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“Behind the Curtin” provides an inside look at local homeowners’ beautifully-crafted houses, giving insight into what it takes to renovate, upgrade, and style the most coveted parts of their dream homes. In this video series, industry expert and business owner Joanne Curtin explores local homes while interviewing their owners who live well in their homes to better understand their thought processes when making important decisions. Join Joanne to get a look into the world of luxurious real estate one wonderful home at a time.

“Behind the Curtin” Episode 11 – A Champagne Wall and Museumesque Townhome In Roswell, Georgia

WATCH THE FULL EPISODE HERE

In this episode of ‘Behind the Curtin’, Joanne Curtin takes you on an exclusive tour of the exquisite home of Billy Reeves Jr., featuring a one-of-a-kind champagne wall that defines luxury living like never before.

Joanne: Billy, where did you live before you moved to this gorgeous townhome in Roswell?

Billy: For the last nine years, we lived in Buckhead at a place called The View at Chastain.

Joanne: So, what made you choose Roswell? You could be anywhere.

Billy: I’ve been here all my life. After graduating Griffin High School, I went to Georgia Tech and I’ve been here ever since. My wife, Eileen, is from Stone Mountain. A friend of ours suggested we check out some new construction on Canton Street. I hadn’t been up to Canton Street for a while so I decided to take a drive up here. When I pulled in to Blacksmith Row, I called the real estate agent and she let me in. Once inside, I emailed Eileen the information and she simply said, “That’s where we’re going to live now”.

Joanne: What was it about this place that checked so many boxes for you?

Billy: Since the unit we purchased wasn’t completely finished, we had the option to make any changes that we wanted. And so, I felt like I literally built this place. I came here every morning and every evening for a year and a half and put this place together.

Joanne: How did your changes to the original design increase the value of the property?

Billy: The biggest thing was changing the layout and since I am in the cabinet business, we upgraded all the cabinetry, the countertops, and the closets. We also upgraded the fans and the showers. In addition, we worked with designer, Jennifer Crosby, of Crosby Design Group here in Roswell to select the tile, carpeting, and colors.

Joanne: Besides working with Jennifer Crosby, did you use a designer? What was that like?

Billy: We worked with a good friend of ours, Mariano. Previously, he had helped us redesign our showroom at Founders Kitchen and Bath. He is absolutely, off the charts talented and just a great guy.

Joanne: What does your home have that you and Eileen just felt like you really needed?

Billy: The layout of this home gives us the opportunity to tell our story, from the paintings to the family memorabilia. And everything has a place, and is very intentional.

Joanne: Where do you source some of your unique finds?

Billy: Most of the furnishings came from 14th Street Modern in Atlanta. The two bookcases in the living room came from the Michael Kors Showroom at Phipps Plaza. Possibly my favorite piece though is a small table in the elevator where we can put our coffee cups as we go up and down to the kitchen.

Joanne: Was there something that you splurged on?

Billy: Well, all of it was a splurge, the art and the furnishings. We definitely went over budget.

Joanne: What have you learned from this move?

Billy: After building an 8,000 square foot home on the golf course at Echelon, I felt like I learned a lot. Moving here from Buckhead, we learned to let our designer handle most things for us.

Joanne: What would you feel like people should not skimp on?

Billy: The biggest thing people should not skimp on is the small things, the little details. For example, the lighting in the hallway is set up to illuminate each step. This is not accidental, it is intentional. And I don’t think you should skimp on the fixtures, the faucets, the door handles, all that kind of stuff. And you definitely don’t want to skip on the cabinetry!

In the heart of a bustling city lies the promise of a dynamic future, shaped by the vision, determination, and leadership of its residents and officials. Roswell, a city known for its vibrant community and rich history, stands at a crossroads where possibilities are endless. Joanne Curtin, sits down with Mayor Kurt Wilson, a visionary leader committed to propelling Roswell into a new era of prosperity. This candid conversation is about the city’s future trajectory, the challenges it faces, and the timeless principles of leadership that will guide its journey towards an even brighter future.

Joanne: Thank you for having me over today. I am admiring your wall of photos here. Can you tell me more about it?

Mayor Wilson: I am glad you’re here. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I’ve enjoyed your “Behind The Curtin” videos. These photos on the wall are all people that have had an impact on me.

Joanne: I think it’s great that you reflected on who to put up there. That’s awesome, because you don’t get where you’re going without learning from others. So, if you could have dinner any of these people, who would you invite?

Mayor Wilson: That’s a great question. I would probably be more contemporary oriented than historically oriented. I definitely would talk to Mother Theresa. Everything I read about her is authentic, honest, and courageous. She’s an incredible warrior who has this great courage most of wish we had and she’s challenging her faith all the time. And Johnny Carson, of course. My dad was Carson’s doppelganger, they looked like twins.

Joanne: Most of our clients are in the area we like to call “The Platinum Triangle”, that’s Roswell, Alpharetta, and Milton. I’m curious about what you think sets Roswell apart from Alpharetta and Milton?

Mayor Wilson: I love my sister cities, let’s start there. I routinely have the mayors of Alpharetta and Milton over to my home. I believe in personal engagement because we are all in this together. Roswell has been successful in part because it won the geographic lottery. It was once the crown jewel of North Fulton County. Now, I acknowledge that Alpharetta has grown and they have some advantages over us, take for example the number of exits off the 400. Whereas Milton has stuck to their vision of being made up of mostly single-family homes. And that works for them.

