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Oak Fine Homes
Uncover the unique philosophy behind White Oak Fine Homes ’ luxury home building success
Based in Atlanta , Georgia , White Oak Fine Homes ( White Oak ) is an award-winning custom luxury home builder , renowned for delivering the highest quality craftsmanship . By working closely with clients , the company effectively maximizes value and is empowered to complete projects in a timely manner . Throughout more than 30 years in business , it has successfully conducted over 200 custom homes and home renovation projects across the state of Georgia . White Oak has grown its business by maintaining long-term partnerships with clients , built on transparency , integrity , and trust , leading to significant repeat business . With services ranging from luxury custom home building to high-end renovations and additions , the company caters to a wide customer base . George Cooke , President and COO , shares valuable insights into his career journey and the creation of White Oak . “ I am a highly creative , visual , and mechanically minded person . I also enjoy working and engaging with people and cannot seem to sit in one place for very long . In the mid-1980s , after finishing my college education , I worked in finance for a year . However , I quickly realized that sitting at a desk all day was not for me , so I left to find a more hands-on job and never looked back . For a couple of years , I worked with a framing crew and attended architecture school at night , where I developed a strong foundation in design , and particularly classical design . My love for the architectural and design side of the business led me to begin my professional journey working at a design-build firm . From there , I worked in the luxury home building market for just over 35 years .
“ The training I received in my early career became the backbone for our success and , in my opinion , is what sets White Oak apart from other builders who approach the craft from a more technical angle . Working side-by-side with the architectural teams on the designs at night , and then translating the stacks of sketches into tangible projects in the field every day provided me with a unique set of skills . This is especially remarkable considering that this was approximately three decades ago , back when we relied solely on paper and pens , as computer-aided design ( CAD ), PDFs , emails , texts , and even the internet were not yet mainstream ,” he informs .
Design and form
“ Throughout every project we undertake , we focus on how people relate to space , materials , and proportions . While structure is equally important and should not be neglected , we prefer to focus on the design and form of a project first and then incorporate the necessary technical and structural requirements to achieve the desired result ,” George continues . “ If the mantra for a good real estate professional is ‘ location , location , location ,’ then ours is ‘ proportion , proportion , proportion .’ Regardless of the specific design style a customer desires , I believe that the principles of classic design will always apply and result in correct proportions that are harmonious to the human mind . Nonetheless , if I had to select my personal favorite trend at the moment , it would be what I call ‘ soft contemporary ,’ as I find it a particularly fun design to work with . Soft contemporary style allows us to create a unique juxtaposition of crisp , modern architectural elements with smooth , classical proportions ,” he goes on .
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