Luxury Renovations

Taking Green Construction to the Next Level

Taking Green Construction to the Next Level

During the month associated with America Recycles Day on November 15, we felt it the ideal time to let you know that Highlight Homes can help you take your next whole home renovation or custom home construction to an entirely new shade of “green.” Ever since our inception in 2005, we have been devoted to environmentally-friendly practices. We are a certified Green Builder, meaning certain criteria must be met and recognized by third-party certification programs such as Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED), the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Green Building Program, Energy Star and Earth Craft House. Highlight Homes has achieved all of these. Our company founder – Tony Pourhassan – has sat on the Board of Directors for the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association’s Green Building Council, and our sister company – Vesmont, Inc. – has realized a number of unique communities throughout the Southeast that boast an abundance of beautiful Green Space.

But, what does this mean to you?  If protection of the environment features as prominently in your own life as it does in ours, you’ll be pleased to know that Highlight Homes 

  •  devotes a terrific amount of energy to designing and building both homes and home additions that reduce energy consumption and material waste
  • disposes all construction debris from renovation projects to whole home construction through recycling
  • can incorporate the latest eco-friendly elements in your custom construction home or renovation

So – what ARE the latest eco-friendly elements appearing in home construction today?

  • Renewable materials such as recyclable metals, plastics, composites, concrete and more are on the rise in home construction for everything from carpet and countertops to composite lumber and durable steel beams.
  • Reclaimed materials such as distinctive barn doors or the weathered wood from an old structure could lend a lot of character to your home as you do your part to show you have great taste as well as a great desire to save the planet.
  • Plant-based composite materials are growing in popularity among green builders for roofing and insulation.
  • Cool roofing reflects heat back into the atmosphere, rather than absorbing it.
  • Low-E Windows help regulate the temperature inside the home by keeping the heat INSIDE the home during the winter and OUTSIDE the home during the summer.
  • SMART Home controls that aid in the daily management of power consumption through elements like air conditioning and heating, lighting, sound system, blinds, home security systems, garage doors and more – all with the click of a computer mouse or tap of a smartphone.
  • Solar panels and home energy storage through lithium-ion batteries are growing in popularity as ways to battle a global energy crisis at home.
  • Incorporating energy efficient appliances and low flow toilets have become the norm in recent years.

There are any number of ways Highlight Homes can help you create the Earth-friendly home of your dreams!  We welcome the opportunity to meet with you and discuss your upcoming renovation or custom home construction. Contact us today to schedule your no-obligation consultation by emailing info@highlighthomesga.com, calling 678-873-9234 or filling out our convenient online contact form.

Celebrate National Home Security Month with a Smart Home Renovation

Celebrate National Home Security Month with a Smart Home Renovation

In the early 17th century, British politician Sir Edward Coke coined the phrase, “A man’s home is his castle.” It’s a sentiment that has resonated in all the centuries since. While most home owner associations would no doubt frown upon the construction of a moat around your own “castle,” there are a number of measures you can take to keep barbarians from storming the castle gates. In 2015, U.S. residents age 12 or older experienced an estimated 5.0 million violent victimizations – which includes rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault, according to the most recent Bureau of Justice Statistics’ (BJS) National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). 7.60% of U.S. households (which may not seem like a lot until you consider that it represents 10.0 million homes) experienced one or more property victimizations that year. Although Highlight Homes is not a security company, we can build the base for a secure home through a smart home renovation or custom construction.

What is a Smart Home?

A smart home features special structured wiring designed to give home owners control of things like air conditioning and heating, lighting, sound system, blinds and – yes – even home security system through a mobile device or computer. Depending on which Smart Home Security System you elect to incorporate, you could operate an interior and exterior camera system, open or close the garage door, set off an alarm, turn on or off your lights, and even lock or unlock the doors – all with the tap of a button on your smartphone. The future is here!

