It’s the subtle attributes of a home that work collectively to give a family solace and safe haven. Find out what one family values most.
Each homeowner is unique, and so too are the favored seating areas, nooks and amenities featured in each home. These cozy, nest-like attributes manifest themselves through small, daily details like the aroma of a big pot of soup simmering on a gas-top stove welcoming kids home from school. Or maybe it’s the murmur of a fan that stirs the air just enough to make the bedroom’s linen window treatments dance.
These little events and beloved spaces inside a person’s home are also the things that, collectively, give a home the power to offer solace and comfort to a family.
So what are the things you love most about your home? We asked SweetBay homeowners Kristine and Chris Gee this question and many more. Here’s what we learned about their home and the SweetBay amenities valued by real people with real-life demands and expectations.
A Pantry, a Porch and a Peace of Mind
The Gees live in SweetBay’s Captiva home, one of ten home designs offered within the multiuse, neighborhood in Panama City, Florida. Opting to use the home’s fourth bedroom as a game room and second living room, this is where the Gees find themselves hanging out and unwinding most often. Yet, they cite the large back porch as their favorite feature. The porches —the home is designed with deep porches in front and back — are often considered one of this home design’s most attractive amenities.
Yet, good living isn’t always about attractiveness. When asked what surprised them most about their home, Chris Gee said simply, “how large the pantry is.” And isn’t that for real? Because you know what doesn’t offer solace? Not being able to store food stables in a roomy, organized way. A small pantry with stacked, cramped eats means digging and shuffling canned goods just to get a look at a label. And that, my friends, starts to impede on a person’s quality of life.
So it’s no surprise — given the Gees’ praise of the pantry size — that the family said their favorite room is indeed the kitchen. In fairness, the pantry can’t get all of the glory. The large kitchen island had something to do with the room’s appeal as well. “We enjoy drinking our morning coffee around that kitchen island,” said Kristine Gee.
Neighborhood Vibes and Amenities
While a home offers a family its own private, safe haven, it’s the neighborhood that does the heavy lifting. At least when it comes to the solace a family feels. SweetBay is the kind of place that lends itself to lemonade stands and neighborhood seafood boils by the bay.
“It’s a quaint community where you can get to know your neighbors, and there are many things to do,” said Chris Gee.
The Gees take advantage of SweetBay’s natural trails. There are five paths accounting for more than three miles of trails and boardwalks, with plans for the network to grow. Those who live in SweetBay are free to use the trail system to walk, bike or jog. Some residents even ride their golf carts along the trails to reach the bay access area to watch the sun set or go fishing before dark. The Gees bike the trails for both exercise and a chance to find peace outdoors.
“It feels great to be in a community like SweetBay,” said Kristine Gee. “There are a lot of amenities that you won’t find anywhere else and neighbors look out for each other here.”
