Vesta ’99 As Clock Rolls Over to 2000, Annual Show to Feature Spacious Homes with Touches of Traditi

Vesta ’99 As Clock Rolls Over to 2000, Annual Show to Feature Spacious Homes with Touches of Traditional Elegance
By Laurie Johnson
– The Daily News –

Large, luxurious homes with elements of old-style elegance will be the focus of the 1999 Vesta Home Show, the Memphis Area Home Builders Association’s annual new home showcase that has evolved into a popular attraction during the past several years.

This year’s version of the annual event, which allows participating builders and interior designers to showcase their talents to the public, opens Saturday and continues through October 24 at The Neighborhood at Schilling Farms in Collierville.

Vesta, which attracts more than 29,000 visitors each year and features homes designed and decorated by local businesses, selects one community annually for the new home design and construction showcase.

The return to a slower, more relaxed era of family living appears to be the theme of this year’s show, which features six homes with an average size of about 4,500 square feet and ranging in price from $450,000 to $560,000.

The six Vesta homes are the first to be built in The Neighborhood, the first residential section of Schilling Farms, a $350 million, 443-acre, multi-use planned development located on the western edge of Collierville.

The development, a joint venture between Boyle Investment Company and Harry Smith, chairman of Schilling Inc., eventually will have 1.5 million square feet of office space and 90 acres of distribution space in addition to a variety of residential neighborhoods.

This year’s Vesta show marks the third time the event has been held in Collierville.

David Parsons, chairman of the 16th annual Vesta Home Show, said Schilling Farms was an impressive development, and the homes in this year’s show, featuring traditional styling and elements of 19th century architecture, were "sure to spark the interest of thousands."

"I think the success of last year’s show at Grove Park and the attractive location of this year’s event will attract additional interest," Parsons said.

More than 30,000 people are expected to attend the 16-day event, which is being sponsored by First Tennessee, WRVR-The River 104 FM and News Channel 3. A portion of the proceeds from this year’s Vesta show, one of MAHBA’s major annual fundraisers, will be donated to the International Children’s Heart Foundation.

Five registered builders are participating in this year’s show-four newcomers to the event and one veteran.

Local builders participating in Vesta for the first time include Jack and Betty Werne of Bellewood Homes; Tyke Johnson of Brentwood Builders LLC; Jim McCauley of Jim McCauley & Company Homes; and Danny Sparkman of Sparkman Home Builders LLC, who has built two homes for the show.

The returning builders are Phil Chamberlain and Jon McCreery of Chamberlain & McCreery.

"We’ve got an excellent group of some of the most respected builders in the area participating in the show this year, and a lot of those builders are already heavily involved in building in the Collierville area," Parsons said.

For several years, Collierville has maintained its status as one of the fastest-growing communities in Tennessee, as well in the entire United States, in terms of residential and new home construction.

With its mature oak trees, sidewalks and open park spaces, Schilling Farms is designed to appeal to home buyers searching for new homes in old-style neighborhood setting.

The master plan for Schilling Farms was developed in collaboration with Cooper, Robertson & Partners of New York City and Looney Ricks Kiss of Memphis.

"Schilling Farms is reminiscent of a bygone era," said J.A. Hayden, III, vice president of Boyle. "Strict building codes and attention to the smallest details are helping us maintain the small town atmosphere and architectural heritage of Collierville."

Builders had to submit their Vesta home plans to Boyle’s design review board. "Each one of those homes have had a lot of thought put into the exterior so that it resulted in the feel and design everyone was looking for in the whole community," Parsons said.

Some of the architectural features of the homes in this year’s Vesta show resemble those built in Collierville during the first half of the 19th century. Some of the homes reflect the architecture of the late Federal period, from about 1835 to 1840, and some have Greek Revival characteristics similar to homes built in the area during the 1860s.

The Vesta homes have been built around McGinnis Park, the focal point of The Neighborhood, the first phase of which will contain 87 lots.

"We think we have the setting and all the ingredients for one of the most successful home shows we’ve ever had," Parsons said.

For the past several years, larger-sized, luxurious homes have been the hallmark of the annual Vesta Home Show.

"The developers we’ve been approached by seem to have that product," Parsons said. "Over the years, we’ve recognized that we’ve traditionally been I this upper end, and we are aware that there are some people who would like to see the smaller, lower-end houses.

"But overall, these larger homes allow you to do so much more inside a home – from the molding, to the hardwood floors to the upper end cabinets – and that’s what people come to see. A lot of people also want to come in and look at the decor, and the theme and the colors, and that price and size range allows you to put that in there."

Larger homes also are easier to move crowds through, he said.

All of the homes in this year’s Vesta show are available for sale, except for Danny Sparkman’s homes, both of which sold prior to the show.

This year’s Vesta show also will feature special interest days, where experts from various housing-related fields will be on hand to provide tips and answer questions.

Tuesday, October 12 has been designated "Decorator Day."

Local designers participating in this year’s show include Pam Warren of Goldsmith’s; Linda Davis of Forgotten Treasures; Patti Brooks King of Elegant Interiors; Donna Kirk of Kirk Designs; Lyn Feathers of Lynn Feathers Interiors; Amy Thigpen of Samuel’s Furniture and Interiors; and Janet Bowden, Jeff Willis and Bill Patterson.