|
|
|
 |
|
| |
|
|
|
Lake Home: Easy living ... on a difficult lot
By Brooke Weihe
Have you heard this comment before -- "We've looked at all the plan books, but just can't find what we're
looking for?"
It's a comment echoed across the country by frustrated property owners filled with visions of their dream home,
but lacking a cohesive design.
 Brian and Anne Taylor
faced a somewhat different dilemma, but still one familiar to Lake Norman-area home and land owners. Two years
after purchasing their Davidson property, the Taylors were still looking at plan books, but not because they didn't
like what they saw.
"We actually found some plans that we liked, but when we looked at our sloping lot, building them there would
be impossible," said Anne.
The couple found one plan they liked so much that they actually traveled to Savannah to see the house, only to
realize that given their property setbacks and restrictions, it simply would not fit.
Undeterred by their predicament, the Taylors sought the advice of their builder, Artisan Custom Homes, who recommended
that the couple meet with local residential designer Jennifer B. Pippin.
"After working with her on several new custom home designs, including my own home, I knew that if anyone could
pull together the Taylors' ideas into a plan that worked, it would be Jennifer," recalled Brad Remmey, one
of the partners at Artisan.
During their first meeting, Pippin carefully reviewed the Davidson property and assessed the limitations presented
by the property slope, all the while noting their vision for the home.
"I was quite impressed by the way she listened and took note of everything we were saying," said Brian.
"It was as if she wanted the house to be as great as we did."
The Taylors hired her to design their new home, and shortly after were presented with preliminary design sketches
encompassing their design objectives and working with the property limitations.
"She hit the nail on the head," Brian marveled. "From the very first designs that we received, it
was obvious that her perception of what we wanted in the home was right on. Even better was the fact that she could
pull all of those elements into a design that worked on our property - something that we never could have achieved
from a plan book."
"I remember during our meetings with her, that we doubted we could actually have everything we wanted,"
says Anne. "Several of our requests were preceded by comments like, 'There's probably no way to do this, but...'.
However, time after time, she made it work within our space and budget restrictions."
By working together with both Artisan and Pippin, Anne and Brian saw the added benefits of creating a cohesive
design and build team from the beginning of their endeavor.
"I appreciated that they communicated on our design even as it was still taking shape," Anne explained.
"Having never built a custom home before, we were obviously a little unsure about the process and how everything
would work, but having our builder and designer working so closely together from the beginning reassured us that
the finished home would reflect the look and feel that we were working so hard to create in the plans."
Reflecting on the inspiration for their plans, Pippin remembers that one of the unique elements in the design was
a special request to mimic portions of Anne's childhood home.
"While the Taylors had some ideas from other homes they had seen, they really liked certain aspects of Anne's
parents' home and wanted to incorporate those into the design," said Pippin. "Blending the tried-and-true
aspects of a previous home with new ideas and styles makes for a very unique yet livable design."
After several meetings and some fine-tuning of Pippin's preliminary ideas, the Taylors were ready to present the
final construction drawings to their builder. Because of the company's reputation for quality craftsmanship and
attention to detail, both the Taylors and Pippin felt confident that Artisan Custom Homes was just the one to bring
the design to life.
"With some intensive site preparation ahead of us, it was crucial that the plans outline the structural details
that would make the plan work on this difficult lot," explained Jay Johnstone of Artisan Custom Homes. "By
combining Pippin's highly detailed plans with our interior designer's services, the Taylors were able to play an
active role in the entire creation process of their home.
Now that they have enjoyed their home for nearly a year, the Taylor family has come to appreciate the beauty, comfort
and functionality of their custom design.
"Not only does the home reflect the look we wanted, but it's also very livable," said Anne. To achieve
that end, details like custom built-ins in the great room and a functional office niche off the kitchen area were
included in the house.
"I love that we use all of the home everyday. There is no wasted space," agreed Brian. "I guess
you could say that is the real benefit of creating a custom home with a team like Pippin and Artisan. Our home
fits our family like a kid glove."
For more information on Pippin Home Designs Inc., call (704) 895-0000 or visit www.pippinhomedesigns.com. Additional information on Artisan Custom homes can be obtained online
at www.artisancustomhomes.com, or
by calling (704) 987-9369.
Jessica Lopez contributed to this article. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
