THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 20, 1996 TAG: 9610180059
SECTION: HOME PAGE: G1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARCIA MANGUM, HOME & GARDEN EDITOR
LENGTH: 138 lines
TWO THINGS DISTINGUISH the 15th annual Homearama show, which ends today: variety in interior designs and an emphasis on outdoor living, resulting from the location on a lake in Virginia Beach's South Shore Estates.
The latter trend is obvious: numerous porches, patios, decks, docks, pools and spas designed to utilize the lakefront location. This is also reflected in the architecture, which plays up the waterfront with large windows, doors and living spaces on the backs of the houses.
Less obvious but equally gratifying are the different interior designs and floor plans reflected in the 10 houses built for the show.
The St. Augustine, critics' choice for best house in show, clearly displays an orientation toward the water, an open floor plan and creative, trend-setting interior design from its four TVs in the family room to its tile alligator in the children's bathroom.
This year's show, produced by the Tidewater Builders Association, has a ``something for everyone'' feel it. While most exterior architecture still is described as ``transitional,'' the interiors range from traditional to contemporary. And more homes have specialized features or are geared to a certain type of living, such as the Silver Belle, built by The Ashcroft Co. using environmentally friendly building and design techniques, and the Universal Living Home, built by Barrier Free Remodeling & Custom Homes to suit aging or disabled homeowners.
Nearly every house won an award, either from a group of industry experts - the ``critics'' - or from a panel of readers of The Virginian-Pilot.
The readers' top award-winners were the traditional-styled Silver Belle, built by Cindy Ray, and The Yorktown, a transitional two-story built by L.R. Hill Custom Builders. Critics went for more innovative designs and decor, such as the St. Augustine, by Rick Payne of Beach Structures, and the Lynnhaven Mall House, by J.F. Schoch Building.
A few houses, such as the multilevel, somewhat contemporary Hakuna Matata, by Area Builders Inc., captured the interest of both groups. Neither group gave it top-place awards, but the house's nooks and crannies, angles and alcoves garnered numerous second- and third-place awards.
Its sunken, octagonal family room with tiered ceiling, gas fireplace, built-in entertainment unit and panoramic view of the lake invites guests to sink into the comfy sofas and stay awhile.
Similarly, lookers lingered and commented throughout the St. Augustine. Payne said he chose the open, flowing design to create a view of the water from as many rooms as possible.
The master bedroom, breakfast nook and great room open onto the deck, designed by Decked Out Builders to have a cascading effect down to the water where a hot tub sits, Payne noted.
Because the outdoor and indoor areas flow together, Payne worked to integrate the two, such as using tiles on the deck bar area to tie in with the mosaic tiles on tabletops.
He said he was fortunate to have his interior designer working with him from Day One; of course, it helps that his decorator is also his mother, Sugar Hare. And she was assisted by his fiancee, Pat Burns.
``People noticed the sense of balance in the design of the house and the interior,'' Payne said. ``It's not just the house, the decorating, the deck, or the landscaping; everybody worked together.''
He said it's easy to create a flashy house where people remark on particular elements, but it's harder to create a unified whole that people would want to live in.
``That's what my mother brought to the house - a sense of balance,'' Payne said. ``Everybody who came to the house said this is a house you could live in, just come in, sit down, fix dinner and move right on in.''
Payne and his mother also wanted to give people more than they'd find in an ordinary model home. ``We gave people some unique spots throughout the house,'' he said. ``They'd never seen clear glass pantry doors or four TVs in a room.''
Why three smaller TVs and one large-screen set into the family room wall, framing the fireplace? Payne said they all have wireless headsets and were put in to allow parents and their children to sit in the room together and watch different shows. But, more significantly, he said, it's a glimpse at the future, when more and more homes will have multiple screens, some for TV, some for computers.
The mother-son team recognized that this isn't Colonial Virginia anymore. ``People move here from all over the country,'' Payne said. Hare, who lives in Los Angeles, has traveled extensively and draws her ideas from diverse sources.
Indeed, the St. Augustine is more fun-loving California than formal Colonial. Hare shipped some favorite items from California and chose eclectic furnishings from about 20 Hampton Roads shops.
She insisted everything be real, from the basil in the kitchen to the paintings on the wall. No fake fruit. No fake flowers. Even much of the furniture is hand-crafted or custom-made.
Some other notable features in the house are:
The tiled master bathroom has more of a European look and incorporates a spa table, an exercise machine and a TV on a stool. ``You could use the bathroom for more than taking a shower and brushing your teeth,'' Payne said.
Transom windows take advantage of the light and water view.
A private balcony opens off of the room over the garage, which was set up as an office.
The kitchen features sleek, light-colored maple cabinets, set off by black counter tops and black appliances. The terra-cotta tiled floor reflects the trend toward large, earthen-colored tiles seen in many of this year's show homes.
Art tiles are used throughout, including raised frog tiles on the floor in the master bath and dining room and mixed-color accent tiles in the guest bath.
Although the house has a certain New-Age, baby-boomer appeal, Payne says it is designed to be flexible. Its somewhat open floor plan has separate areas for various lifestyles, and its single-story floor plan makes it suitable for retirees.
A resurgence of one-story floor plans is evident at this year's Homearama, but these bear little resemblance to the ranchers of yesteryear. The architectural angles are more interesting, the interiors more varied.
The Lynnhaven Mall House, another one-story that scored high with the critics, has a Florida contemporary exterior that opens into a grand foyer and hall of granite and marble, with tray ceilings and columns, recalling an Italian palazzo. Its semi-enclosed patio, which won a second-place award, echoes the Mediterranean look, with arches, columns and slate tiles.
Extensive built-in shelving, much of it near ceiling level, offers eye-catching display.
Its master bath, where one visitor remarked, ``You could have a party in your bathroom,'' reflects another trend at this year's show: The big bath is alive and well. A new twist this year is that the master closet often adjoins the master bath and sometimes you have to pass through one to get to the other. That, like some other attempts in the show, doesn't work for everyone, but, still it's interesting to see the varied floor plans.
Menden Hall, the first concrete house built for Homearama, garnered critics' awards for creativity, as well as patio and landscaping.
Its painted foyer floor gives immediate appeal. And its master bedroom, living room, dining room and family room open onto the slate-look patio that leads down to the water's edge, a call to enjoy the good life.
Or at least to look and dream. MEMO: Homearama '96 is open for the last time from noon to 6 p.m. today.
Admission is $7 for adults; free for children 12 and younger. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
GARY C. KNAPP
The family room of the St. Augustine offers a broad view of the lake
or a look at four TV sets, each with its own wireless headset.
Photo
GARY C. KNAPP
Big bathrooms, such as in the St. Augustine, remain popular. by CNB