BEST INTERIOR DESIGN FIRM

Southern Studio Interior Design

Southern Studio has appeared on the Maggy list every year since 2012, and in 2017 the firm moved to a beautiful new home in downtown Cary, pictured at right. Founder Vicky Serany offers her expert advice on sprucing up your space:

1>> Banish clutter! “It’s the best thing you can do for your home.”

2>> Keep what you love. “Home should be a collection of treasures from a life well-lived. Pay attention to what inspires your life.”

3>> Pick your palette. “Keep large investment pieces neutral,
with classic lines. Add trendy accessories and colors in less-expensive pieces that can be easily changed.”

4>> Build visual interest by adding pattern and texture: Wood, metal, stone, glass, leather, fabric.

Yes>> You can be creative! Serany’s formula?

Define what drives you.

Challenge yourself to add one new element to any project.

Step away when you’re stuck, then come back with a fresh perspective.

southernstudio.com

BEST PUBLIC SCHOOL

Cary High School

Go Imps! Cary High can trace its history back to 1896, long before it was home to nearly 2,500 students under the leadership of Principal Nolan Bryant, with a graduation rate higher than the state average.

No student at your house? You can support others by joining the PTSA, or linking Cary High to giveback programs through the likes of Harris Teeter and Shoparoo.

wcpss.net/caryhs

BEST PRIVATE SCHOOL

Cary Academy

Is it the international exchange program for sophomores that leads readers to vote for Cary Academy? Or the studies in multimedia production? The multiple sports championships? Whatever it is, the school is two for two, landing the lead in this category since we launched it in the 2017 awards.

caryacademy.org

BEST HOTEL OR RESORT IN NC & BEST SPA

The Umstead Hotel & Spa

Proof that escape isn’t measured in miles, Cary’s 5-star favorite is The Umstead Hotel & Spa with its wooded grounds, gardens and lakes, making annual cameos on Maggy lists since 2008.

But locals aren’t the only ones who love The Umstead: Condé Nast Traveler recently named it among the best 50 hotels in the world, for service and style.

Fab four>> The Mayton Inn in downtown Cary was just 19 votes away from landing in the top three for Best Hotel, behind notable HMs the Omni Grove Park Inn and Biltmore, both in Asheville. Stay tuned!

theumstead.com

BEST TV STATION

WRAL

Has there ever been a year that WRAL didn’t win the Maggy Awards?

Yes, in 2014 — but only because we didn’t ask for votes in the Best TV Station category that year.

wral.com

BEST PRESCHOOL

Primrose School

During a science session at Primrose, children take a closer look at leaves.

Every year since 2010 — that’s the Primrose roll call when it comes to the Maggy Awards. With locally-owned locations across Western Wake, and a STEAM curriculum that combines preschool play with technology, life skills and the arts, kids and parents can love learning.

primroseschools.com

BEST YOGA/PILATES STUDIO

Cary Flow Yoga

A lifelong athlete, Colin Russell practices yoga daily and teaches 10 classes a week at Cary Flow Yoga.

“If you can bend your knees, you can do yoga.”

So says Colin Russell, owner of first-time Maggy winner Cary Flow Yoga, open since 2013. Russell has always been athletic, playing sports like lacrosse and basketball, but power flow yoga is what got him out of the gym.

Practiced in a warm — not hot — room, power flow yoga builds strength, flexibility, stamina and balance. With yoga classes ranging from introductory to prop-based restorative to yin, taught by Russell and 15 contracted instructors, Maggy voters know each experience on the mat at Cary Flow Yoga is a step toward relaxation and an empowered life.

Cary Flow Yoga also offers massage therapy and chiropractic care, and TRX Suspension Training, which leverages gravity and the user’s body weight for a non-stop workout.

Russell received his certification as a personal trainer in 2002, and holds a master’s degree in sports management. He moved to the Triangle from Boston in 2010, and practices yoga every day.

“It’s not always a physical practice,” he said. “Sometimes it’s just 20 minutes of meditation, a couple of down dogs and forward folds, and I feel better.”

caryflowyoga.com

More From Our Jan-Feb 2018 Issue

• Working Together for the Greater Good
• Meet Your Match
• Stellino’s Italiano
• No Standing Still for Sheila Ogle
• 2018 Maggy Awards: Lifestyle
• 2018 Maggy Awards: Restaurants
• Presenting the 2018 Maggy Awards!
• Best Nonprofits: How to help your Maggy winners
• The Dish: Kababish Café
• This Polly Is a Cracker
• 2018 Maggy Awards: Shopping
• 2018 Maggy Awards: Services