A POCKET OF PEACE

A Pocket of Peace STORY BY BETSY ILER & PHOTOS BY KENNETH BOONE

The Malzahns' house is oriented toward the big view on the point of the lot, just as the original cab was sited LAKE 51

A cupola channels light into the large living space and lends a cabin feel to the Malzahns' lake home French bleu antiques blend beautifully with contemporary craftsman finishes in the South Ridge home

Lake Martin is a pocket of peace in the fast-paced world of college football for Kristi and Gus Malzahn. Originally from Arkansas, the couple purchased a lot on Dawson Point at South Ridge in 2017. “We looked at several places, but this was where we just wanted to be,” Kristi Malzahn said. The property had been part of the old Dixie Sailing Club grounds, which occupied the area south of The L loved being here.” When they bought the lot, Lake Martin was a convenient escape for the Malzahns, as Gus had recently started his tenure as head Ridge neighborhood for some 50 years in the late football coach at 1900s and early 2000s. When the Malzahns closed on Auburn University, the purchase, an old Lake Martin fishing cabin stood but the couple had on the point lot. Built in the mid-1900s, many of more than a shortthese simple green cottages had lived another life as term getaway in homes in the mill districts in nearby towns but were mind when they chose the Dawson Point property. moved to the lake after World War II. Lacking insula- They wanted a lake home that would accommodate tion and air conditioning, the few cabins that remain them in retirement, as well as fuel vacations with are used only in the warmer months of the year. their children and grandchildren. To create the dream In its sailing club days, the Malzahns’ cabin had home, they turned to the one architect who knew the been leased by the parents of Birmingham architect property better than anyone else – Taylor Dawson. Taylor Dawson, whose first architectural project was “He had experience on the land. He knew the a bed-and-bath addition to the cozy Lake Martin property and the view,” Malzahn said. cabin. When Russell Lands built a neighborhood on “My father and some of his friends started the the former sailing club grounds, the street where the Dixie Sailing Club there,” Dawson said. “We were Dawson family had lived was named Dawson Point. able to get the cabin on that lot about 50 years ago. “In our contract to purchase the property, we Really, it was just one step ahead of camping out, agreed to take down the little cabin and start con- just one big screened porch. It has multiple views. No struction on a lake house within two years,” Malzahn matter where you look, you’re looking at the lake. said. “We knew the cabin was not a long-term resi- “I tried to approach the Malzahns’ house with no dence, but we waited until the two years was almost preconceived notions but finally realized the way to up before we took it down. We just loved it. We site the new house was the way the original cabin

was oriented – toward the point, not the bridge.

“The challenge is in how to balance the natural light, so there are no dark spots in the house but also no glare and in creating a large space but still keep it cozy.”

Taking what the Malzahns loved best about the old cabin to another level, Dawson focused his design on large, cozy spaces and the view. Situated at one of the southernmost points on The Ridge peninsula, the lot enjoys a nearly 360-degree sightline at the end of a long, narrow driveway. The house is not visible from the road, but over the rise and through the trees that line the drive, it emerges into view like a soft blanket, invoking a sense of peace and sanctuary that grows as the house is approached.

Bible verses engraved on bricks are tucked into corners throughout the house

That sense of peace is purposeful and planned. Starting at the front door, the Malzahns placed bricks in corners, on dressers and in cabinets throughout the home. Engraved with Bible verses, the bricks are subtle decorative elements that welcome guests and ground the family’s home in faith.

“It’s really who we are and how we try to live. When someone comes into our home, we want them to know that this is us. This is where we are and what is important to us,” Malzahn said.

When they could no longer avoid the cabin removal clause in their contract, the Malzahns began the planning and construction phase of their life at the lake. Fourteen months later, they moved into the cabin-inspired Dawson Point lake house. Malzahn enlisted the help of her friend, Joan Asbury of Wakefield Home in Opelika, to blend her penchant for French country antiques with Dawson’s contemporary craftsman design.

“We loved what Taylor did. There’s all this light, and every bedroom has a lake view,” Malzahn said. “Joan knows what I like, and she knows just what to do to make it look good.”

In Lake Martin style, Dawson placed a glass window in the simple entry door on the driveway side of the house. Even from the front step, Lake Martin takes center stage, as this vantage point offers three distinctly different lake views: a picturesque slough

The painting in a sunroom off the kitchen set the color palette for the home's interior

to the east; open water to the west; and through the door, a spectacular long view of the islands that dot the Overlook shoreline to the south as the lake wanders its way to Martin Dam.

