Tag: Living Spaces

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Living Spaces Real Estate

Design Mastermind

When Amelia Carkuff first moved back to Memphis in 1998, she wanted to work downtown. But her client base was initially out east, so instead, she would stroll the bluffs to take the city’s pulse.

“I used to walk downtown on Sundays and knew every available building,” says the 38-year-old owner of Carkuff Interior Design. “We’d import our coffee from the Starbucks at McLean and Union, because there was no place to get coffee downtown back then.”

Today, coffee shops abound, thanks to the robust condominium market that’s breathed new life into downtown. And Carkuff has been riding the wave of Memphis’ condo boom. If you’ve visited the models at the Goodwyn Building, Art House at Riverside Drive and West Georgia Street, or One Beale (at the building that once housed Joe’s Crab Shack), then you’ve seen some of Carkuff’s work. The spaces she designs are sleek, modern, and eye-catching. But the part of her job the public sees is often the culmination of a year-and-a-half’s worth of work. As an interior designer, Carkuff’s duties go far beyond selecting colors and buying furniture. She works closely with architects and developers to give shape to the entire design process.

“If I’m lucky, I get in before the [artist] renderings get done,” Carkuff says. “There’s nothing better than when the developer pulls a team together. At some point, we all have input on a job. If I’m fortunate, we’re all hired early and collectively reinforce each other’s decisions.”

Those decisions define the look of the building, the floor plans of the units, and the niche and price point the developer aims to fill. Carkuff’s expertise is understanding how to spend the least to get the most when completing an interior. She determines all indoor finishes — from the kitchen cabinets, lighting fixtures, and flooring to appliances, wall colors, even bathroom sinks and faucets.

“I know what the market is asking for,” she notes. “I understand the relationship between price per square foot and the level of finish in a building.” It’s that kind of knowledge that sets her apart from the pack, says longtime architect and consultant Tony Bologna.

“Amy doesn’t just deal with interiors,” says Bologna, who has partnered with Carkuff on a number of projects. “She sees the big picture, what we’re trying to accomplish and how we need to get there. She also understands space and unit plans and how people will live in them. I think some do it better than others, but Amy does it better than most.”

Carkuff enjoys the construction process and understanding what makes a building tick. She says she gained invaluable experience early in her career when, after graduating from Mississippi State University with a dual major in interior design and marketing, she moved to Charleston, South Carolina, and worked as a designer in the hospitality industry. Two hotel projects — the Old Citadel (Embassy Suites Historic District) and Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina — exposed her to the range of issues that arise whether completing a restoration or building from the ground up. That knowledge has served her well, particularly as Memphis developers have rethought old buildings.

Bologna cites the Glenmary at Evergreen as a good example of Carkuff’s ability to be a team player and see past what exists to the possibility of what could be. The lobby of the former apartment high-rise was dreary, says Bologna. “It was set in the 1970s and had [a box of] mailboxes right in the middle of the room. We had to bring the building up-to-date while working with the existing volume and space.”

The lobby’s transformation into a trendy, urban living room is enhanced with enlarged black-and-white photographs of Hollywood stars by local fashion photographer Jack Robinson. The finished look, with its smoky blue/gray palette and stylish furnishings, conveys a hip, contemporary feel.

Greg Akers

Amelia Carkuff-designed sales models at One Beale

When designing the sales office at One Beale, Carkuff sat down with developers and sales staff to discuss the ambience they wanted the room to project. “We knew we couldn’t show a unit,” says Carkuff, “but through the sales center, we wanted to cue into some of the amenities of the hotel and spa.” (In addition to being a condominium development, One Beale will house a Hyatt Regency hotel and Hyatt Pure spa.)

“We thought the way to approach buyers was to have a personal, handsome, understated space, like a fine, upscale jewelry store where you’re treated in a personal way,” says Terry Saunders, principal broker with Martin Group Realty.

Dominated by 9-foot windows and sweeping views of the Mississippi River, the space Carkuff created is elegant yet inviting (think North Beach Miami). Colors for the sofas and throws are derived from the surrounding landscape: cream, aquamarine, and teal with huge potted palms to balance the room and add interesting texture. “It’s classically modern without being too overstated for the space,” notes Karen Carlisle, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for One Beale developer Carlisle Corp.

