luxury renovations

Five Must-Have Enhancements to Your Custom Home

Highlight Homes July 11, 2019 Atlanta Custom Homes

Even though humans have been building homes for hundreds of years, we’re still constantly learning how to make them better – structurally, aesthetically, technologically and more. When building a custom home, it’s easy to consider all the special elements you’ve always dreamed of incorporating. But thanks to the ever-evolving world of architecture and construction, it’s also wise to consider integrating elements that time and experience have taught us are clever additions. While these additions can potentially number in the hundreds, Atlanta custom homebuilder and luxury renovation company – Highlight Homes – has narrowed down that list to our top five must-have enhancements to your custom home…

Open Concept Floor Plan with Minimalist Design: Instead of breaking the interior of your home into well-defined rooms, one of the newest trends in home design is to create a seamless flow between main living spaces. This enhances the sense of spaciousness – making your home ideal for entertaining and encouraging a connection between family members who occupy those spaces. Your kitchen island may serve as the perfect vantage point to the dining room and family room – truly making your kitchen the living, breathing heart of the home. By adding a minimalist design to the equation, you also augment the feel of timelessness. When adhering to a specific design style – while it may be one of the hottest trends on the market – you could be dating your home over time. By going a safer route through minimalist design, you can still introduce furnishings and décor that suggest a hot design trend that can easily be altered over time to take advantage of the NEXT hot design trend.
Smart Home Technology: From HVAC and lighting controls to a sound system designed to play the soundtrack to your life to a whole home security system, technology is playing a larger role in home design than ever before. Not only is technology designed to make your life easier, but the right combination of tools could also save you money in the long run, in power bills and innovative security measures. In addition to Smart Home Technology, you can also incorporate technologically smart elements like outlets tucked inside bathroom drawers to help eliminate clutter, as well as outdoor outlets and media connections to help make your exterior living spaces as fully functioning as your interior spaces.
A Blend of Natural Elements and Artistic Flair: Bringing the outdoors in is a trend that has steadily gained steam in home design in recent years, from stacked stone fireplaces with heavy timber mantle to hardwood floors to stone countertops. You can also bring artisanal elements in to add a little bit of your family’s collective personality or design taste to the forefront through distinctive lighting choices, woodwork and more. Industrial-themed lighting or farmhouse-inspired shiplap walls can coexist harmoniously with natural elements and lend a little character to any room.
Unification of Interior and Exterior Living Spaces: Just as the incorporation of natural elements in your interior design continues to grow in popularity, so does the unification of indoor and outdoor living spaces. One simple and beautiful way to accomplish this is through the addition of well-designed windows to extend the view outdoors and let loads of natural light indoors. Another way to achieve a fusion of indoor and outdoor living spaces is through placement and décor. Placement of an outdoor patio or covered porch or deck just off of a main living space encourages flow from the inside to the outside. And by having a clear design style/color theme throughout the interior and exterior of the home, you’ll be tying your living spaces together – rather than making them feel like separate parts of the same whole.
Signature Spaces: Of course, one of the best things about building a custom home is the opportunity to make it your OWN. As a custom home builder, we encourage our clients to create signature spaces that are true to their family’s unique interests and wishes. For those who love movies, a dedicated home theater is likely a must. For families who love to entertain and celebrate the outdoors, a pool with tiki bar and outdoor kitchen may be the perfect addition that makes this home truly their own. There is no limit to the ways you can make a custom home truly YOURS. Make a wish list of the ways you would like to infuse parts of your family into your home, and a good custom home builder – like Highlight Homes – will find ways to make them happen.

Atlanta-based Highlight Homes welcomes the opportunity to help you realize the custom home of your dreams. 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.

Make Self-Improvement the Foundation of Your Home Design

Highlight Homes September 19, 2018 Atlanta Custom Homes, Luxury Renovations

September marks Self-Improvement Month, but that doesn’t mean you only have one month to evolve into a better version of the person you are today. Instead, take the time remaining in this month to make a list of the areas of your life where you would like to improve and start taking those first all-important steps towards the new you. At Highlight Homes, we specialize in custom homes and luxury renovations that are designed around our clients’ personal tastes, interests, wants and needs. If self-improvement is a personal goal for you, here are a number of ways that you can build or renovate your home to fit that goal…

Work Towards Wellness

According to CooleFitness.com, 15% of Americans hold gym memberships – that’s about $2.6 billion spent on fitness at the gym each year! And let’s not forget the hassle of getting dressed for the gym, driving there, leaving your valuables in a locker, waiting for your favorite equipment, driving home and showering before the rest of your day can begin. For adults aged 18-64, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (i.e., brisk walking) OR an hour and 15 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity (i.e., jogging) every week and muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms). If you have a dedicated gym in your home – complete with inspiring views of the outdoors and energizing natural lights through a wall of windows, staying fit becomes a great deal easier… and more cost-effective! Highlight Homes can incorporate a fitness space into a renovation of your existing home (by reimagining an existing room, creating a room addition or finishing your basement) or can make it an important element of your custom home design.

