Need a light on?  Boom.  Done.  Don’t even think about it.

Not only does this thing look cool, but the versatility of the switch is what makes it even cooler. In most cases, you leave the switch on auto so that when it senses motion, it automatically turns on. We know your little mind is coming up with some “Yeah, but what if?” So, hold that because this thing is not only smart, it’s genius and practical, too.

Women: if you’re putting on makeup in the morning or slipping into the tub for a nice, relaxing soak, you can turn it on just like a normal light switch, and it stays on. This keeps from it turning on and off during times of limited motion.

It costs us $45 more, but we do it for you in every bathroom.  It’s cheaper than hiring someone to do it for you.

Guys: this thing is great for you, too, picture it…those late night trips to the bathroom, you’re half zombified, the last thing you really want to do is wander around for a light switch when you end up touching your toothbrush, bar of soap, etc. And let’s be honest, you’re not always 100% accurate with the “aiming-in-the-dark” thing, so this will narrow down any chances of getting in the doghouse when the wifey wakes up.

Off, Auto, On.  You decide.

You can even adjust the amount of time that the light stays on after it senses motion.  It can be adjusted by simply removing a couple of the screws and adjusting a dial on the backside of the switch. The cost per unit on the Proximity Sensing Switch is $45 over a regular decora style switch, but we cover the cost for you…in every bathroom in your house.

Think about the long run, you save $$ and energy. And that’s a beautiful thing…just not as beautiful, though, as when the switch rats you out in a game of hide-and-seek with the kids.

Rats! Foiled again…not!  At least in a JCH home.  Plug your foiled dryer duct right into our sweet cubby.

“This has to be one of the most unnoticed features in our homes” says Brodie Tucker, our community manager. “However, it is quite a role player in the overall design and function in all of our mud/laundry rooms. In most cases, 4”-6” doesn’t make a big difference…” Hold that thoughtwe’re going to cut right here and give you Jeff’s libretto on why it DOES make a big difference, especially when it comes to the newer styled front-loading washers and dryers.

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Click To Enlarge

“After I lived in a home whose utility room lacked the few necessary inches to enable a door to freely open without almost bumping the dryer, I knew we had to start thinking more about this. The door had a hard time opening due to the dryer having to be about 4” away from the wall to keep the duct from kinking. While at the International Builder Show, I discovered a stainless steel inset panel which allows an additional 4” for your dryer vent duct to turn upwards and connect to the exterior dryer vent. It saves kinks in the duct, which means less stress on your dryer, and clothes dry more quickly.”

It could be said that we’ve left the “gettin’ kinky” stuff for what it’s really intended for…not dryer ducts.

The toil with foil ends here.

And since every inch of a JCH home is smart and beautiful, why would we leave the laundry room to suffer? Our stager, Sharen Polkinghorne appreciates the gesture because from a design standpoint, you can make a lot of difference in a smaller space with more square footage and walk around space.

This is a standard amenity in ALL of our new homes in Oklahoma City and Edmond, and we spend around $50 more for this “freeture” over just a basic sleeve that sticks out of other builders’ walls.

Smart, simple fixes. Why didn’t we think of that first? Oh wait, we did.

A few Fridays a month, we post a new WTFF, or “What the Feature?! Friday” blurb scoping in on special elements of our homes that make us one unique thumbprint. Some are standard features, some are options, but all have a cool story.

Our “Luxe Entertainment Wall”, an option in the Mello plan, gives asymmetrical balance to a large flat
panel display, keeping it from becoming a bulky focal point.

We know a thing or two about “connectedness” in the home. We use it in a multi-faceted way encouraging both physical and virtual connections.  So the feature uses our our Mello furnished model home located in the Silverhawk addition to illustrate how the use of space can encourage social connectivity (the physical).  We also believe that seamless, and in some cases, concealed, integration of technology plays a major role in design (the virtual). For example, our flat panel display serves as a complement to, rather than the focal point of, our “Luxe Entertainment Wall” in the great room of our Mello model home.

The Mello Great Room

The Mello Media Room

The Mello Powder Bath

The story also touches on other amenities and design considerations for social aspects of the home, mentioning our built-in dining table that seats up to 6 (8 if you include the bar), which can be both formal and casual. But not all of our design and tech comes in big packages.  “Some of the most appreciated items seem to be the simplest: motion sensor lights in the bathrooms, Touch 2 O Faucet in the kitchen, or the simple shiny button (Disposal Switch),” says our Sales Manager, Brodie Tucker, regarding other nice touches in the model.

