Talk of the Town - Brookhaven’s got the look July 27 2005

When the Carters returned to Atlanta, only one place was ‘home’

For Paulette Carter and her husband, Chuck, the decision to come back to Atlanta was made simpler by an impending job relocation: She was to begin a new job with communications company Avaya. Having previously lived in Alpharetta, the couple knew they wanted to live inside the Perimeter to avoid rush-hour traffic when commuting between home and work.

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Fans of older architecture but interested in the wider interior spaces of modern homes, they decided on Ashford on the Park, a development in Brookhaven. Literally yards away from Peachtree Road, the neighborhood balances traditional styles and modern living. The house itself has a French Provincial design, popular for its semblance to French chateaus, with siding made of gray brick, a steep, high roof, and rectangular windows with dark steel balconies. Inside, the French Provincial style quickly gives way to modern, luxurious living via stainless steel kitchen appliances, Colonial oak hand railings, and a vast, open living room area.

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Creative Loafing: What attracted you to the Brookhaven area?

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Paulette Carter: We had lived before in Alpharetta, but the traffic was so horrible, I felt like a prisoner.

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Was it hard to find a development of new homes?

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The biggest challenge is getting a builder or a new home in this area that has big spaces. It’s kind of tough to get it in the old homes around; you would need to do a lot of remodeling.

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How did you find out about Ashford Park?

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I found them through the Internet when they hadn’t even gone through the zoning process.

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How did you know you would like the developer?

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I looked at another community that the developer, Monte Hewitt, had built and I liked the way the houses looked. I didn’t want a traditional look. Even though my husband thought the other homes near Perimeter Mall had a “gothic” look, I wanted something with a French feel to it.

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Before you decided on the house, did you get a chance to look at a floor plan?

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Yes, but we didn’t like it. We wanted a more French-country design, so we were able to work with the designer to get something we liked, and the last rendering we loved.

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The homes have something called EarthCraft. Do you know what it is?

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Well, once we moved into the house, we found out more about it. It’s an organization that does certain modifications to the house so that it is energy efficient, and we do notice that the house stays cool, and whenever we need it, it warms quickly. And with us living next to the rail tracks, the house is very well insulated; you can barely hear the trains.

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Do you have a particular area inside the house that you prefer?

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We like our living room because it’s spacious. And even though it’s big, it doesn’t feel as big as it is. We feel that because this area is so open, it makes it feel cozy.

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cityhomes@creativeloafing.com