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TODAY'S CUSTOM HOME Magazine. Upcoming Coverage January-February 2009 Issue
As seen in Today’s Custom Home
Private Haven
Farrington Offers Luxury and Exclusivity
By Trish Stukbauer
Imagine living a luxe lifestyle of secluded elegance, with a private compound set deep in the woods complete with a charming guest house, a rustic outdoor pavilion centered on a dramatic stone fireplace, and personal sport courts suited to your passions. Next, imagine the home that would be at the center of your private preserve – a richly detailed and architecturally authentic Old World estate with all the accoutrements that we have come to consider necessities of modern life. Now imagine that you could have all of this and more in a convenient location just across the state line and a mere two and a half miles from Carolina Place.
The community you’re envisioning is a reality at Farrington. Developers Terry and Carmen Cousin, owners of Primo Real Estate Group, have carefully crafted this exclusive enclave of just 42 residences to have everything they consider essential in a place one would want to call home. “The feature of Farrington that I love most is, first and foremost, the size of the home sites,” Carmen explains. “Farrington is a rare ownership opportunity that combines the convenience of being close to Ballantyne and Carolina Place with architecturally striking Old World estates within the security of a gated community and the chance to own a graciously
sized preserve.”
Farrington’s multifaceted appeal prompted Joe Lentz to purchase a home site and build his residence there. He mentions the security of a gated community with limited, spacious home sites, beautiful wooded lots and architectural restrictions among the factors that influenced his decision.“It’s close enough to Charlotte, yet far enough away. It’s very close to the Ballantyne area and easily accessible, and it has low South Carolina taxes,” he notes. In the just over a month that his family has lived there, they have been pleased with their decision. “The developers are very nice and the association is quick to respond. And we’ve seen lots of wildlife – deer and wild turkey.”
Indeed, those spacious natural home sites are at the center of the Farrington lifestyle, the goal of which is to create a haven that encompasses all of the amenities owners need and desire. Manor home sites are amply sized and range from three quarters of an acre up to 2.5 acres, offering room for amenities like private pools and spas, outdoor kitchens and cabanas, breathtaking gardens and more. Private preserves of four to more than eight acres that back to Sugar Creek throw open the doors of owners’ imaginations to a world of choices. Guest quarters and detached game rooms, some connected to primary residences via loggias or breezeways, are all possibilities. Personal recreation areas that include badminton, volleyball or lawn game courts and putting greens are all permitted under community guidelines. Imagine custom-designed children’s playhouses nestled along your own private nature trail, where bird watchers can delight in the native inhabitants. Formal and informal French or English gardens are in keeping with the architectural style of the community, as are greenhouses and decadent indoor/outdoor pools. Indeed, connectivity to nature was an essential ingredient in the design of the community.
On Farrington’s sites will be a collection of magnificent homes that capture the classic styling and timeless beauty of Old World European architecture. Influenced by French, English, Alpine and Mediterranean genres, these homes of 4,000 to 10,000+ square feet priced from $850,000 to upward of $3 million will represent a blend of architecture that has endured over time. To design the plan collection for Farrington, the Cousins turned to Michigan-based residential design firm VanBrouck & Associates, the firm that recently captured the Best Overall award and many others at HomeArama 2008.
“VanBrouck’s homes display beautiful architecture and have a unique look,” Carmen says. “It was the level of detail on the exteriors and the continuation of that authenticity on the homes’ interior combined with their luxury and unique floor plans that really attracted us to them. We also felt that they were in the same situation as Primo – they are new to the area and offer a great product, so it seemed like a wonderful opportunity to partner.” VanBrouck is creating two plan collections for Farrington – Manor Estates and Private Preserves – from which future residents can choose. Plans can then be further customized to fit buyers’ preferences as well as the idiosyncrasies of their site.
Among the fine custom builders already tapped to be part of Farrington’s Preferred Builders Guild
are Arcadia Homes, Holevas & Holton Custom Home Builders, Kingdom Builders and Persis-Nova Builders. Buyers can also bring their own plans or builder, which will be subject to architectural review and developer approval.
“Two of our country’s most popular trends in luxury communities are those with distinct vintage architecture and private preserve home sites. Farrington’s classical European architecture and spacious, wooded home sites from 3/4 acre to 8+ acres offer the best of both worlds. These distinct advantages, combined with the fine custom home building skills of our Preferred Builders Guild, will provide Farrington homeowners with a refined, impeccable style and lasting value,” Carmen states.
What a wonderful welcome to a neighborhood that combines the low taxes of South Carolina and the luxury and convenience of South Charlotte with the security of a gated community in a private sanctuary that feels as if it’s worlds away from the ordinary.
The Architecture
Farrington’s residences embody timeless architecture with their firm foundation in the enduring elements of classical design. The homes within Farrington’s Plan Book feature architecturally authentic exterior detailing that carries over into luxurious, well-appointed interiors designed to suit the way today’s families live. Buyers can choose from two plan portfolios – Manor Estates and Private Preserves – that capture the essence of fine European architecture. Styles such as French Country, French Norman, English Cottage, Tuscan Manor and more are artfully executed and faithfully interpreted for today in these detailed collections, which were created by Michigan-based residential design firm VanBrouck & Associates.
Primo has given residents the option of selecting plans from these collections, which have the advantage of being pre-approved, modifying a plan to meet their needs, or working with VanBrouck or their own architect to create a completely custom plan designed around their taste and style, pending approval by Farrington’s Architectural Review Board. With so many options, you’re certain to find a home in Farrington that’s ideally suited to you.
The Developers
For Farrington developers Terry and Carmen Cousin, the Carolinas - and Charlotte in particular - have always felt like home. While Terry was born in Miami and Carmen originally hails from Spartanburg, the couple first met while both were attending USC. When Terry began his NFL career by signing with the Chicago Bears in 1997, he moved to the Windy City, with Carmen eventually following. The couple relocated to Charlotte when Terry was signed by the Carolina Panthers in 2002 and accompanied the team to Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2003.
“After having lived in Chicago, Atlanta and Miami, Charlotte offered a type of luxury we had not seen,” Carmen says. “It was upscale, progressive, not congested and very family friendly. In fact, we started our family in Charlotte and saw many opportunities here.”
One of those opportunities arose as the couple was looking for their home. “We became interested in building and developing as we were building our home in South Charlotte. Both Terry and I enjoyed the process of building and looking at developments; we really took to it. We noticed that while one community had one or two elements that we liked, another would have different features that we also valued, so we began to imagine what it would be like to have a community that had all of the things we thought were necessities,” she says.
With that thought, the concept behind Primo Real Estate Group was born. In addition to Farrington, Primo plans to launch other Charlotte-area communities in the future.
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