[November 06, 2009]

The Charlotte Observer, N.C., Allen Norwood column: What's in a name? Papa's proud of both his Brittanys

Nov 06, 2009 (The Charlotte Observer - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Brittany Deluca felt the visceral connection the first time she walked into the new model home designed by her dad.

The memories came flooding back: When she was little, she and her father, Tommy Crowell, would head out to visit relatives in Stanly County. They'd pass some timeless farmhouse with a wide, welcoming front porch and she'd stare until the house disappeared around a bend. She'd tell her dad that someday she'd live in a house just like that.

She's 21 now, and recently visited that new model. "I told him, 'The dream home I've built in my head, you have built right here.'" Crowell said that's no accident.

The model is the Brittany.

Tommy Crowell works for homebuilder Saussy Burbank. The company, of course, has developed a signature look that's built on front porches and appealing vintage details. The Brittany fits comfortably into the portfolio.

He said lots of work, by lots of other design team members, goes into every new plan. "We start with tracing paper and a concept," he said. "Then an artist... works on the proportions... Then we develop working drawings." Then, of course, there's the name.

Crowell said they kicked around several names. He remembers Leone and Cambridge. Some models are named after N.C. counties. "Then somebody suggested, 'Hey, let's name it after Tommy's daughter.'" (You think maybe a proud pop talks about his daughter around the office? I'm just guessing...) The company has since built more than a dozen Brittanys in several of its neighborhoods.

You can explore the plan online at www.saussyburbank.com or visit a Brittany at Monteith Park in Huntersville.

The Brittany is a 2,800-square-foot, two-story home with master suite on the first floor. It has four bedrooms and, depending on the version, either 21/2 or 31/2 baths. The company's Web site says prices start at about $260,000; the available Brittany in Monteith Park is $330,000. Most of the seven elevations have welcoming front porches.

Deluca said Crowell didn't tell her the model would bear her name until after it was official. "He won't tell you that he's doing something like that," she said. "He waits until it's done and then surprises you." He surprised her with a visit to a Brittany on the way home from the MerleFest music festival in Wilkesboro.

I learned of the Brittany plan from Patsy Crowell, Tommy's mother and Brittany's grandmother, who's proud of them both. She has seen videos of a model, but hasn't visited one. "He's been promising to take me. I hope to visit one soon." Brittany is a full-time student at UNC Charlotte, finishing up an undergraduate degree that will lead to a master's and a job as a school guidance counselor. She works full time. She and her husband, Mark Deluca Jr., also have a 3-year-old.

No wonder her dad and her grandmom wanted to tell the story.

Tommy Crowell said the correct name can be crucial to a plan's success. It must appeal to buyers. It must complement the home's look and feel, and the builder's reputation. The Brittany accomplishes all those goals, he said.

"I'm proud of both Brittanys," he confessed. "I'm proud of all our plans -- but that one in particular." To see more of The Charlotte Observer, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.charlotteobserver.com. Copyright (c) 2009, The Charlotte Observer, N.C. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

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