THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, October 7, 1995 TAG: 9510050314
SECTION: REAL ESTATE WEEKLY PAGE: 3 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY JEANNE MOONEY, SPECIAL TO REAL ESTATE WEEKLY
LENGTH: Long : 271 lines
If the builders at Homearama '95 ever need a slogan to help promote their show, they might borrow one from the folks who make a bath soap.
You know, the jingle about escaping life's hassles in a tub full of bubbles.
Homearama '95, take me away.
Unless you have a towering front entrance, a family room as big as a basketball court and bathrooms with a whirlpool and shower roomy enough for six, this show of upscale homes likely will leave you wishing for new digs.
But that's the whole point. These custom builders are targeting second- and third-time home buyers, the so-called move-up market, not the bargain hunters.
And they're wooing them with a Jacuzzi in every master bath, lofts and balconies galore and open floor plans that feature two-story rooms bathed in light from an array of special-shaped windows.
Charlie Anderson, a Chesapeake-based builder and chairman of Homearama '95, put it this way: You wouldn't go to a car show of Pintos and Chevettes, would you?
``People wouldn't come,'' Anderson says of a show of $150,000 homes.
The 14 homes on display at Homearama '95 sell for $325,000 and up. They were built on lots ranging in size from 1,500 to 2,500 square feet. The lots fetch $115,000 if they back up on a canal and $89,000 if they don't, Anderson says.
In that price range, home buyers expect certain amenities. And the builders don't disappoint.
Here's a look what's trendy:
Transitional styles: Call it the fewer-walls-are-better design. Cliff Bernard, builder of The Eagle Watch, describes homes of this style as ``contempolonians'' because they borrow from contemporary and colonial designs.
Transitional designs have been popular because they lend a big-sky feel to a home.
``People like the feeling of spaciousness,'' says Frank Trygar of The Prudential Decker Realty. Add plenty of big, custom windows, and you've achieved what Realtors and builders practically die for: the open, airy look.
``It makes people feel better,'' Trygar says. Open and airy sells, too.
Two-story foyers: Most of the Homearama '95 builders invested in a two-story foyer, complete with a chandelier and lots of windows. Many of these foyers unfold to a rich-looking staircase railed with wood or wrought iron.
``The foyer is one of the most important rooms in your house,'' says Larry Hill, builder of The Elizabeth. Here, potential home buyers get their first impression.
``I think a two-story foyer is a must,'' says Clay Phillips, builder of The Princess Anne.
Lofts, catwalks, overlooks: Well, if you have that open, airy look with two-story high ceilings, you don't want to simply look up at it. You want to look down at it from on high. Enter the lofts and overlooks.
Ray Old Jr., builder of the The Magnolia, put a lofted computer work area over the family room. ``You can see what's going on with the rest of the family, but you're separate from it,'' he says.
First-floor master suites: This design works for couples who want to put a little distance and privacy between their bedrooms and their children's. It also is convenient for couples who, as they grow older, limit their stair climbing.
``I think there's a big demand for a master bedroom downstairs,'' Hill says.
Trim and detail work: Homearama '95 homes are flush with intricate brick work that outlines windows and adds flourish to the corners, roof lines and entries. The details enhance what builders call ``curb appeal.''
Inside, builders use lots of wide moldings to give a richer, more elegant feel.
Roof lines: ``The standard box-style is not really a hot item now,'' says Hill. Indeed. Homearama '95 homes abound with irregular roof lines, gables, dormers and cornice returns.
``The outside of the house has to have some excitement,'' Hill says.
Windows: Would you believe you can have your privacy with the flip of a switch? It's true. Old, the Magnolia's builder, uses so-called switchable windows in its master bath. The windows change from cloudy to clear when the switch is flipped on.
``The windows are a little bit expensive,'' Old says. Three windows cost $2,300.
Bathrooms: Oh, the pamperings we allow ourselves.
Anderson says he hardly ever builds a home now without a whirlpool tub in the master bath. ``It's strange, too,'' he says. ``They want them, but they don't ever use them.''
Anderson built an 8-foot-wide shower in Monet's ``Le Chemin.'' Is that big? Let's put it this way, the homebuyer asked Anderson to put a spigot in the bathroom so he can attach a hose and powerwash the shower stall.
In the master bath at Unique Elegance, the home Jack Schoch built, as many as 10 jets and a waterfall can douse you in a body spa.
And in the master bath at The Hemingway, the home Joe Robinson built, the Jacuzzi has a mini-waterfall. There's also a little nook for a television set.
