Live Oak Home Builders created the perfect residence for a Salisbury family to continue creating memories and entertain family and friends
Photography by Svetlana Leahy | Photo Styling by Eleena Mackey
Strategically nestled near the banks of the Wicomico River, a Salisbury family of five discovered the ideal property to build its forever home. In doing so, its patriarch and matriarch already knew who they’d partner with to construct it.
Live Oak Home Builders is the vision of founder Justin White, a second-generation builder born and raised on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Growing up, he worked closely with his father, a custom home builder for 35 years, who nurtured his passion for construction, which became the driving force that motivated him to start his company in 2016.
“Our company stands apart from the competition due to our overall approach. Most companies focus on selling their product — the house itself,” says Justin. “Our approach is simple and different. We want to focus on our client. We want to focus on their family’s lifestyle, wants and needs. Only by doing so, can we truly provide them with a one-of-a-kind and truly custom home experience. Throughout the process of working so closely with a family, we often times have the privilege to learn about their life’s story, meet extended family and friends, or to hear of all the exciting times and memories they are looking forward to creating in their new home.”
Justin’s time spent with this family produced a treasure-trove of useful information, including how they spend time together, what’s most important to each family member in their home and how they plan to entertain family and friends. In conjunction with Keith Fisher of Fisher Architecture, the flow of the residence was examined, right down to the proximity of the dishwasher to the cabinetry in which dishes would be stored. This process ensures the homeowners’ needs for convenience, practicality and enjoyment are achieved.
“Our children are older now, so we wanted to create a safe place for them to have fun with their friends, but also we could entertain our family and friends throughout as well, especially in the kitchen” says the homeowner. “We wanted to create a welcoming environment in a big space, making sure we had plenty of seating and large counter areas as we enjoy cooking as well.”
“My favorite feature of the home is the kitchen and its dual islands, which are both functional for entertaining and preparation, as well as hosting family and friends,” says Justin.
The 4,700 sq. ft. home features four spacious bedrooms and five bathrooms. The residence includes a TV/gaming/movie room for the kids, a convenient home-office and a sunroom that offers picturesque views of the river. Outside, the family went next level from an entertaining and enjoyment level through an area that includes an in-ground pool, custom, handcrafted bar perfect for watching sports and ultimate fun for the kids and their friends.
“We just wanted an environment where our kids were happy and could hang out at our house. So, we wanted an outdoor area that would reflect that,” says the homeowner. “It’s funny; we built a bigger house here, but it’s not many more rooms than we had previously. We just made everything bigger, so we have more space to enjoy family and friends together in.”
Live Oak Home Builders traditionally utilize the services of an interior designer to help bring their clients’ visions for decor and staging to life. In this instance, the homeowner chose to style the home herself.
“I believe she did an outstanding job,” says Justin. “The design itself is unique in that it blends a modern-transitional approach, with Boho accents mixed in. While the modern design features dark and bold accents throughout, the ladder, for example, provides soft wood tones, artistic expressions and organic elements that serve to provide a more eclectic and organic feel. The end result is a home that is rich in expression but also comfortable and livable.”
In addition to the honor and privilege Justin and his team experience when chosen to build someone’s home, they also feel a great sense of responsibility to foster that relationship well, to do right by each client and to hold its company to the highest standard during each phase of the process.
“Live Oak doesn’t just build houses, they build trust,” says the homeowner. “What I can say about our experience with Justin is that whatever he says he’s going to do, he follows through with it. That’s been a great aspect of dealing with him. He’s upfront and honest throughout the whole process on things. We appreciated that. We never felt like we were being sold to do anything. It was just a good experience overall. And now we’re in the home of our dreams.” CS