Month: December 2011

2011 Ends With a BANG!

The launch and designation of the Georgia Redevelopment Foundation as a 501(c)3 Public Charity are among Highlight Homes' proudest moments of 2011.
The launch and designation of the Georgia Redevelopment Foundation as a 501(c)3 Public Charity are among Highlight Homes' proudest moments of 2011.

Highlight Homes Celebrates Another Great Year Filled with Wonderful Clients and Terrific News

As 2011 comes to a close, we reflect on all of the exciting changes that took place this year and the number of new friends we’ve made through our work at Highlight Homes. In February, we unveiled our virtual project portfolio and broke ground on Daniel Payne Legacy Village, an exciting Live-Work-Play-Pray mixed-use community in Birmingham, Alabama. By the Spring, we received the top honor of becoming National Kitchen and Bath Association-Certified and tackled our company’s first commercial renovation. By the Fall, we became a Brand Mortgage-sanctioned Remodeling and Repair Partner,  and our founder and company principal – Tony Pourhassan – was elected to the Green Building Council of the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association. Before the year was over, we produced our first renovation video, Highlight Homes had won a Gold OBIE Award for the Best Kitchen Remodeling Under $75,000, and we received the very best news of all – the charitable affiliate for Highlight Homes, The Georgia Redevelopment Foundation, was designated a 501(c)3 Public Charity.

With all of the positive things that happened for our family-owned-and-operated small business, we are keenly aware of all of the bad that happened that affected the lives of families throughout the South. Through our efforts with the Georgia Redevelopment Foundation, we were able to rush to those in need following the devastating tornadoes that struck Georgia and Alabama in April 2011 and logged hundreds of man hours in an attempt to help them rebuild their homes and their lives. Our hearts and prays continue to go out to the families of those who lost their lives during those terrible storms. We are also saddened by the fact that we were unable to do more following the tragic historic flooding in Minot, North Dakota. But with every cloud, there is a silver lining. With our new 501(c)3 designation, we can now apply for grants and accept tax-deductible donation so that in the event another disaster strikes – we will be ready to help! Through our efforts with the Georgia Redevelopment Foundation, we also hope to assist senior citizens and house-bound homeowners who cannot afford home repairs with basic home maintenance at no cost to the homeowner.

Before the sun sets on 2011, we want you to know that we are so grateful to all of our wonderful clients, friends and supporters. All of the things we’ve been able to do and accomplish over the past year wouldn’t have been possible without your encouragement and belief in our abilities. From the Highlight Homes family to yours, we wish you a very Happy and Safe New Year. May 2012 hold much promise and many pleasant surprises for us all!

If you or someone you know needs the assistance of the Georgia Redevelopment Foundation, please contact Tony Pourhassan by phone at 678-873-9234 or via e-mail at info@highlighthomesga.com. If you’d like to make a tax-deductible donation to help offset costs of future events, we welcome your calls or e-mails to the number/address listed above. The Georgia Redevelopment is also seeking strategic partnerships with individual investors, construction vendors, and corporations who wish to form an alliance and help Southern homeowners rebuild their lives, one brick at a time. Thank you in advance for your support of this worthy cause!

Less is Not Always More

Image credit - © Darknightsky - Dreamstime.com
Image credit - © Darknightsky - Dreamstime.com

A Well-Designed Room Addition Could Increase Your Family’s Enjoyment of Your Home

Less is not always more. Sometimes, less is… well, less. As the holidays approach and the rooms of your home are filled to overflowing with house guests, you may begin to notice that your house is a little more cramped than you realized. Once the Christmas tree has been taken to the chipper, the decorations have all gone back into storage, and the holiday visitors have all waved goodbye – take a good look around to determine if your home is the right size and shape for your family. If the answer is no, a well-designed, beautifully constructed room addition might be in order in 2012.

Highlight Homes offers a unique advantage to its room addition clients. Thanks to our solid understanding of architecture and structural engineering, we can imagine possibilities that many homeowners may not have considered. Based upon your family’s individual needs, we can shift your existing layout to maximize the flow of your home to accommodate a new living space. While we can take your vision to new heights with our design expertise and quality construction, every project begins with your inspiration. Rather than approaching the project from the perspective of solely meeting a “need” – basically, to increase the size of the interior of your home – instead change the way you view this project to the equally important angle of meeting a “want”.  In other words, what do you want this room addition to BE?

Room Addition Ideas:

  • Mudroom – if you have a particular fondness for gardening, the addition of a sprawling mudroom – complete with lots of windows for light, built-in planter’s bench, wet sink, plenty of cabinets for storage, and mud friendly floors – might be the perfect addition to your home.
  • Sunroom – if you desire a four-season space that allows you to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors, no matter the temperature outside – a sunroom could add a great deal of enjoyment to your home and makes a great space for relaxing with a good book or entertaining guests.
  • Playroom – if you have young children in the home, a playroom is an absolute necessity. Move the kids from the guest room and into a colorful space of their very own. Playrooms can be designed with lots of storage and kid-friendly flooring for easy clean-up, as well as a one-of-a-kind play fort in the corner. The kids in the neighborhood will consider your home the coolest hangout in town.
  • Pool cabana – if you have a pool in the backyard, a room addition that incorporates a pool cabana theme could be a fun and functional spin on the traditional sunroom. Flooring that won’t become warped by wet feet, decorative windows overlooking the pool, and a small dressing chamber for slipping out of swimsuits makes the transition to and from the outdoors relatively seamless – protecting the remaining interior of your home.
  • Home Theater – carefully laid out and with a minimum of windows to let in light, a home theatre designed to accommodate movie lovers or sports enthusiasts has become an increasingly popular addition to homes in recent years.
  • Enclosed Terrace or Screened Porch – if your family enjoys spending time outdoors, an open-air addition surrounded by columns and roof overhead or completely enclosed by screens will extend your enjoyment to include peaceful, rainy days. Imagine the wonderful al fresco dinner parties you could host here, especially if you choose to incorporate a outdoor hearth!
  • Keeping Room – Speaking of hearths, a keeping room is typically added as an extension off of the kitchen area where the fireplace is the centerpiece. It’s a wonderful gathering space to catch up on the day’s events, play games, or relax in front of a roaring fire. Add a flat-screen over the hearth surrounded by cozy couches and it may well become your favorite room of the house.