Ceilings: Who says ceilings are boring? Vaulted, tray, barrelled, cathedral and pan styles, to name a few, are showcased at Homearama '95.
Insulation: Old uses an environmentally friendly cotton insulation that won't irritate the skin, but is as good an insulator as Fiberglas. However, it costs more than Fiberglas, he says.
Many other builders are using an exterior insulated finish that is akin to layering foam boards and stucco on the outside of the home.
Home buyers like the look, Anderson says. They'll like what it does, too. The finish, perhaps recognized most readily in the brand name Dryvit, ``will definitely give you lower heating bills,'' he says. MEMO: INSIDE HOMEARAMA
For a look at what's hot in decor and design at Homearama '95, see
Sunday's Home & Garden section.
This year's featured homes
Here are the 14 homes featured at Homearama '95:
The Morgan Anne (The Charity House), Stafford & Son Builders: This
transitional-style white-stucco home features a two-story foyer and
great room, and a balcony overlooking both. The master bedroom and bath
are on the first floor. Step outside the master suite and you're on a
deck that overlooks a pool and canal. The nine-room, 4,100-square-foot
home sold for $360,000. All proceeds are to be donated to the Boys and
Girls Clubs of South Hampton Roads.
Unique Elegance, J.F. Schoch Building Corp.: Is it a big home or a
small mansion? It has six bedrooms, a pool-table room with a full bar,
an exercise room, a mirrored kitchen with a wine chiller, and a
two-story living room/dining room with Palladian-style windows and
French doors. The front entry and back covered porch have concrete
railings and two-story arched columns. No ceilings are boring. Did we
mention the three Jacuzzis and 10-jet body spa? ``We should have called
it The Entertainer,'' builder Jack Schoch says. He and his wife will
live in the 5,800-square-foot home that he estimates would otherwise
list for about $600,000.
Villa Diana, George S. Cooper Inc.: This home makes bold use of
color as it tries to create a feel of the southern Greek islands. But
notice more than the faux finishes, the peacock blue and the creamy
yellow hues. There is a 21-foot-high marbled gallery and a raised dining
room off the foyer; a portico off the recreation room; and a sitting
area in the master bedroom that overlooks the pool and a waterfall. The
4,000-square-foot home sold for $360,000.
Glen Jean (The Christmas House), J.F. Jackson III General Contractor:
A visitor to this red brick transitional home might find himself looking
up a lot. There is a two-story covered porch, a two-story foyer and a
two-story great room. The decor offers a mix of rich jewel-tone colors
and furniture bought at a discount store. A woman in a beaded gown will
greet you when you enter this holiday-decorated home, the interior
designer says. With 4,000 square feet of space, it is selling for
$350,000.
Monet's ``Le Chemin,'' Charlie Anderson General Contractor, Builder,
Inc.: This custom-built home features a mother-in-law suite that is
roomy and private. The suite has a fully equipped kitchen, a living
area, a bedroom, a full bath, and two entrances, one of which is
private. The master bedroom features a quadruple tray ceiling. The
master bath has a whirlpool tub under a picture window and an
eight-foot-wide shower equipped with two sets of faucets and shower
heads. The 3,745-square-foot home sold for $350,000.
The Princess Anne, C.H. Phillips Construction Co., Virginia Beach:
Step inside this gray brick home and you will quickly notice its
neoclassical and transitional styles. At your feet is a cherry wood urn
and laurel crest laid in oak. Above are two arched entries accented with
wrought-iron railing and laurel wreaths. And to the right is a faux
painting of Greek ruins. The family room features floor-to-ceiling
windows and the breakfast nook has a conical octagonal ceiling. The
3,850-square-foot home sells for $349,900.
Diamond Jack, J.F. Schoch Building Corp.: This is the other house
that Jack (Schoch) built at Homearama '95. It's not quite the size of
Unique Elegance, but it's not small, either. Perhaps most memorable are
the rounded walls and stairway, the towering front and back porches
framed with arched columns and a second-floor covered balcony that
connects the master suite to an overlook of the family room. The
two-story family room, by the way, seems big enough to hold the White
House Christmas tree. The 4,350-square-foot home sold for $343,000.
The Eagle Watch, Bernard Builders Ltd.: How many homes have a third
floor that you know of? Here's one. This brick transitional-style home
has a lofted study that could also serve as a bedroom or office. ``It
gives you a great bird's-eye view of the subdivision,'' builder Cliff
Bernard says. The house is replete with details such as continuous rails
on the stairways, transoms, and wide trim inside and gables, copper
cornice returns and extensive brick work outside. The 3,600-square-foot
home is listed for $325,000.