In the entry, Malzahn spread a soft blue and white rug from Wakefield Home in Opelika in front of an antique hutch she found at French Bleu Antiques in Atlanta. The combination introduces the subtle creams and soft blue shades that are the home’s signature colors. While an open hall on one side of the entry leads to the master suite, a guest room and access to upstairs, the kitchen opens to the opposite side of the entry.

Thoroughly functional with upgraded appliances and a roomy galley working space, the kitchen focuses on casual dining. The island, approximately 10 feet long and 4 feet wide, is topped with a slab of cream-colored ceramic tile with a vein of soft gray that flows seamlessly through it.

“I love the look of marble, but that just wasn’t going to work for our family. We needed something more durable, so this gives us the look of marble but will stand up to the use,” Malzahn said.

Stout bar stools on the long side of the bar sport backs with a white and brown burlap-look upholstery with white leather seats that are easy to wipe clean. Large nail heads on the bar stools are repeated in other furnishings throughout the home. Like the

Watching the sunsets at the lake are a favorite way to relax for Gus Malzahn, who loves the home's outdoor spaces LAKE 57

The infinity-edge pool offers a water-level view of the lake LAKE 59

The ceramic tile countertop slab from the kitchen is repeated around the tub and shower in the master bathroom

French bleu tones, the nail heads carry Malzahn’s design elements from room to room, lending the feel of a shared-space cabin to the home.

A large island sink makes cleanup quick and easy when the family has finished breakfast and is ready for a day on the lake.

On the galley side of the island, Malzahn maximized storage space with cabinetry above the traditional upper cupboards. For easy access, the Malzahns installed a gliding ladder that can be removed when it isn’t needed.

The living space walls are horizontal nickelgap paneling washed with watered-down Sherwin Williams Shoji White, which reflects the light from the windows on three sides of the home. The floors downstairs are dark stained oak. A row of transoms above the windows maximizes the natural light, and a windowed transom cupola in the center adds interest to the high ceiling. In these big-water-view rooms, the window placement creates the illusion of the home sitting right on the water.

The versatile living space offers seating options for large and small gatherings alike. Matching cream covered sofas flank the fireplace in neutral tones while accent pillows range from cream to soft blues and the occasional bright blue hydrangea. The pillows and other accent elements add lively pops of color that invite conversation. In one corner, a large round table, surrounded by eight chairs upholstered in the same style and fabrics of the kitchen bar stools, can accommodate meals and meetings for a small crowd. In another corner, four easy chairs around an antique European wedding table offer a suitable setting for more intimate discussion.

The cascading doors of a NanaWall open the south side of the living space to a covered and wrap-around Alabama flagstone deck. Two steps off the covered deck lead to a second, open-air flagstone patio, an infinity-pool deck and seating in front of a tall chimney. The lower level deck also includes an outdoor kitchen just off the main house kitchen. More tables, chairs and loungers offer plenty of conversation options when the Malzahns entertain. Electronic screens convert the covered deck to a screened porch, but Malzahn said they are rarely used.

“There is always a breeze here, so there are never mosquitos. It gets so windy that we don’t keep the cushions out, and we added weights to some of the

The south lake view is visible through the front door

The Malzahn family finds inspiration in their faith

furniture to keep the wind from moving it around,” she said.

To keep cushions readily accessible, the couple hired Eric Ward to make large storage boxes that blend into the exterior walls of the home. The boxes also serve as buffet tables when the Malzahns entertain.

It’s the home’s outside features that most appeal to Gus. When he can escape to the lake, he likes to hang out in the infinity pool, which offers him the unique perspective of a lake level view. He especially likes to watch the sunsets from the southwest corner of the deck, where Lake Martin’s Big Water tapers toward Martin Dam.

With the main rooms and entertainment spaces finished for guests, Malzahn is taking more time to look for the right pieces that will finish the private rooms of the house.

“We got the main rooms done, but then, I kind of took a break. I would get here and just want to relax. This is going to be our retirement home, so I didn’t have to get it just right all at once. I decided to take my time, and I can just be here and enjoy it. That’s really what it’s for,” she said.

Upstairs, Dawson clustered four bedrooms in casita style on the east and west sides of the house to offer privacy for visiting family.

“The casita style kept the integrity of the original cabin, too,” Malzahn explained.

Banked with transom-styled windows, each bedroom has its own bathroom. The rooms on the second floor are designated for the Malzahns’ two daughters and their families. Married 33 years in May, the Malzahns have two grandchildren and recently learned a third is expected this fall.

