Real Estate/Homes

an annual SJL special section

Inspiring outdoor living

Hollywood Outdoor Living wants to bring families together to enjoy the great outdoors at their own home.

The luxury lifestyle company recently decorated all the outdoor spaces at the 2023 Inspiration Home in Vestavia.

“The open-air porch is such a welcomed extension of the living room,” said Michelle Mote, Hollywood Outdoor Living’s design consultant. “Porches double your entertaining space without supersizing indoor rooms, and a fireplace warms up the space in the chillier winter months.”

She said that modern wicker is a natural for Southern porches. The set they used for the Inspiration Home has “a low profile and sleek shape.” A few traditional lamps were added to bring warmth to the space. “I chose neutral undertones for the performance fabrics.”

The uncovered outdoor patio, adjacent to the covered porch, adds another fun, functional space for dining and entertainment. It includes a Profire gas grill, entertaining console by Lane Venture, a casual dining set by Three Birds, a few Adirondack chairs by Breezesta and even a cornhole game from American Promo.

Hollywood Outdoor Living was founded as Hollywood Pools in 1986 at its original location on Hollywood Boulevard. In 2000, they moved to a building on Highway 31 in Vestavia and began offering lines of luxury outdoor furniture.

In 2005, they renovated and moved into an expanded facility further south on Highway 31 in Vestavia. They expanded their pool and spa services in 2018 through the acquisition of Alabama Outdoor Pools.

Then in March 2021, Hollywood acquired another long-time, family-owned business, Alabama Gaslight & Grill — a 52-year-old company that offered gas and charcoal grills, luxury lighting, fireplace products and accessories.

“At Hollywood, we believe that relaxation begins in the backyard. It’s really an extension of your living room and a place where some of life’s most meaningful events happen — a new baby being announced, a birthday party for grandpa, or even a small wedding! The inspiration home is just a snapshot of what Hollywood can offer for your outdoor living space,” said Mote. “Come visit our store to see more.”

Magic City a desirable market to move in

Ashley Lewis loves helping Birmingham to grow.

The Magic City native and involved Jewish community member, who started The Fred Smith Group at RealtySouth with Smith in 2004, said that half of her homebuyers the past couple of years have come from out of state.

“We have so much to offer in Birmingham with UAB, award-winning restaurants, sports and entertainment. The World Games put our area on a big stage and there’s such a great quality of life here,” said Lewis, who u Construction Damage / Defect assessments u Cost estimation, which may include replacement or reproduction cost estimates u Narrative presentations and reports with inspection findings and conclusions u Code Interpretation u Expert witness testimony for depositions, mediations and settlement conferences, and arbitrations and trials u Expert opinion on residential construction, design/construction defects, building envelope evaluation, and means and methods assessment u Pre-case evaluations u Site inspections u Litigation support u Case analysis

Stephen Fleishmann, owner of Titan Construction, has more than 25 years of construction experience and more than 15 years of experience in legal consulting. He is a highly skilled expert witness in the area of value and causation of construction defects and deficiencies.