A person's most personal belongings are kept in a home, and it's where a person feels safe and accepted. A home tells a story and expresses a person’s or family's interests. To create a home requires an emotional connection and sense of belonging. A house can be a home, but a home can't be just a house. - Unknown
For those of you that love “home” as much as we do, we wanted to update you on what is happening in our world of creating places to call “home,” from the home to the land and to the experience of creating it.
IN THIS ISSUE
- What's New & Fun at Miller Marriott
- Home Spotlight: The Stillwater
- Interior Design Spotlight
- Home Maintenance
- Team Update
- Development Information
- Miller Marriott Realty: Spring Update on Real Estate
- Upcoming Events
WHAT'S NEW & FUN AT MILLER MARRIOTT
We continue to be humbled and honored to create homes for amazing families. They welcome us into their world, share how they live and what inspires them, and generously trust us with the space they will call home. What is special and unique about them brings out the very best in our entire team. We greatly appreciate our clients allowing us share their special projects with you on our website and social media.
If you have not seen the new website, please feel free to check it out. Also in the news, if you have not seen the YouTube series “How Hungry Are You?” filmed in one of our kitchens with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday, it is quite entertaining, and the homeowners said the athletes couldn’t have been nicer!
The Miller Marriott world of creating neighborhoods, not just individual homes, has been exciting with two very special neighborhoods coming to fruition, Beacon Hill in Delafield and two residential pocket neighborhoods in the heart of downtown Elm Grove. Land is a precious resource that we focus on developing thoughtfully, with care, and with the community in mind.
And after years of listening to clients and continuously trying to provide a better overall experience for them, we created the Miller Marriott Real Estate team, powered by Keller Williams. It had become painfully obvious that during clients’ initial stages of deciding what to do, there was not a single-point resource to help them simply do what was best for them; whether that was build, sell/buy, renovate, or tear down. We wanted to create a professional team that could enhance their wing-to-wing experience of finding their next home. Our clients can now find knowledgeable support when looking for land, whether vacant or with a tear down. They can also get timely help valuing their existing property and strategically placing it on the market at the right time during the construction process.
HOME SPOTLIGHT: The Stillwater
The exterior welcomes you in, the rest of the house makes you never want to leave! This beautiful home is a reflection of the family that it was created for. It was designed to reside on a very special piece of land with a floor plan that flows with how the family lives. The design of the home allows for entertaining friends and family freely, while also providing a comfortable and relaxing environment when desired. It was a joy working with this incredible family to create the place they refer to as “home” now.
The cedar shake siding on this home is classic and timeless. Cedar shake siding is a natural material that will richly “patina” over time.
A warm and welcoming entryway filled with natural light highlights the craftsmanship of millmade stairs. Details that elevate the space include the stair runner, real wood door, wainscotting, and a stair tower. Natural materials plus craftsmanship equals beautiful!
Miller Marriott’s first pool house. Creatively connected by architect Jim Marriott to the main house in a municipality where a stand-alone structure was not allowed. The pool house is connected via an inviting screen porch, fulfilling the clients vision and perfectly set up for months of outdoor fun.
The kitchen is the ideal entertaining space (because we all end up in the kitchen). The spacious island sits six people on two sides and lends itself to gathering with family members. Do not overlook the butcher block countertop. Forever gorgeous.
The primary bathroom feels like you are in a spa. We created multiple rooms within one. The separate room towards the back of the bathroom has an inviting deck-mounted tub and custom shelving details, all surrounded with the relaxing aesthetic of the tile, countertop, plumbing, and cabinetry choices.
“Welcome to our home” is what you feel when you walk up to the front door. The “eyebrow” detailing over the front door creates an inviting entrance and the illusion of a larger porch. Details like the arched garage doors and thoughtful placement of windows further enhance the warm feel.
One of the best rooms to have fun with and they did. A fun pop of color with wallpaper makes the black windows on the interior stand out. (Exterior are white.)
Settle in for a summer or fall evening with a fire in the full masonry fireplace in the screened-in porch. The space brings in the exterior with the large windows and cedar details. And don’t miss the exposed rafter detail and the chandelier’s rope detailing, which adds a coastal feel.
INTERIOR DESIGN SPOTLIGHT
From mixing metals to dark and moody pantries to reeded cabinetry, there are many things you can do to freshen up a space and make it special. Regardless if you are building or just giving your current space some love, see what is inspiring our interior design team right now.
- We are loving dark and moody butler pantries! Taking a small space and making it functional yet gorgeous is a great way to add value and beauty to one of the hardest-working areas of the home. The butler pantry houses the small appliances, coffee, beverage drawers, snacks, and more, so why not make it a place you love to be? Richer color with the right lighting has been a go-to for our clients.
- A new love of ours is reeded cabinetry. Whether it is on cabinet doors, drawer fronts, or even an island apron, the texture is timeless and rich-looking. The level of detail adds an element that is both subtle yet adds a pop of character in your home.
