By Jamie Swann, Contributing Writer
Casually strolling from room-to-room, Amelia Dadybo pointed out her favorite features.
“I really love this light,” exclaimed Dadybo as she gazed at the chandelier hanging in the formal living room. “I like to walk through the model and think about what my house will look like when it’s complete.”
Dadybo and her husband are building just down the street from the model home in Mill Creek Plantation, a 39-home community exclusive to D.S. Ware Homes.
After visiting the model, Dadybo was ready to make the move from the couple’s home in bustling Chicago to the quiet community in St. Johns County.
“We’re building this exact house,” said Dadybo, then backtracking as she turned the next corner. “Well, I will change some things to make it my own.”
Dadybo continued on her personal tour of the Carrara II, not realizing most of the other visitors were there to browse during the annual St. Johns Parade of Homes.
Last month’s parade featured 37 model homes in 30 communities in the rapidly growing county.
From townhomes to sprawling 4,000-square-foot homes ranging in price from $109,000 to $720,000, the parade showcased the wide variety St. Johns County has to offer.
With four bedrooms and three bathrooms, the 3,691-square-foot Santa Maria floorplan by Lennar in Palencia won the grand prize of the parade.
Priced starting from $546,990, the two-story home has many custom details throughout, like exposed wood beams in the large gathering room.
In keeping up with the continuously growing county, builders remain focused on an active family lifestyle. Open-floor plans, upstairs lofts and covered lanais are regular features.
Some builders turned to their creative side to give their homes a little more edge. Painted cabinets were seen in homes from Shearwater to Rivertown, where Landon Homes showcased a pale blue cabinet in its Florence bonus model.
Small organizational and personal spaces appeared frequently in this year’s homes. Many builders added built-in shelving in nooks, mud rooms and owner’s retreats.
MasterCraft Builders has perhaps one of the most unique models on the tour.
The builder incorporated organizational touches throughout its 3,261-square-foot Egret model.
The garage entry features a command center complete with in-wall USB chargers. Located just off the kitchen is a small office nook with built-in desks for two, which the builder has aptly nicknamed “Mom’s Command Center.”
Upstairs is a multipurpose loft with sliding barn doors leading to a study or activity room.
“Everyone loves an open floor plan, but an open concept makes it difficult to hide ‘junk’,” said Jen Pledger, Shearwater site agent for MasterCraft Builders. “Features like the pocket office and ... pantry keep the kitchen free from clutter.”
This year’s parade said goodbye to chalkboard walls and hello to wood-paneled accent walls.
Taking a cue from the farmhouse trends inspiring many designers seen on television, wood-paneled accent walls were everywhere from man caves to tray ceilings.
Builders are continuously expanding their ideas to make homes stand out among the crowd.
“We have always believed that our models should be award-winning,” said Pledger. “But when other people start to recognize it, that’s when you know you’re doing something right and it’s truly something to be proud of.”
For Dadybo, learning her future home won an award in the parade only fueled her excitement.
Finishing her tour of the 3,875-square-foot home, Dadybo glides into the master en suite, which has a dual-entry shower that overlooks the free-standing bathtub. The spa-like retreat begs owners to relax.
Looking in the mirror, Dadybo can’t help but smile.
“Isn’t this amazing?” she giggled. “This room is my absolute favorite.”