Dream Home with aMission
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WHEN ST. JUDE CHILDREN’S RESEARCH HOSPITAL OPENED IN 1962, the overall survival rate for children with cancer was only 20%. Today, it’s 80%, and much of that progress can be attributed to the tireless efforts of St. Jude. “But we still have some work to do,” says Russ Laney, director of the national St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway™ program. “That’s why we have fundraising programs like the St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway.”
Since its inception in 1991, the St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway has
raffled more than 650 homes throughout the country, raising $625 million for vital cancer research and treatment, which is free for patients.
Laney credits the generosity of the homebuilders, trade partners and suppliers who, even during these challenging times, have donated their time, labor and materials to build St. Jude Dream Home Giveaways.
Ticket sales for the 2022 Cleveland-area St. Jude Dream Home, located in Shaker Heights, raised more than $2 million for St. Jude’s vital research.
Scan here for a virtual open house:
COVER PHOTO BY MATTHEW GARSKY
It’s no secret that a drive along Fairmount Boulevard takes you past a plethora of architectural gems. Now, there’s a new house on the block — and it fits right in. Builder Keystate Homes, in collaboration with Cornerstone Architecture, created a one-of-a-kind home for a good cause: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
“When St. Jude asked us to volunteer to build this at no cost on our end, we signed up right away,” says Andrew Gotlieb, business development director at Keystate Homes.
When Gotlieb approached Gary Neola, principal at Cornerstone Architecture, about collaborating, it was an instant “yes.”
The city of Shaker Heights donated the lot, and dozens of local designers and vendors signed on to support the cause. The result is a stunning home of unrivaled quality and accessibility (there’s even an elevator).
Green building is the standard for Keystate Homes. This home has an anticipated Home Energy Rating System (HERS) score of 50 or less — an excellent score. The team recycled lumber during framing and used an aggregate of upcycled brick, porcelain, quartz and granite for the driveway base — material that would have otherwise ended up in a landfill. In addition, all doors and windows are Energy Star certified, making this an Energy Star certified home.
“This Cleveland St. Jude Dream Home has been built with such meticulous care by the builder and trade partners that it reminds me of the art of clock making,” says Russ Laney, director of the St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway program. “Each lug and gear is carefully placed into its housing, so that when the final bezel is attached, it’s a near perfect fit, and simply a masterpiece.”
Designers Cynthia Haight and Nicole Monaco worked to create differentiation between the kitchen and living room area while staying true to the modern farmhouse theme. They were also careful to consider the other designers’ styles to maintain cohesiveness throughout the home’s open floor plan.
The full-height quartz backsplash sets the kitchen apart. “Instead of tile, we wanted to use something seamless, really clean and timeless,” says designer Ashley Paul. The lighting was also key in creating a unique design. “I think of it as the jewelry of the space,” Paul says. “It’s a great way to add interest, and it’s also super functional.” She considered a person’s typical circadian rhythm cycle when choosing the lighting: overhead lights during the day and wall lighting (such as the sconces framing the kitchen window) at night.
Designers Cynthia Haight and Nicole Monaco wanted to create interest in every room, including the powder room, where they added geometric details to one of the walls. “It looks like wood and provides texture and has some dimension to it,” Haight says.
Designers Catherine Stuart and Jacque
Prude had fun with the wide-open third floor area, designating it as a family hangout space. One end of the room features a TV and built-ins for the ultimate teen hangout, while another area caters to younger children, offering a rock climbing wall, custom playhouse and cozy window seat. “We just really wanted it to feel fun and have a fun energy to it,” says Prude.
Supply chain issues are still affecting homebuilding, but the Dream Home designers found a clever workaround when the original tile for one of the bathrooms was delayed. “We used the flooring in the shower on the entire floor,” explains Cynthia Haight.
Designer Lauren Shepard went bold in the other bathroom, using black tile from floor to ceiling with gray grout in a herringbone pattern. “Even though it’s a small space, it really adds dimension and is a big ‘wow’ factor,” she says.
Thank you to these companies for going above and beyond:
Thank you to the St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway national sponsors: Thank
Thank you to the project participants:
Absolute Flooring & Tile
Alex Chan Photography
Apollo Supply
AW Decking and Construction
Aztech Engineering and Surveying Co.
Baird Brothers
Fine Hardwoods
Berry Insulation
Bloom Brothers Supply Co.
Bruder Inc.
Cleveland Lighting
Construction Smith Inc.
Dave's Plumbing & Home Maintenance
Eastwood Furniture
Ebel's Installations
Eli's Trim Carpentry LLC
Graves Lumber
Huber Engineered Woods
Liftmaster
Mason Steel
Mussun Sales Inc.
Nosotros Rock Climbing Gym
Olympian Cleaning Crew LLC
Optimus Builders
Rock Candy Holds
Selectric NE LLC
Sherwin-Williams
Therma-Tru Doors
Trzaska Rosen Faller LLC
Welker McKee
Special thanks to the city of Shaker Heights:
Joyce Braverman
Jeri E. Chaikin
Twila Crosby
Dan Feinstein
Lisa Gold-Scott
Kyle Krewson
Dave Kulcsar
Kamla Lewis
William M. Ondrey Gruber
Mayor David Weiss
Brendan Zak
Special thanks to the design team:
Thorson Baker + Associates
Steven Bell
Cynthia Haight
Jaclyn Heller
Karen Himmel
Nicole Monaco
Gary Neola
Ashley Paul
Jacque Prude
Dorit Sade
Kelle Schwab
Lauren Shepard
Catherine Stuart
