Look to the 2007 Best in American Living Award winners for their inspired elevations, detailing and use of space and materials. These homes have set the bar higher than ever before.
The projects featured on this page all won Gold awards for Best One-of-a-Kind Custom Home. For complete coverage of all categories of the 2007 BALA winners, visit the BALA website or check out Professional Builder's winner coverage.
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Certified green at the national, regional and local levels, this home balances the warmth and comfort of a lodge with a contemporary, urban-looking interior. The builder partnered with a sustainable organic landscape specialist on a concept that works with the home's wooded setting and manages rainwater runoff naturally to protect wetlands and wildlife habitats.
In the great room, massive vaulted ceilings and rows of clerestory windows highlight exposed heavy timber trusses. Sustainable products such as glass tiles, cork flooring and recycled countertops add to the beauty of the interior finishes. Warm, natural tones accented by light colors and classic contemporary fixtures enhance the floor plan's clean, spacious feel.
Category: Best One-of-a-Kind Custom Home (Built for a Client) up to and including 4,000 square feet
Project Name: The Urban Lodge
Location: Snohomish, Wash.
Designer/Architect: Curtis Gelotte Architects, Kirkland, Wash.
Builder: Grey Lundberg/CMI Homes, Bellevue, Wash.
Interior Designer: Schoenfeld Interiors, Bellevue, Wash.
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This home's architectural pedigree includes coastal shingle, New England country and English cottage styles. Large areas of second-floor space are tucked within low, sweeping rooflines. Undulating plate heights avoid full-height, two-story walls that would make the house appear massive. Inside, details such as beadboard; wainscoting; vintage tiles and lighting; and wide-plank walnut flooring evoke the feel of an old coastal cottage.
Although the home isn't located on a direct waterfront lot, it's designed to capture vignettes of surrounding Atlantic coastal bays, distant islands and the skyline of Ocean City, Md. An observation tower on the southeast corner — accessible via a ship's ladder — offers panoramic, 360-degree views.
Category: Best One-of-a-Kind Custom Home (Built for a Client) 4,001 to 6,500 square feet
Project Name: Grand Cottage
Location: Ocean City, Md.
Designer/Architect: Becker Morgan Group, Salisbury, Md.
Builder: Joseph T. Dashiell, Ocean City, Md.
Interior Designer: Joseph T. Dashiell Inc., Ocean City, Md.
Developer: Joseph T. Dashiell Inc., Ocean City, Md.
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Among the many features that make this home truly unique is a radial stream of water that lines up with the sun perfectly at the summer solstice. The stream runs from the pool through the great room and foyer and is a source of great delight for the astronomy buff in the family.
The floor plan was designed to minimize hallways and maximize function. "Central storage" is a single, large room for kitchen storage, audio-video equipment and laundry facilities. Only the master bedroom is located in the main house; a detached guest house provides two additional bedrooms, an exercise room, a living room and an office.
Category: Best One-of-a-Kind Custom Home (Built for a Client) 4,001 to 6,500 square feet
Project Name: Naiff/Cohen Residence
Location: Scottsdale, Ariz.
Designer/Architect: Urban Design Associates, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Builder: RS Homes, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Interior Designer: Tamm Marlowe Design Studio, Scottsdale, Ariz.
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Georgian-style architecture makes an elegant statement in this waterfront home, set in the South Carolina Lowcountry and boasting river, marsh and harbor views. The exterior materials — brick, slate, bluestone and copper — evoke strength and durability, while the interior's carefully detailed woods and stonework create a warm, organic feeling.
At the back of the home, living spaces are oriented to an expansive bluestone patio that features a pool, gazebo and detached guest cottage. The pool provides a visual connection to the river beyond.
Category: Best One-of-a-Kind Custom Home (Built for a Client) 6,501 square feet and over
Project Name: Potts Residence
Location: Daniel Island, S.C.
Designer/Architect: Stephen Herlong & Associates, Architects, Isle of Palms, S.C.
Builder: Philip Smith General Contractors, Mount Pleasant, S.C.
Interior Designer: Designs Three & Associates, John's Island, S.C.