Great American Homes Volume
40Pages

2012 : VOLUME 1 a publication of GENERAL SHALE

See how Sean and LaVonne Crosby built their tribute to true Tuscan living amidst the beauty of the Utah desert. How do you bring excitement to a 100-year-old country club? You take it outdoors with a laid-back lifestyle and a few marshmallows. OLDE WORLD CREATIONS 36 Cook up some of Chef Mario Batali’s favorite wood-fired recipes for your next party. Great American Homes is a publication of General Shale, Inc. For more information about General Shale products, please visit your local General Shale retail showroom, visit us online at www.GeneralShale.com or call us toll-free at 1-800-414-4661.

The dream of home ownership is a birthright that comes with the fruits of hard work and a vision of fine living. Great American Homes magazine is an annual celebration of that dream and all that it embodies. Inside these pages, our featured homeowners offer a glimpse of the vision and creativity that went into making these dream homes a reality. You will note that our featured homeowners also share a passion for enduring beauty that only brick and rock can offer. General Shale has been helping homeowners build their dream homes since 1928. Today we have aligned our company to serve not only...

silas lucas e/m arriscraft sienna P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y peter montanti BRICK NAME STONE ACCENTS

R E S I D E N C E chris and shawn belcher matthews, north carolina

great american idea Clay or concrete pavers provide a perfect alternative when creating a gracious and welcoming entrance to your home.

his home in Matthews, North Carolina, is the third ground-up project for Chris and Shawn Belcher. This time they knew exactly what they wanted inside and out. Their builder recommended General Shale after hearing what the Belchers envisioned for the exterior. “We wanted a stone foundation that was a little different from most homes you see. General Shale representatives worked with us to find a load-bearing stone that would allow us to put brick on top,” says homeowner Chris Belcher. “My wife picked the colors.” The stone accent is Arriscraft™ Building Stone Sienna, and the brick is Silas...

walnut creek tudor arriscraft indiana blend P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y peter montanti BRICK NAME STONE ACCENTS

R E S I D E N C E scott and teresa stephens blountville, tennessee

beautiful things COME FROM DISASTER That’s what the Stephens family found after their home in Blountville, Tennessee, was destroyed by fire. That home was built with General Shale products, and Scott says he’s a “huge fan.” General Shale representatives worked with him for hours picking out just the right product for the exterior of his original home, and when the home was lost, he called General Shale again. The Stephens wanted the same traditional look of their last home, but i couldn’t have asked for better technical support than i received from General Shale. SCOTT STEPHENS they wanted...

great american idea Even confined backyard living spaces can be enhanced by using a combination of water features and the warmth of a patio fireplace.

BRICK NAME cortez peter montanti atlanta, georg

rowing up in southern Florida, Kim Reddy was accustomed to the light colors used on many of the stucco-style homes there. She wanted to bring a bit of Florida northward by utilizing brick when she and her husband, Ashok built their home in Georgia. “The architectural style is more of a European, English countryside. I wanted an elegant, light-colored brick for the exterior,” says Kim. “Nothing too dark.” The Reddys worked with contractor, Canonbury Homes, masonry contractor Neil Johnson, and General Shale representatives to pick Cortez brick with Dogwood White mortar. “We get a ton of...

The Reddys love the outdoors, and their Atlanta location lets them enjoy their backyard paradise nine months a year. From their cozy outdoor fireplace, complete with flat screen for watching autumn football, to their tantalizing pool and water feature for the blazing-hot days of summer, the great outdoors is one more reason why the Reddy residence is one of our featured Great American Homes.

BRICK NAME olde georgian tudor peter montanti

R E S I D E N C E brad and laura lord duluth, georgia

great american idea Don’t forget mortar color when selecting brick or stone for your project. General Shale offers a variety of colors to suit any look or style you desire.

rad and Laura Lord knew exactly the look they wanted when they set out to build their new home. At the urging of their builder, the Lords drove around Atlanta looking for brick styles they liked. Remarkably, all four of the homes they chose to pull ideas from used the exact same brick. However, that particular brick was no longer in production, so, Brad and Laura turned to General Shale. Working with their General Shale representative, the Lords were able to find what they liked in a new line of brick called Olde Georgian Tudor, and they chose High Antique Ivory mortar. “I never look at my...

cambridge, old charleston, old delaware and willshire cherokee, trailhead, tuscany and venezia P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y john brown BRICK NAME STONE NAME

R E S I D E N C E sean and lavonne crosby kanab, utah

aVonne Crosby says she’s always wanted to visit Italy, but since she and husband Sean are still in the midst of raising nine children, they just haven’t had the chance. So when undergoing an extensive renovation of their home in Kanab, Utah, LaVonne brought Italy to her home. The roof tile was actually imported from Italy; a look at the Crosbys’ home brings to mind a picturesque Tuscan hillside. The exterior stone is made in the USA by General Shale. The Crosbys worked with their contractor, Rocky Mountain West Construction, to duplicate what the couple had seen in old pictures of Italy....

great american idea Thin Stone by General Shale reduces cost and greatly increases your finishing options when used around cooking areas or as a base treatment for kitchen islands.