Our built-in dining table is as formal or as casual as you want it to be.

This, friends, is why Jeff Click Homes is known as leader in both design trends and in the implementation of new technologies into its homes.  Given Jeff’s formal background in technology and software development, it’s no wonder he’s the go-to guy as a thought leader on the topic.

“Connectedness” = our design philosophy.  Read up on it by checking out the full feature story on Jeff Click Homes at NewsOK.

Next time the “stuff hits the ceiling”, “the stuff” may think twice.

Jeff got the “okc-famous” joisted ceiling idea several years ago at a restaurant in Bricktown that was in an old building with its original upper stories still in tact. He studied the visual aspects of the space over dinner and noticed the ceiling above his table was actually the bottom of the second story floor, which was made simply of wood beams, joists, and decking.  “I’ve always enjoyed implementing aspects of urban structures into our suburban homes, and this one immediately hit me as a must-do.” says Jeff, “We now often do these in our homes as optional upgrade amenities.”

The exposed joist ceilings enhance a modern feel that many of our designs already have. For many of JCH clients, it has added that extra touch in the loft, study, or master bedroom.

The loft-style study in the Daniel.

Topped off, literally, quite nicely.

From our Community Manager, Brodie Tucker: “Visitors often comment on what a simple, but clever idea the exposed joist ceilings are. They bring life and a custom feel to a specific area.”

“I like the way it makes the room feel larger. It’s a super creative technique.” Pam Bradford, JCH Office Manager.

It took some planning to get these “just right”. Our Construction Manager, Dallas Bradford, shed some light on how they are constructed. “These are made by first framing the walls. We then run a band flush with the top plate. Depending on the way you want to run the joist which can run with or against the room,we pull center and hang three joists in the center to cover the base for a future light. The left over space on either side are then filled in at equal spacing, all with the joist hangers exposed. The ceiling is installed on top of the plates and joists. We use plywood because it will hold the joists from rolling much better. The dead spot that is created at the plate line is then foamed on top of the plywood and blown with insulation. Underneath in the exposed side, all gaps are caulked in and the sheetrock hits flush to the outside rim. We leave all the imperfections for you to see: knot holes, splintered wood, missing chunks. Once it is painted or stained, the true beauty is obvious, don’t worry, there is no load bearing on top of it, just enjoy the view.”

We wouldn’t let our model go topless, but we’re all about exposing its joists.

Speaking of construction, our Home Stager, Sharen Polkinghorne remembers the first time she ever viewed the exposed joist ceiling. She says, “I just believed the sheetrock hadn’t gone up and would be like any other ceiling in any other home. What a surprise that urban looking ceiling was! We were ready to “stage” the home but I had to “rethink” my whole decorating plan for the room when I walked in and the ceiling was still exposed. We ended up doing a ‘New York chic cityscape’ look with dark open beamed ceiling. It was a huge hit with everyone!

Exposed in the master suite.

Our 2009 Parade of Homes entry.

Next time the “‘stuff’ hits the ceiling”, “the stuff” may think twice.

A few Fridays a month, we post a new WTFF, or “What the Feature?! Friday” blurb scoping in on special elements of our homes that make us one unique thumbprint. Some are standard features, some are options, but all have a cool story.

The Oklahoma State Home Builders Association is launching a campaign that brings more awareness to its “Certified Professional Builder” program that will, in itself, educate the consumer. What Jeff talks about in the video is why he decided to become a Certified Professional Builder. It’s pivotal, and in 2009, Jeff was the President of the Central Oklahoma Home Builders Association (which is the OKC-area local association) now he holds the Vice President spot on the Oklahoma State Home Builders Association, and will serve as President in 2013.

Why Jeff chose to hold these positions isn’t just so he can say so, either. There’s important reasoning behind why. He believes in observing core values within Jeff Click Homes, and a couple of them are progress and excellence. He explains that progression equals learning and continually striving for proficiency within the company, and in doing so, excellence follows. The Certified Professional Builder program is just one way he strives to achieve this.

A builder doesn’t just take a test and “BAM!” he/she is certified. It takes a long-term commitment and careful criteria which includes continuing education, carrying the proper types of insurance, knowing and adhering to codes, and employing best practices and the latest in building sciences. Any builder can vouch for the quality of their homes until the cows come home, but the certification label gives a peace of mind to the consumer, that the builder is, in fact, legit.

