Retired judge Clint Deveaux and pediatrician Merinda Herron didn’t need all of the space in their 4,800-square-foot home in Old Fourth Ward once their four kids finished college and moved away.
A new home in Grant Park didn’t require the empty nesters to move far, and it cut their space nearly in half. They drove by the planned site of Parkside Overlook, an enclave of six semi-detached homes, before any houses were built. The couple looked online at renderings of the homes, which incorporate some elements of modern design, and visited another house by the builder, Epic Development, in East Atlanta.
Herron, 64, and Deveaux, 69, a former municipal court judge, chatted about their new four-bedroom, three-bath home in Atlanta.
Q: Why did you decide to move?
Herron: When we built the house, there were four children and two cats and everyone was at home, but now it's just us. It's way too much house for two people.
Deveaux: Plus there are a lot of stairs. Merinda has knee problems that have just gotten worse. Once she began having difficulty, it was really important for us to get into a place where we could do without steps. In fact, it has stairs but they were able to put in an elevator in this, and it has made a huge difference.
Q: What have you changed and added?
Herron: So the main thing was an elevator. That was not in the original design at all. We also enlarged the patio and got a double oven instead of a single. Even though they don't live with us, we have lots of children and grandchildren, so we need to cook. We got a heating element under the floor of the bathroom; we have one of those European-style towel racks that are heated. We also made a full-sized door to get into the attic.
Deveaux: We moved the dishwasher so it is 18 inches above the floor, so you don't have to bend to get anything in or out.
Q: What is your favorite part of your new home?
Herron: The kitchen. It is actually larger than the kitchen that we had in the previous house. We have so much more cabinet space. All of the trash cans are hidden, so there is nothing sitting out.
Deveaux: The island in this kitchen is huge. It is 3 1/2 feet wide and 10 1/3 feet long. Whenever family come over or we have folks over, the kitchen has ended up being the most important room in the house. It is where people want to meet.
Q: Do you mind your home being semi-attached?
Deveaux: Our house is attached at the garage with the garage of our neighbor. The insulation is so good that we don't hear anything.
Herron: We can't even hear the garage door opening.
At A Glance
Clint Deveaux and Merinda Herron’s home, built in 2015, has four bedrooms, three bathrooms and about 2,700 square feet. Homes in Parkside Overlook are priced in the mid-$300,000s.
About the Author
