Ken Wrench and Ron Talbott, owners of Augusta Homes, built this Lowcountry masterpiece right in Huntersville’s gated enclave of Meadowbrook Farms and it is a sight to behold.
Owners of Augusta Homes, Ken Wrench and Ron Talbott first met while working for Simonini Builders. Wrench hails from Miami, Florida, whereas Talbott is from Southern California. Both have been in the construction industry for several decades. With the start of Augusta Homes these two gentlemen based their business on a particular philosophy that proved tantamount for success.
First a frame contractor, Talbott worked from the ground up learning every aspect of homebuilding and is now classified as a Master Builder with years of training and experience. Wrench on-the-other-hand excels at sales, marketing, and handles the accounts management side of the business. Put the two of them together, and you have a force to be reckoned with.
When Talbott and Wrench decided to start their own company—Augusta Homes—here in Charlotte, NC they wanted to run a construction business that emphasized a closer relationship with clients. “Our dream,” says Talbott and Wrench, “was to run a more boutique-sized business that would allow us to roll out the red carpet for a limited number of good customers each year.”
North Mecklenburg and South Iredell counties are where most of Augusta’s custom homes are located. There is an emphasis on building in the “higher end golf course and waterfront communities around Lake Norman,” but Augusta Homes has since expanded into South Charlotte. Augusta Homes runs on the philosophy that “this is someone’s home where they are raising a family. Treat the home special and do it right the first time. Limiting the number of custom home projects allows Augusta’s owners to stay intimately involved in the creative process of designing and building with the custom–from start to finish, always delivering on what is promised.”
Working around a team concept, Augusta likes to have the “architect or residential designer, interior designer, engineer, builder, and customer working together with as much face time as possible. “This,” says Talbott and Wrench, “ensures a thorough and consistent understanding of the customer’s needs, personality, lifestyle, and budget.” Working with natural materials such as brick, stone, metals, and wood, Talbott and Wrench aim to create “eclectic looks and textures that are authentic and that will last forever.” The company is also “environmentally forward,” utilizing “repurposed, green, and healthy living products in materials, energy, and technology.”
Their latest creation, Meadowbrook Home, is built in the Low Country style. The house is 6,234 sq.ft. of heated space and 8,231 sq.ft. under roof. There are 5 bedrooms, 4 full baths, 2 half baths, formal areas, family bonus room, 4 car garage, dog area, home office, 2 laundry rooms, and 3 porches. The house has a lot of natural light, and “generous space that flows giving an overwhelming impression of solidness from one’s first step over the threshold.” The large front-facing veranda and two porches represents “modern durability with the warmth of Grandma’s house or an inviting Inn,” explains Talbott and Wrench. The materials used are vast: “wood porch floors, hardwood flooring, stone accents, horizontal siding, painted cabinets, wains coating, poplar interior trim, granite, marble, tile, and a working indoor and outdoor fireplace.” It’s hard to grasp such splendor without seeing it!
The outdoor living area is also stunning. A “pavilion acts as the main house’s gateway to six acres of natural landscape and fauna.” According to Talbott and Wrench, “from every rear window in the home, the pavilion beckons one to come outside to rest, entertain, or play. It serves as the centerpiece of what seems like an endless backyard where the stress of daily life can melt away.”
Augusta takes building custom homes seriously. They thrive on being proactive and cutting edge. “For the partners,” says Wrench, “creating each unique home has always been a deeply personal business. They have an affinity for naming their creations for example: Lucky Seven, I-Spy, Miss Sara, and Living Large Larry.” Wrench continues, “It’s about having fun and celebrating that each home has its own personality, style, taste, and that it lives on forever.”
“Even though the landscape of builders in Charlotte has changed drastically in the last five years,” says Talbott and Wrench, “many companies having gone out of business, there have been just as many new ones starting up. As Augusta Homes stays the course, she will maintain a consistency that continues to be admired by its peers.”
For more information visit www.augustahomesnc.com
