By Carolyn Crist
For the AJC
When Craig and April Hoffmann began thinking about having a third baby, they decided to move into a new house with toddler and preteen spaces, and work areas for the parents. Soon after they welcomed a third daughter and Craig began another job, the Hoffmanns started building a home in Cumming’s Fieldstone Preserve neighborhood.
The priority
The Hoffmanns viewed various floor plans to find one that would encourage a family-centric environment. The family — with daughters Charley, 11, Brooklyn, 7, and Harper, 2 — tends to collect in the living room to do homework, play and read together, and their previous home was “too vertical” with five stories and few open spaces.
“We also have dinner together every night at a 10-foot kitchen table and wanted to continue to make that a priority,” said Craig, 46, director of AT&T Strategic Solutions for BI Worldwide. “We like to welcome neighbors to dinner and always have another kid sitting at our table. We really cherish that sit-down mentality at dinner.”
The search
The Hoffmanns found a lot in Cumming’s Fieldstone Preserve that backed up to the Big Creek Greenway, which was another bonus. Homes in Fieldstone Preserve range from the high $300,000s to high $400,000s. The Hoffmanns selected Lennar Atlanta’s all-inclusive package, so they could focus on family life rather than worry about choosing every single detail of the home.
“The builders called us every Wednesday evening and told us what they did that week and what they planned to do the next week,” Craig said. “We took weekly family trips to see the progress, and the consistent updates were a huge stress reliever.”
The home
The family’s new five-bedroom, four-bathroom home has 4,000 square feet and an unfinished basement. The Hoffmanns plan to raise their daughters in this home for the next 15 years, so long-term focus was key. They thought about the extras, such as including space for Charley to have a walk-in closet and her own bathroom as a preteen. They also created an at-home office for Craig that is accessed through the master walk-in closet to have privacy when needed. In the basement, they made space for April, 37, a hair stylist, to have an at-home salon.
“It’s large enough so we don’t feel like we’re in each other’s space,” Craig said. “We took a deliberate approach to these work-from-home spaces and the idea of growth in the future.”
The lifestyle
The Hoffmanns say they appreciate the new infrastructure, such as schools, libraries and shopping centers, that is following home development in Cumming. They’re also excited that nearby businesses offer dance, equestrian and swim activities for their daughters.
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