• Outdoor Kitchen

• Special Feature – Outdoor Bar & Grill

• Kitchen

For Marty Stafford and his team there is something even better than winning awards: this home is sold! If you haven’t already, you really should plan to come to the Parade to visit this wonderful home and check out all the special features and treatments that made it irresistible to one family.

Of course, Marty can build this exact home for you if you like but chances are you’d love to bring some of the great features to your home, and The Stafford Group can do that, too. Our favorites include
•    Mudroom that doesn’t scream “locker room” but offers lots of storage, including a cell phone charger station
•    Walk-in pantry that allows easy access for everyday items and organization options for those items needed only occasionally
•    Kitchenette that is perfect for in-law suite of basement remodel
•    Award winning outdoor entertainment area
•    Master bath and walk-in closet that we all want for our own!
•    Award winning kitchen with features that can be adapted for every home

You can bring the Parade home, one great feature at a time!

Great leather sectional in family room

My personal tour with Diane from Andreas Furniture began on the 2nd floor and the absolute highlight is the in-law suite or bonus room. Calm and serene, this space offers a complete living experience including private bath and kitchenette. Diane designed the room as a home theater for the active family and a place where guests can enjoy privacy. Complete with game table, comfortable seating and, of course, the home theater, this room is move-in ready, even down to the popcorn Diane placed on the table!

The 2nd floor loft overlooks the kitchen on one side and the family room on the other…you have to see the views to believe them! The loft is set as a casual library, a place to read and relax.

The master bedroom is a sophisticated sanctuary with a shower and bath area that you will want for your own. The oversized shower is equipped with 5 shower heads, including 1 in the ceiling, and a view of the flat screen tv mounted over the freestanding oval tub! The walk-in closet features an island drawer/shelf unit, full-length mirror and fold out ironing table.

The kids’ rooms are perfect! Built in shelving and window seats in the boy’s room will give him plenty of space to display his treasures, like the games and books Diane placed there. She even gave him a snack to enjoy while doing homework at his desk!

With bright color against white, the girl’s room is sure to be a big hit. Flowers are a theme in this room (“mom” has some of her roses on display) and there’s space for all the girlfriends to hang out.

A curved leather sectional facing the fireplace and flat screen tv is perfect in the family room. Doors open from the family room to the outdoor area and two story windows brighten the entire 1st floor. Diane told me that sectional seating is an important trend in home furnishings. Curved, modular and very comfy, sectionals come in every fabrication, color and size!

Built for entertaining, the kitchen is fabulous. You can feel the Tuscan influence in the design elements Diane selected. Artwork and rich, deep colored pottery are mixed with oversized glass vases and metallic accessories. Between the dinette and dining room, custom-built cabinetry creates a pass through than can be used as a buffet or serving area.

More later about all the details that make The Stafford Group home so unique.

With only 8 days to go before the Parade grand opening, The Stafford Group house is nearly complete. I met up with Diane Uebel from Andreas Furniture, who planned the interior design for the home. It is truly gorgeous…a must see for anyone who loves beautiful homes.  I asked Diane about the design, the plan and how they got it all done.

Marty Stafford and the folks from Andreas Furniture have collaborated for many years on other new homes, both models and Parade homes. When plans for the house were completed, Marty and Diane met to discuss his vision for the home. Then they put together a working plan for all the interior details like paint color, tile selection, countertops and carpet. Diane then developed a room-by-room design plan that included every piece of furniture, accessories, window coverings, lighting…everything! On Monday morning 4 trucks and a van delivered everything. The Andreas team spent all day Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday creating a beautiful home environment that is beautiful and livable.

While she doesn’t design themed rooms, Diane says she thinks about future homeowners and creates a story about their lives. That helps her create each room and layer in details that make the décor come alive. The overall design concept for the house is a mix of traditional and modern with a Tuscan influence.

The “family” Diane invented include mom, dad, 12 year-old son and 8 year-old daughter. The family entertains friends often and frequently has guests staying with them. Mom loves to garden and enjoys flower arranging. Dad is loves jazz. The kids are busy with school, friends and their own hobbies. Each room reflects the personality of the “family.

The Andreas Furniture team of designers plans and completely furnishes 6 – 8 homes a year for builders. They do an amazing job of combining design and function. Diane says she designs  homes for real people, like the family she created for this home! Here, everything is fully staged, down to food in the pantry, books on shelves and “treats” in the kitchen. This isn’t a gift shop, it’s a home, and it is  move-in ready!

Come back tomorrow to read more about this beautiful home and see photos of the nearly complete interior design. To learn more about Andreas Furniture visit www.andreasfurniture.com

View of kitchen from loft

The Electrolux Icon series kitchen appliances have been installed and they look amazing against the granite countertops and custom cabinetry.

Sunshine just streams in the 2 story windows, making the kitchen bright and inviting. Workspaces have been so well thought out—this room is built for someone who loves to cook!