Always in search of new ways to use materials, Carkuff routinely pages through ELLE Decor, Dwell, and Metropolis magazines for inspiration. Each issue is then catalogued for reference on future projects. She also keeps abreast of the best products through research. She recently completed a cost and quality analysis on high-end kitchen appliances by makers like Sub-Zero, Wolf, General Electric, and Viking. In addition to reading Consumer Reports, she spoke with distributors, sales reps, and installers to learn which line had the fewest problems. (She reports GE’s Monogram line came out on top.)

In her spare time, Carkuff plans to put some of her creativity to work on her own building. She bought a 16,000-square-foot warehouse on Virginia Street — a location she laughingly refers to as “the other side of the tracks” — where she resides and has an office. But she has big plans to create a few apartment units. “On every project, there are some wacky things you suggest that if they could only see inside your head, they would do it.” This time, she’ll make the call. ■

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Living Spaces Real Estate

From the Ground Up

One Beale is on the board. In its first week of condominium sales, the $175 million development has netted almost $17 million in unit reservations. Of the 68 “Phase 1” units released for sale by developers Carlisle Corp., 16 have now been spoken for. These units are in the North Tower of One Beale.

Five of the 16 units are penthouses, including all of the three-bedroom penthouses, which range in price from $1,730,000 to $1,840,000. Seven penthouses remain in the North Tower.

Of the units available currently for sale, sizes range from 1,300 to 4,380 square feet, with price tags from $554,000 to $1,840,000. A second phase of condominiums looks to be launched in the next few weeks.

“The success of our initial sales effort reflects the strong interest this project has garnered since it was first announced,” project manager Chance Carlisle said in a statement released by Carlisle Corp. “Residents of One Beale will enjoy an elegant and metropolitan lifestyle with the services of a four-star Hyatt Regency and Spa at their fingertips and a quick walk from all that downtown Memphis has to offer.”

The One Beale sales center, at 263 Wagner Place, right next to the site of the development, gives prospective buyers an idea of the level of comfort and glitz once the building opens its doors, projected for 2010. The sales center features fully designed, gawkable model rooms (see Feature Story, page 26) and an interactive tour. You can also get an idea of the view of the Mississippi River One Beale promises future residents — although the vantage is decidedly earthbound at present.

For more information on One Beale condo sales, call 271-2325 or go to www.onebeale.com.

On Friday, August 3rd, Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division will host the 2007 Neighborhood Leaders Conference at the MLGW Training and Development Facilities at 4949 Raleigh-LaGrange. The conference, called “Protecting Yourself and Your Neighborhood,” will teach concerned citizens a number of strategies for improving their homes, their neighborhoods, and their communities. The opening, plenary session of the conference will examine ways to reclaim neglected and abandoned properties, particularly with the aid of the Memphis Police Department, the Attorney General’s Office, and the Environmental Court.

Workshops planned for the conference include how to start a neighborhood watch program, ways to avoid predatory lending, how neighborhoods can better work with realtors in marketing neighborhood homes, ways to avoid foreclosures in your neighborhood, technology and crime prevention, and tips for energy-saving improvements in the home. There will also be a lunchtime presentation on the new MLGW electronic bill.

The conference is open to the public; registration begins at 8:30 a.m., and sessions run until 3:30 p.m. Breakfast and lunch are provided. Call 528-4322 for reservations and more information. ■ — GA

LivingSpaces@memphisflyer.com

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Living Spaces Real Estate

In Focus

Q: What do people who live in high-rise
condos, townhouses, urban bungalows,
suburban homes, zero-lot-line neighborhoods or on 10-acre farms all have in common?

A: The guy next door.

No matter where you hang your hat, you’ve got to contend with neighbors, especially if you own your living space. Ownership means membership — in your community, in your neighborhood, on your street, in your building, or on your floor — and membership means responsibility: responsibility to hold the line on your neighborhood’s curb appeal and responsibility to make nicey-nice with the folks who live nearby. What that level of responsibility entails depends on you, but a lot of it depends on your neighbors.

How involved you are will go a long way in defining your standing in the neighborhood. Here’s a primer on one of the vital aspects of the exciting world of being alive: neighbors. (And let me take this moment to say how much I like my own neighbors — especially the ones who might be reading this — and to say I’m the luckiest guy in the world to have them in my life.)

The Arms Race

This option is only for those born to neighbor and who long to win at the endeavor. When Jimmy down the street gets the latest self-propelled lawnmower, you get a riding mower. When Pam brings fried chicken to the street potluck, you bring pheasant.

