Holding Court
By BethSnipes
The best indoor living may be just
outside your front door. Courtyards, all
the best manor house and palaces have
them and now, thanks to a hot new
building trend, you can, too.
The courtyard is a simple idea,
an outdoor space surrounded by four
walls. But that simple idea is really a
lifestyle, one that’s been around since
man started building. According to The
Columbia Encyclopedia, homes builders
during the Han Dynasty (202 B.C.
to 220 A.D) designed their floor plans
around an inside-outside space that
was the workhorse center of their home.
Outdoor kitchens, gardens and sleeping
areas were hidden in the privacy of their
homes. Nosy neighbors were out
of luck.
Courtyards never went out of style,
but decks and screened porches took
over home scene. A good idea doesn’t
go away for long, though. Courtyards
are back and Kevin and Heather Dees
are bringing them to Lee County.
The young couple, both Auburn
University grads and living in Opekila,
started Dees Home Building two years
ago. It wasn’t to make a living, Kevin is
a sales engineer for that, but to follow
their passion. It runs in the family, Kevin
is following in his father Tim’s boot
steps. Tim Dees, a contractor in Daphne,
passed his respect for quality and his
eye for creativity to his son. Then Kevin
married Heather, and found he picked
not only the perfect wife but the perfect
partner. Heather’s style and love of
interior design and real estate rounded
out their business. He draws the house
plans and builds, she gives them their
fi nal polish and sells. They do
it all.
When the two visited the home of
friends in Atlanta, they were inspired.
The house was built around a center
courtyard that created a open living
space in a private setting. “We fell in
love with the courtyard concept.” says
Heather. So, last October, they broke
ground and got to work. If you’ve driven
by The Estates on Veteran’s Parkway in
Opelika, you already know it’s a new
upscale neighborhood in town. Stylish
homes line the new streets and right in
the middle is the Dees fi rst courtyard
concept home.
The Han Dynasty may have had
courtyards, but they were nothing like
this. It’s more than just an outside space;
it’s part of the living area.The house
opens its doors to nearly 500 square
feet of extra living space and you can
live in it anyway you’d like. “We envision
an outdoor kitchen and being able to
entertain out here” says Heather “and
there are speakers to pump out music to
the courtyard.”
The fl ow from inside to out makes
it a perfect area to entertain but there
are other perks. “The house is on about
a quarter of an acre so the courtyard
gives you privacy you wouldn’t expect.”
explains Heather. You can stretch out
and read a book withoutthe neighbors
knowing what page you’re on. It’s also
perfect for a kitchen garden and a safe
spot to let young children play.
The Dees didn’t skimp on the inside
living features, either. The master suite
has a sitting room to nestle in and a
chandelier-lit garden tub that calls your
name. And the open fl oor plan pulls the
home’s living area together. Custom
ardwood cabinets, granite counter-tops
and stainless appliances give the kitchen
style and it’s open to the living room so
making dinner doesn’t mean you’re cut
off from family action.
The Dees love what they do and it
shows. They took care to think through
what makes a home a palace and
they’re on to something; because, after
all, shouldn’t all palaces have a courtyard?
If you’d like to see if courtyard living
is for you, you’re in luck. Stop by the
open house at 1400 Finchley Court this
Sunday, February 25, from 2 to 4. For
more info, contact Heather, a Coldwell
Banker realtor, at 334-559-9095.
Beth Snipes is a freelance writer living in Auburn. She can be reached at bsnipesatl@mindspring.com.
|
|
