We’re excited to share the following news…
The Parade of Homes, dating back to the 1940’s, is an annual event hosted by the Metropolitan Builder’s Association (MBA) of Milwaukee. Twenty different home building companies participated in the 2018 event. This year, James Craig Builders Inc. of Milwaukee decided to push themselves to the limit—and it paid off. The James Craig model, the Rosewood Cottage, took home nine of the twelve judges awards in the Lilly Crossings subdivision site in Brookfield. When the Lilly Crossing subdivision was announced as one of the sites, Craig Rakowski, owner of James Craig Builder, knew he wanted to participate in this year’s Parade of Homes after a 10-year absence.
“The reason we did it this year was twofold,” said Rakowski. “We wanted to celebrate our 20th anniversary by creating a home that included extra features and a lifestyle-oriented design. Also, since this year’s Parade of Homes was so close to our office, it gave us the chance to build the perfect representation of what we do for our customers right in our proverbial backyard.”
In this year’s Parade of Homes, James Craig Builder’s accepted the following nine judges awards from the Metropolitan Builders Association for the Rosewood Cottage in the Lilly Crossings subdivision: Best Overall Model Home – Gold, Best in Construction, Best in Design, Best Exterior – Design, Best Kitchen, Best Family Living Area, Best Interior, Best Finished Basement, and Best Master Suite.
As you might expect, the Rosewood Cottage design features some unique details on the floor plan. For example, there is a door that goes directly from the study to the front porch. This design is for several reasons. “In the ‘day of Amazon,’ it makes it easier for people working at home to bring packages in,” said Rakowski. “It also helps people working from home guide clients into the work area without having them go through other living spaces.” A business that has product pickups could also have packages picked up through this space with minimal intrusion.
Additionally, the home features a living space for an elderly family member needing a caregiver. The basement area features a curtain-less, accessible shower area. There is also a door with a finished staircase leading from the garage to the basement, so a hired caregiver would be able to go directly to the person needing care. They would be able to pull their vehicle right into the garage and go directly downstairs.
“Our Parade home this year was a good representation of what we do for our customers,” Rakowski said. “We didn’t use any different subcontractors or suppliers on the Rosewood Cottage. Every process was the same for building a home for any of our customers.”
Rakowski mentions again and again that the expertise of his staff helped make this year’s build a success. The synergy and experience that the staff had with each other were a major component in the success of the project. Staff members at James Craig, such as Tory Heil (Builder), Brenda Kugler (Interior Designer), Tyler Rakowski (Builder), and Dave Montguire (Director of Construction) all made major contributions in building the Rosewood Cottage. Thank you is extended to the entire James Craig staff, contractors, and subcontractors who helped build, finance, and organize the construction of the Rosewood Cottage.
To James Craig Builders, this project was a labor of love. They are truly thankful for not only the judge’s response but the public’s reception to the Rosewood Cottage as well. To learn more about the award winning model located in Brookfield, click here.
