Southern Living has selected TerraBella Village, a Traditional Neighborhood Development in Covington as the location for one of two 2010 Idea Houses. Official announcement of the Louisiana Southern Living Idea House was made Tuesday, February 23, 2010 by Southern Living magazine at TerraBella Village. St. Tammany dignitaries, Parish President, Kevin Davis and Covington Mayor, Candace Watkins, as well as the developers of Terrabella Village, joined Frank Craige of Southern Living Homes Group in making the announcement.
Randy Meyer, one of the managing partners of TerraBella Village says, “We are very proud, excited and grateful to be selected as the location for one of two Southern Living’s 2010 Idea Houses. It’s going to be the vehicle to tell the TerraBella story. What better way to tell your story than through Southern Living, the fifth largest consumer publication in the United States? Honestly, it has been somewhat of a struggle to get the word out on what’s happening here in West St. Tammany, but now millions of people will see the excitement of this unique development and all the special amenities we will provide to its residents.”
“Despite all the talk of the real estate market being flat, we have a product, almost without exception, as a place where people want to live. Since January 2009, TerraBella has been the shining light for real estate activity on the northshore. We are rebuilding small town America. If you could rebuild Old Mandeville, Abita Springs and Madisonville, you are going to find it all right here at TerraBella,” said Meyer.
Kristen Payne, Director of the Southern Living Homes Group says, “We are thrilled to return to Louisiana with an Idea House and excited to partner with Southern Living builder, Wayne Miller, and developers of TerraBella”. TerraBella offers the lifestyle and amenities we look for in selecting an Idea House neighborhood. We southerners live both inside and outside our homes, so a sense of place is so important. This home is authentic Louisiana ‘gumbo’; a balanced blend of architectural styles on the outside and welcoming spaces inside.”
2010 Idea House
The house will be open for public tours starting this June, and it is expected to draw as many as 30,000 visitors from across the country. Southern Living will feature the Louisiana Idea House in the August 2010 issue of its magazine.
The house is designed by award-winning Mandeville architect, Michael A. Piazza, of Piazza Architecture Planning and built by Miller Building Company of Metairie. Interior designers for the project are Grace Kaynor and Vesta Fort and the landscape architect is Brian Sublette of Daly-Sublette Landscape Architects, Inc., all of New Orleans.
Michael Piazza, Piazza Architecture Planning said, “It is a great honor to be chosen as the architect for the TerraBella team. It seems that the majority of couples who come to visit my office looking for architectural design, usually has a Southern Living magazine tucked under their arm.”
“This project certainly puts a spotlight on St. Tammany. There isn’t a whole lot of work out there these days, but the TerraBella development is generating a lot of interest and phone calls as an alternate place to live. TerraBella offers a lifestyle that has been missing in traditional neighborhood subdivisions on the northshore. Over the years, we have had clients who live in St. Tammany and look to us to design summer vacation homes in Alabama and Florida. Now, they are realizing that they can live this lifestyle twelve months a year right here in Covington. I can’t think of a place in the greater New Orleans area that offers the types of amenities TerraBella provides,” said Piazza.
Lakefront vistas and gracious courtyard living meet in the 2010 Louisiana Southern Living Idea House. The unique mixture of Creole and Craftsman style draws inspiration from turn of the century period homes found in the small towns throughout St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana. The two level main house contains 3,589 square feet of living area and 629 square feet of upper and lower porches. The first floor features an inviting open foyer, dining, family, kitchen and breakfast booth accented by exposed heavy wood beams and columns. The second floor includes a central library/game area, three bedroom suites, including the gracious master that opens to the front porch.
A detached Carriage House features a two-car garage below an open 548 square foot studio with a small working kitchen and full bath. The sloped ceiling, accented with a glass cupola and exposed wood beams, offers great character to this bonus space. The Carriage House adds another 548 square feet of living, 548 square feet of garage and 68 square feet of balconies.
Wayne Miller, Owner of Miller Building says, “We are very excited and proud to have been chosen by Southern Living magazine for the second time since 1994. Southern Living does meticulous background work on all partners they choose for their Idea Houses and we’re honored to be chosen again. Additionally, the northshore of Louisiana was chosen amongst some very stiff competition. Areas like Austin, Texas and Charlotte, North Carolina were considered, but they saw the value in the northshore community, the quaintness of western St. Tammany and chose TerraBella Village specifically.”
Miller continued, “TerraBella’s proximity to New Orleans and having Interstate access between Texas and Florida, will provide easy access for visitors coming from all areas of the southern gulf coast states.
