Every year I take home great ideas from other builders and designers on the latest trends in their community.  Southern Living does a great job of communicating with their readers as to what home owners want and need in their homes.  They also explain how they came about the layout and design of the upcoming idea houses.  I can’t wait to share this new information with my customers.  Whether I am building a new home or redesigning an existing one, I can always be sure that I know what over 50 million woman are looking for in a home thanks to Southern Living.  This conference as always has given me so many new ideas and I look forward to learning more throughout the weekend.

Recently, she became a LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP) by the U.S. Green Building Council. According to www.usgbc.org, LEED is an “internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO₂ emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.” LEED certification applies to both commercial and residential building types and there are currently only 2,900 people in the nation who are accredited in commercial construction and approximately 2,300 accredited in residential construction. Meredith is accredited for new construction, which encompasses both commercial and residential. Now your home/office can be both beautiful and eco-friendly! 

We are excited to have Meredith as part of the team and look forward to the experience and ideas she will bring to the table.

One trend we’ve seen in outdoor living is the addition of an outdoor kitchen. Outdoor kitchens come in various shapes, sizes and price points—you can get a small, affordably priced kitchen with a grill, counter and patio or go all out with a kitchen that’s fully loaded with appliances and other accessories.  Homeowners love outdoor kitchens because they are great entertaining spaces and can be enjoyed all year round. 

If you are interested in building an outdoor kitchen, some factors to consider are as follows:

• Your budget limit.
• The type of cooking you will do and how often.
• Whether you will you eat the food outside or bring it inside the house. 
• Whether you are designing the outdoor kitchen for a small family or are planning to use it as a place to host party gatherings .
• The furniture that needs to be used with the design .
• The time of the year you will be using the outdoor kitchen . 
• Whether you want the outdoor kitchen to be a flexible , movable arrangement or do you want it permanently installed 

*source: www.outdoor-kitchens.org

Visit our NEW Outdoor Living section to view photos of our outdoor living projects. Outdoor kitchen photos are coming soon and new photos will be added regularly, so keep checking back!

If you have an idea for a space, call us for a consultation!

As each phase of construction is completed, we’ll post photos and descriptions so you can experience exactly what’s happening–from beginning to end. After the home is built, a new feature construction will be posted in its place.

Currently, we are constructing a 2002 Southern Living Idea home (Walker’s Bluff). Click here to view.

Check back soon to view photos from the shoot in the Outdoor Living section and Portfolio. Also, be on the look out for the addition of our video. They may spur some ideas if you are looking to build a new home or remodel your existing home!

But what exactly does that mean to those looking to build? It means that Structures has the available tools to create a custom designed home for you. We have exclusive rights to a special portfolio of Southern Living House plans. Builders also have access to the entire Southern Living House Plans Service collection, which includes more than 800 plans created by respected architects and designers throughout the nation.

We also have the opportunity to attend Southern Living Custom Builder conferences to learn about the latest design trends and products that differentiate custom builders from the rest. 

We attended a Southern Living Builder Conference this past February and were able to network and share ideas with other custom builders as well as see the newest building materials from Delta Faucet Company, James Hardie Siding Products, Lenox Heating & Air, Pella Windows & Doors, Schlage Hardware, Sears Commercial, Sherwin-Williams, Eldorado Stone and Rinnai Tankless Water Heaters. 

At Structures, we feel the Southern Living Custom Builder Program gives us a huge advantage over the competition and valuable knowledge that can benefit our clients during a time when it matters more than ever. 

Lake Blackshear home recently featured on the Southern Living Custom Builder Web site. View our portfolio section for more photos of this home.