A home built for entertaining

A home built for entertaining

Billy Reeves, Jr., president of Founders Kitchen & Bath, was able to use many of his own vendors in creating his dream home in a golf course community Alpharetta.

Billy Reeves Jr., president of Founders Kitchen & Bath, started building his three-bedroom, seven-bath Alpharetta home in the gated golf community called Echelon in 2006. Reeves says, "[I] tried to use all the vendors that we buy cabinets from: the kitchen is from Kitchencraft, bookcases from Wood Harver, the downstairs bar is from Showplace [and] all bathroom [cabinets] are [from] Kitchencraft.

Reeves' home is among 18 sprawling properties that have been built in the gated golf community called The Echelon in Cherokee County. The builder originally planned 88 lots. The community has a clubhouse and tennis courts that frame a dazzling and challenging golf course.

"Billy is all about giving parties," shares his longtime interior designer Rhonda Feldman of RLC Designs who selected soothing neutrals, taupe, cream and a hint of gold for the great room (pictured). "He gives six large parties a year." He's hosted cowboy-and-western and Hawaiian parties. "We have a huge mix of people in the subdivision, [the] next party coming up is going to be an East Indian themed party," adds Reeves.

"Billy's favorite color is blue, so I had to incorporate blue," shares Feldman. "We wanted something soothing in a monochromatic color scheme (for the keeping room, pictured). [The] keeping room was a real challenge to get the symmetry to make it appear vast and open."

"Billy had definitive ideas which we had to incorporate," offers interior designer Rhonda Feldman, "the fish was number one, that was my big anchor for the room, it had to be an attraction without overwhelming the room." Reeves says, "The great room has some of the nicest architecture in the house. The coffered ceiling is painted brown, but at night it shows up as orange."

"We decided the aquarium would be the focus piece," says Reeves. "It's 225 gallons, low-maintenance, state-of-the-art equipment on an automatic feeder. The fish are African cichlids; there are 40 in river water. It's a pleasure to sit there and watch them at dinner."

The kitchen has double islands and dishwashers, two double ovens and Wolf and a Sub Zero 48" glass-front refrigerator. The custom light fixture set in the vaulted ceiling is from C Lighting. "It's a little bit off the cuff," adds interior designer Rhonda Feldman.

The architectural style of the Reeves home is transitional European with an open floor plan. The 1,000 bottle wine cellar, media room, master bath and spacious designer kitchen vie for the title of showstopper. Each of these rooms is lathered with in-demand luxury appointments.

"When Rhonda and I started putting the house together we actually wanted to put two round tables in the dining room to seat four people each that we could push together for a larger party. We were at Southern Designs at ADAC and they had this beautiful bold walnut table on sale, it fit perfectly," recounts Reeves.

A gorgeous bowl given to Reeves by his company as a holiday present a couple of years ago is a glistening centerpiece in the formal dining room.

Reeves collects fine glass pieces by Frable, Agam, Lalique and champagne glasses by Erte (pictured).

"There are about 225 light cans in this house with low-voltage white lighting," notes Reeves. Pictured is a guest room.

Reeves says he had the most fun designing his master bath. "I always wanted a shower where I can shower with my significant other and not have her water get on me," he offers. "We added a 15-head shower [which has] body sprays, regular heads, hand-held heads, a body spray from the ceiling, and a huge rain head in the middle. I did not make it a steam, it is exactly what I wanted."

The master bathroom features a Kohler soak tub. "It is a 7' infinity tub that overflows then reheats and goes back into the tub, it has no jets and all the therapy is light therapy. We added the feature of having the water faucet in the ceiling," explains Reeves.

"The basement is 3600 square feet and is purely for entertainment, [there's] no bedroom downstairs at all," offers Reeves. It features a sports bar, an 85" projection screen with four 32" screens around it. "It's been great for the bigger sports events."

The poolside area on the basement level was inspired by spa design. The area is equipped with spa sinks, his-and-her changing rooms, lockers and showers. "It's been very functional for when we entertain around the pool." The flooring comprises glass blocks with traditional slate.

"It was supposed to be the Georgia Tech Club," offers Reeves of the original plans for his gated golf community. "Since I graduated from Georgia Tech this is where I wanted to end up. All the lots were originally sold (18 homes have been built) this would be where I would retire, play golf and hang out." Interior designer Rhonda Feldman of RLC Designs says the gorgeous view of [the] 6th fairway was the anchor for her design vision for the home.

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Billy Reeves Jr., president of Founders Kitchen & Bath, started building his three-bedroom, seven-bath Alpharetta home in the gated golf community called Echelon in 2006. Reeves says, "[I] tried to use all the vendors that we buy cabinets from: the kitchen is from Kitchencraft, bookcases from Wood Harver, the downstairs bar is from Showplace [and] all bathroom [cabinets] are [from] Kitchencraft.

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