Need a little more convincing to convert your current home a Smart Home or build your new Smart Home from the ground up? According to Coldwell Banker Real Estate, “whether you’re shopping for a first home, looking to sell your home, or planning home renovations to add value to your house, smart home technology should be at the top of your must-haves list. 54% of homeowners said they would install smart home products if they were selling their home and knew that doing so would make it sell faster. In fact, about 33% of agents said homes with smart features sell faster.”

Additional Security Measures Highlight Homes can integrate to your home renovation or custom home design:

  • The incorporation of landscaping designed for security, such as strategically placed thorny bushes and landscape lighting, to deter burglars from entering your home
  • The placement of motion activated lighting around potential points of entry, like the garage and front/rear porches
  • The use of heavy duty doors, windows, screens and locks throughout the house
  • The construction of a safe room – aka panic room – to keep your family secure in the event of a home invasion

Highlight Homes welcomes the chance to help you transform your “home sweet home” into a “home safe home!” To get started, simply call us at 678-873-9234, email us at info@highlighthomesga.com or fill out our convenient online contact form and someone will be in touch with you shortly!  To learn more about Highlight Homes and view our online gallery of work, please visit www.highlighthomesga.com.

Sources: Bureau of Justice Statistics – https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/cv15_sum.pdf

Coldwell Banker – https://blog.coldwellbanker.com/blog/home-renovations-and-features-for-2017-smart-home/

4 Treatments That Will Take Your Walls From Drab to Fab

4 Treatments That Will Take Your Walls From Drab to Fab

When we were kids, we all basically drew a house the same way… a square with a triangle roof, a rectangular chimney with a wisp of smoke coming out of it, a few windows and a door with a circle for a door knob. While our artistic skills may have been a bit limited at 5, just think what our imaginations could have done with the interior of that little square house. Now that we’re adults with more refined tastes, it’s still important to use our imaginations when designing a home. A room is basically four walls with a couple of windows thrown in to let in the light. In order to take that living space from drab to FAB, let your imagination run wild!

The greatest thing about interior design today is that there are no rules. There may be trends and style dictates, but the growth of the eclectic movement means that virtually anything goes. Let’s take a blank wall to treat as our canvas. Where – in the past – you may have a variety of colors for your wall, offset by a different color for the trim OR you may elect to hang some old school wallpaper for a little added excitement. If you were feeling particularly daring, you may have elected to paint ONE accent wall in a different shade than the other three walls in the room. For an air of luxury, you might have added some special woodworking, such as a chair rail, crown moulding or wainscoting. While all of those options are still not only perfectly acceptable, but downright delightful when done properly – there are a wealth of other possibilities open to you to make a room feel exciting and inviting at the same time…

Shiplap and other Wood Wall Treatments

Wood walls – like the wildly popular shiplap treatment – add texture to a space. Depending on the color of the wood you choose, whether stained or painted, you can also add warmth. Shiplap, often seen on the exterior of homes and barns, has become increasingly trendy for use INSIDE the home. The wood could be sanded smooth and painted for a more sophisticated feel or rough-hewn and weathered for a more rustic sense. Consider the bedroom for this wall treatment – if you have an eye-catching wood wall against which you can set your bed, there’s not really a need for a headboard. The entire wall – with a pair of equally stunning mounted wall lamps – may give the appearance of one massive headboard.

Tile

Initially introduced to protect walls in the kitchen and bathroom from water damage, tile is now used to enhance these spaces beautifully. From sleek and shiny subway tile in the master bath to an eye-catching and elegant mosaic tile in the kitchen, tile can really help you DEFINE the look and feel of the space. No longer limited to the bathroom and kitchen, it’s not uncommon to find tile – now available in a variety of materials and textures – in the living room and dining room.

Brick

With the ever-increasing popularity of the industrial look in interior design, the use of brick walls – whether real or faux – have really taken off. There’s something lasting, solid and somewhat masculine about brick that lends those same qualities to a space, making it a great fit for a man cave or accent wall in an intown home. Still, it’s a classic that can be used virtually anywhere. Imagine it in a KITCHEN – wouldn’t that be gorgeous!?

