Southport Magazine

B&B in Southport full of Southern Charm with a hidden luxury addition
STORY BY Ami Brown
I was invited into the home of Lisa Fosbury, owner and operator of the Capt. Newtons Inn, B&B, in dowtown Southport for a behind the scenes tour of their personal living space – and recent addition to the historic home. Greg French with Southport Custom Exteriors did the 1600 SF addition and wow was I ever impressed.

You may be wondering why would the B&B need an addition? Well the answer is pretty simple. As B&B owners are required by law to live on the premises, Lisa and her husband were basically living out of one room on the main floor, only about 12’ x 14’. So this large addition allows them privacy and room to get away from “work” and relax.
One of the main challenges Greg told me is that with the limited space on the lot, they had to utilize every inch to achieve exactly what Liss wanted. He called in the surveyor twice to be sure all the property lines were correct before the build.
The pool was already there, so to get supplies into the back was also a bit of a feat. Not to mention – the B&B was open, so it was business as usual in the front.
Greg and his 74 year old father, Ken, performed almost all the construction work themselves. Of course they had some help from electricians, plumbers and painters. Ken hand laid all the bathroom tile, something I know he must be proud of (it’s gorgeous!) Greg said one of the other challenges was to get all the roof lines to match up in the back. (notice in the photo above)
Another thing that was intentional – is that Lisa did not want the addition to look like an addition. She wanted to maintain the historic look of the Inn, without being obvious. When you look at the front of the house, you don’t see anything out of place. It looks like it has always been there – and that’s the way it’s supposed to be. Even the pitch of the brand new double car garage, matches the pitch of the Inn.
Greg’s philosophy is to treat customers how you would want someone to treat your parents. He also says he lives and does business by the “Golden Rule”. It’s plain to see that Greg cares about his customers and the final product. Every inch of the addition is finished to the highest quality in detail.
With Greg’s superior craftsmanship coupled with Lisa’s eye for style and design, this addition sets the bar high. I’m not sure how Greg could possibly top this one.
Lisa’s favorite place is the back yard pool, not because she worships the sun – quite the opposite actually. She enjoys the pool in the evenings, and it’s therapeutic and relaxing.
One of my favorite pieces in the addition finds it’s way into the master bath. An old gun cabinet was restored and turned into a cute lighted shelf with mesh door. It’s fits perfectly in between the double vanity sinks for storage.
Another feature I could really use is the enormous walk in closet. It has built in racks for shoes and enough space for at least 4 wardrobes.
If you are in the market for a builder, Greg’s work is impeccable and his work ethic impressive. He also only works on one job at a time – making the job personal. He is always available to his customers and makes it his mission to “make it happen”. This also happens to be one of the reasons why Lisa chose him for the addition. He said he could get it done, when other’s weren’t as confident.