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HOME STYLE& A BLANK CANVAS
Mastering the harmony of culture in residential design and beauty.
BY ANNA GRACE MOORE
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PHOTOS BY BRADY HUF
BBrett and Judy Huf met when they were 21 and 17 years old. Forty years later, they have now just celebrated their 37th anniversary here in Birmingham, Alabama. Hailing from Australia’s East Coast, the couple has lived all across the world, most notably Honolulu, Hawaii, before setting up grassroots here in the ‘ham.
Growing up on a farm in the outback, Brett learned a day’s work by age 10, but his creative side was nurtured, too. As he got older and created his own plumbing company, Brett realized he had a creative itch he just could not quite scratch, so he decided to try his hand in residential design and construction.
Brett designed and built his first home in 1989 in Australia, and as his business grew, Judy retired from her career as an elementary school teacher to help.
The couple built their first collaborative home in 1993. Over the last 30 years, they have designed and built 90 homes. They handle everything from the floorplans to the plumbing to the carpentry. They are a one-stop-shop.
When asked why they settled in Birmingham, Brett says the couple followed one of their sons and daughter-in-law to be closer to family. However, when asked why they stay, Brett jokes that “Southerners get his jokes.”
“Being good Australians who travel more than anyone in the world, Europe (London) is very popular because of Australian roots,” Brett says. “But, we feel like Southern culture is the closest to Australian culture because of the friendliness, sense of humor and hospitality. Here when I make a joke, people laugh.”
Judy agrees that Birmingham is home, thanks to the kindness of the folks living here. She loves the tight-knit community here in Homewood and ties of fellowship between neighbors. The couple chose Homewood as their first place to build in Alabama when they moved. We love what we do, she says.
“If you enjoy your work, it’s easy to do,” Brett says. “I think we enjoy work as much as we would retirement. Our retirement will be vacation amongst work. We’ll keep doing this for a long time.”
