The Tennessean
By TRACY PULLEY • For The Tennessean • May 11, 2008
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St. Jude Dream Home promises eco-friendly conveniences
From insulation to appliances, builder considered energy conservation
For 46 years, children with life-threatening illnesses have arrived at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, hoping for a cure. The hospital does its work quietly, day in and day out, not only finding new ways to treat diseases, such as leukemia, but also finding new methods to fund the treatments that insurance won't cover.
One of the most popular fundraisers for the hospital takes place this year in the Westhaven community of Franklin, where a $700,000 home will be raffled with virtually all proceeds going to fund lifesaving research at St. Jude.
It's the fourth year that Southern Land Co. has headed the St. Jude Dream Home event. Last year it raised $14.5 million, and this year's goal is $16 million. The 16,000 tickets are expected to go quickly, and on June 21, one lucky winner will discover he or she has purchased a 3,800-square-foot, four-bedroom, 3½-bath home for $100.
Get a preview this week when the home opens for public tours.
The home, built in classic American Foursquare design, is not only beautiful, it's filled with environmentally conscious elements that should result in better living for the homeowner. "We tried to use environmentally friendly materials in every area of the house, from the roof to the landscaping," says Southern Land executive vice president Chris Bove.
The corner lot features shrubs and plants indigenous to Middle Tennessee that are adapted to Franklin's climate and require less watering. On the roof, the combination of Elk Cool asphalt shingles reflecting the sun's rays and LP TechShield panels underneath blocking up to 97 percent of outdoor radiant heat means the attic will maintain a steady temperature and won't be a drain on the heating and cooling system.
"We've also used BioBased 501 Insulation, a spray polyurethane foam insulation that fills every crack and crevice, which should substantially reduce utility bills," Bove says. "Whoever wins this home not only wins a great house, but wins a great house with lower energy bills."
Southern Land also chose renewable building materials such as bamboo flooring with cork underlay and recycled glass tile in the bathroom and kitchen. The walls are painted with low-VOC Porter paints, reducing toxic emissions, and bedroom floors are covered with Shaw Green Edge recyclable carpeting.
In the kitchen, GE Profile Energy Star appliances reduce electricity use, while Moen low-flow faucets, shower heads and toilets reduce water use in kitchens and bathrooms alike. Throughout the house, Progress Energy Star lighting is both stylish and energy efficient.
Spacious rooms
The two-story home's entry opens onto an airy foyer faced on one side by a dining room and on the other by a study. Straight ahead lies the spacious main living area, a 33-by-19-foot room housing the kitchen, dining area and sitting room with fireplace. The master bedroom lies off the main living space and features an immense bathroom with a garden tub and a glassed-in shower, his and her vanities and a large walk-in closet.
Upstairs, three bedrooms and a 19-by-20-foot bonus room share two large bathrooms. The three-car "drive under" garage is accessible at the rear of the house; a staircase leads from the garage into an open mudroom with built-in shelving for shoes, mail and more.
There's a deep covered porch across the front of the house and a smaller covered porch at the side on the ground floor. The house is across from a green space, a grass-and-tree-covered area Bove calls a "cigar park."
"We have lots of grassy areas throughout Westhaven. There are mini-parks everywhere," he says. "And this house is close to our Arthur Hills-designed golf course."
A good cause
All of the amenities and details are wonderful, but they can't overshadow the real meaning of the house, built in honor of Ally Cameron, a 4-year-old from Murfreesboro whose neuroblastoma, discovered two days after her first birthday, is in remission.
"The doctor sent us for a CT scan at her 12-month checkup," says dad Jon Cameron. "You go to a checkup; the last thing you think they're going to say is 'Your child has cancer.' "
On the day Ally was supposed to have her first birthday party, the Camerons drove to Memphis and checked their daughter into St. Jude. Ally was accepted into a research study and went through several surgeries, chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant before being declared in remission seven months later.
"St. Jude has been an unbelievable blessing. . . . They've allowed us to focus on what Ally needed," Jon says. "They had places for us to stay. The staff was truly amazing."
Today, Ally is the picture of health, running and playing with her two younger sisters. She still visits St. Jude for checkups, but in less than two years she'll pass the five-year mark that physicians prefer before declaring complete remission. Ally isn't very aware of the honor bestowed on her with this year's St. Jude Dream Home, and that's just the way parents Jon and Holly like it.
"We're very honored, even though we wish we'd never been put in the position," Jon says.
Home giveaway
• This year, 16,000 tickets at $100 each are available at Regions Bank locations, American Signature Furniture and the Westhaven Residents' Club in Franklin or online at www.stjudedreamhome.org, 1-800-746-6713.
• Check it out between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Friday during Westhaven's Courtyard Garden Tour. Regular hours begin Saturday. Hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays and noon–5 p.m. Sundays through June 15; 9 a.m.-9 p.m. June 16-21. Admission is free. The house is at 469 Wire Grass Lane in the Westhaven neighborhood of Franklin.
2008 St. Jude Dream Home
Vendors include: Metro Carpets, Paul Hasty Plumbing, MJ Frick Co., Bryant Heating and Cooling Systems, BioBased Insulation, Boral Bricks Direct, Ehrhart Electric, R&S Flooring, Southern Land Horticulture and Wellborn Forest Cabinetry
Construction partners: Milcraft Inc., Moen, Affinity Stone Solutions LLC, All Service Propane, Associated Masonry Products, BPI, Brenda's Cleaning Service, Builders First Source, Builders Insulation, Cox Interiors, Cumberland Materials, Custom Trim, Dal Tile, Elk Roofing, Emser, Ferguson Enterprises, Franklin Kitchens, Hoover Enterprises, Interactive Security Systems, Kohler, Monrovia, Peterson & Sons, Porter Paints, Priority Pest, Raynor Garage Doors, Reel Foot Foundations, Robert Burke Window Cleaning, Roof Maintenance, Schuluter Systems, Shaw Carpet, Steve Pollak Construction, S&S Hauling & Evacuation, Vulcan Materials, Waste Management, Wells Fireplace and Supply, Williamson County Ready Mix and Windsor Windows