News Releases
Magazine Partnered with Indianapolis-based Builder of the Year Mark Gradison
DES MOINES, IOWA (January 22, 2007) – Midwest Living is building its 20th anniversary Idea Home just north of Indianapolis, Indiana, near the sight of the magazine’s very first Idea Home. The magazine partnered with Gradison Building Corp., one of the nation’s top custom home builders recently a named Indianapolis 2006 Builder of the Year, and Gary Nance of Nance Design Inc., a preeminent architectural designer, to build an innovative home using today’s top home products. The value of the home is estimated at more than $2 million.
The 8,200 square-foot, stone-and-shake Midwest Living Idea Home sits in the Viking Meadows custom home community, developed by Precedent Development of Westfield, Indiana in Hamilton Country – one of the 100 fastest growing counties in the country, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Viking Meadows is a wooded, 330-acre horse farm and master planned, upscale residential community that will feature a common recreation center, retail and commercial spaces and access to the Monon Trail.
“Midwest Living looked to rustic barns, farmhouses and a simpler-life aesthetic for its design inspiration and is interpreting those elements in a fresh, contemporary way that incorporates many conveniences that are needed or that can improve the way we live today,” said Midwest Living Senior Home Editor Carol Schalla. “The Idea Home is our salute on our 20th anniversary to the rich heritage of the heartland.”
The home’s design offers five bedrooms, dramatic lake vistas, an open-air terrace with outdoor fireplace and built-in grill, a screened porch with television sitting area on the lower level, a two-sided interior stone fireplace on the upper level and a masonry fireplace on the lower level, a wine cellar and a full basement with 12-foot ceilings that offers a large entertaining area and exercise room. Each bedroom also has built-in storage and closet systems, including a lady’s lounge in the master bedroom complete with an oversized island, television and window seat. To top it all off, the exterior cupola is complete with a bell tower and light.
Child magazine has joined forces with Midwest Living and is designing the Idea Home’s two children’s rooms.
Mark Gradison of Gradison Building Corp., added: “The Midwest Living Idea Home will give home enthusiasts a chance to see innovative building products, new lines of appliances, the latest technology for lighting and many more cutting-edge home products and ideas. It’s designed for people who are looking for good ideas that they can apply to their own homes, even if they aren’t 8,000 square feet.”
The home features state-of-the-art amenities from today’s top home manufacturers, including: James Hardie siding, JELD-WEN windows and doors, Clopay garage doors, Timbertech exterior decking products, a Lennox HVAC and gas fireplace, Cambria countertops and surfaces, Kraftmaid cabinetry, Delta faucets, some of Harden Furniture’s premier fine furnishings and plants from Bailey Nursery.
Midwest Living is celebrating its 20th anniversary throughout 2007 with special editorial features and events across the Midwest. The magazine built its first Idea Home in the Indianapolis area in 1989 and has continued the project every year since. Schalla added, “Because of our 20th anniversary it seemed natural to go back to the site of our very first Idea Home.”
The Idea Home will be open for public viewing from August 18 – September 3 as part of the Builders Association of Greater Indianapolis’ annual Luxury Home-A-Rama, which is expected to attract more 35,000 visitors. For more information visit www.luxuryhomearama.com.
About Midwest Living
Midwest Living magazine (www.midwestliving.com), published by Meredith Corporation (NYSE: MDP), is a regional publication that celebrates the richness of life in the Midwest. Founded in 1987, the magazine is dedicated to providing its readers with a wealth of region-specific information and inspiration, focusing on travel and events, food and dining, and home and garden, as well as other editorial content categories. Midwest Living magazine, which reaches 3.8 million readers, is published bi-monthly and has a rate base of 925,000.
About Gradison Building Corporation
Family-owned and operated since 1986, Gradison Building Corp. (www.gradisonbuilding.com) has the experienced staff ready to help clients build the quality custom home they deserve. A relentless pursuit of quality has been the foundation of their reputation in Indianapolis. With each project, brothers Mark and Joe Gradison employ a process that brings together imagination and unique ideas to construct a home that exemplifies the individuality and tastes of each client. Gradison Building Corp. has built hundreds of homes from 3,000 to over 10,000 square feet – all uniquely different in personality, style and ambience. The Gradison mission is to create an exceptional building experience through innovative design, responsiveness and respect. Mark Gradison was named 2006 Builder of the Year by The Builders Association of Greater Indianapolis.
About Builders Association of Greater Indianapolis
BAGI is a professional association of more than 1,100 builders and industry-associated businesses in central Indiana. As of 2000, all builder and remodeler members agree to adhere to the Quality Assurance Builder Standards, an industry-approved set of performance measurements. The association works to provide communities with reliable, safe and affordable residential housing. The group was first organized in 1922 as the Indianapolis Home Builders (then the oldest organized builder group in the United States). BAGI covers an eight-county area including Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, Marion, Morgan and Shelby.
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CONTACT:
Lisa Bagley
Lisa.Bagley@meredith.com
212-551-7189