PRO: No one will ever badmouth the appearance of your property. CONS: It’s hard to make friends, and, with escalation, there’ll undoubtedly be some casualties along the way.

The Importance of Being Earnest

No other single factor is as necessary in keeping your neighbors happy as giving the appearance that you care — that you care about your yard and exterior spaces and improvements inside and that you’re invested in the upkeep of your place. And, just as importantly, that you care what your neighbors think. Of course, it helps if you really do care. But it’s not enough alone. You’ve got to wave your flag and remind everybody, lest they forget, that you’re just as committed as they.

PROS: Keeps everybody on an even keel, and it’s easier to get to actually know people rather than just the value of their belongings. CON: You’re following the crowd rather than leading the charge.

Safety in Numbers

Short of equaling your neighbors’ zeal, you must at least not be the weakest link in your neighborhood. Treat it as a law of the jungle: You don’t have to be the fastest gazelle; you just can’t be the slowest. It’s action with due diligence rather than with all diligence. It’s procrastinating bringing your trashcan in but not being the last yahoo on the street with it still on the curb.

PRO: Frees you up for couch time in front of the tube or goofing off online. CON: It hits you in the bottom line: your own property value.

Your guiding principle in dealing with neighbors should be the Golden Rule: Do unto others’ property values and opinions as you would have them do unto yours. Ask yourself, What Would My Neighbor Do — WWMND? Take a long view at being neighborly, doing what’s going to serve you best and make you happiest over the course of a 15-year or 30-year mortgage. And if you ever live near me, remember: I love homemade ice cream and am not above being bribed. ■

greg@memphisflyer.com

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Living Spaces Real Estate

Sony 40-inch LCD Digital Color TV and Vuepoint Wall Mount

I had no idea Stone Phillips had wrinkles. I thought he was ageless. But my uncle’s 62-inch, high-definition TV showed me how wrong I was. I looked at my uncle and said, “Wow, the man has aged.”

After recently visiting my uncle, and after watching his TV, I fell in love with high-definition. In comparison, my regular 35-inch back home looked blurry and hurt my eyes. I’ve had the TV for about three years, and it weighs a good 150 pounds. I decided I wanted that high-definition experience at home. It was my husband’s birthday, so I had a perfect excuse, too.

The first decision we had to make was between plasma and LCD. Plasma works really well if you have a dark room, with no glare at all. We have a lot of windows in our den, so we have glare everywhere. The LCD TV was the perfect fit.

We tried to buy a 46-inch, but my husband and the salesperson couldn’t get it in the car. We “settled” for the 40-inch, which we could only fit by taking it out of the box. The model we bought, the Sony KDL-40S2010 Bravia S-Series LCD Digital Color HDTV, is flat-screen and high-definition and retails for about $1,700. It’s also much lighter than my old TV.

I wanted to hang the Sony on a wall in the corner of the den. To do so, I had to get a full-range-motion wall mount. The Vuepoint mount itself cost $300.

Of course, my husband wanted to use a cheaper bracket, but I explained that we bought the five-year warranty for the TV for $150 and that the wrong mount would probably negate the warranty. There was a less expensive wall-mount model for $80, but it only held a TV up to 37 inches, and I didn’t want our investment to land on the floor.

Some assembly is required to hang your TV with the Vuepoint mount. I consider myself mechanically inclined and pretty good at reading instructions and putting things together. The men I know never read instructions. I told my husband, “This is going on the wall, and we spent a lot of money. I’m reading the instructions. Back off.”

This mount says it will fit any kind of TV, but it wasn’t perfectly adaptable to mine. The hard part was figuring out which screws I needed. The wall mount comes with a long plastic roll divided into 15 individual pouches, each full of screws, washers, and other hardware. I only used four of the pouches. The longest screw fit perfectly into three of the four pre-drilled holes in the back of my new TV, but one of the screws couldn’t go in all the way without hitting something. I didn’t want the screw to pop through the screen, so I had to measure it and cut it with my Dremel tool. After that, the mount attached to the TV fine.

Altogether, installation took about two hours. It went up on the wall without too much trouble — just the four holes in the wall that I needed to attach the mount. I leveled it, but we have a solid-wood wall, so we didn’t need to find a stud.

