Greg Smit
Greg Smit
Greg Smit
Greg Smit
Greg Smit
There’s no place like home, and no one understands the significance of that statement quite like Willow Branch Homes.
Known as Middle Tennessee’s most trusted home builder, Willow Branch Homes has built a reputation of excellence and reliability. The company’s team of experts understands the importance of quality, exquisite design, and an open line of communication between the homeowner and builder, and every project they take on is accompanied with the promise of those key elements. Because Willow Branch Homes recognizes that every family’s wants and needs are unique, clients can choose from a selection of incredible communities to determine their dream home’s location along with a multitude of floor plans that can all be customized to best suit those needs. And in terms of build and design, Willow Branch aims to strike a balance of function and beauty to make every house feel like a home.
Anyone would feel fortunate to own a Willow Branch Home. But for one lucky winner, owning a brand-new home valued at over $800,000 is a wish that will be granted with the second annual I Am Home Raffle benefiting Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Willow Branch Homes graciously built and donated the stunning 3,087-square-foot house located in the charming neighborhood of Canterbury in Thompson’s Station for this extraordinary raffle. And the chance to call this extraordinary estate home is as simple as purchasing a $100 raffle ticket of which all proceeds go directly to supporting the patients and families at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
We chatted with Paul Winegar, COO of Willow Branch Homes, and Dr. Meg Rush, President of Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, about what this incredible project means to them and how each organization works tirelessly to make a difference in the lives of many.
PAUL WINEGAR
Nashville Lifestyles: How would you describe Willow Branch Homes in terms of design and style? What are your homes most well-known for?
Paul Winegar: Willow Branch Homes began building homes in Spring Hill and Thompson’s Station in 2011. Since then, we have grown to become one of the area’s premiere home builders and we continue to strive to become the area’s most trusted home builder. Willow Branch continues to be on the forefront of design in both our interior and exterior features, taking inspiration from traditional and modern farmhouse architecture to develop our plans. We are most well-known for including standard features that many competitive builders charge as upgrades, and we feel our excellent customer experience stands out.
NL: Although each project varies, what values always remain top priority with each home you create?
PW: We value community at Willow Branch Homes, which is something we work on from the conception of every neighborhood we design. We know our customers value being a part of some- thing and we create that in many ways when it comes to the design of the community and the thoughtful amenities within each community. When we look at our sites throughout Middle Tennessee, each one brings something different to the table. Beyond aesthetics and design, we want to make sure that locations feel connected to their future residents and truly provide a sense of community and belonging. After all, the residents are the ones who really bring these communities to life, so they need to feel like this is home.
NL: What do clients seem to love most about their Willow Branch home?
PW: We love getting client feedback and are lucky that we formed such great relationships with those clients. At the top of the list, we hear they love their floor plans, value, and design.
NL: Willow Branch built and donated the remarkable house for the I Am Home raffle. Tell us a bit about this project and some of the most important elements in the building process.
PW: We began the I Am Home contest as a way to give back to our community and after careful thought we chose Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt as the beneficiary. We chose Monroe Carell because of their hard work and dedication to healing the children in our area and beyond. This is our second annual giveaway for I Am Home and this year the home is located in the beautiful community of Canter- bury in Thompson’s Station, Tennessee. The most important elements for this year’s home were location and an open floor plan for flexibility. We know being a part of a community like Canter- bury gives the lucky winner an immediate feel of being at home and the flexibility of an open floor plan allows them to adapt the home to their lives and lifestyle.
MEG RUSH
NL: What is the mission of Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt?
Meg Rush: In simple terms, our mission is to enhance the physical and mental well-being of all children. We are committed to providing hope and healing in all that we do. We believe our caring spirit as well as our distinctive and comprehensive expertise helps us personalize each child’s and family’s needs along the healthcare journey. Through innovations and discoveries that continually evolve pediatric care, through commitment to partnering with clinicians near and far to ensure integrated care, through our focus on families, we are able to care for the most complex patients while simul- taneously treating the most common issues that affect children and adolescents.
NL: Why was being a part of this project important to your hospital? Can you give a little background on what prompted the partnership with Willow Branch Homes for the I Am Home raffle?
MR: We had previously explored how we might at some point enter the raffle space as a fundraiser, perhaps to do a home giveaway. This effort would take the right community partner. Then, Willow Branch Homes approached us with the philanthropic offer to donate a home to be raffled off for the benefit of Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. We were honored by their generosity and excited for the opportunity to raise funds to support our mission of caring for children, while also giving a Tennessee family the chance to make memories in a new home.
NL: Why are you excited about this project? What does it mean to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt to have a local partner such as Willow Branch Homes?
MR: As a nonprofit organization, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt provides pediatric specialty care to all children, regardless of the family’s ability to pay. Additionally, we are heavily engaged in research to discover improved medical treatments for children for a variety of conditions and illnesses and to enhance the care we deliver. We could not do the work we do every day to provide hope and healing to so many fami- lies without community partners like Willow Branch Homes. Having a local partner like Willow Branch Homes invested in supporting the health and well-being of children speaks volumes and is reflective in the ever-present, enduring generosity of our community. We are so grateful to Willow Branch Homes for their continued partnership and for including us as a beneficiary of this incredible fundrais- ing opportunity. We are excited to see this transformative project grow and flourish now and into the future. (1720 Gen. George Patton Drive, Brentwood, 615-499-9887; willowbranchhomestn.com)