SOUTHERN LIVING EXPANDS FOOTPRINT IN REAL ESTATE MARKET WITH LAUNCH OF SOUTHERN LIVING INSPIRED COMMUNITIES

Branded Collection of Residential Properties — Marked by Charm, Taste and Southern Spirit — Offer Consumers a New Way to Shop for a Home

Pella® Windows and Doors is Exclusive Launch Partner

Asheville Southern LivingNew York, NY – With the housing market bouncing back and much of the activity based in the South,* Southern Living announces the launch of Southern Living Inspired Communities, a unique collection of residential developments featuring seven founding members across five Southern states (Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee) that exemplify the Southern Living lifestyle.

Hand-picked by our editors, Southern Living Inspired Communities are neighborhoods marked by charm, taste, and Southern spirit that embody a distinctive pride of place. They embrace the natural beauty of the Southern landscape, display the best of Southern Living inspired architecture, and contain environments that foster communal gatherings.
“Southern Living Inspired Communities shows our pride of place in bricks and mortar,” said Southern Living Editor in Chief Lindsay Bierman, who is also a trained architect and previously worked for New York’s renowned firm Robert A.M. Stern Architects. “The program builds on our legacy of Southern style and brings to life the timeless design principles we advocate and celebrate through multimedia content. We’re proud to offer a new level of consumer service that will radically simplify the process of finding the perfect home in the best neighborhood.”
This initiative is the culmination of nearly 50 years of the brand’s experience in the Homes category. In addition to covering homes across the South for decades, the brand sells a successful line of branded House Plans designed by the South’s top architects. It has created a hand-selected group of trusted builders with its Southern Living Custom Home Builder program and has worked with the South’s top talent to build Idea Houses across the region.
“We’ve always said our consumers truly live the Southern Living brand,” said Southern Living Publisher Greg Schumann.  “These Inspired Communities will now offer people a means to uniquely live our brand on a daily basis. This exciting new initiative will deepen our relationship with consumers while offering marketing partners an innovative new platform to connect with our audience.”
Founding members in the Southern Living Inspired Communities are:
Old Town (Columbus, GA):  A New Neighborhood that Honors the Past.  This charming Southern town is a shining example of New Urbanism where day-to-day activities are all walkable.
Habersham (Beaufort, SC): Waterfront Living in the Lowcountry. Awarded the “Best Neighborhood Design in America” by the National Association of Home Builders, this coastal town was designed by Duany Plater-Zyberk and Company, champion of New Urbanism.
Cloudland Station (Chattanooga, TN): A Cottage Town Offering Time for Simple Things.  Homes are designed with cottage scale architecture on rich open space.
Currahee Club on Lake Hartwell (Toccoa, GA): Lake Mountain Living at its Best.  Set in the North Georgia Mountains, home styles allow for spacious floor plans and outdoor space, where residents can explore hiking and biking trails and waterfalls.
Bluffs of Southwood (Tallahassee, FL): In-Town Cottage Homes Tailored for Easy Living
Windsor Terrace (Tallahassee, FL):  This community, along with Bluffs of Southwood, is modeled after Lowcountry Southern Vernacular architecture. Gas lanterns flank front porches that overlook common green spaces and a vast canopy of century-old live oaks.
Whisper Mountain (Asheville, NC): Healthy Mountain Living Surrounded by Nature.  In the heart of Western North Carolina, this town is surrounded by nature and culture.
Pella® Windows and Doors is the exclusive launch partner of Southern Living Inspired Communities.
The long-term vision is to bring the brand to life in a unique, differentiated way by offering consumers a complete Southern Living experience including the option of attending Southern Living branded events such cooking classes or events on site.
For more information, go to: www.southernlivinginspiredcommunities.com
Southern Living was recognized by editors of Adweek as “The Best Home Magazine of 2013.” The brand also received the Readers’ Choice award in the same category, as voted by the general public.
Southern Living celebrates the essence of life in the South, covering the best in Southern food, home, garden, and travel.  Reaching more than 16 million people each month, Southern Living connects consumers with the region’s rich culture through a variety of print, digital, mobile, tablet and event platforms.  Headquartered in Birmingham, AL, the rapidly expanding Southern Living brand is part of Time Inc., one of the largest content companies in the world and the largest publisher in the U.S.
*  Housing starts were up 28% in 2012 YOY and 28% Jan-May 2013 YOY. Over half (54%) of housing starts from Jan-May 2013 were based in the South. New Home sales were up 20% in 2012 YOY and 29% from Jan-May 2013 YOY. Over half (52%) of new home sales were based in the South from Jan-May 2013.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development and U.S. Dept. of Commerce

Skip to content