Month: March 2014

Highlight Spotlight: City of Brookhaven

1024px-Town_Brookhaven_2Highlight Homes is pleased to shine our “Highlight Spotlight” on a very special community in Atlanta, Georgia – the City of Brookhaven. Our talented design-build team is proud to be involved in several custom construction projects in the area, including two semi-custom homes – one that we just recently completed (and SOLD!) and another that we’ll be launching shortly.

Relatively “young” in terms of the life of a Southern city, Brookhaven was incorporated as recently as December 2012 – making it one of Georgia’s newest cities. Since then, its newly elected municipal government has worked tirelessly to establish a budget, launch a police department, unveil a city logo and website, and pursue community improvements.  Comprised of 12 square miles and a population estimated at around 49,000 people, Brookhaven is representative of DeKalb County’s largest city. While it hasn’t been a city for long, its reputation as one of Atlanta’s premier communities is long-standing. What once served as a large plantation established by John Evins in the early 1800s would eventually be transformed to a playground for Atlanta’s wealthy set, as they began building summer cottages around the turn of the century “far away” from the hustle and bustle of Atlanta’s thriving Downtown area.  By 1912, the Brookhaven Country Club golf course was founded, but sold three short years later to Capital City Club. Gorgeous homes designed by some of the most highly revered architects of the time began to pop up around the sprawling golf course – in an area now known as Historic Brookhaven.

As central to the community as Historic Brookhaven, but with more of a youthful vibe, is Town Brookhaven – a thriving mixed-use development that touts itself as a “pedestrian-friendly urban village.”  With more than 460,000 square feet of prime retail real estate, Town Brookhaven currently houses stores such as Costco, Marshalls, Publix and a number of terrific upscale boutiques. A number of popular restaurants also call Town Brookhaven home, like Boneheads, the Flying Biscuit Café, Noche, Olde Blind Dog Irish Pub, Shuck’s Oyster & Wine Bar and more. Movie buffs will love date nights at the Cinebistro, and local health fanatics will appreciate the easy access to LA Fitness and GNC. Town Brookhaven also plays host to a revolving calendar of events designed to draw residents and visitors together. Long story short, Brookhaven is a terrific community with lots of allure and native charm – and that’s why Highlight Homes has chosen to build here.

The Brookhaven home in which we can hardly wait to break ground is located at 1431 Hearst Drive, featuring the Chastain floorplan – which serves as the ideal layout for the family who loves to entertain. Boasting spaces for a future game room, rec room with bar, home theater, billiard room, exercise room AND sauna all on the basement level alone, this 5000+ square foot home with three-car garage will also feature a stunning gourmet kitchen, spacious family room with soaring vaulted ceiling, formal dining room, study and grand room with coffered ceilings, two-story foyer, office space, laundry room, powder room, master-on-main, and covered veranda on the first level. The second story will showcase three additional bedrooms – each with its own bathroom and walk-in closet, an enormous playroom – which could serve as a fifth bedroom or flexible space – also with its own bathroom and walk-in closet, and loads of storage space. The property is located on nearly ½ an acre near Atlanta’s iconic Peachtree Road, within close proximity of Peachtree Golf Club, Capital City Club, Keswick Park, Blackburn Park and Oglethorpe University. Poised in western DeKalb County, students who live in this home may attend Montgomery Elementary, Chamblee  Middle, Chamblee Charter High or Our Lady of Assumption Catholic schools. The property is located near a number of terrific restaurants and shops, and offers an easy commute into Downtown Atlanta and the Buckhead area.

To learn more about this property and Highlight Homes, in general – please visit us online at www.highlighthomesga.com.

Sources:

Historic Brookhaven Website – http://www.historicbrookhaven.org/history.htm

City of Brookhaven Website – http://www.brookhavenga.gov/

Image Credit:

By Keizers (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

5 Benefits to Getting into a Semi-Custom Home on the Ground Floor

Highlight Homes new construction home 9While some home buyers may find the concept of building a custom home from the ground up a little intimidating, there is a way for them to enjoy some of the best aspects of a custom experience – without the headaches of starting from scratch. Often, when a buyer elects to build the home of their dreams – they must contend with finding the right house plan to fit their vision and needs, selecting the ideal location (and making certain that it’s a good match for their house plan), and partnering with the perfect builder (one who is not only reputable, but who is also willing to build the plan of the homebuyers’ choosing on their desired site). That’s an awful lot for many home buyers to bite off from the get-go – thus the wild popularity of spec or production houses. However, if a home buyer is lucky enough to find a semi-custom home in its early stages – that just happens to feature a floorplan they love in a location their family will enjoy – they can still experience some of the great joys and benefits of custom home construction.