If you’re hanging your TV on the wall, you’ll have to have some shelving or table for your components. The plugs on the back of the TV are easy to get to, though — the wall mount doesn’t get in the way at all — and the TV comes with some great organizing straps for your cables.

Now my husband calls me every afternoon and tells me, “I love my TV.” And when I recently watched Grey’s Anatomy, I saw two zits on Ellen Pompeo’s face. I hope to see more zits in the future — and moles and wrinkles. The HDTV is even good for self-esteem. ■ — Amy Mathews

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Living Spaces Real Estate

Haute Life

The Big Muddy eases by a couple hundred yards away, and the streetcars rattle along a block over. A little farther away is the nexus of the hottest blues and coolest jazz in the area. A light breeze wafts with the aroma of some of the city’s finest Southern fare. You sit in a comfortable courtyard surrounded by brick and a fleur-de-lis-topped iron railing.

No, you’re not in New Orleans. You’re in that other Mississippi River city, the one atop the bluffs. You’re in downtown Memphis, right next to Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken, at RiverCrest condominiums on Front Street and East Pontotoc Avenue.

RiverCrest is the brainchild of Fred and Donna Dee Sliney and Don Morris of Horizon Construction. Donna Sliney of RE/MAX Elite pulls double duty, as she is also the real estate agent for the project. RiverCrest did not happen overnight, and as it has taken shape, the building has drawn a lot of attention from downtown residents, workers, visitors, and diners at Gus’s. The chicken shack, once standing lonely between a parking lot and a field, now has a big brother.

“We have been at this for over a year,” Donna Dee Sliney says. RiverCrest broke ground on May 30th, 2006. “We felt it would take one year to get the quality we wanted.”

The owners not only took their time on the project, they also limited the size of the development. “We wanted to keep it at three stories with the rooftop [terrace level], and we thought that we could get more quality by limiting the number of units to 11,” Sliney says.

The result is a building with units ranging in size from 1,860 to 2,700 square feet (and each style unit with multiple floor-plan options). With units having 10-foot ceilings, there’s plenty of room to breathe. All units are loaded with windows, and the model is as bright as the summer day outside. Flats and

townhouses on the second and third floors have private balconies. Top-floor units also boast private roof-garden terraces. Townhouses include 21-by-10-foot lofts.

The smallest units are still expansive. Each flat has two bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths. The master bath is almost sinful: a huge bath/shower combo. Bedrooms, which are carpeted, have two walk-in closets and a full bath each. The rest of the interior is either hardwood (the purchaser’s choice of one of five Bruce “Natural Reflections” hardwood floors) or ceramic tile.

Condos also offer a full laundry, kitchens with stainless-steel appliances, including double ovens, and TV and wireless Internet provided as part of homeowner-association membership. In addition to hardwood-floor choices, residents can pick from six styles of granite countertops for the bathrooms and kitchen, the ceramic tile, carpet,

cabinetry, interior wall colors, and an interior trim color throughout. An allowance is given to purchasers for interior fixtures.

Diane Gordon, principal designer of SEE the Difference Interiors, was selected to do the interior design for RiverCrest. “We were most impressed with Gordon, and we basically gave her free rein,” Sliney says. Gordon’s credentials are impeccable: In the Memphis Area Home Builders Association’s 2006 Vesta Home Show downtown, Gordon won four awards: Best Interior Design, Best of Show, Best Lifestyle Appeal, and Best Kitchen, all for her work on CityHouse.

“I was selected to be the interior designer for the project, from picking out the paint colors to the cabinets to the granite, making the units have consistency and flow, and setting up the model,” Gordon says. “Picking out colors is very important so there is consistency.” Designing RiverCrest’s

Donna Dee Sliney

model, Gordon went through the same process she does for all her clients. “I go to High Point, North Carolina, and I make my own selections and purchase everything directly from the manufacturers: rugs, furniture, accessories, lighting, wall décor, bedroom suites, dining room suites, and upholstery.

“RiverCrest has a New Orleans flair to it, and to be able to come in and do an updated home furnishing on it really fit the style of the complex,” she says. “I would probably call it a soft eclectic style. Everything in Memphis is 90 percent tradition, so when people come in, they’re like, Wow. Every time you go to home furnishing stores and models, you either get that total modern, contemporary look, which is what a lot of downtown is going to, or you get kind of an eclectic look, which is basically matching different pieces from different vendors instead of everything being from the same company that matches up perfectly.”

