Castle Homes has completed the Southern Living Idea House which will be featured in August issue

The beloved porch is the focal point of the latest issue of Southern Living magazine where editor Lindsay Bierman reflects about the simplicity of life. A good porch no doubt plays an important role. “While the rest of the world has fixed on all the ways we can stay “connected,” it turns out that the South has been at the forefront of the hottest new trend sweeping the country: finding ways to stay rooted.”

One of the best ways people are staying rooting is spending time on the porch with family and friends. The upcoming Southern Living Idea House at Fontanel, which Castle Homes has just completed, accomplishes this with 2,800 square feet of porches and patios!

These spaces are being dressed-to the nines by nationally renowned designer and Southern Living columnist Phoebe Howard. You are going to be inspired by porch vignettes throughout the main farmhouse and the four additional guest retreats full of pretty candles, Ballard Designs all-weather wicker furniture, gorgeous farm tables and beautiful Southern Living Plant Collections containers of flowers.

The Farmhouse style Southern Living Idea House, built by Castle Homes, has four additional guest retreats for visitors to tour beginning June 29.

A clear porch view of the rolling hills of Fontanel is made possible by Castle Homes innovative use of cable railing.

As you look past the dreamy settings, you are going to want to notice some of Castle Homes’s favorite building elements which make a huge impact to the great porch experience.

As major proponents of all-weather, sustainable materials, Castle Homes used MoistureShield decking of the Idea House so annoying splinters or badly faded wood will never be a problem. Available in a variety of colors, the decking is made of 95% recycled content and is easy to clean.

When your view is the gorgeous hills of Fontanel, you certainly don’t want your sight obstructed by wooden railing if possible. For years Castle Homes has been looking for just the right project to use cable railing. This building innovation balances safety with the desire for clean lines of vision to the scenic courtyard.

Another problem solving building innovation are the decorative downspout gutter chains. Fashioned like small pots, the water artfully falls from the galvalume metal roof.

The icing on the pretty porch cake are the striking copper Bevolo sconces scattered strategically throughout the porches. Gas lanterns flank the door but the perimeter fixtures feature pink ambient lighting. U.S. made in Louisiana, the pink lighting cast a prettier nighttime glow and is an energy efficient bulb. According to Bevolo, the sconces are “projected to last 300 years and lights feature are most energy efficient burners in the world. “

One of our most popular porch projects to date was the 2011 Southern Living Showcase Home built by Castle Homes in Brentwood, Tennessee. An all-weather gorgeous Skimstone concrete floor with a pretty Modello design is the backdrop for the outdoor living space with a charming fireplace and screen tight sliding doors opening to the pretty backyard.

Castle Homes’s porch from the 2011 Southern Living Showcase Home in Brentwood has earned a spot in over 5,000 idea books on Houzz.

The nation’s only Southern Living Idea House at beautiful Fontanel in Nashville is open Wednesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. from June 29 through December 29. For more information, visit Southern Living’s website.

A Nashville-based design-build firm, Castle Homes earned the 2012 Southern Living Custom Builder of the Year Award. With Fontanel Properties, LLC as project developer, the 2013 Southern Living Idea House team includes architect Historical Concepts, interior designer Phoebe Howard, Page|Duke Landscape Architects with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as the benefiting charity.

St. Jude’s Ambassador Mae McNally visited the nation’s only 2013 Southern Living Idea House at Fontanel being built by Castle Homes. (Photo by Sarah Lee)

After a tour by Castle Homes Superintendent Josh Smith, Fontanel’s Laura Lacy, St. Jude Ambassador Mae McNally were serenaded by Steven Whitson at the Southern Living Idea House. (Photo by Sarah Lee)

Friday was an exciting day for the nation’s only Southern Living Idea House at Fontanel in Nashville which Castle Homes is honored to be building. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the benefiting charity of the national event, has named six-year-old Nashville patient Mae McNally as a patient ambassador for the exciting project. Mae, her mom and her sisters, Lucy and Winn, were given a VIP tour by Castle Homes site superintendent Josh Smith.

Mae will also be on hand to help the design team choose the patient art to adorn the walls of the Southern Living Idea House Resource Center and help plant the garden. Her experiences will be highlighted in special blog posts on southernliving.com. Her involvement will help bring to life the lifesaving mission of St. Jude throughout the house for the thousands of people expected to visit this year.

Mae, who was born in Nashville, was diagnosed with Wilms tumor, a cancer of the kidney, when she was just four years old. Mae’s family initially sought treatment at a local hospital. When her cancer returned Mae’s family went to St. Jude where children fighting cancer and other deadly diseases are treated with pioneering research and exceptional care. After undergoing extensive treatment Mae has recently been deemed cancer-free and was able to return home.