The Water-Wise Garden Home, Viola Building Corp./A.E. Viola, Custom
Builder: This brick home features water-saving fixtures and landscaping
and an open style called Prairie that invokes designs of architect
Frank Lloyd Wright in the windows. The floors are an Indian stone banded
by maple. The kitchen cabinets are maple, too. The home skips the living
room and instead offers a study, family room with fireplace and dining
room. Note the centuries-old table in the dining room. With 3,400 square
feet, the home is selling for $325,000.
North Highlands Home, C.A.B. Builders Inc. and Advanced Builders
Inc.: Designed by architect Stephen S. Fuller, whose work has appeared
in Southern Living magazine, this home offers a twist on the breakfast
nook reminiscent of our pioneer days. It's called a keeping room and it
features a gas fireplace, lots of windows and plenty of room for the
family to gather within reach of the kitchen. The master suite has a
see-through fireplace and the teenager's bedroom has an anteroom with
unique beach-scene murals. The 3,600-square-foot home lists for
$325,000.
The Magnolia, G. Ray Old Jr. Inc.: Enter this brick home and you'll
probably notice first that it is rich with wood. Ahead is an oak
staircase and to the sides are oak dining room and living room floors
with a cherry wood inlay. Daylight fills the back of the home, which
features a two-story family room, a Florida room and breakfast nook. The
second-floor master suite has a deck. The 4,058-square-foot home sold
for $335,000.
The Samuel Clemens, The Ashcroft Company: Built for homeowners with
children and grandparents living with them, this home offers plenty of
space and privacy for all. The in-law suite is off the kitchen and has
its own entrance, bedroom, bath and sitting area. The master suite is on
the opposite side of the house. Both access a deck and covered terrace.
And the children's rooms are upstairs, yet within earshot. The home also
features a media room and a huge living room with a vaulted ceiling and
an array of custom windows. The 3,700-square-foot home sells for
$325,000.
The Hemingway, Joe Robinson Custom Construction Co.: Look for a few
posters, prints and a pen-an-ink drawing in this home that pay tribute
to Ernest Hemingway. Builder Joe Robinson tries to create the relaxed
feel of Hemingway's Key West home with an open floor plan, skylights,
and decks off the loft, family room and first-floor master suite. The
home has a gourmet kitchen with a fireplace and top-of-the-line
appliances. It also has a media room. The home is host to this year's
Ultimate Backyard. With 3,975 square feet, it sells for $335,000.
The Elizabeth, L.R. Hill Custom Builders Inc.: This brick
transitional home has a lofted study and an overlook of the two-story
foyer and family room. A bank of French doors and picture windows opens
one wall of the family room to the light. Leaded-glass doors and a
full-radius window distinguish the entry. The living-room ceiling is
vaulted and the master suite is on the first floor. The kitchen is
spacious, but appliances are within easy reach. The 4,250-square-foot
home sells for $325,000.
ILLUSTRATION: [Cover]
[Color Photo]
D. KEVIN ELLIOTT/Staff
HOMEARAMA '95
D. KEVIN ELLIOTT
The wide expanse around the dining room in The Heminway typifies
construction trends in today's housing.
The Morgan Anne, by Stafford & Sons Builders, has 4,100 square feet.
A Florida transitional, the home features a 2-story foyer and living
room.
Staff photos by D. KEVIN ELLIOTT
The two-story foyer in The Morgan Anne, winner of the Gold as the
most creative home.
A glimpse of the balcony, one flight up from the family room in The
Elizabeth, runner-up in the Best in Show category.
Map
Staff
IF YOU'RE GOING
What: Homearama '95, a showcase of 14 new homes sponsored by the
Tidewater Builders Association.
Where: Lago Mar section of Virginia Beach.
When: Today through Oct. 22. It's open Monday through Friday, noon
to 10 p.m.; Saturdays 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sundays noon to 10 p.m.;
and until 6 p.m. on the final day.
Admission: $6 Monday through Friday; $7 on weekends; children 12 and
younger are free; senior citizens and active duty military get a $1
discount Monday through Thursday.
Parking: It's free and located at Sandbridge Road and Las Brisas
Drive. Shuttles will carry you to the Homearama '95 site.
Directions: Take Route 44 east to the Lynnhaven Parkway south exit;
follow the parkway to International Parkway and turn left; at London
Bridge Road go right; at General Booth Boulevard go right; follow
the boulevard to Princess Anne Road and turn left; follow Princess
Anne Road to Sandbridge Road and turn left. Signs will direct you to
the free parking.
Also: Concessions, cooking demonstrations and exhibits for home
buyers and shoppers will be available.
by CNB