As the couple is in the midst of moving their main residence to Central Florida, where Gus will be head coach for the Knights, they look forward to visiting their quiet escape on The South Ridge’s Dawson Point often. It is here on Lake Martin that they rest, relax and share the peace of being who they are with those they love.

inSight Construction

Wetumpka based business looks toward the future

While working as project manager for the Historic Downtown Streetscape Beautification project, Brent Megginson of Thomasville, Alabama, quickly fell in love with Wetumpka. After befriending many and becoming a familiar fixture during the daily construction activity, Brent took steps to leverage his Alabama Home Builders License of almost 20 years and formed inSight Construction with partner John Capell, establishing headquarters right in the heart of the city.

Having worked in the construction industry for his entire career, Brent has worn many tool belts in every facet of the business, from flooring and kitchen/bath remodeling to supervising new custom home construction. Keeping the family involved has allowed him to bring his brother, Eric, and son, Hayden, onboard with inSight Construction.

Brent is currently wrapping up the historic Fain Theatre café build-out for Provisions Cheese and Wine Shoppe, and inSight Construction is looking forward to starting several remodeling and new build projects around Lake Martin, as well as civil and municipal projects in Elmore and Clarke Counties.

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CommeRCial

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Working Remotely?

Internet service is a top concern for buyers

Ifirmly believe that all real estate is local, meaning that I always put much greater stock in local trends than I do national ones. But when my Lake Martin observations line up with what’s garnering headlines across the country, I pay attention.

I recently read a really interesting article that made me think. The March 8, 2021, issue of the Wall Street Journal had an article by Richard Florida and Adam Ozimek titled, “How Remote Work is Reshaping America’s Urban Geography.”

They talked about how the pandemic is affecting where people live or where they work or both. They pointed out that a little over a year ago, the number of Americans that worked from home was about 10 percent. If we fastforward to now, after a year of COVID-19 restrictions, that number is estimated to be about 25 percent. They don’t see this as a temporary trend, but as the establishment of a new baseline. In other words, once we as a country get back to normal, about one out of every four Americans will work from home.

Florida and Ozimek pointed out many effects to this trend, one of which is that people are moving away from cities with high costs of living, such as San Francisco and New York. People are moving into smaller metro areas with relatively lower costs of living, like Austin, Nashville and Charlotte. The migration doesn’t stop there. Rural cities like Bozeman, Montana, and Jackson Hole, Wyoming, also are becoming popular. There’s even a new term for areas that are seeing an uptick of

LAKE PROPERTY remote workers: Zoom towns. I BY JOHN COLEY assume you have heard of Zoom, the software that many folks use to videoconference. Add it to the list of stocks I wish I had bought in 2019. Zoom is one of the digital tools that allow remote working to be less painful than it has been in the past.

Anyone that was at Lake Martin in March and April of 2020 can tell you what it was like. It was as if everyone had spring break all at once and decided to come to the lake. At first, it was just people looking to vacation somewhere. Then I noticed that a lot of buyers I talked to were, in fact, motivated by the pandemic. Some of them said, “Hey, if I am going to have to quarantine, it might as well be at the lake.”

The next step was to connect the dots to their work schedule. They followed up with, “By the way, how’s the internet service at this house? We are working remotely right now.”

My guess is that Lake Martin gets a lot more remote workers than normal because higher income jobs tend to have a higher percent chance of working remotely.

People want good internet service these days.

I know this all seems like Captain Obvious territory. It’s not like the internet is a new phenomenon, and – news flash – consumers want fast internet. No one calls their service provider and asks for a slower speed. But the degree to which the pandemic has sped up the transition to remote working is worthy of note.

Back in 2018, I was talking to a developer that was contemplating a new neighborhood at the end of a long road that did not have any wired internet service. I pointed this out. The developer countered that it would cost $100,000 in infrastructure improvements to speed it up. My advice was to go for it. I reasoned that if the average second-home owner has a choice between lightning-speed internet and a community pool or a tennis court, the choice will be the web every time. After all, if it allows a homeowner to work from the lake and squeeze in some more family time on the water, it is a no brainer.

The developer disagreed, and sure enough, internet speed was a top question that prospective buyers had.

I agree with the conclusions of Florida and Ozimek. This is not a fad. High speed, reliable internet is a necessity of a utility. If I were a developer or a county commissioner or on the city council, I would put internet service at the top of my priorities list.

~ John Coley is a broker and owner of Lake Martin Voice Realty. Contact him at john@lakemartinvoice.com.