Southern Living Idea House St. Jude Ambassador Mae McNally and her sisters pose by the reclaimed sliding barn doors Castle Homes just installed as main house kitchen doors. (Photo by Sarah Lee)

“Partnering with Southern Living on this exciting project, allows an opportunity for the public to help more patients like Mae receive treatment at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital – where no family ever pays the hospital for anything,” said Richard C. Shadyac Jr., CEO of ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “Mae, whose charming personality and infectious joy make her a great fit for this project; will serve as a tangible link at the Idea House to the many children receiving groundbreaking treatment at St. Jude.”

Castle Homes will complete the build of the Idea House by mid-May and then project designer and Southern Living Contributing Editor Phoebe Howard takes over the interior design. It will be open to the public for tours beginning June 29th on Wednesday-Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets are $12. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Artwork created by St. Jude patients will be showcased in the Idea House which is located at 4105 Whites Creek Pike in Nashville, TN 37189. A feature on the home is scheduled to appear in the August issue of Southern Living.

With construction well under way at the nation’s only Southern Living Idea House at Nashville’s Fontanel, project builder Castle Homes continues to research materials big and small helping creating a unique and beautiful home opening in mid-June.

A five building complex surrounding a pretty quadrangle garden area, the Generational Farmhouse style main home is complemented by charming bunkies, a guest house and garage with a caretaker’s residence according to Alan Looney, president of Castle Homes.

Stepping inside the main farmhouse, the formal keeping room has a soaring 18 feet ceiling. Castle Homes’s Production Manager Brett Wright said architects Historical Concepts have incorporated four 23 feet long beams into the ceiling design.

The large Keeping Room of the Idea House offers plenty of entertaining space.

While researching old farm beams, Wright visited Eagle Reclaimed Lumber in Murfreesboro.

“It is standard for Castle Homes to weave an interesting architectural element into a house. Many times, we find unusual newel posts. Reclaimed beams, over a century old, will add an intriguing element to the open Keeping Room ceiling,” Wright said. “Over 100 years ago, the beams were used to keep the walls stable and from spreading. In the home today, the beams will be used decoratively to help bring definition and add charm.”

During the research visit, Wright found a Civil War era oak peg used to tie together wood beams.

The antique peg from Eagle Reclaimed Lumber is a great reflection of craftsmanship from the era.

Wright was amazed at the craftsmanship in the antique peg and how it didn’t mushroom when pounded into the beam.

“It’s not mushroomed at all on the end where it would have been pounded into the beam. It shows great skill in making sure the hole was created in an exacting fashion so it was a snug fit,” Wright said.

The craftsmanship reflected in the repurposed and well-harvested materials are a good choice for the important project. “From a construction standpoint, it is really neat to be able to showcase this work well-over 100 years later,” Wright reflected.

The nation’s only 2013 Southern Living Idea House at Fontanel in Nashville will be open for tour mid-June through December.

Castle Homes, a Nashville-based design-build firm earned the 2012 Southern Living Custom Builder of the Year Award. With Fontanel Properties, LLC as project developer, the 2013 Southern Living Idea House team includes architect Historical Concepts, interior designer Phoebe Howard, Page | Duke Landscape Architects with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as the benefiting charity. Continue to follow the build here.

Southern Living celebrates the essence of life in the South, covering the best in Southern food, home, garden, and travel. Reaching more than 16 million consumers each month, Southern Living connects consumers with the region’s rich culture through a variety of print, digital, mobile, tablet and event platforms. Headquartered in Birmingham, AL, the rapidly expanding Southern Living brand is part of Time Inc., one of the largest content companies in the world and the largest publisher in the United States. TimeInc. is a Time Warner company.

September's cover "Caramel Apple Muffins' were also served fresh out of the oven.

The groundbreaking for the 2013 Southern Living Idea House at Fontanel was held recently announcing Nashville-based Castle Homes as the builder of the nation’s only Idea House opening June next year. As part of the festivities, two delicious items, straight from the Southern Living test kitchen, were served which we wanted to share.

Working with respected interior designer Phoebe Howard, Castle Homes will be completing the 2013 Southern Living Idea House which open in June for a six month period. Up to 80,000 visitors are expected.

There will be a host of music, food and design activities taking place during the national event. Be sure and “like” Castle Homes on Facebook to follow the exciting build and happy eating!

Bacon-Grits Fritters were served groundbreaking at Fontanel in Nashville.