Gordon, a native Memphian in the interior-design business for about 12 years but who just opened her showroom in December in CityHouse, will be on hand to assist RiverCrest purchasers with the selection process.

One of the most coveted possessions downtown — covered, secured parking — is one of the amenities RiverCrest offers. Each unit comes with two secured, underground parking spots accessible from the entrance off Pontotoc. And there’s not just an elevator that can take you from the garage to all floors. It’s

Diane Gordon

furniture-friendly, ready for moving in. All entrances to the building, including the garage, are keypad secure. There are also individual, customized storage areas for residents.

A large courtyard graces the central/back portion of the building, evoking New Orleans in word and design. The landscaped area includes gas grills and picnic tables, perfect for escaping from it all — right in the middle of it all.

RiverCrest is the Slineys’ first foray into downtown Memphis development. “It’s been exciting,” Donna Sliney says. “Downtown is alive. We think downtown is just wonderful, and that’s why we chose to build RiverCrest here. We’re just real thrilled to be a part of downtown.

“RiverCrest is not the typical residential building. It’s for professionals and people who want to enjoy all the amenities of downtown,” she says. “The upside of living downtown, and especially at the Rivercrest, is that you can walk to the Orpheum, you can walk to Beale Street, you can go to FedExForum, and with all the new restaurants opening, the lifestyle is great. From the rooftop you can see the river, and the view of downtown is just incredible. But there’s dead silence in your unit.” According to Sliney, units are soundproofed to the extent that you can’t hear passing traffic on Front Street.

Units range from $389,000 to $559,000, and purchasers can be in their condo within 30 days, maximum. “They’re all sheetrocked and ready for purchasers to approve,” Sliney says. ■

For more information on RiverCrest, contact Donna Dee Sliney at 901-485-7970 or by e-mail: donnasliney@remax.net. Diane Gordon can be reached at 901-522-9696 or seedianegordon@aol.com.

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Living Spaces Real Estate

In Focus

There’s nothing less punk than painting the wood paneling in your home office an antique white called “Queen Anne’s Lace.” Not even if you’ve got a classic Wire album cranked while you do it. Thank goodness I was never that punk to begin with.

But such was the situation I was in a few weeks ago, trying to finish one of the last two rooms left to be updated in my new-to-me home. For about eight hours, I found myself in the eye of the painting storm, Wire’s 1978 punk/post-punk Chairs Missing in heavy rotation. Some thoughts on the experience, with my apologies to Wire for shuffling their track order:

“Practice Makes Perfect”: Practice makes perfect, I’ve done this before/ Never for money, always for love

Over the past nine months, my wife and I — and my parents — have spent countless hours painting the house’s interior. Nearly every room has gotten the brush treatment, save two: the master bathroom (an irony on the level of “jumbo shrimp” and “Central Intelligence Agency”) and the combo office/guest room — or the O/G, as I like to call it.

“Outdoor Miner”: A houseguest’s wish

The O/G got painting priority over the bathroom because, basically, we stopped paying bills because we couldn’t find them in the disorganization of our makeshift pre-office. It was either paint the O/G or move to a country without an extradition treaty with the U.S. Besides, with a summer slate of possible houseguests, we needed to have proper accommodations squared away. So we picked our colors (“Queen Anne’s Lace” and “Drawbridge”), bought our paint, and got slingin’.

“Used To”: It’s less complicated than it simply should be

It’s a phenomenon almost the exact opposite of “my eyes were bigger than my stomach.” I look at a room and think: This won’t be that hard to paint. I just have to paint the ceiling, four walls, and a little trim. What could be so hard about that?

“I Am the Fly”: To protect my chosen target

I have a love/hate relationship with the inventor of painter’s tape. On one hand, how brilliant that I don’t have to be cool hand Luke on surfaces near trim. On the other hand, it takes so long to dispense and apply.

“Marooned”: And I’m standing alone still getting a thrill

The tape up, now I can finally get to painting. They say to paint the edges of the wall first, then roll the middle. But I want results, and now. So I roll first, delighting in the square footage gobbled up by a color I’m jazzed to see on the wall.

“Mercy”: With a 4 a.m. stubble

Holy cow, how could so much time have passed without me thinking about it? How many times have I listened to this CD? I decide to break and reconvene the next day.

“Another the Letter”: You suddenly find things getting life-size

The first day of painting’s good. The second day’s tough. When you next look at the room you’ve been working on, you realize you’ve not done nearly as much work as you thought you had.