- Lastly, something we have been doing for some time now at Miller Marriott is mixing metals. This is another fun and easy way to change up the feel of a space while making small changes. In our model home, the Grand Haven, we mixed two metals in the kitchen, with the main metal being silver, while adding a pop with the gold light fixtures. The distance between the mixing of the metals is subtle yet still noticeable for that extra pop in the room.
MAINTENANCE/HOME CARE
It is that time of year when we care for the home that cared for us all winter long. As the seasons begin to change, and the weather begins to get warmer, our construction team recommends you follow this checklist around your home. By doing so, you will help ensure that your home runs smoothly and efficiently for years to come.
- Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and change batteries
- Check and change furnace filters
- Turn off your humidifier once temps rise
- Uncover and check air conditioner condensers (clean, check wiring for animal damage)
- Check and clean all intakes and exhausts (fresh air, dryer vent, furnace / H2O heater vents)
- Turn on hose bibs when temps rise
- Check garage door opener safety eyes for proper operation
- Make sure all gutters & downspouts are clean and clear of debris
- Inspect roof shingles
- Check exterior paint and caulking - repaint, restain, & caulk as needed
- Inspect grading for any settling and fill if necessary (especially on a new home)
- Inspect for any water presence in the basement
- Test sump pump
- Clean chimney flue if you have a wood burning/natural fireplace
- Lastly, relax and enjoy the upcoming beautiful weather we wait for in Wisconsin
TEAM UPDATE
How do our homes come to fruition? See below. One of the advantages of “Design:Build” is that it leverages an entire team and their talents throughout the client’s experience. This creative, experienced, diverse group, in addition to our new sales team pictured below, is who finds land, designs and builds beautiful homes and developments, and ensures wonderful wing-to-wing client experiences.
DEVELOPMENT INFORMATION
The School Sisters of Notre Dame - Elm Grove
The School Sisters of Notre Dame - Elm Grove development is a walkable development comprised of two pocket neighborhoods with a total of 21 single-family homes in the heart of charming Elm Grove. We will begin working with clients this summer to design their homes to begin construction at the end of 2023. These new homes will be built and designed with the timeless character that is synonymous with this cherished community.
Beacon Hill - Delafield
Beacon Hill of Delafield is located at the north end of St. John’s Northwestern Academies, artfully developed to create a walkable and social neighborhood that continues the growth and success of Delafield.
Beacon Hill of Delafield will provide a quaint community feel that complements the mix of historic and new architecture throughout Delafield. All elements of the neighborhood and its homes will reflect the high-quality construction and architectural style that Miller Marriott is known for, creating a timeless and beautiful community that pays respect to historic St. John’s Northwestern Academies.
Valley Road Farms - Delafield
One of Lake Country’s most timeless and cared-for neighborhoods is no longer a best-kept secret, with only three remaining lots. We are honored to be working with its developers to create homes for the remaining lots and contribute to this valuable and beautiful place to call home.
If you are looking for land to call home, check out the vetted land link, where our real estate professionals are locating the best places to build. Or call us to get the latest.
MILLER MARRIOTT REALTY: Spring Update on Real Estate
As with everything real estate, ever changing!
We expect a fairly flat or neutral appreciation for home values in the remainder of 2023. We were at a steady 5.5% increase in home appreciation in 2022 and are seeing that start to slow down, mostly due to increasing mortgage rates and inflation.
The hope is that this would be good for buyers in the area, but we are still seeing a very competitive market, many " sight unseen" offers, waiving of contingencies, etc. Why is this happening? Simply lack of inventory. So many people are sitting on their existing homes with little or no mortgage and don’t want to lock into a higher rate.
The good news? The rates are still historically very low. The bad news? Buying an existing home can be fairly risky when you have to bid over asking. New construction is a safe, reliable option in the current real estate market. It’s energy-efficient and customizable, and you avoid overpaying in competition. The best part: NEW! Sleep well knowing your mechanics, roof, and larger-cost items will last you a long period of time.
Most sellers get so much equity out of their existing homes that it surprises them. We love working with sellers and surprising them with how much their house is really worth. At Miller Marriott, our integrated real estate group is like nothing else offered in the area. We are experts in land, purchasing, selling, building, and investing: a true “one stop shop” for clients when finding the right realtor can be so daunting.
UPCOMING EVENTS
On April 22nd, from 10am-2pmat our Grand Haven model home, we will be hosting a sale! Stone House Collective will be selling all of the furniture used to beautifully stage this home and our long time supporters, Loom House will have their rugs used for staging the home for sale as well. Miller Marriott will also have a few pieces that we will be selling, including accessories, furniture, and more!
We can’t wait to introduce you to our two special pop-up guests: Becca's Blooms and Stems and her gorgeous fresh flowers, and Covet and Ginger with her highly sought after pottery that she cannot keep in stock.
We hope to see you there, even if you just want to stop by to say hi!