1)      Special Touches – Always wanted a window seat for reading, walls of built-in bookcases to house your library, or a window over your kitchen sink for gazing out over the backyard? Special touches like these are fairly simple to incorporate when partnering with a custom/semi-custom builder who already has a house framed out or foundation poured.

2)      All the Bells and Whistles – When getting in on the ground floor of a semi-custom home, you have an opportunity to select EVERYTHING that will make up your home’s interior – from exposed beams and specialty light fixtures in the ceiling, to door knobs and drawer pulls at the surface, to floor registers and hardwoods beneath your feet. You may even wish to kick it up a notch and follow the high tech house trend by integrating a complex system that allows you to control the lights, audio, heating, security and even the TVs in the house with the touch of a button.

3)      Put on a Happy Face – If you get into a contract on a semi-custom home early enough, you may also have the chance to select the materials that will define your home’s exterior – something that should make you deliriously happy every time you pull into the driveway. You may select a combination of stonework, timber and Hardiplank for a look of luxury, a red brick front with pale mortar for a more traditional feel, or a Hardiplank with contrasting trim that pays tribute to the Arts and Crafts movement.

4)      Down and Dirty – Landscaping can enhance or detract from the beauty of a home, and a great backyard can extend one’s living spaces outdoors. While many production and spec builders will supply basic pre-designed landscaping packages that consist of trees and shrubbery available through their supplier, a good custom/semi-custom builder will provide you with an opportunity to have as much say in the look of your landscaping as they will with the actual structure at the heart of it all. Always wanted a potting shed that looked like a miniature version of your home? Good luck getting that from a production builder.

5)      A Chance to Invest More Than Money – Building a custom or semi-custom home can be a major investment of both time and money. However, upon completion – the true rewards are in walking through the door of YOUR home each night, knowing that you had a hand in its creation. There is a part of you in every room – thanks to your partnership with your builder and the direction you provided to him/her. When all is said and done, you can look upon your home with pride and think “I built this!”

Highlight Homes currently has 5 semi-construction projects all over Atlanta – two of which are already under contract. To learn more about the homes we are building or discuss a custom home project on land you already own, we invite you to contact us at info@highlighthomesga.com or 678-873-9234. To view samples of our work as an award-winning luxury renovator and custom homebuilder, we encourage you to visit us online at www.highlighthomesga.com.

Hottest Design Trends Revealed During NAHB’s Best In American Living Awards


Kitchen Renovation - After: Image Credit: Never the Rock Photography
White on White Kitchen Renovation; Image Credit: Never the Rock Photography

Highlight Homes was honored to attend the International Builders Show in Las Vegas in February 2014 along with some of the most talented vendors, renovation experts and builders from all over the country. As part of the show, the National Association of Home Builders recognized the winners of its Best in American Living Awards. In addition to the honorees, the organization revealed some of the hottest design trends in the home building and remodeling industries – many of which we are pleased to share with our readers. In a recent press release following the Awards Gala Dinner, the NAHB highlighted the following creative construction concepts. Bear in mind, each of these can be imaginatively interpreted by Highlight Homes for your upcoming remodeling or custom construction projects.

White on White: We weren’t surprised to learn that this trend will continue to remain strong. Highlight Homes was on the cutting edge when we utilized this concept for a kitchen renovation that was featured on the cover of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Homefinder in December 2012. From cabinets and counters to flooring and fixtures, kitchens and bathrooms are trending toward light and bright. According to the NAHB’s press release, in order to “achieve clean lines and a modern feel, designers and builders are selecting European cabinetry, adding shiny surfaces via appliance, backsplash and countertop choices, and incorporating glass walls.”

Bold Exterior Colors: Move aside humdrum neutrals! Homeowners are beginning to make a statement on both the interior and exteriors of their homes through the use of bold and beautiful colors. Taking a cue from the Arts and Crafts movement, exteriors are given a makeover through “paint, a mix of cladding materials, doors, windows, porches, shutters or trim, an extra layer of drama is being adding to the design of elevations, further enhancing curb appeal.”