Stone

Not just for exteriors and fireplaces anymore, stacked stone is becoming all the rage on interior walls. A cool blend of rusticity and refinement, a stacked stone wall can add texture and warmth to a space. Because stone is so heavy, many designers elect to incorporate faux stacked stone veneer panels. You can still achieve the same look at a fraction of the cost. Imagine a stone wall in a room that leads to the outdoors, suggesting a fusion of the interior and outdoor living spaces for gorgeous results.

Highlight Homes is an award-winning Atlanta-based custom home builder and master renovator. To learn more about how Highlight Homes can help you infuse any of the suggested looks above into your own home, visit www.highlighthomesga.com or call 678-873-9234.

Highlight Homes Combines its Talents for One EPIC House

Highlight Homes Combines its Talents for One EPIC House

1463 Hearst Drive in Brookhaven - HLH - August 2017The team at Highlight Homes is particularly excited about our newest venture in the City of Brookhaven.  We’ve begun construction on a home that involves a marriage of our very best architectural, engineering, renovation and new construction talents. Rather than involve a complete tear-down of an existing home in order to gain access to a superlative home site in one of Atlanta’s most sought-after neighborhoods, we found a hidden gem in a standing property. Providing an excellent structure to build upon, the ranch-style home at 1463 Hearst Drive, has been stripped to its studs on the existing first floor. This will now serve as the main level, which will eventually boast an open floorplan with jaw-dropping gourmet kitchen, expansive family room that opens to the dining space, bonus room (which could serve as a stunning sunroom), half bath and highly desirable master suite-on-main. Upon that base, we will build UP by incorporating a second-floor addition. This level will showcase a SECOND master bedroom with walk-in closet and in-suite bathroom, two more bedrooms and bathrooms, plus a flexible space which could serve as a playroom or media space. For even more room to spread out, the home will also feature a finished basement and huge covered deck with fireplace – ideal for entertaining. Initially offered at $1,050,000, this home will definitely be one to watch!

 

Poised between the sparkling waters of Silver Lake and Peachtree Golf Club, the home will offer close proximity to upscale shopping and dining at the positively chic Town Brookhaven ‘live, work, play’ district. It is also convenient to Peachtree Road for an easy commute into Downtown Atlanta. School age children living here will have an opportunity to attend Montgomery Elementary (which scores a 10 out of 10 from GreatSchools for test scores!), as well as Chamblee Middle and Chamblee Charter High Schools. A number of excellent private schools are also located nearby, including The Marist School, Pace Academy, The Lovett School, St. Pius X. Catholic High School and more. Best of all, it’s located just down the street from another distinctive house, expertly crafted by Highlight Homes.

 

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CITY OF BROOKHAVEN!

 

To enjoy a semi-custom experience, we invite prospective homebuyers to get “in on the ground floor” in order to select all of the distinctive finishes such as woodwork, cabinetry, paint colors, flooring and more that will make this one-of-a-kind home uniquely your own. To learn more, contact Melanie Pourhassan of Keller Williams Realty at 404-531-5700 (office) or 678-873-9232 (cell). She can also be reached via e-mail at MelanieHP@kw.com. For more information about Highlight Homes – including a chance to view other custom homes and luxury renovations in their online portfolio – please visit www.highlighthomesga.com.

 

READ “5 BENEFITS TO GETTING INTO A SEMI-CUSTOM HOME ON THE GROUND FLOOR”!

 

 

Commemorate National Anti-Boredom Month with Highlight Homes

Commemorate National Anti-Boredom Month with Highlight Homes

cheers shutterstock_297917804While a luxury kitchen renovation, room addition or reimagined exterior could go a long way in transforming the appearance of your residence, remodeling projects geared at tackling its functionality could rekindle your love affair with the place your family calls home. The month of July is not only an occasion for celebrating our nation’s independence, it’s also National Anti-Boredom Month. When considering a renovation project from the angle of chasing away the dreaded echoes of “I’m bored,” that’s when the real fun begins!  Here are just a few renovation projects that could go a long way in battling boredom:

Home Theater:

A state-of-the-art media space with all the bells and whistles – made to look and feel like an actual theater – is an ideal fit for a family of movie buffs and sports fans. Imagine countless slumber parties hosted in this space, as well as tailgate parties for the day of the “big game.” If you have an avid gamer in your midst, you can ramp up this room’s functionality by adding video game components for hours of engaging play.

