Photos by Mark Graves
G. Lee Homes turned a family’s dream into a reality
Touring the Street of Dreams can feel like a fantasy with houses that have luxurious features and state-of-the art designs. It also gives builders the opportunity to showcase their work and highlight styles they might not normally build. But for Greg Frazell with G. Lee Homes, entering a house in the 2016 Street of Dreams at Bluewater in Valley wasn’t a specialty project, but rather one that was already in process and being designed for functional, family living.
Greg built a home previously for the 2014 Street of Dreams in the South Hamptons subdivision in Gretna, and he was asked to do another one this year. He was already designing a home in the area and asked the owners if they’d be interested. They agreed even though it meant pushing up the timeline slightly. “It was fun, high energy, and we all fed off the added sense of urgency,” Greg said. “They made some great decisions and made it easy to build a really nice home.”
The story and a half home is just under 5,000 sq. ft. with the master on the main floor and four additional bedrooms upstairs. Due to the water table height at Bluewater, the house is built without a basement, which is a unique concept and required a lot of thought in designing the HVAC system. Greg also wanted to create an entertainment area similar to a basement, which he accomplished with the sunken living room on the second floor. “The homeowners are a young, growing family, so we wanted to give them a traditional home with space for children as well as space for entertaining,” he said.
Creating a division of space was important for achieving both goals. Greg designed two staircases, with one that connects to a stone column off the entryway and looks like a freestanding structure. Extra sound proofing was also designed into the floor plan so that noise was minimized throughout the house. The entire home was also engineered to be the highest efficiency, with a five-zone geothermal HVAC system and radiant floor heat on the main level.
Greg’s inspiration for the home was Frank Lloyd Wright’s Falling Waters prairie style, which pulls nature inside. The great room features natural walnut beams along the ceiling, cabinets contain walnut detailing, the office has a walnut barn door, and a custom walnut dining table was built on site. He also had the face plates that cover the outlets on the waterfall style islands to match the grain of the quartz for a seamless look. “I’m extremely focused on attention to detail, which sets me apart from other builders,” Greg said.
All aspects of the home are custom, including the maple stairs, iron stair rail, and European style cabinetry. A metallic crinkled wallpaper used as an accent on one wall of the master bedroom was the first off its kind. The home also uses the Control Four smart home automation system, which integrates every aspect of the house. From any smart device, homeowners can control lighting with set themes, turning on the fireplace, and setting the motorized screen on the patio.
Even with all the details and custom touches, Greg said they were able to stay within budget and that much of the features in the home are what he regularly uses in the homes he builds. “All of the selections hold true to what we typically do,” he said. And after growing up in the business and celebrating his 10th anniversary as a homebuilder, Greg said there isn’t any style of home they can’t do. “Building a home is a personal experience and everyone has their own personal style. We have a great team, and it’s through those unique details that we can give you any type of home you want.”