While I was in the home, Absolute Theater was installing the family room home theater equipment. As second home theater system will be installed in the upstairs in-law suite.

View of family room from loft

Dining room

As we head toward the finish line, layers of details are added to The Stafford Group home. Cabinetry, flooring and carpet, fixtures and appliances are arriving. Nothing transforms a home like color and today I saw some wonderful wall and trim colors added to the dining room and kitchen. What a difference it has made in this beautiful home.

Deep rich cabinetry really deserves equally rich wall treatments. In the dining room a deep burnt orange has been selected for the walls, with chocolaty brown used on the tray ceiling and a creamy white trim to help the colors pop. Chocolate continues into the dinette. The built in serving cabinetry that can be accessed from both dining and dinette areas will be perfect for entertaining! This home has been designed for a family who wants to enjoy their home with friends and family.

Loft balcony

Family room colors pick up the burnished sand tone, again with cream-colored trim. Deep brown on the balcony and staircase rails adds a modern approach to a traditional treatment. From the kitchen looking through the dinette and into the family room you can’t miss the red doors—now that’s dramatic! Look for more about that view from the loft into the kitchen in coming posts.

More layers of color will be added before the Parade: flooring, tile, light fixtures and all the exquisite home furnishings. Everyday there’s something new to see, so come back soon!

Absolute will feature the new Epson Ensemble 1080p projector and 100” electric screen that has five built-in speakers, subwoofer, DVD/receiver and dedicated smart remote. You’ll see the wireless Sonos Music System with outdoor Rockustics speakers…perfect for outdoor entertaining.

For the amazing master bath (more on that coming soon) a 42” Panasonic plasma is showcased and will be used for a give-a-way drawing at the end of the Parade. Look for a Pioneer Elite “Kuro” 50” plasma on display as well.

To learn a lot more about all the products featured in The Stafford Group home, visit
Absolute Theater or contact Dave at 614.336.8152.

It's getting there!

For most of us, building something as big as a house would be an overwhelming task. Watching the progress made every week at The Stafford Group Parade home has really given me an appreciation for the amount of organization, attention to detail and skills that Marty, Daryl and their contractors and crews bring to each project.

These “then and now photos” of the family room fireplace show the layers of construction that go into building this wall. The first shot (taken from the 2nd floor loft area overlooking the family room and kitchen) shows a plain old wall. You can see where the fireplace will end up, but not much else very exciting going on there.

The next time I visited the house I could really image sitting by the fire! They were waiting on the arrival of panels that go into the fireplace surround to complete that phase. I’m looking forward to seeing the completed fireplace and the custom cabinetry that will surround it. You’ll want to be sure to take a closer look at the completed family room when you visit the home during the BIA Parade of Homes!

With over 40 years of construction experience, Daryl has done everything from “swing a hammer” as a licensed carpenter to supervising commercial building projects across the country. He and Marty Stafford began working together 11 years ago at C.V.Perry, building custom luxury homes. That experience allowed them to put together a team of some of the best sub-contractors in the area for this very special Parade home.

According to Daryl, The Stafford Group offers the home owner features and benefits that will make it a pleasure to live in. Some of the hidden features built into the house are:

• 10′ poured concrete foundation walls
• Flash & Batt insulation system
• Trust joints
• Subfloor is screwed, not nailed

Daryl has a reputation as a man of few words but today he couldn’t stop talking about this house!

“The kitchen will knock your socks off,” he said, and I believe him! With 14′ ceiling, loads of sunlight, huge dinette and great appliances and fixtures, this kitchen is designed for a family to enjoy.

More about this home’s details will be coming soon, so bookmark us and come back often!

Marty watches as the 30' front porch of the home is constructed.

The Stafford Group home is on its way to being a stand out home in the BIA Parade of Homes! I recently met with Marty Stafford, owner of The Stafford Group to learn more about his inspiration for this design and some of the features that make this house so unique. This blog will be filled with all the news and updates about The Stafford Group house, including photos, interviews and special features on this truly gorgeous custom home.

But first, a little about Marty. For over 20 years Marty has been working with the best in custom home design and construction, building homes throughout the area. In fact, the reason he felt so strongly about participating in the Parade of Homes was because of his connection to Dublin. “Tartan Ridge will be another standout community in Dublin. I can’t think of a better site for the Parade or for this home,” says Marty.

Designed in the tradition of Colonial Revival architecture, this home is built for the busy, active and demanding lifestyle of today’s family. Marty brought his experiences has a family man and his vision as a builder to the design of the home.

• Space is valuable and cannot be wasted
• Families always gather in the kitchen so make it special
• Outdoor living is important & should be designed as an extension of the home
• Every bedroom really does need its own bathroom
• Details make the home

Today I had a chance to tour the home with Marty and take a few photos. Check back every week or so to see the progress on this wonderful home, learn more about the features and meet some of the people involved.