“I Feel Mysterious Today”: Observe the tension grow

The second day is when you have to do everything you put off. It’s the no-fun day. It’s frustrating to open the cans again, pour the paint into the trays again, and wring the water out of the brush or rollers cleaned the day before.

“French Film Blurred”: It’s not quite the way to behave

My crankiness rises like bile, but I choke it back and dive in. I’ve got no choice. The room’s not painting itself, and, besides, think of what a great feeling it’ll be to be done!

“Heartbeat”: I feel old

Three hours later: I’m never going to finish this room. I’m going to die in here. Some future archaeologist will find my body and wonder what crazy cult compelled me to clutch the bristled tool in my hand like it was an important relic and had the power to save me.

“Sand in My Joints”: I’m feeling the pain

I have to keep switching which hand I brush with, my poor muscles tired after two days of this torture. My back cracks, my knees wobble atop the ladder, my neck’s frozen in a 20-degree list to the right.

“Being Sucked in Again”: Bound and gagged, your labor’s saved/ The cost minute, the rules are waved/ No hand, no step, your labor’s in vain

On the bright side, I’m almost done! It’s time to pull the tape off, and I do, in long, blue strips, except where the tape tears and leaves a slender, paint-covered sliver at the joint between the wall and the trim. The last of the tape finally prized off with my fingernails, I can now see the ruin underneath. All the errors I made when I applied the tape. All the shoddy work I now have to fix.

“Men 2nd”: Hysterical, no humor

So I’m on to the last round of painting: touch-ups. But it’s complicated, because I’m going to need all the paint colors I’ve been using. There’s a swath of errant “Queen Anne’s Lace” over there, a stalactite of “Drawbridge” that runs down from the trim over there, and a four-foot-long, two-inch-wide section that needs another dose of ceiling paint.

“From the Nursery”: Would you like to see/ What violence these eyes can send?

I’m finally done, but I’m not happy about it. I can still see all the places where my work isn’t perfect: small gaps I missed and crooked lines that should be straight. No matter that everyone says you can’t even tell. I know the flaws are there. They annoy, but there’s no way I’m spending another second working on this room.

“Too Late”: Is it too late to change my mind?

You know, the more I look at the room, the more I wish I had picked “Pearls and Lace” instead of “Queen Anne’s Lace.” Now that color would look great in there. I wonder how long it would take to repaint?

Greg Akers

greg@memphisflyer.com

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Living Spaces Real Estate

Home Siting

I love books more than most people, and I’m one of those old-fashioned types who think digital formats will never be better than the classic tome. But, in some circumstances, the Internet is preferable to any book.

One such instance is when you need quick advice on a fix or repair in your home. Short of having on hand a nice, extensive reference book, the Internet’s got it over books. With Web sites like DoItYourself.com, where you can get tips on just about any home-improvement subject you can think of, not to mention interior-design and landscaping suggestions, the Internet’s the first place you want to look. From how to install a sprinkler system to refinancing your home, DoItYourself.com can get you plugged in.

When judging blogs and Web sites, in some cases, it’s more important to look at quality of content rather than quantity. HomeImprovementBlog.net is a case in point. This site has only been around since 2006, so the archives aren’t extensive, and the site does suffer from some broken links. Yet, the topics are plainly written and informative without an overuse of jargon. Best of all may be the site’s pool of blogs. Each blogger is supposed to only write on topics they have expertise in, so it’s unlikely that you’ll be exposed to a writer overreaching what they know. Also, since the site has so many bloggers contributing, there’s frequently fresh material. Altogether, HomeImprovementBlog.net takes advantage of the communal upside of blogging: different voices with different, valid things to say, all under one shingle.

One of the interesting Web movements in the last few years has been houseblogs — blogs where homeowners document their struggles and successes in renovating an old home — and one of the most interesting houseblogs out there is HouseInProgress.net. The site is run by Aaron and Jeannie, a couple from Chicago who, in 2003, bought a 1914 bungalow in need of restoration and stuffed full of accumulated odds and ends. (Many of the things they found are for sale on the site’s virtual estate sale.) Aaron and Jeannie have kept a daily diary of their frustrations with the house, what they’ve done to it, what they’ve found, and their answers to the questions they get from the site’s fans from around the world. It’s worth frequent visits.

