Some characteristics of homes immediately give way to the safe assumption about geographic location. Put stucco on the side of a house, and people call it “southwest.” Put a small deck on the top floor, and New England waterfront homes are imagined. Put sprawling decks with dramatic overhangs and the low-country-style homes of the East Coast come to mind.
Gracepoint Homes, a firm based out of Magnolia, Texas, is bringing the southeastern flavor to the Lone Star State. At Stillwater, the development group’s latest luxury community, 381 homes are being built to resemble what Gracepoint president Tom Cox Jr. called “timeless, classic and proportional” in a Houston Business Journal article.
What characteristics define low-country-style?
Low-country-style homes are not necessarily unique in their designs as they are functional for the weather conditions and practical for the geography. Originally, low-country-style homes were built to take advantage of the cool breezes coming off the coast.
Windows were strategically placed, or simply lined the exterior, to allow that breeze to flow throughout (air conditioning was not exactly an option when these homes were originally built.) Spacious porches with dramatic overhangs protected from the sun. Window shutters protected the home from harsh storms. It was practical.
In that design, too, homes were built to scale and a proportion that made living personable. Homes were not massive simply for the sake of space.
At Stillwater, where homes range from $370,000 up to $1 million, this style of living is being adapted for the new market. The community will offer more than just the low-country homes. There will be multiple lakes — fishing-ready — an amenity center with views over the lakes, and parks placed throughout the community.
