Here’s a great example of design utilizing architectural daylighting techniques. We designed this space to receive maximum sunlight during the cold and gloomy winter months. The photo was taken in January. Notice how the sun’s rays start from the windows behind the camera and literally travel through the space to the rear wall, creating interesting light patterns and washing the room with warmth and sunlight. As the low winter sun moves throughout the day the light patterns constantly shift and dance, creating ever-changing and interesting moods in the space. In the summer months, the suns rays are much stronger and higher in the sky and the home’s carefully designed overhangs, windows, and orientation allow only the hall in front of the windows to get direct rays of light. This keeps the room much cooler and more comfortable visually, allowing great light and comfort without blinding. Whether it’s a new home or remodel, utilizing these techniques gives you the best of both worlds– energy efficiency and aesthetic pleasure.  Well designed and thought out places make you feel good when you are in them.

Paying attention to the many “little” things is what separates a nice home from a truly special one.  Call us to discuss your upcoming special project or click here to schedule a “no strings” design and budget consultation.

Hope to see you there!

As the holidays fade and potential home buyers turn their focus to the coming building season, we are seeing great interest in our newest development, the Villas of Chagrin. Uniquely situated as one of the last secluded “neighborhoods” in the Village of Chagrin Falls, this development accommodates the best of all worlds. Eleven (seven remaining) 1/2 to 3/4 acre single family lots are private, quiet, and surrounded by nature (including a pond, access to the beautiful river, and over six gorgeous acres of protected green space).  ”All of the Village & None of the Bustle!”

The Villas of Chagrin is literally minutes to downtown Chagrin, the freeway, shopping, dining, world-class amenities, and top-ranked Chagrin Schools.

Please visit www.VillasofChagrin.com for details on this fantastic opportunity to build new in the Village of Chagrin Falls.

Click HERE for info, or call Nestor at 216-346-3452. Only seven lots remain!

Certified Green Professional (CGP):  What’s it mean? Click here.

Every potential client asks us about our commitment to “green” building science and methodology. The truth is, we’ve been building “green” since day one (back then it was called “building smart”). In fact, every single home we’ve ever built employs the “green” mantra of energy efficiency, sustainability, healthier indoor air quality, and smaller carbon footprint. We have always, and continue to spend an enormous amount of time studying and learning about new products and different ways to build more efficiently and with less environmental impact in the effort to bring a superior product to our clientele. Whenever possible, we employ sustainable, energy efficient, and non-toxic materials. We use the very latest construction methods and design homes using architectural daylighting techniques,  striving to build the most cost effective, comfortable, enjoyable, healthy, and energy efficient homes possible.  While many of our standard features are already “green,” our process involves educating our clients as to the cost, payback, and overall VALUE of every possible “green” opportunity specific to your project. This assures that you can then make educated, confident decisions which best suit your specific “green” goals and budget.

Warning: “Green” is the new sales buzzword–we see so many false claims, and sketchy “technology.”  In fact, many builders who were marketing “green” heavily have curiously backed off of their “UN-sustainable” claims, promises, and guarantee’s…  We will help you weed through the hype and marketing.

Do your homework! (Or come talk to us… we’ve done ours.)

We are an accredited Certified Green Building Professional (CGP) as designated by the National Associuation of Home Builders, and  longstanding  members of the U.S. Green Building Council (LEEDS), the Greater Cleveland Home Builders Association (HBA), and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

As a Certified Green Professional (CGP), we are able to offer additional benefits to our customers. The CGP training course is an intensive professional education program developed by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).  By continuing our higher education, we maintain our cutting-edge building knowledge, and can assist our clientele in integrating the very latest green building components, technologies, and methods into both new and exisiting home design and construction.

Studying best practices, new ways to build, and new products, we can help you sift through the myriad “greenwashing” of products and find solutions that work for your specific project, goals, and budget.  ”Green” is the new sales buzzword and there are many false claims and promises in practically every industry.  We’ve done our homework and can help you navigate the choices which add the most value.