“I believe that to the consumer, that shows a certain level of commitment to being not only legitimate, but to excelling, seeking the highest standards and being more in-tune with the latest best practices, the latest codes and hopefully that translates into abiding by them and a better outcome altogether for the consumer.”—Jeff Click

We expect that our consumers do their research just as much as we continually do ours at JCH. And, we feel it’s vital to you, the consumer, to know that our standards are equally as high.

Thank YOU! You visited our 2011 Parade of Homes house. The beautiful, stylish, “I’ve never seen anything quite like it before” Mello-based plan. Wether you voted on your iPhone app, the mobile site, JCH.com, or iPad, you reciprocated the “5-star treatment” and awarded us People’s Choice Award for the 2011 Parade of Homes, $250-350k division!  And, although it has been the 2nd year in a row Jeff Click Homes has won the People’s Choice, we picked up a few other shiny pieces of hardware along the way including Best Decorating, Best Owners Suite, and Best Kitchen. The best just don’t take a rest.

Power to the People: Parade visitors rated homes using the iPhone app and Parade of Homes web site.

It means the moon and the “stars” to us that you love us, you really love us. And, we’re taking the time to thank you. The entire staff at JCH has a warm place in their hearts for this accomplishment, here’s a few individualized words:

Pam Bradford, Office Manager
“To be honored with the People’s Choice Award 2 years in a row,= really let’s us know that we are building homes that all of you appreciate.”

Brodie Tucker, Community Manager
“I think the way we differ from most builders is we put together a “complete package”. Many builders focus on the house itself. I think we all agree that the house has to be a big part of the focus, but putting on a great show for parade has to go much further. That is the main reason we bring in professionals to team up with us for the other details.”

Sharen Polkinghorne, Home Stager/Decorator
“Winning the peoples choice award the second year in a row is awe inspiring. The entire team of professionals who work at Jeff Click Homes continues to push the envelop and each other for the most over the top award winning creativity. It’s the challenge that each of us feels make our “team” the one to watch each year as we roll out our new Parade entry. People have come to expect our best and we continue to expect it from ourselves. Thus the awards! Thanks to all of our loyal followers. We appreciate you!”

Dallas Bradford, Construction Manager
“I’ve had people tell me recently that they’d like to use Jeff’s ideas in their own homes, that’s a major compliment.”

Jeff Click, Head Honcho
“The team knocked it out of the park this year, and I couldn’t be more proud of them, awards or not.  That being said, winning Peoples’ Choice again this year will go down as the highlight of the entire year for the company.  It’s great getting that affirmation from the people who take the time to come see our work each year.”

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We love getting creative and there’s noting better than being able to share our thoughts, visions, colors, designs, plans and homes with you. It is the cherry on top that your votes gave us the 2011 Parade of Homes People’s Choice award. In our opinion, it’s the one we look forward to the most because it came from you, who tapped your stars so we could reach for ours.

Hot awards for a hot house.  Best Kitchen, Best Owner’s Suite, Best Decorating.

Best Decorating

Best Owner’s Suite

Best Kitchen

These awards are sponsored by the Sales & Marketing Council of the Central Oklahoma Home Builders Association. The panel of judges consists of professionals from the real estate industry. They tour each home entered into the judging, rating them in various criteria, and the awards are broken out by price point and region of OKC. BUT, the voting doesn’t end there, there’s still ONE more major award to jump for joy over…we’ll tell you what that is in just a few.

Best Decorating
Our in-house stager, Sharen Polkinghorne, who coordinated the accessories and decorative elements, made this home look quite good. It was then topped off with furniture design by Suburban Contemporary Furniture, and commissioned art by Mary Howard and Utopia Joe.

When you look good, you look good.

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Click To Enlarge.

Jeff puts it a little more eloquently, “When you combine the style of home we build with the clever staging of Sharen, the sexiness of Suburban’s furniture, and the originality of Mary and Joe’s art, it’s a sure bet that the result will be noteworthy.” He’s not kidding. It’s like everything good in this world came and conglomerated in this square footage of space, and everyone wanted to know where JCH got the ideas.

Best Kitchen
This kitchen of the Mello Plan is much more of a space that you’re drawn into naturally, it’s like the heart and soul. “I remember the first time I walked into the completed kitchen, all spic and span with Sharens’ magical touches. My first thought was, what an awesome place to gather for holidays. Best Kitchen Award that is the icing on the cake in this kitchen! Exceptional counter space and built-in eating areas, combined with the interior design attributes by Mr. Jeff himself, make this kitchen the “hot spot” of the house!” Pam Bradford of Jeff Click Homes. BAM.

