BRUCE’S C A R P E T S
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ABOVE The adjacent breakfast nook features a concentric chandelier made of brass, wooden beads and coconut shell talons. BELOW Custom cabinets with brass hardware and mesh center panels sit above an appliance garage where Julie stores coffee and tea supplies.
F L O O R I N G
Your Brand Headquarters and Total Flooring Resource MON-FRI 8 AM–5 PM • SAT 8 AM–12 PM • CLOSED SUNDAY 11455 US HWY 15-501 N, Chapel Hill • 919.967.0208
brucescarpets.com
The Triangle’s Trusted Design Build Professionals
Specializing in New Custom Home Builds, Additions, ADUs, and Large Scale Home Renovations
3606 University Drive Durham, NC 27707 919-717-0541 cocreationshomes.com 78
chapelhillmagazine.com
January/February 2025
her husband, Bret Jennings, and Carol Ann Zinn of Zinn Design Build. “My kids make fun of me because this is my third safari,” Julie says brightly. “I love everywhere different.” Julie’s restless and adventurous spirit was evident from a young age. She remembers naming her stuffed animals after places she dreamed of visiting, like Sydney and Java. By the time she graduated from Bowdoin College in 1987 with a bachelor’s degree in government and Russian, she had earned enough money selling books door to door to travel the world for a year on her own. She was 21. These days, Julie and Bret’s home is filled with decor and framed photos reminding them of their travels far and wide. Julie’s penchant for a sophisticated bohemian lifestyle is also clear in the design choices made this year for the kitchen, breakfast nook and laundry room. “Some people want their house to look perfect, but I want to represent variances and experiences,” Julie says. “That’s what I told my kids, ‘We’re going to go places together. It’s more important to do things.’” This past summer, Julie says she and her daughters, Kendall Jennings, 24, and Spencer Jennings, 19, a student at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, tried to see Taylor Swift’s Vienna concert before the show was canceled but ended up enjoying