Find Time for Me-Time

Ask any mother of small children and she’ll tell you, the bathroom is often her place of solitude… but it’s never guaranteed. Still, it’s important for each member of the household to have a space that is dedicated to their own “me-time.” For kids, that’s often their bedrooms, but for adults who share a bedroom – you may want to have another space that’s ALL (mostly) yours. If you have that, you’re more likely to FIND TIME for that all-important me-time. If you’re an avid reader, a library with French doors or even a book nook with cozy seating may be all you need. There’s also the possibility of including a man cave inside and a “she shed” outside for the privacy we all crave to help us clear our heads and improve our moods.

Spend More Time with Family

Parents who travel for visit may crave more time with their family. The creation of spaces intended for family gatherings are essential to inspiring that together time that helps us stay connected. A home theater for the family who loves to watch movies together, a game room for board game buffs or an outdoor living space centered around a swimming pool and open-air kitchen for the family who loves the Great Outdoors are just a few ways you can go. The possibilities are truly endless and can be customized to fit your family’s collective interests.

Set Your Sights on Being the Host and Hostess with the Mostest

If it’s always been your dream to host dinner parties to die for or tailgate-themed gatherings for football season, your home design should reflect that fact. From an expansive island in the kitchen where you can set out the appetizers and a dining room where the real magic happens to a sprawling outdoor living space with bar, comfy seating, hearth and HUGE flat screen TV, if you hope to become a better host/hostess, there are any number of ways you can make your home work to your advantage. An open concept layout in the main living areas is a MUST so your home never feels cramped, even with 20 guests at any one gathering. For overnight guests, you want to make sure your guest rooms and guest bathrooms are luxurious and welcoming. Highlight Homes can help you have the home your friends, family, co-workers and neighbors would LOVE to visit – no matter the occasion!

Get in Touch with Nature

If you love the Great Outdoors and hope to work towards self-improvement through that passion, there are a number of ways that Highlight Homes can help you do just that. A sunroom or screened in porch can serve as an extension of your home, offering exquisite views even when the weather is anything but warm and sunny. Some imaginative landscape planning and a gardening shed are other wonderful ways to pursue your love of the outdoors. And – of course – dedicated outdoor living spaces are a must, whether dining al fresco, enjoying a cocktail under the stars or telling stories in the glow of your outdoor fire pit.

If you are seeking ways to pursue self-improvement through your home design, Highlight Homes would love to help you! To learn more about Highlight Homes and our process of building a custom home or pursuing a luxury renovation, please visit www.highlighthomesga.com. Once you’re ready to get started, contact us at 678-874-9234 or info@highlighthomesga.com.

Shedding Light on the Subject of Lighting

Highlight Homes February 22, 2018 Atlanta Custom Homes, Luxury Renovations

Since the dawn of man, lighting has been a necessity. Sure, the quest for fire may have largely been fueled by the need for warmth and a more civilized form of cuisine, but its capacity to shed some light on the night opened up new pathways to the future that early man couldn’t even imagine existed. While modern lighting continues to serve a mainly functional purpose, it’s entirely possible to make it the design focal point (or at the very least a design enhancement) in any room. Consider the chandelier – first introduced in the 14^th century, it stemmed from the French word “chandelle” which meant “candle holder.” While early designs were simple, it didn’t take long for them to become ornate fixtures meant to draw the eye. They were often costly and difficult to maintain (some designs had to be lowered to be cleaned and have each candle lit), meaning only the wealthy could afford to have them – thrusting them into the category of status symbol. Candles gave way to gas in the early 1800’s, followed by electricity into homes in the mid-to-late 1800’s. Then things really started to get interesting. Chandeliers became even more opulent, and a man named Louis Comfort Tiffany introduced his lead and stained glass “Tiffany Lamps” to the world – which would become a major part of the Art Nouveau movement.