These are just a handful of ideas to help you get started. And we haven’t even covered craft studio, in-law suite, or man cave – not to mention any incredible concepts you may dream up on your own. We can’t WAIT to hear what you plan to do with your room addition, and most importantly, we can’t WAIT to make your vision a reality. With more and more families making the choice to stay in their homes longer, a room addition is a wise and viable option to packing up and moving into a larger home. Getting started is as easy as contacting the talented design-build team at Highlight Homes TODAY. We can be reached by calling 678-873-9234, by e-mailing info@highlighthomesga.com, or by filling out our convenient online contact form. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Photo credit: © Hurricanehank -  Dreamstime.com
Photo credit: © Hurricanehank - Dreamstime.com

Give Your Family (And Yourself) the Gift of a Home Renovation From Highlight Homes This Holiday Season

Whether your family celebrates Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or Christmas – when gift-giving and special time spent with family are top of mind – Highlight Homes has the ideal gift solution. A well-planned and executed home renovation is the gift that keeps giving – long after the holiday decorations have gone into storage until next year and the Christmas tree has been put through the chipper.

At Highlight Homes, we understand that a kitchen can be the nerve center of the home – a place where so much more than a sack lunch is prepared and an evening meal is shared. A den may be the family game room, a bathroom may be the resident star’s dressing room, and spaces like a basement or expansive backyard hold endless possibilities. That’s why we don’t just build custom homes and renovate rooms – we create unique living spaces where you and your family can make memories together for years to come.

Imagine the look on his face when he unrolls the blueprints for the Man Cave of his dreams, or the smile on her face when she sees the rendering of that room addition and deck she’s always wanted for hosting an endless array of gatherings with friends during the spring and summer. You can do it, and Highlight Homes can help! If you feel a home renovation – large or small – might be the perfect gift to slip into your family’s stocking this year, contact Highlight Homes’ team of designers and builders to pull together a project for your home that will make your family’s 2012 one of the most exciting and fulfilling years to date. We can be reached by calling 678-873-9234, by e-mailing info@highlighthomesga.com, or by filling out our convenient online contact form.

HURRY!!!  Time is Running Out for Highlight Homes’ special promotion for the month of December! Sign a contract with us before December 31, 2011, and your name will be entered in a random drawing for a chance to win an Apple iPad 2!

From the Highlight Homes’ Family to Yours – We Wish You a Very Happy Holiday Season!

Credits: “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” (1943) Lyrics by Hugh Martin, Music by Ralph Blane

The Heart of the Home is the Star of the Show

Newest Highlight Homes’ Video Features Award-Winning Kitchen Remodel   Josey Kitche Remodel video screen capture

Highlight Homes is pleased to release its latest video showcasing the kitchen remodel that brought home the Gold OBIE Award during this year’s Greater Atlanta Home Builder Association ceremony. The short film features all of the elements that went into the overall renovation of what is perhaps one of our favorite renovations to date involving a 1970’s Colonial home in the highly esteemed Newnan Pines Country Club in Newnan, Georgia.  The original vision consisted of an update to the small, outdated galley kitchen and a deck extension so the homeowners could enjoy clearer views of the golf course. The family who owns the home hoped to create both interior and exterior living spaces where they could easily entertain family and friends.  The design-build team at Highlight Homes worked tirelessly to ensure that the homeowners’ vision was met and paid particular attention to the fact that old blended in with the new so the changes appeared seamless.  Structural engineering played a major role as square feet were added to the home and the layout was reconfigured for flow. All told, the renovation involved a complete kitchen remodel, room addition, and deck addition PLUS transformations of the living room, dining room, half bath and laundry. The crown jewel of the kitchen remodel – something that really sets it apart and makes it one-of-a-kind (ultimately catching the eyes of the OBIE judges) – is the tile mosaic over the stovetop. It is hand-painted and manufactured by the oldest tile company in Jerusalem.  Highlight Homes not only ordered and installed it, but offered it to the family as a thank you for their business.  In the end, the full remodel only took seven weeks to complete, and the clients were so elated that they have recommended Highlight Homes to a number of their friends and neighbors.

To view this transformation in its entirety – from a sneak peek at the original interior and exterior to the beautiful final product – click HERE!

If you wish to create a similar transformation at your own home, contact the talented team of professionals at Highlight Homes TODAY for your no obligation consultation by calling 678-873-9234 or e-mailing a request to info@highlighthomesga.com. To stay up-to-date on all of the latest Highlight Homes news including special offers and upcoming projects, join the conversation on our Facebook and Twitter pages, or sign up to receive our monthly e-newsletter, Highlight Homes Herald.  On the go? Check out Highlight Homes’ textsite on your smartphone or mobile device by texting “Builder” to 99699.

HURRY!!!  Highlight Homes is running a special promotion for the month of December! Sign a contract with us before December 31, 2011, and your name will be entered in a random drawing for a chance to win an iPad 2!