Finished Basement:

Whether your basement is already finished or has been left unfinished and used primarily for storage, it can be reimagined into a space that will likely become your family’s favorite go-to destination. For a family who loves to entertain, a bar with kitchen that opens to a spacious multi-functional room with pool table, sprawling sectional and big screen TV may prove the ideal answer. For the family who loves to host overnight guests, you can finish a couple of warm and welcoming guestrooms here with attached full baths and a gathering space at the center; and for the family who likes to stay fit, an expansive home gym may be the perfect addition. The possibilities are truly endless!

Outdoor Living Space:

HighlightHomes-ad-for-Atlanta-Home-Improvement-Magazine-Apr09-photo-300x199Holding its own as one of the hottest remodeling trends as more and more families opt to extend their home’s functionality to the Great Outdoors, a focus on an Outdoor Living Space is always a wise choice. Have someone in the family who fancies him or herself as an aspiring chef? An outdoor kitchen with counter for “live culinary performances and luxury dining space for sharing the fruits of your labor is a terrific use of your existing exterior space. Active families may prefer a pool with dedicated pool house, while families who like to kick back and relax may be better served by a covered space that comprises an outdoor hearth, weather-resistant flat screen TV and loads of cozy seating. An outdoor oasis with sprawling garden, koi pond, gazebo with pathways emanating out in all direction plus benches for reflecting might be the perfect escape at the end of a long day.

Atlanta-based Highlight Homes welcomes the opportunity to help you chase the boredom blues away! Celebrate National Anti-Boredom Month with us by booking a luxury home renovation with our talented team. We can design-and-build the ideal space to fit your family’s unique needs, wishes and collective personality. To get started, simply call us at 678-873-9234, email us at info@highlighthomesga.com or fill out our convenient online contact form and someone will be in touch with you shortly!  To learn more about Highlight Homes and view our online gallery of work, please visit www.highlighthomesga.com.

Building Beautiful Backdrops for a Bounty of Backyard Barbecues

Building Beautiful Backdrops for a Bounty of Backyard Barbecues

outdoor dining shutterstock_297166031The scene is set. A couple slabs of baby back ribs, a perfectly preheated grill, “Kiss The Cook” apron tied at the waist and a massive set of tongs in hand. But to truly set the scene, you’ll need a beautiful backdrop in which to create your mouth-watering masterpiece. Between the fact that May is National Barbecue Month and indications that the incorporation of outdoor living spaces continues to trend upward in luxury  home renovations, we thought we’d share a little inspiration to turn your own surrounding landscape into an awe-inspiring outdoor oasis. Here’s the Highlight Homes’ recipe for building a beautiful backdrop for your next backyard barbecue…

  • Finding the Right Ingredients:  Just as you might pore over cookbooks to find the perfect recipes to complete an unforgettable meal, it’s important to do your research to find the elements you believe will make your outdoor living space really stand out. Between Pinterest, Houzz and a treasure trove of online resources to interior design magazines and home improvement shows, inspiration abounds. Create a dream book of elements that really speak to you.
  • Make a Shopping List:  Now that you’ve created a book of elements that have you dreaming of countless shindigs under the stars, it’s time to make a list of all the ways you’d like your outdoor living space to function. Is it primarily a tranquil garden for quiet reflection at the end of a long day? Is it a big playroom on the exterior of your home where all the neighborhood kids can hang out? Is it a sports bar surrounded by loads of cozy seating with a flat screen TV for watching the big game? Is it a warm and welcoming space with an outdoor kitchen and long dining table where all the neighborhood grownups will want to hang out? Or is it a combination of two or more of those things? The possibilities are endless.
  • shish kebobs on the grill - shutterstock_249302788Hiring the Right “Chef”:  A really great landscape architect or general contractor can take the inspiration of the ingredients you’ve collected in your dream book, your shopping list of desired functions and the blank canvas of your backyard to develop a marriage of the three. Once you find the perfect balance of your vision, your budget and the realistic capabilities of the space, it’s time to make that vision a reality. Highlight Homes welcomes the opportunity to crank up the heat on your concept of a luxury outdoor living space. Contact us for a free consultation and proposal: 678-873-9234, info@highlighthomesga.com or fill out our online contact form and we’ll be in touch right away.
  • Season to Taste and ENJOY!: Furnish and accessorize your brand new outdoor living space to fit your own unique sense of style (we’ll be happy to help there, too!) and then invite your friends and family over to christen the space with a backyard barbecue of epic proportions!