Style, space, and function is what we’re pitchin’.

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Click To Enlarge.

Best Owner’s Suite
When Sharen staged this, she had the word “Master” in mind. All of the elements you look for in a master suite combined with creative elements of furniture and usage of color and design.

The best spot to rest your pretty little head.

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Click To Enlarge.

In Sharen’s words, “The bed, the tub, the inspiration! I wanted this area of the home to be the retreat from the hustle and bustle of a busy day. Walk around the corner and have your breath taken away every day of the year! The bed started the total theme of ‘sexy elegance’. We built on the theme through out the room layer upon layer. Elegant pewters, silvers, mirrors, and platinum bedding and then top it off with an astonishing pop of color: Violet!”

It’s like you’re literally swept away to another time and place. Perfect touches of Mary Howard art and seductive furnishings from Suburban Contemporary Furniture.

Power To The People
Help us reach for the stars by tapping them for us.

With those 3 being at the top of the judges’ list, there’s still THE important award to be given: The People’s Choice Award. It’s important because it’s given by the public (that’s you, our clients, our fans, our followers!) by rating our home via the iPhone app, mobile web site, or Parade Of Homes web site. You can vote once per device.

Clients, friends, and fans hang on the outdoor living space at the 2011 Meet Mello Preview Party.

“Three is really flattering to receive, but we will always strive for a clean sweep, we will work harder and keep innovating and pushing boundaries.” Dallas Bradford of JCH.

We won Peoples’ Choice last year and would love people to rate our home this year in hopes to win it again. You gotta see this home for yourself, stop being jealous of your friend for checking it out before you.

Tap on the 5-stars.

The Mello is ready to meet you!

Jeff has served as the Parade of Homes Chair for 2 different years in the past, and this years Parade Chair is a good friend of his, Kurt Dinnes of Sun Custom Homes. Kurt’s co-chair is Kenyon Woods of Authentic Custom Homes. With this unique function comes events and the key sponsors of those events are The Womble Company and the local Pella Window supplier. Best Buy is the secondary sponsor of The Parade of Homes this year and you can even pick up Parade Magazines at all local area Best Buy stores.

Now, if you’re cool like that, you really don’t need no “stinkin” Parade Magazine. Because our 2011 Parade of Homes OKC app is ready for download via iTunes. (Of course we had to!) It has listing information and photos of all Parade Homes as well as mapping directly to homes, search features, the ability to share via social media, and People’s Choice ratings for each home. Don’t have an iPhone but you have a smart phone? Still cool. COHBA’s introducing a mobile version of our Parade of Homes web site at mobile.paradeofhomesOK.com with similar functionality as the as the iPhone app. Yep, there’s still the old-fashioned way of web browsing at the main 2011 OKC Parade of Homes site.

Introducing both the Mello Plan and the Luxe Entertainment Wall by Jeff Click Homes.

The view from the entry. (Clickable)

The view to the kitchen. (Clickable)

Looking from the island. (Clickable)

Coinciding with Jeff Click Homes’ entry into this year’s Parade of Homes, which is fully furnished by our friends at Suburban Contemporary Furniture, there’s also a grand opening of our brand new, long-term Furnished Model Home in the Silverhawk community. This home is based on our Mello floor plan and showcases several new innovative design ideas and features that aren’t typically found in homes under the $300,000 market, let alone in Oklahoma City. This very home, along with all other Parade of Homes, will be open daily from 1-7pm, October 15-23.

So to initiate the Parade of Homes (in JCH style), we’re hosting a jet-set, “Meet Mello” party on Friday night from 5pm 8pm, the night before the Parade of Homes kicks off. This will give our fans, clients, and associates a sneak-peek at the home before everyone else. It’s a come-and-go viewing, complete with hors d’oeuvres and definitely, fine beverages. Adults only please, and be sure to RSVP to let us know you’re coming!

Simple, sleek, and sketched.

From the “Gentry Entry” surrounded by columns wrapped with some stone to the “Great Escape” room with it’s forethought design elements sketched out by Jeff we’re now on to the Living Room where “innovative living…is a way of life”. How profound.

The “After” of Jeff’s vision for the kitchen of the JCH 2008 Parade of Homes entry.

