Our Elite Eight.

In the midst of this year’s March Madness, we feel inspired. After all, we’ve mastered the fundamentals, we’ve never been afraid of good, old-fashioned hard work and we have the best team around. If you ask us, there’s no competition for our winning combination and we know our lineup can’t be beat. Inspired by this year’s competition, we decided to get the perspective of the folks who know this best, the people who dedicate their lives to making up our great team. This is real inside the locker room talk, enlightening us on what makes Miller & Smith’s own Elite Eight great.

Brambleton

Sales Manager Debbie Paschal knows Miller & Smith’s true talents when home design is concerned. She knows what’s important to home buyers, too. Take, for instance, the use of the wall of windows in the main living level of these Brambleton homes.

“I think our design team has a real talent for working with glass and natural light,” says Debbie. “Large windows are key design features of our great rooms and they’re always located in just the right spots to make other rooms and spaces feel bright and airy.”

Grapevine Ridge

According to Debora Flora, Sales Manager at Grapevine Ridge, Miller & Smith values design based on how a family actually lives. No more is the hostess sectioned off from the conversation. Mom can be cooking, kids can be at the island doing homework and dad can be watching the game.

“So much attention to detail was put into the part of the house where everybody congregates,” says Debora. “I always have a visual of a mom making pancakes and flipping them onto the plates of her kids who are lined up at the oversized kitchen island behind her.”

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Debora also suggests that the open floorplan concept at Grapevine Ridge is what sets apart these homes from the rest.

“People can say they have open floorplans, but not like this. You watch HGTV and they’re always knocking down walls to achieve an open floorplan. We don’t have to take down walls,” says Debora. “We already have what everyone’s trying to achieve.”

One Loudoun

Nothing is better in home design than when you see something unconventional and unexpected that takes a home from good to exceptional. One Loudoun Sales Manager Randy Anthony speaks of just one of those examples.

“Lots of builders add sitting rooms to master suites, but we’re always asking how can we flip the unexpected inside out, says Randy. “Which is exactly what we did at One Loudoun where you can get this fabulous screened-in sleeping porch off the master suite.”

The Orchard

Miller & Smith likes to take design risks. Like offering a product oftentimes not seen outside of a highly urban landscape.

“We call it farmhouse architecture with a Miller & Smith twist,” says Stephanie Egan, Sales Manager at The Orchard at New Market. “Our Cider Grove Collection brings modern, open floorplans to this rural, family-friendly community in New Market, Maryland.”

Embrey Mill

It’s no secret that many builders aim their focus on kitchens and master bedroom designs. Miller & Smith does that, too. However, rooms that oftentimes are overlooked in other homes, at Miller & Smith they are given the same attention to detail. Take, for instance, the private Courtyards at Embrey Mill.

“I love how the private courtyard becomes an extension of the main living area,” says Eric Hansen, Sales Manager at Embrey Mill. “This extra space becomes important for people with kids and pets and those who love to entertain.”

According to Eric, the master suite at Embrey Mill is spectacular, taking up the entire third level of the home. Included in the suite are an impressive master bedroom and bath, sitting area and an oversized walk-in closet. Homebuyers also are impressed with the way the secondary bedrooms are showcased in these homes, as well. Let’s just say the kids of the house will be equally as excited as mom and dad.

Poplar Run

Sales Manager, Alexandra Minckler listens to her homebuyers excitement over the homes at Poplar Run and usually she hears the same thing.

“The people who tour the model home at Poplar Run love some of the very things I love about the house,” says Alexandra. “They feel the homes offer fresh and very useful living spaces. No waste.”

From the natural unobstructed flow of the house to the unexpected open loft space on the second floor, it’s not long before people feel right at home.

Alexandra says, “ Homebuyers feel comfortable and find it easy to envision living in these homes at Poplar Run.”

Maple Lawn

If you love to cook, you’ll love Miller & Smith’s kitchens. Not only are they beautifully designed, but the floorplans consider what each home cook needs: plenty of cabinet and counter space and an open floorplan.

“I love how the exposed shelves connected to the cabinets and cooking area make this kitchen feel custom,” says Maple Lawn Sales Manager, Deonna Tripline. “We put a lot of effort into creating kitchens that function as beautifully as they look.”

Gallery Park:

Details, Details, Details. At Gallery Park, no corner is overlooked and homeowners will appreciate the uniqueness of every room. Get creative and let these interesting spaces inspire great decorating and storage ideas.

“Our Metropolitan Collection at Gallery Park is particularly great about making the most of every square foot,” says Alex Champin, Gallery Park Sales Manager. “All the little bump-outs, cut-ins/ and nooks and crannies create really interesting living spaces.”

While you’re huddled around your TV for this year’s March Madness, consider how living in one of these Miller & Smith homes could make the biggest and best basketball tournament of the year even better.  Come tour our elite eight communities and see for yourself what makes a Miller & Smith home nothing less than great.