A Man’s Castle (*as featured in Custom Homes magazine*)
There’s no shortage of large homes around Charlotte, but one hybrid home is truly unique, in quality as well as style
French Countryside Castle Estate on 32.86ac – $2,750,000
It’s the most enduring cliché of all—a man’s home is his castle. For most people, that’s as far as it goes. But for Fred Nader, and his wife Lynn, it’s reality. In fact, the home could be mistaken for a European manor home—or even a small castle. Indeed, the Naders say inspiration for their plan came from Disney World’s castle and the extraordinary Biltmore home near Asheville, North Carolina. But, mostly, the truly unique design came from their bountiful imaginations. Unlike many people who end up inhibited or settling for less because they run up against traditional boundaries, the Naders have never been afraid to say, “Why not?”
Much of this fearlessness comes from many years in the construction business. They know that every new idea is just a plan looking for a solution. These days, combining styles and design elements is simply a matter of sitting down with a computer and a willing company. In this case, thanks in considerable part to a complicated if imaginative roofline, Fred and Lynn teamed up with Hearthstone Homes, based just across the mountain range in Tennessee. It was a challenge the company couldn’t resist either, particularly since the emphasis from start to finish would be on quality. Painting the exteriors and interiors of many homes literally thrown together by other builders convinced Fred that when he and Lynn designed and built their fifth home, they were going to do it right.
Great Room
“There are many large homes in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area that cost the homeowners $2-3 million, but what they’ve gotten is an increased-square-footage version of a tract home,” Fred observes. “Those homes have the basic two-inch-by-four-inch walls on eight-inch block foundations. Over time, the construction starts to buckle because of that inadequate foundation and support.”
Needless to say, Fred and Lynn placed as much emphasis on how their home was built as on how it looks. The unseen was every bit as critical as the seen. From the very beginning, after soil testing, the site was constructed so that rain water would always run away from the house. Fred then began the structure with 12-inch block filled with rebar and concrete, on two-foot-by-two-foot footings for the crawl. The walls, exterior and interior are two-inch-by-six-inch and reinforced. Flooring also featured two-by-six joist with tongue-and-groove that has been screwed rather than nailed. Spray foam was installed in the crawl sub-structure, walls and ceiling to prevent mildew development. The house was so air-tight, in fact, that Fred installed a healthy-climate vent system that pumps air into the home, but retains a hospital-quality air filtration. It was well worth the effort as the winter heating bill for the 10,000-square-foot home tends to be no more than about $400 a month.
Thanks to decades of experience and a natural eye for design, the Naders knew from early in the design process exactly what the interior would look like. That meant almost no changes during building, and a final result that more than met expectations. They appreciate how rare that actually is.
Custom Habersham Kitchen
- * Solid Exterior Walls (not 2″x4″or 2″x6″ tract home framing!)
- * Ample room for helipad
- * Great soil and layout for a vineyard.
- There are NC state subsidies for new vineyards available.
- * When Hwy74 freeway and Marshall bypass are complete, approximate
- commute to Uptown Charlotte should be around 30 minutes.
- * 15 minutes from Mint Hill, Indian Trial, Ballantyne, Monroe and new high end mall being built in Mint Hill.
- * Almost 11,000 square feet under roof
- * Offered for sale at $2,750,000 (2011 appraisal for home on only 5ac was $2,900,000)
The grandeur of the Naders’ home is reminiscent of 17th and 18th century French manors, but it’s comfortably ensconced in the still-booming central portion of North Carolina. A beautiful blend of building materials from stucco to stone to brick to log combine for a unique finish. The concrete shingles are flanked with copper valleys and gutters. Beneath the shingles is a rubberized membrane to ensure the roof will last more than 100 years.
- “Do buyers of $1 – $3 million dollar homes think that it is ‘okay‘ for a large percentage of the homes in South Charlotte’s luxury subdivisions to have had their expensive tile roof replaced already because the roof was installed incorrectly in the first place? There is an epidemic in South Charlotte and Union county of poorly constructed luxury, multimillion dollar homes that are sinking, full of mold, cracking floors, walls, ceilings, or all of the above. It is a real problem and these new homeowners don’t know where to turn but to the same builder that built it that way in the first place. “
Jetski on private 15ac lake
The site slopes gently away from the home to drain into the Naders’ man-made lake. In addition to a smart plan, it’s been fun for them with lots of recreational time, too. The acreage also features a barn for their Arabian horses. The 12,000-square-foot main building has about 10,000 square feet of heated, highly livable space.
View from equine quarters to home
Private Estate, Easy Commute To Uptown Charlotte
kitchen
Habersham Cabinets is known for appealing designs in the European casual style, so that was a natural resource for the kitchen. As the kitchen flows into the great room, the level above features a Romeo-and-Juliet balcony that ties many of the home’s elements together with panache.
Study
Side yard to pier
First Floor Mastersuite
Masterbath with Walk-In Shower, Imported Spanish Copper Soaking Tub
50′s Style Coca-Cola cafe just off media and billiard rooms
The Naders’ home has a sense of fun alongside the elegance of many rooms. There is plenty of space designed specifically for making guests feel relaxed or stimulated, depending on the mood. Whether it’s following a game of pool or a movie in the home theater, guests can marvel at the Coca-Cola collection at the mini-bar constructed of leftover log siding, turned vertical for interest. The bar includes a fridge and dishwasher to make it easy on the hosts.
Billiard
One of four full baths
Theatre | Media room
Media | Theatre room
Diningroom with fireplace
Every niche, corner and hallway reflects the attention to detail that makes the Naders’ home stand out. Glazed beige stucco walls add light, particularly in the areas where beautifully finished walnut floors add to the sense of quality.
Stunning interior ceilings throughout home
The home’s beams are laminated layers of wood, so strong that pound-for-pound they equal steel for structural integrity. As a backdrop, the Naders selected spruce tongue-in-groove ceiling, finished to reflect light and add to the sense of spaciousness.
Enjoy sunsets over your own lake
What will you do on your lake today? Jetski, paddleboat, fish, swim…