Another very good houseblog is PetchHouse.blogspot.com, an account of a renovation of a Victorian home in California. The blog includes such fascinating (and funny) subjects as the owner comparing 1895 building materials to today’s, extensive deconstruction/reconstruction projects, and getting the house named to a local list of historical places (and with lots of pictures throughout). It’s hard not to learn something when you read it. ■ — GA

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Living Spaces Real Estate

Tree House

There’s no denying the sights of natural beauty downtown living has to offer, namely the Mississippi River. But everybody knows Midtown is the greenest spot in the city. Overton Park is the main leafy feature, but Midtown is bustling with trees from one end to the other. And now, with Glenmary at Evergreen, a newly renovated condo building on North Parkway and Evergreen, Memphians are getting their best look yet at that feature.

“There’s no view like it in Midtown,” says Martin Group Realty principal and broker Terry Saunders. “It’s the green carpet of Midtown.” She’s referring to the panoply caught from atop the Glenmary: trees to the horizon in all directions — with the downtown skyline jutting above it in the distance.

Glenmary at Evergreen used to be Woodmont Towers, built in the 1960s by Avron Fogelman. The M Collective, the redevelopment team for the Glenmary, has drastically overhauled the Woodmont. There’s new HVAC throughout the building, all the finishes are new, along with new lighting and hardware, smooth ceilings, new kitchens, entryway and interior doors, landscaping, and a spiffy, fresh building exterior. Interior design was done by Amy Carkuff.

The quality of the work can be seen as soon as you walk in the doors. “The lobby is contemporary, hip, funky,” Saunders says. The feeling extends into the lounge, with its billiards table, comfortable seating, flat-screen TV, and Internet café. The overall effect is boosted considerably by the photographs placed throughout the lobby, the lounge, and on each floor at elevator landings. “It’s a real tribute to Jack Robinson,” Saunders says. The photos, from Memphis’ Jack Robinson Gallery of Photography, are of fashion, celebrity, and music subjects. The lobby is graced by the elegance of Robinson’s photos of the Dior Salon and the palace of Versailles’ Hall of Mirrors, taken in 1959.

The Glenmary is a condo with benefits. “It’s an unbelievable array of amenities,” Saunders says. Like: the Sky Deck roof garden, on the southwest corner of the building’s rooftop, where you can take all that green in. (“It’s Midtown’s first roof garden,” Saunders says.) Like: a pool area with a Jacuzzi, a cabana with a bar, a fire pit, and lounge furniture. Like: a fitness center and additional storage for residents on the basement floor. Like: Each floor has two laundries with two sets of washer/dryers in each. Like: Nine-foot ceilings on all floors except the ground floor, which has 10-foot ceilings. Like: The Glenmary is pet-friendly and has covered and uncovered parking (covered is yours for a one-time, up-front fee). And: Every unit has a balcony, Troy Glasgow

full-sized, stainless-steel appliances, oversized (by Midtown standards, especially) walk-in closets, granite countertops in kitchens and bathrooms, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a choice of stained concrete or bamboo floors.

The homeowner-association dues include basic cable and Internet connections in every unit, insurance for common areas, and maintenance of the building and grounds. There’s also wireless Internet available in the common areas.

Green spaces are accessible on the Glenmary’s grounds and immediate proximity. There’s a doggy park, a treed grassy area, and a limited-access gate from the property to the adjoining V&E (Vollintine and Evergreen) Greenline walking trail.

The Glenmary is 11 floors high and has 169 units. Units run from $82,000 for a studio condo to $204,000 for a top-floor, 1,322-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bath condo. There is also a penthouse on the 11th floor (it originally was the space Fogelman made for his mother to live in) that runs for $324,000 and has three bedrooms and two baths over 2,278 square feet. Other units on the top floor can also be made penthouses on demand.

Though the Glenmary is abuzz with subcontractors and workers putting more elbow grease into the building, models are complete, and the development is open for business. All common areas will be complete by later this summer, and units are available for move-in 45 days from closing. Martin Group Realty is handling all sales.

For more information, call Martin Group Realty at 881-6052. ■

Categories
Living Spaces Real Estate

Find your part in the American dream with a new home.

A home is more than just a structure where people take up residency. Owning a home means freedom, financial independence, and security. For many, owning a home brings a feeling of success, knowledge that they’ve obtained their own bit of the American dream. And, as for a home — according to Dorothy as well as millions of homeowners — well, there’s no place quite like it.