The city of Roswell is 42 square miles, that’s it. And 65% of that is made up of single- family homes. We’re looking at the other 35% that, until now, did not have a viable long term economic strategic narrative. How do we get ahead in terms of industry? We can’t chase manufacturing businesses that we don’t have the room for. And without an intentional strategy, someone else was going to make the strategy for us – the state, the federal government, Fulton county. When I came in to office it was clear to me that Roswell needed to be a city of 120,000 people in 20 years. We are currently at 96,000. That means the city of Roswell is going to be very intentional. In other words, the development community is not going to come to us. We’re going to do the placemaking for the development community. As I said, we have limited space, 42 square miles, and because we have limited space we have scarcity. So, we’re about to use that to our economic advantage. The city is already heavily invested in zero based budgeting. That means we’re really serious about how we spend our money and reimagining how each department works and what services to provide, from an entrepreneur perspective. We are looking at what we do well, and what we don’t do so well.

Joanne: Since you’ve been in office, what’s something you are most proud of?

Mayor Wilson: All credit goes to God and my team. I am proud to say we’ve gotten more done in 12 months that has been done in 20 years. We have the best in class police force focused on de-escalation, a full-time fire department, and passage of the $180 million dollar bond overwhelmingly approved by voters.

I am a big believer that we’re building our organization in a different way. I hope we are building a political legacy and leadership that will last beyond my term. The question we ask ourselves is “what’s the right thing to do for the city of Roswell?” I hope the legacy is an organization that is highly competent, highly effective.

Joanne: You talked about looking at things done well and things that need improving. Is there something in particular that you’re working on?

Mayor Wilson: Communication is the hardest thing for us. We’re a fairly static organization and it seems we’re always playing defense. The challenge is to reach people with consistent, authentic, and sophisticated messaging.

I really believe that leadership has responsibility, not just for governing, but for bringing rational discussion into the marketplace. The overwhelming majority of us want to have sober discussions with healthy skepticism. I hope we heal the acrimony that has overtaken our political debates.

Roswell is a great place to live, There’s an unbelievable quality of life here. And I want to people who live here to really know that, to enjoy it, and to celebrate it.

Joanne: We love Roswell. In 2017, Tom and I started a 501c3 non-profit, Curtin Team Cares. We are committed to helping local families and organizations where help is needed most. Currently we are actively working with the Children’s Development Academy of Roswell (CDA). Are there any other organizations in Roswell that you feel others should know about?

Mayor Wilson: I love our community and I love CDA with the leadership of Maggie DeCan. I believe in the mission of CDA [www.cdakids.org]. We have so many great charities that operate in Roswell. HomeStretch [www.homestretch.org], North Fulton Community Charities [www.nfcchelp.org] with Sandy Holiday at the helm, Sunny and Ranney [www.sunneyandranney.com], and can’t forget The Cottage School [www.cottageschool.org]. The Cottage School has a beautiful mission and has really helped save students and their families.

Joanne: Since we’re in the South, I’m sure you know that people are just as interested in where you are from as who you are for.

Mayor Wilson: You saved the toughest question for last. Well, I grew up in Huntsville, Alabama where half the town loves Alabama and the other half loves Auburn. I went to college at Ole Miss. And then I moved to Georgia and I’m still learning how to respond whenever someone says, “Go Dawgs!”. I love the Braves. So, I guess, I root for everyone. How’s that for a politician’s response?

Joanne: (laughs) Okay. That’s a fair answer. It’s been pleasure talking to you today. I am excited to hear about the new developments in Roswell that will soon be announced. We’ll have to meet up again so we can talk more about them.

Mayor Wilson: Thank you! It’s been a pleasure talking to you. Roswell is a remarkable place and I’m looking forward to its bright future.

Join your host, Joanne Curtin, as she takes you on an exclusive tour of new construction homes and townhomes in Barrington Place, Ecco Park, and Millstone Park. Can you guess the price?

WATCH THE HOME TOURS HERE

House #1- Barrington Place home, built by Brightwater Homes, is in historic Roswell near The Mill Kitchen and Bar and is a net zero home (Net zero means the home generates the renewable power to match the needs of the home). Did you know that Roswell is a certified Green Community – platinum level?

Townhome #2 – Ecco Park is located in Alpharetta 30022. This townhome community is being developed and built by The Providence Group.

Townhome #3 – Millstone Park townhomes are located near Deerfield Parkway, Alpharetta. These three story townhomes are conveniently located near Exit 11 (GA-400) and close to shopping and restaurants.

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On September 2, the Curtin Team asked for nominations for deserving Georgia Healthcare workers. We chose 3 winners who will each receive a Gate City Prize Package, a $400 value each. Here’s the drawing for the winners!

On September 2, the Curtin Team is taking nominations for deserving Georgia Healthcare workers. We will be choosing 3 winners who will each receive a Gate City Prize Package, a $400 value each. Call us 678-287-4848 on September 2 between 11am-2pm to nominate!

Set a reminder using our Facebook event here: https://bit.ly/3hp7I3m

Do you know a deserving health care worker? If so, call our office on September 2nd between 11am – 2pm to nominate a local health care worker to win one of three Gate City Brewing gift baskets valued over $400 each! We want you to call in and nominate a Health Care hero– a nurse, doctor or anyone working in the medical profession that you know in Georgia who has been going the extra mile. You must call IN with their info on Wednesday, September 2nd between 11am – 2pm. Call us at 678-287-4848 and we will register your health care hero to WIN one of these great Gate City gift baskets, custom made for the Curtin Team.

Super exited to announce our giveaway for Health Care Heroes– a nurse, doctor or anyone working in the medical profession that you know in Georgia who has been going the extra mile. You must call IN with their info on Wednesday, September 2nd between 11am – 2pm. Call us at 678-287-4848 and we will register your health care hero to WIN one of these great Gate City Brewery gift baskets, custom made for the Curtin Team.