House raffle expects to raise $1.4 million for kids with cancer
By HOLLIE DEESE
Staff Writer
Source,TheTennessean.com
It's that time of year to get your hopes up and think big. Like $600,000 big.
For the third year in a row, Southern Land Co. and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital are teaming to give away another St. Jude Dream Home. And for the price of a $100 raffle ticket, this year's winner could be you.
Nestled in Franklin's Westhaven Community, the three bedroom, three-and-a-half bathroom home will be awarded to one lucky winner in mid-June. This year's 3,000-square-foot home has been in the works for months, with dozens of contractors, builders and designers donating time and money to the project, expected to raise more than $1.4 million to help cure childhood cancer and other catastrophic diseases.
"We're really excited about being a part of this project," says Tim Goodwin of R & S Flooring, who outfitted the home with the dark, Jacobian finished hardwood floors. "We don't have a chance to give back to society as much as we probably should, so it's a good outlet for us."
Latest trends fill home
Everything in the home reflects the latest home decor trends and products, from the GE appliances in the spacious kitchen to the Kohler faucets in the bathrooms. The designers focus on what today's consumers want and turn a house into a true dream home.
The kitchen, which boasts a fireplace with tumbled marble surround for intimate family meals, doesn't have a formal dining room attached to it.
"What people like today is more of a gathering spot," says Danny Lane, Southern Land's vice president of product planning research. "If their lifestyle is more informal, a separate formal dining room rarely gets used." Instead, the kitchen opens into the family room, creating a large, uninterrupted gathering space.
The colors also reflect current trends, with darker finishes and tropical brown granite countertops.
"We went for a more rustic approach," says Carrie Maechler, interior design coordinator with Southern Land Co. "We chose slate, darker cabinets, a black distressed island. Rustic with elegant touches." The Spanish Moss cabinets, donated by Franklin Kitchens, incorporate some new elements this year, with seeded glass and hidden spice drawers. Plus, there's a tumbled marble backsplash.
The bathrooms use Kohler fixtures new to the market, including the Bancroft model in the upstairs Jack-and-Jill bathroom with leather handles and an old-time feel. The flat panel marble cabinets in a nutmeg finish complement the Crema Marfil marble countertops. The master bath uses tile with decorative glass accents and flat-panel maple cabinets.
"We did quartz for the flooring in the bedroom, when usually we do hardwood," says Maechler. "In the laundry room we did slate. In the powder room we did slate with glass accents."
Outside is also grand
This year's home also features a larger back yard and detached garage with an upstairs bonus room, perfect for an at-home office or playroom. Currently, it showcases a billiard table, cue racks and spectator chairs donated by Legacy Billiards as a secondary prize.
"I think that is a nice feature," says Alyson Sailer, an architect intern for Southern Land Co. "People want more detached space."
The outside is just as impressive, including stately columns provided by Millcraft, which has donated time and money to every St. Jude home in Westhaven. "What I can give is minimum to what has been given to me," says Tony Miller of Millcraft. "It's just a matter of giving back to make the karma work out."
St. Jude is a pediatric research and treatment facility that treats patients without regard to the family's ability to pay. It has created "dream homes" in several states as one of its key fundraisers.
"I want people to love it so much that they buy a raffle ticket. That's what we strive for," says Maechler. "The more money we can raise for the kids, the better."