Interior Courtyards: Dating back to before 2000 BC, the courtyard was the original heart of the home that served as a meeting place for family members and their guests. Homes in historic Savannah and Charleston serve as inspiration for many interior courtyards in the South, which are experiencing a major resurgence in popularity. Housing peaceful gardens, fire pits, and cozy seating areas, “courtyards provide private and safe outdoor living areas and are being shifted to side yards.”

Specialty Lighting: Another “trend” that Highlight Homes has been incorporating in many of our recent renovation and custom construction projects is the use of specialty lighting fixtures. Pairing form with function, a well-chosen light fixture can serve as an objet d’art and add depth to any room design. The NAHB’s press release reveals that in some projects “lighting is being paired with wood ceiling details to further enhance the room’s design and create a feeling of warmth.”

Historic Style with Modern Flair: Along with the NAHB, we are seeing a “no rules” trend toward an eclectic blend of historic architectural styles – such as Craftsman, Prairie, or Mid-Century Modern – and  modern elements through the use of “color, finish, fixture and lighting selection, while continuing to be influenced by the past through the use of reclaimed building materials and classic proportions and detailing.”

Blurring the Lines between Inside and Out: The incorporation of elements like” moveable glass walls, gourmet outdoor kitchens and interior courtyard pools” serve to blur the lines between the inside and outside of homes.  It’s a great and economical way to add more everyday living space to homes of all sizes. Here in the South, we are seeing more and more requests for show-stealing outdoor hearths, covered porches and weather-proof flatscreen TVs for scenic SEC football-viewing parties.

Dual Master Baths: Just as his and her closets continue to be all the rage in new home designs and renovations, there is a growing trend toward the development of dual master baths. Glamorous with spa influences, this concept is extremely functional – serving the needs of both “masters” of the house – dual baths often feature a sprawling shared shower and individual vanity areas.

If you wish to incorporate any (or all) of the hot trends mentioned above to your upcoming renovation or custom home construction project, we encourage you to contact the talented design-build team at Highlight Homes to schedule a no-obligation consultation. We can be reached via phone at 678-873-9234, via e-mail at info@highlighthomesga.com, or by filling out our convenient online contact form. To view our online portfolio and learn more about the services we provide to clients throughout the Metro Atlanta area, please visit us online at www.highlighthomesga.com.  We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Highlight Homes Streamlines Renovations and Custom Home Construction with Help of Latest Technology

Co-construct Screen Shot

Award-winning Atlanta custom home builder and renovator – Highlight Homes – is proud to add another item to its growing list of service offerings. Thanks to a new relationship with Co-construct, Highlight Homes will grant its clients online access to their home construction and renovation projects. Touting the tagline “Together on the same page,” Co-construct is a revolutionary online software system designed to aid custom builders and remodelers with scheduling, selections and client communications.

“All of our projects entail a great deal of interaction with and input from our clients. Instead of shifting through a difficult-to-track stream of e-mails and phone calls between clients and the Highlight Homes’ team during the course of a custom construction or renovation project, this customer relationship management software organizes all communications in one place – making it easier for us to keep up with conversations and changes,” explains Tony Pourhassan, Principal at Highlight Homes. “In the long run, it will not only save us time and minimize confusion, but it has the potential to save our clients money and eliminate any potential frustration by streamlining and organizing the process. The best part is, it’s accessible by all parties 24/7 from the time the contract is signed until closing on the new house or final walk-through of a completed renovation. Of course, face-to-face interactions will continue to be at the heart of what we do, but that’s not always convenient for our clients. Several years ago, we were tasked with completing a home renovation for a client who was living abroad at the time. They hoped to have the renovation completed in time for their return to the States. While they were incredibly pleased with the outcome of their project, I can’t help but think how much smoother everything could have gone if we’d had access to this software. It hadn’t been invented yet!”

Co-construct is unique in that it is specifically engineered for custom projects which are notorious for being in a constant state of flux as new materials are made available, some materials are phased out, clients’ minds change, and weather dictates.

To learn more about Highlight Homes and our list of services for clients in the Metro Atlanta area – including Buckhead, Brookhaven, Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Roswell, Alpharetta, and Peachtree City – we invite you to visit us online at www.highlighthomesga.com. To schedule a no-obligation consultation, call us TODAY at 678.873.9234!