“As a custom home builder, I find that lighting can make or break a room,” said Tony Pourhassan, Principal at Highlight Homes. “With industrial influences remaining strong in the design realm, I’m having a lot of fun finding truly unique lighting to incorporate throughout the home. From soft and romantic lighting in the master bath to bold and impressive lighting fixtures in the main living spaces like the kitchen to carriage house light influences on the exterior of the home. Lighting is one of those areas where form and function can unite for truly beautiful results.”

In addition to being beautiful additions to all of the rooms of your home, lighting can also serve an energy efficient function. That’s a major plus for the planet AND for your family when the electric bill shows up in the mailbox.

Whether building a custom home from the ground up or reimagining your existing home with a renovation, Highlight Homes welcomes the opportunity to work closely with you on everything from the fine details – such as the selection of lighting and all of the design elements that will make your home distinctive to your family, to the big pictures items like the home site and ideal floor plan to fit the way your family lives. To learn more about Atlanta-based Highlight Homes and take a tour of our galleries, please visit us online at www.highlighthomesga.com.

View Highlight Homes’ Lighting Gallery

Press Release: Highlight Homes Kicks off 2018 with Launch of New Commercial Construction Division

Highlight Homes January 19, 2018 highlight-homes-news

Georgia Home Builder and Luxury Renovation Company Has Been Newly Certified as a Commercial Builder

Atlanta, January 19, 2018 – With a solid history of land development, residential construction and luxury renovations under his work belt, one might believe that Highlight Homes’ founder, Tony Pourhassan, has plenty of projects to keep him busy. A visionary architect and master craftsman, Pourhassan doesn’t merely reserve his creativity to the design and construction of custom homes and whole home renovations throughout Metro Atlanta. He also endeavors to drive his business in exciting new directions. Having survived the housing crash of 2008 that forced many builders across the nation to shutter their doors, Highlight Homes adapted by adding a renovation division in 2009 and a custom construction division in 2014. In 2018, Pourhassan evolves Highlight Homes further by launching a commercial construction division within his Atlanta-based company.

“It just makes sense to grow Highlight Homes in this direction,” said Pourhassan. “As a custom home builder and master renovator, I have the honor of working with many clients who either own their own companies or are on the leadership team of a local corporation. When residential projects come to a close and my clients are clearly pleased with the results, I have often received requests to expand into the commercial realm. I have had the honor of working on a number of commercial projects to date, including a veterinary office, an innovatively combined coffee house and dog wash, and more. As a small business owner, I welcome the opportunity to work with other small business owners to realize their vision of a corporate office, restaurant or retail location. After all, a commercial space should be just as warm and welcoming as a luxury home, while inspiring the people who work there to be creative, innovative and industrious.”

In November 2017, Highlight Homes was certified to design and construct commercial structures of up to five stories. With the debut of his new commercial construction division, Pourhassan and his team plan to place a larger focus on the development of commercial properties throughout 2018.

Some of the commercial structures for which Highlight Homes is certified as a design-build firm include:

Churches
Educational Facilities
Healthcare Facilities
Shopping Centers
Retail Spaces
Restaurants
Office Buildings
Apartments
Senior Living Facilities
Warehouses
Manufacturing Facilities
And More!

To learn more about Highlight Homes, prospective residential and commercial clients, as well as real estate professionals are invited to visit www.highlighthomesga.com.

About Highlight Homes: Highlight Homes, LLC was established in 2005 by builder, developer and architect, Anthony F. Pourhassan. The Atlanta-based company is founded on the core belief in the significance of what they are creating, firmly based in their lasting dedication to the clients they serve, and continually growing as word spreads of their unswerving commitment to quality. Each Highlight Home contractor is fully licensed, registered and insured, and is well prepared to tackle projects of varying size and scope – from a luxury custom estate in one of Atlanta’s trendiest neighborhoods to a cozy, bungalow-inspired home in the sprawling suburbs.

Highlight Homes keeps a steady pace with other leaders in its field through continued education and certification, as well as through affiliations with top-notch professional organizations such as the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association, Certified Professional Home Builders of Georgia, National Kitchen & Bath Association, and National Association of the Remodeling Industry. Highlight Homes is proud to be a Better Business Bureau accredited business, as well as a certified Earth Craft House Builder, Energy Star Partner, and LEED Certified Home Builder. In response to a growing need in Atlanta, Highlight Homes launched its renovation division in 2009, custom construction division in 2014 and commercial division in 2018.

Building Beautiful Backdrops for a Bounty of Backyard Barbecues

Highlight Homes May 19, 2017 Luxury Renovations

The 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.
Hiring 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!

Highlight Homes