The advantages of today’s new homes are without parallel. Breakthrough technology has brought safety and energy efficiency in homes to a new level, and for conveniences and amenities, it’s hard to beat a new home.

Technology Brings Safety to the Forefront

Today’s homes are safer, because new homes take advantage of breakthroughs in building science. For example, hardwired and interconnected smoke alarms bring a new level of fire safety to new homes. If one alarm goes off in the garage, they will all go off, giving your family ample time to get to safety. New fire-resistant construction materials such as better electrical wiring mean less chance of a dangerous electrical fire. Tempered glass, now found in many patio doors and windows, means less chance of an injury should one break.

New Homes: More Energy-Efficient Than Ever

It is easier than ever for home shoppers looking at a new home to get access to energy-efficient construction. Builders nationwide are embracing new green building techniques designed to help protect our environment while saving you money. They also have an ever-expanding array of products and materials to choose from that enables them to make a house more resource-efficient and water-thrifty. Many participate in programs like ENERGY STAR, promoting energy-efficient appliances, and WaterSense, promoting water efficiency. ENERGY STAR-rated windows keep heat in during the winter and out during hot summer months, saving you money on heating and cooling costs. High-tech insulation ensures consistent temperatures throughout a new home while using less energy.

As more and more consumers demand a “leaner” home, builders are responding by returning to age-old practices, like siting a home to take the best advantage of sunlight and shade. Recent innovations like solar shingles (not just solar roof panels), light-conserving windows, and insulation made from recycled materials are also changing the market.

New Homes Offer Home Buyers Their Choice of Lifestyles

Today’s new homes offer more of what buyers want. Because of increased demands for larger socializing spaces in the home, larger kitchens are becoming more common. New homes also feature more bathrooms and more storage space. Consumers are seeking greater ceiling heights, walk-in showers with multiple heads, three-car garages, and outdoor entertainment spaces with fireplaces and grills. And builders are responding with new homes that provide these features.

So why do Americans like new homes? The answer lies in choice. People want to be able to personalize their home with their own tile, flooring, and appliance choices. In a new home, the consumer can select virtually everything down to the knobs on their kitchen cabinets. It’s all part of the American dream. ■

Keith Grant is president of the Memphis Area Home Builders Association.

Categories
Living Spaces Real Estate

In Focus

On a recent Saturday, I bought a tree. I never thought a tree could be something you would ever have to have ASAP, but it turns out I was wrong. I needed to get that tree planted inmediatamente.

When my house was built in 1950, there was a small porch on the side. At some point in the next 15 years, the original owners closed it up and made a room out of it. Unfortunately, they didn’t add a window to the front of the house where the porch had been, leaving a third of the house without any windows — a vast, white vinyl-siding wasteland. Instead, they put some shutters up where a window would logically go.

The free-floating shutters looked goofy, but my wife and I lived with it while we dealt with more pressing home improvements. Then, a few weeks ago, we took the shutters down.

If unattractive sights had smells, this one would be “stank.” The siding had been faded by the sun except where the shutters had been, which left two giant rectangles that looked like eyes — eyes that seemed to track you, judge you, and find you wanting. (Or maybe that’s just me. I’ll ask my therapist.)

So, yes, a tree was needed right away, to break up that expanse of windowless house and to hide the unsightly business beneath.

My wife, daughter, and I traveled to a local nursery, and, after looking at lots of trees and getting advice (based on the amount of sunlight available where the tree would be and the amount of space it would have next to the house), we settled on a Stellar pink hybrid dogwood, a tree that would grow two-dimensionally — horizontally and vertically but not toward the house.

The purchase seemed significant. This tree was something that I could put in the ground and that might very well outlast my time as owner of the house, that might even outlive me, period. I can look up at the giant oak tree in my front yard, planted the year the house was built, 57 years ago. Might some future homeowner look at what is now my humble little dogwood and wonder about the people who planted it?

Later that same Saturday came some bad news: My best friend’s dad, John K. McCarthy, had died that day.

I thought about my humble tree again and about the big oak that was planted just four years after John was born. It struck me again how things we do have a way of living on independent of us. John is survived by a wife, four kids, and two grandkids, among a slew of other family members and loved ones.

The people who planted the oak are long gone. But the tree remains a testament to their lives.

Greg Akers

greg@memphisflyer.com