Whether you are considering a new home or a remodeling project, we can help you achieve a more sustainable, comfortable, energy-efficient abode that costs less to heat and “cool.” Call us today or click here to schedule an absolutely free “no-strings” design and budget consultation, and lets talk about how to make your home look AND feel great, all while keeping more “green” in your pocket…

Directions:

1. Take Rt 306 to Bainbridge Rd. (Bainbridge Rd. is the first street SOUTH of Rt. 422)
2. Go WEST on Bainbridge Rd. for 1.5 miles
3. Turn RIGHT into Canyon Woods Subdivision
4. Turn LEFT at stop sign onto Cottonwood Tr.
5. Homesite #262 (8555 Cottonwood)

Place Of Peace
By Victoria Welling of Housetrends Magazine

The shingle-style dwellings of Nantucket are at once fanciful and practical, grand yet welcoming. Today, in one of Cleveland’s eastern suburbs, a home named for that historic island strikes the same kind of balance. Rather than fronting a shoreline, this Nantucket sits at the fringe of a forest in Bainbridge’s Canyon Woods. On the outside, everything about this 5,400-square-foot home, which was designed and built by noted custom design/build firm Alexandra Fine Homes of Chagrin Falls, is a tribute to New England. True-to-the-region details include barn-red cedar shake siding, bright-white trim, window boxes, a wrap-around porch and a multi-peaked roofline. Fronting the three-car garage is a stone-faced, turret-like gable that evokes a lighthouse.

Function over formality

Inside, function trumps formality to make a home that truly works for families.

It begins in the human-scale, elegantly simple foyer, which is flooded with light from double walls of windows in the adjacent stairway. “Our designs often incorporate a bright foyer that offers further “peek-a boo” glimpses and long views of the interior spaces. When guests enter, the welcoming feel and interesting architecture compels them to come in and further explore the house,” says Nestor & Paul Papageorge, co-owners of Alexandra Fine Homes.

Roomy, furniture-look lockers and storage benches capture the clutter, while a multitasking mail center catches the car keys, charges the cell phones and organizes incoming paper.

In another nod to reality, the Nantucket shuns the rarely used formal dining room in favor of a multifunctional dining area that extends directly from the kitchen. Roomy enough for a second table for holiday gatherings, yet cozy enough for family living, this space truly captures the essence of modern family living. Casual elegance at its finest.

Here, in front of a bread-oven-style fireplace flanked by built-in bookshelves, kids work on school projects, the family sits down to meals, and relatives gather on special occasions.

Warm from the heart

Food, of course, is the nexus of every family function, which is why the kitchen is the centerpiece of the Nantucket. This two-story space is made to feel intimate by details like oversized moldings and high-set windows that offer views from the home’s upper level. Warmth exudes from buttery yellow walls, honed granite countertops, mellow brickwork and rustic “barn light” wall sconces. A multilevel island topped with hammered copper is the place to prepare a meal or enjoy a glass of wine (or an espresso) while a sauce simmers on the bistro-style range.

Shopping and to-do lists are posted on the chalkboard-fronted pantry doors.

Step down from the kitchen into the sunken great room. A cozy, nautical feel emanates from mellow, brick-veneered walls and the whitewashed cedar ceiling with exposed, rough-planed rafters. A thoughtfully planned relationship between the stucco-finished fireplace and the hightech, human-scale entertainment center makes this space equally comfortable for gazing at the fire or watching TV.

Prefer a good read? Slip out one of two archways from the kitchen into the sun parlor, a vaulted-ceiled room made brilliant by three walls of floor-to-ceiling windows with plantation shutters.

Play in a big way

For active family fun, the Nantucket offers two responses.

First is the light-filled, finished basement, where—in distinct yet adjoining areas—poker, pool and a favorite movie can be in simultaneous play. Remote controlled blackout shades set the stage in the viewing area, which is less like a home theater and more like a family room.

“That’s the setup families prefer in the long run,” say Nestor & Paul. “Integrating the media room with the gaming areas allows for so much flexibility. If the “guys” are downstairs watching a game on the big screen, they can also play pool, cards, etc. and maintain a connection between the various spaces.” Audio control is always at hand via the whole-house sound system.

Second is the four-season backyard entertainment area. A brick-paved patio with a generously scaled wood burning fireplace is as welcoming on winter evenings as it is on summer nights. Seating nooks flanking the fireplace and bench-width stair treads on the adjoining patio encourage stargazing and lazy conversation. A fully functional gas and electric range handles ribs, chili, burgers, clambakes, lobster boils, and everything in between.

Well-deserved rest and reward

When it’s time to retreat, Nantucket promises sanctuary on its upper level. Behind the double doors of the master suite, a spa-like master bath beckons. Slide into the jetted tub, unwind in the multi-spray shower, and savor the tranquil décor. Zen inspired touches include natural slate tiles with luminous glass insets, a glossy black, open-shelved double vanity, and yin-yang shaped sink basins.