The last couple parts of the magical sketched sections of this home are the kitchen and breakfast space. Really, if you make a magnificent entry, dining and living room, it’s a given that the kitchen (with a breakfast space!) will be equally as posh.

The side wall of the kitchen, as sketched by Jeff.

We wanted to introduce a more European take on our urban modern style for the 2008 Parade of Homes. Flat slab, Euro-styled maple cabinets were designed in an asymmetric arrangement and accented with several decorative niches and metal-framed glass doors complete with accent lights. The focal point of the kitchen is the arched glass, stainless steel vent hood over the slide-in range.

The side wall, as built by the JCH team.

Since the breakfast space was widely visible from the living space and entry (and it’s technically a part of the sweet kitchen) we couldn’t disappoint by falling short of even more visual interest. So, Jeff added side columns with lower stone facade. They created a deep inset where we also tucked in a built-in bench seat under the 4’0” x 4’0” horizontal sliding window. Hiding beneath, is a built-in table with storage cabinet.

The breakfast/informal dining space as sketched.

Pictures and descriptions may speak for themselves but nothing can beat actually being there. Directly visual and even tangible is the way to go. Unfortunately, stopping in to see the place in person now would require stepping back in time…or a virtual tour. We left the amber lights on for ya.

Breakfast, anyone?

“We were up against some great companies; the Oil & Gas field, medical firms, Loves Country Stores, Biotech companies, and others. But, we were only 1 of 2 residentially-focused construction companies recognized.” says Jeff. “It was awesome getting to represent Jeff Click Homes as one of the OKC Metro Area’s 50 fastest growing companies, but my receiving the award was only a small part of a long process that involved the great efforts of the entire JCH staff. To have experienced such growth during the worst housing downturn in US history means first that it could be nothing short of a blessing. That being said, it’s also the result of the efforts of what I believe is pound-for-pound the most talented, committed, and efficient staff of any home building company in the state. To achieve this growth, in a market like this, without increasing staff is nothing short of amazing.”

The video screen when JCH was announced.

Jeff receiving the Metro 50 award.

The Chamber reviewed potential recipients based on financial data submitted. Quite a bit of numbers, some paperwork, and maybe a few charts and graphs were assessed, however, this means much more to the employees than just some numbers and a piece of paper, “It’s experiencing growth.” says our office manager, Pam Bradford. “I remember a time when I was only working 3 hours a day, and no weekends! Now we are all working many more hours, 6 - 7 days a week. All of us have no issue with sacrificing personal time for the growth of the company because we build more than just houses, we create a place of life and it’s that very reason that it makes time spent “on the clock” enjoyable.”

So what else contributes to the speedy growth of the company? Personality, taking chances, identifying what customers want…sometimes before they know they want it, introducing them to new ideas and designs to fit their lifestyle or even adding ideas they may have not thought of.

Jeff and his wife, Deziray.

Jeff with Chamber President Roy H. Williams

“In 2010 we had a great opportunity to launch the Urbana Series By Jeff Click Homes.” adds Brodie Tucker, our community manager. “This was a new series of smaller, even more energy efficient modern and contemporary homes with awesome amenities and quality that rivals most homes that are much more expensive. Many of our clients are so passionate about our homes that they will wait years until they are able to afford them. The Urbana series allowed many of those clients that may not need the extra square footage to afford those homes sooner. They were a huge hit and we are getting ready to launch another section of the Urbana series now.” A perfect example of how JCH listened and heard.

JCH Construction Supervisor, Dallas Bradford, adds, “In 2010 I saw a revelation.  Jeff all of a sudden decided to push head first into more of the design aspect. I remember “laughingly” testing the waters with a benefit house we did for charity back in the day.  It was gorgeous. And, the most recent home displayed at The Parade of Homes took it to another level and I could tell it was full on then and we all dug in with excitement about putting out a product that you love or hate as a buyer, but to us they are all gems. Hopefully to our homeowners as well.”

In Jeff’s words, “The JCH staff has proven it can scale and up the effort to just about any challenge, and I give Dallas, Pam, Brodie, and Sharen all of the credit in the world for this award. I love those guys and can’t say enough about their commitment to our company, their passion for our vision, and for their dedication to our clients and the homes we build for them.”

So there you have it. There are many reasons a business grows, but this award and success of the company is because of you: our employees, our clients, our readers, our fans, our “likes” and that’s the most important part of the business. You’re kind of a big deal.