
Nellie had been renting a home in Carrboro with kids Flossie Holland-Vail, 11, and Linus Holland-Vail, 13. Meanwhile, Daniel was raising two kids of his own, JoJo Sartain, 10, and Naomi Sartain, 14, in Durham. “Since we both workedin Durham and I love Carrboro, we wanted something that could accommodate us,” Nellie says. With this in mind, in the fall of 2020, the couple set their sights on Chapel Hill as an ideal place for their blended family to thrive.
Nellie had heard good things about the Colony Woods area from her neighbors in Carrboro, so the couple decided to check it out for themselves. In October 2020, they made an offer on a split-level midcentury modern house built in 1965. Nellie has a soft spot for homes with character and charm that reflect the era in which they were built. “Many newer homes can sometimes feel a bit generic,” she says. “What stands out about split-level homes is their incredible space efficiency. There aren’t any big, unnecessary hallways or wasted areas. They balance functionality and space. They provide enough room to accommodate a larger family and host gatherings without requiring a massive house.”
LEFT The family comes together for good food and quality time.
RIGHT Nellie’s home office is a light-filled, spacious haven that radiates warmth and comfort, offering her a delightful sanctuary for working from home.
The home’s original 2,300 square feet were, for Nellie, a reminder of growing up in the small town of Elkins in northwestern Arkansas. Her family lived in an 1800s farmhouse that was 1,700 square feet with just one bathroom shared between her parents and two siblings. “I always loved the cozy, quaint vibe of that home – being within earshot of everything happening around me felt comforting,” she says.
Before Nellie and Daniel moved in, some remodeling was necessary to open up the main living spaces to more comfortably fit everyone, including two fluffy orange cats, Texas Pete and Ouisa, and three dogs: DeeJay, a goldendoodle; Vegas, a long-haired dachshund; and finally JuneBug, a silky wirehaired dachshund who joined the family last summer. “The house had been run down but had been given a quick flip,” Nellie says. “So it was ready for us to move in, but the style wasn’t really to my taste.” From fall of 2020 to early 2021, Nellie and Daniel enlisted the help of then-construction consultant Johnny Crncic to remove the walls separating the kitchen, dining room and living room. Next, they vaulted the ceiling from 8 feet to 12 feet to further the open concept motif.
The top floor was designated for the kids’ three bedrooms, so the couple wanted to create a private place for themselves. “One of the reasons I fell in love with this house was the working fireplace [on the bottom floor],” Nellie says. “I didn’t see a need for a den, so I wanted to make it our bedroom instead.” The couple added his and hers closets that split the space in half with an entryway down the middle. The entryway leads into Nellie’s home office where she spends most of the week working remotely as the chief financial officer for the Durham-based tech company Spreedly. “My life is built around flexibility,” she says. “I was a single mom for years, and since COVID, I have been used to being at home.”
Not much exterior work was needed – Agape Lawn Company handled the hardscape, adding a stone walkway from the backyard and a firepit lounge out front. Meanwhile, Nellie’s parents, Bob Holland and Julie Holland, owners of the Holland Wildflower Farm in Arkansas, helped revive the front garden with various native perennials, including creeping Jenny, purple coneflower, coleus and goldenrod.
The couple’s longest project consisted of removing the small outdoor patio attached to the back of the home and adding an extra 450 square feet of indoor living space with an entrance off the kitchen. “[Even after the remodel] the main living room still felt pretty small for our family of six,” Nellie says, “And this neighborhood is great because we have kids and their parents stopping by all the time. So, we thought we should extend our entertainment space, giving us room to spread out even more.”
The estimated completion time was six months, but while construction was underway, they encountered a major setback that would extend the work over the next two years. Part of the roof near the kitchen was left exposed, and combined with soil erosion, it caused serious flooding and a forced remodel of the kitchen. “It was a real mess, but honestly I wasn’t completely sad about it,” Nellie laughs. “Because the home was a flip, the kitchen had a lot of cheap stuff that wasn’t really my style.”
Nellie and Daniel saw this as their chance to breathe new life into an outdated setup, adding new appliances, cabinets and an island with the help of CV Woodwork. Brian Plaster Designs installed a beverage station, complete with a wine cooler and espresso maker. “Brian was a huge help,” Daniel says. “We’ve known him for 10 or 12 years from the restaurant industry. He also built the pergola that sits over the hot tub in the back.”
LEFT Nellie and Daniel took a simple outdoor patio and reimagined it into a warm, inviting indoor sanctuary – perfect for gathering, unwinding and making lasting memories in every season.
RIGHT The tall pines and lush border of bamboo makes this secluded backyard a natural playground where the kids – JoJo, Naomi, Flossie and Linus – can create endless fun together.
As a veteran in the hospitality industry, Daniel does most of the cooking. “This time of year, I like to cook single-pot anything – soups, stews, dumplings or chili,” he says. “In the spring, we grill. Bar Virgile is famous for its burgers, so the kids love it when we grill burgers here,” he says. Nellie adds, “The whole neighborhood loves it. When they smell it, they want to come by.” On days when Daniel doesn’t feel like cooking, they enjoy trips to Bin 54, Pizzeria Mercato or The Casual Pint.
In the fall of 2024, CV Woodwork finished converting the patio into an extended entertainment space, offering a great spot to entertain while leaving room for the kids and their friends to hang out. “When it’s just Daniel and I, especially when the kids are at their other parent’s house, [this place] feels manageable and functional – not too big for just the two of us,” she says.
Nellie not only merged her family with Daniel’s but also seamlessly blended the home’s midcentury modern structure with her love for bold color and vintage decor. She found many of her favorite eclectic pieces at Durham’s Gibson Girl Vintage and Glass Box on Franklin Street. Artwork collected from her travels in Italy adds a personal touch, including pieces from a small market in Florence and another from the hilltop town of Cortona, the last of which hangs over the fireplace in their bedroom. A custom painting by Daniel’s friend Clark Hipolito – known for his large-scale murals throughout the Triangle – immediately draws the eye in the living room. Additionally, Nellie has incorporated artwork from her late great-aunt Jacqueline Holmes’ extensive collection from her career as an art curator, keeping meaningful pieces to honor her legacy.
Now that remodeling is complete, Nellie continues to dream of ways to improve their home. “I always have to have a project,” she says. “I think what this space lacks is a mudroom or entryway. I’ve made do with hooks on the wall for coats and backpacks, but there’s no place for shoes. I’m thinking about pushing the entryway out more with an angled roof that makes the whole house look a little more modern.” But for now, that idea will wait as the family just enjoys the cozy modern-meets-vintage home they have crafted.
RIGHT Nellie’s youngest, Flossie, enjoys spending time in her room, the design reflecting her love for bright colors and Taylor Swift.