Comfort comes, too, from knowing that the kids are snug—just down the hall—in a three-bedroom area designed especially for their needs. Two bedrooms are joined by a Jack-and-Jill bath, and one room opens to a bonus area that is ready to grow from a toy room to a teen hideaway. The third bedroom enjoys its own private bath. In a hallway alcove, a built-in computer workstation waits for that last-minute homework.

For all its amenities and size, the Nantucket is truly a welcoming abode. “We designed the Nantucket series of homes to accommodate a wide range of budgets and family needs, various levels of “green technology,” and offer a smaller version as well,” says Nestor. For its artful marriage of looks and livability, the Nantucket has earned considerable critical acclaim, including “Custom Home of the Year,” “Best of Homearama,” “Best Exterior Architecture,” “Best Product Design,” “Best Interior Design,” and more. With a hats-off to history and a willing embrace of what’s happening today, the Nantucket feeds the soul and spirit of the American family.

Click here for details, or give us a call!

Sunday, December 11 2011:  OPEN 1-4

Sunday, December 18 2011: OPEN 1-4

Sunday, December 25 2011: CLOSED  (Merry Christmas!)

Sunday, January 1 2012:       CLOSED  (Happy New Year!)

Sunday, January 8 2012        OPEN 1-4

Starting January 8th, we will resume open hours every Sunday from 1-4 p.m., except holiday weekends.  If you can’t make it on an open day, please call Nestor at 216-346-3452 or use our contact form to schedule a private showing on a different day/time.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM ALEXANDRA FINE HOMES!

This is the home that literally swept the Cleveland Choice Awards, winning “Custom Home of the Year,” Best of Homearama,” “Judges Choice,” “Best Exterior Architecture,” and more.  Click here for more info, directions, photos, etc.  We have many versions of the Nantucket series, in a variety of sizes, price-points, and detailing.

If you are interested in seeing the home but can’t make it on Sundays, call Nestor at 216-346-3452 to schedule a private showing.

Directions:

Mountainside Farms in Concord.  Follow directions to the Nantucket model home, continue down Humphrey Hill, take a right on Karaboo Trail.  The home is on your left.

Description / Details:

• Custom designed original by award-winning Alexandra Fine Homes, Inc.  This home is a slightly smaller version of our “Nantucket” Model Home located in Mountainside Farms which won fourFIRST PLACE awards at this years Cleveland’s Choice Awards including “2008 Custom Home of the Year.”  Model Home is open Sundays 2-4.
• Award winning, top-rated Painesville Township School System.
• Almost identical finishes, built-ins, trim package, etc. as the Nantucket model home.
• Fabulous Lake Erie views in this upscale Concord development. Close to shopping, Mentor Mall, three outstanding golf courses, Quail Hollow Country Club, fine and casual dining. Minutes from I-90 & both new hospital projects (Lake Systems & University).
• One-of-a-kind curb appeal. New England styled architecture featuring cedar shingles & stone, flower boxes, custom trim, huge front porch, very detailed exterior, private rear “courtyard,” and much more…
• Dramatic stair “turret” with walls of windows & sunny, bright foyer. Custom trim details and woodwork throughout including built-ins, custom mantels, unique architecture,  upscale materials & finishes, etc.
• Very special two-story true-gourmet kitchen with breakfast bar, custom brick arched stove area, Italian granite, custom cabinetry, & plant shelves. This kitchen was designed for serious cooking & entertaining!
• Rich, character-grade American Cherry floors. Bright, sunny mudroom with tile floors, custom cabinetry including built-in lockers & boot bench, oversized coat closet, & French door access to rear yard & patio.
• Light-filled sunken great room with custom-built mantel, walls of windows, open to kitchen.
• Gorgeous, spacious dining area featuring beamed wood ceiling, crown moulding, brick wall, “bread-oven” styled fireplace, custom built-in shelving, beautiful rear views, double French door access to patio.
• Office/Library featuring beautiful African slate fireplace, French doors.
• Amazing Master’s Retreat featuring incredible “Japanese Spa” inspired luxury bathroom, separate dressing area, walk-in closet, huge vaulted bedroom with plant shelf.
• Awesome teen suite with Jack-n-Jill bathroom, computer station, and more.
• Four bedrooms. 3 1/2 baths. 3+ car garage.  13 1/2 course basement. Approx. 3,400 square feet living space.
• Gorgeous, VERY PRIVATE wide lot with no new homes in backyard.
• Fully landscaped, including in-ground automatic sprinkler system.