Jeff Sonnenberg, Director of Marketing and Sales at TerraBella says, “As someone who has been in the business for a very long time, its very rare for a national publication to put its ‘stamp of approval’ on what we are doing here. The selection of TerraBella as a location for its Idea House puts you on an entirely different plateau when talking to prospective clients. They wouldn’t put their stellar reputation on the line on something that wouldn’t remotely be successful. When we get in front of prospective clients and tell them that the Idea House is going to be here, there is a ‘WOW’ factor and instant credibility for our development. We are extremely excited about this opportunity.”
The success of TerraBella has certainly provided a well-needed spark for home building in St. Tammany. Sonnenberg says, “Southern Living expects to see over 30,000 folks visiting the 2010 Idea House. This type of activity motivates people to start thinking about moving into a new home. The Idea House introduces new home ideas and the possibility of calling a new place home. People from Baton Rouge, New Orleans and the gulf coast will now have a reason to visit the northshore to get a glimpse of the good life on St. Tammany’s northshore.”
The Children’s Museum of St. Tammany was selected as the charity to benefit from a portion of admission sales. The Junior League of Greater Covington will oversee ticket sales and tours over the three months it’s open to the public. Tickets are $5 and available at the door. For advance tickets go to www.jlgc.net.
TerraBella Village
TerraBella Village is located north of Interstate 12 off of U.S. Highway 1085, between U.S. Highway 21 and U.S. Highway 1077, in Covington, Louisiana. TerraBella Village developers have made it a point in their planning to stay within the styles of the Traditional Neighborhood Development and New Urbanism. This concept of living is like none other in this area. By incorporating green space, intimate scaled homes, a village square, a village grocery, an elementary school and many other exquisite amenities, the village allows the simple things in life to become not only a better place to live, but also a better way to live, creating a strong sense of community throughout the village.
New Urbanism and a return to the traditional neighborhood are the motivation behind architect Steve Oubre’s village plans for TerraBella. Oubre’s vision is an answer to the promise of the northshore; a safer and easier way of living that has been long unfulfilled by the builders of suburbia. Public spaces are mingled with homes, parks, and footpaths all lined with front porches and gardens. It’s an accessible way of life that takes cars out of the equation and keeps them in back lanes and garages, and puts the charming Southern architecture front and center, just as it should be. And while it’s the architecture that initially catches the eye, it’s the idea of moving backward and forward that creates a better way of life for generations to come.
TerraBella Village and the elite builders and architects chosen for this development will offer a diverse mix of home styles. Such styles will include cottages, town homes, condominiums, lofts and live-work units around the village square. Other styles will include single-family and estate houses with many overlooking the mile-long lake. The TerraBella community was built with every stage of life in mind.
About Piazza Architecture Planning
Piazza Architecture Planning (www.piazza-aia.com) founded by Michael A. Piazza, is a highly professional, well-developed design team. Since its inception in 1981, the firm has produced numerous award-winning designs by integrating the dynamic styles of modernist expression, contemporary lines and historical details with the needs and desires of the client. Flexibility of design and a wide range of professional services have resulted in many return clients through the years and numerous feature articles in national and regional publications.
About Miller Building Company
Miller Building Company (www.millerbuilding.net) is a fourth generation building company with a rich tradition of custom home building. President Wayne Miller’s grandfather, Paul Masino, founded his business in 1917 and would eventually lead to Miller Building Company in 1971. Wayne Miller joined his father, Earl Miller, in the family business after graduating college. Fourth generation, Chance Miller, joined the family business in 1993 after graduating from Tulane University. Miller Building Company, while specializing in luxury single-family homes, has also built townhomes, apartments, condominiums and commercial projects throughout the New Orleans Metropolitan area.
About Daly-Sublette Landscape Architects, Inc.
Daly-Sublette landscape Architects Inc. (www.dalysublette.com) provides landscape master plan design services that involve a high level of quality and detail. For over 25 years, Daly-Sublette Landscape Architects has been dedicated to excellence in landscape design, landscape construction and horticultural services to – not only residential clients–but also as design consultants to architects, developers and engineers.
About Southern Living
Southern Living (www.southernliving.com) the premier lifestyle and entertaining magazine of the South, reaches nearly 16 million readers each month and enjoys a circulation of about 2.8 million. Published 12 times a year by a subsidiary of Birmingham, Alabama-based Southern Progress Corporation, Southern Living celebrates the heart of Southern life.