Top 17 “Bang for Your Buck” Renovations for 2017

Top 17 “Bang for Your Buck” Renovations for 2017

Plans and Tape Measure shutterstock_283662473 (lo res)Any professionally-executed renovation to your home calls for an investment on your part – of time, space and (of course) money. That’s why it’s important to know which renovations could potentially add value to your home – proving a good return on investment on all counts. Besides the “wants” like a dedicated man cave or luxury home theater, there are a number of renovations that have lasting value – a very good thing when it comes time for you to list your home with a real estate professional.  According to Remodeling Magazine’s Cost vs. Value Report, here are the Top 17 “Bang for Your Buck” Renovations for 2017 nationwide:

  1. Fiberglass Attic Insulation: ROI = more than 100% (meaning you can easily recoup your costs!)
  2. Steel Entry Door: ROI = 90.7%
  3. Manufactured Stone Veneer: ROI = 89.4% (an excellent way to upgrade the look of your home’s exterior!)
  4. Minor Kitchen Remodel ($20.8K or less): ROI = 80.2%
  5. Garage Door Replacement: ROI = 76.9%
  6. Siding Replacement: ROI = 76.4% (are you noticing the trend toward exterior upgrades?)
  7. Wood Deck Addition: ROI = 71.5%
  8. Second-Story Addition: ROI = 71.1% (an excellent ROI, particularly when you consider the fact that you just doubled your living space capacity. As a matter of fact, it’s trending up from last year’s ROI percentages
  9. Basement Remodel: ROI = 70% (been considering finally having that basement finished? That ROI should help do some convincing… again adding to your living space capacity and the overall enjoyment of your home!)
  10. Family Room Addition: ROI = 69.3% (an improvement over last year’s ROI percentages)
  11. Roofing Replacement: ROI = 68.8%
  12. Universal Design Bathroom: ROI = 68.4% (the term “universal design” refers to the incorporation of certain elements – such as wider wheelchair-friendly doorways, walk-in showers, grip bars in bathrooms and more – to make your home more universally accessible to people with/without disabilities and older adults.)
  13. Major Kitchen Remodel ($62K+): ROI = 65.3% (trending up from last year’s ROI percentages)
  14. Composite Deck Addition: ROI = 65.2% (an improvement over last year’s ROI percentages)
  15. Upscale Bathroom Remodel: ROI = 64.8% (is it time to update YOUR master bathroom? It’s amazing what a soaking tub, new shower, granite countertops, new flooring and a fresh coat of paint can do to help you reimagine this space into a tranquil room worthy of the name “restroom”.)
  16. Upscale Master Suite Addition: ROI = 64.8% (we mentioned this trend a couple of years back, but the addition of a second master suite – or expansion of your current master – continues to remain strong, particularly among families with multiple generations co-existing. This year’s ROI shows an improvement over 2016 numbers.)
  17. Backyard Patio: ROI = 54.9% (with three of the top 17 renovations falling into this category, can you detect a continuing trend towards outdoor living?)

As trusted experts in Atlanta luxury renovations since 2005, Highlight Homes welcomes the opportunity to help your incorporate any and all of the remodeling projects listed above to your home.  Contact us today for a no-cost, no-obligation consultation at 678-873-9234 or info@highlighthomesga.com To learn more about us and view the full list of services we offer – including custom home construction – please visit us at www.highlighthomesga.com.