Briers North Offers Old Style Charm with Modern Convenience

by Barbara Squires
Reprinted with permission from the Dunwoody Crier

When Adrienne Duncan and her husband Pat relocated from Houston to Atlanta two years ago, they knew they were home as soon as they walked into a house for sale in Briers North, a unique enclave featuring Victorian architecture off Tilly Mill Road in Dunwoody.

“It looked like Sherwin-Williams (the paint manufacturer) had exploded,” Duncan quipped. The subdivision is filled with turn-of-the-century-style homes that offer more than a mouthful of gingerbread and trim painted in a wide variety of bright colors. The Duncan’s 3-story home, one of the most colorful in the neighborhood, sports deep teal siding with freshly painted burgundy and pink trim.

“Our home has all the design elements that are so representative of an historic home but with modern engineering,” said Duncan, who lived in a brownstone in Boston while her husband grew up in a 100-year-old farmhouse in Indiana. “Once you have the experience of living in an historic home, you don’t want to lose it.”

Neighbors in the 62-home cluster community, built on half-acre lots beginning in 1986 by developer/master carpenter Duane Brownlow, are a diverse yet close-knit group, said Duncan. “We have a lot of young professional families here. We just experienced a baby boom last year with four births in one month. But we also have a number of retired people, full-time moms and moms who work at home.” Duncan operates a Web design firm from the second floor office of her home while she cares for the couple’s 7-month-old daughter, Maggie.

Many early evenings, the main cul-de-sac turns into a playground with moms, dads, kids, nannies, strollers, balls and lots of community spirit. “This is the kind of neighborhood where you can lean over your fence and talk to your neighbors. People are decent to each other,” said Duncan.

One night of the year, Halloween, is more than an event in Briers North. It’s a happening. Beginning in 1992 when one home facing Tilly Mill Road began stopping traffic with its ghoulish decorations, the crowds visiting the neighborhood on October 31 have built dramatically as more homeowners began joining in the fun.

“Last year we had more than 5,000 people come by,” said Duncan. “Although we don’t organize anything officially, we’re prepared because we know the crowds are going to show.” Duncan’s residents-only section of the Briers North Web site offers advice on how much candy to buy and all-important security tips. Halloween themes range from the Duncan’s Shrek and Fiona to a larger than life house of horrors complete with a graveyard featuring headstones for all the family members – even the pets.

Although Briers North has no community clubhouse, pool or tennis courts, residents are welcome to join facilities at the nearby Dunwoody North Driving Club. There are no formal assessments to homeowners in Briers North; however, most residents pay a voluntary $85 yearly to the landscape committee, which ensures that the grass, flowers and shrubs at the main entrance are well maintained.

While Victorian styling is predominant, Briers North also has a smattering of Colonial and Tudor homes. Homes range from 1,675 to 4,660 square feet and are priced from the mid-$300s to $450,000. Currently only one home is for sale in Briers North. The 4-bedroom, 2.5 bath home with large office, bonus room and built-in pool is listed for $399,000. Schools for the neighborhood include Chesnut Elementary, Peachtree Middle and Dunwoody High. Commuting from the neighborhood downtown is convenient and quick since the Doraville and Chamblee MARTA stations as well as I-285 and I-85 are all only a short drive away.

Each home in Briers North is unique, according to Duncan. Differences include variations in the size of the rooms, more open spaces or walls and doors, daylight basements or crawl spaces, the location of the stairs, strategically placed eyebrow or catseye windows, and attached or detached garages, some with apartments above.

More important are the commonalities. All the houses feature at least two and sometimes three gas fireplaces, heavy crown mouldings on the main floor and in the oversized master suite with sitting room, hardwood floors, wainscoting, huge master baths with a separate jetted garden tub and double shower. Bay windows, sometimes two stories high, abound. “They just don’t make them like this anymore,” said Duncan. “It’s high quality construction. Brownlow didn’t skimp.