Builder & Developer Magazine Features Loudermilk Homes on Cover
Alpine Architecture Blended With Modernism
By Taylor Moore
Published March 2026
Loudermilk Homes is one of the leading custom luxury design and build firms across Georgia and North Carolina, a testament seen in their three custom homes located in the Saratay Falls community of Cashiers, NC. Each of the homes were designed to capture the rustic elements of the mountains in Cashiers, creating an aesthetic that is both rugged and lavish.
The builder was named a finalist for the Custom Home Builder of the Year award by the National Association of Home Builders in 2022, 2024 and 2025.
“We have a mantra, ‘Build it like it’s yours,’” said Sherwin Loudermilk, Founder and President of Loudermilk Homes. “We proactively look for ways to make the home more comfortable or functional. Everything we do is an effort to make the custom home design and construction easier and enjoyable.”
Loudermilk Homes built this luxury home on Lot 5 in Saratay Falls in Cashiers, NC. With black siding and natural wood and stone, the home echoes elements of nature.
A Designer Showhouse
Loudermilk Homes’ custom project on Lot 5 in Saratay Falls was chosen for the 2025 Cashiers Designer Showhouse, a major city event by the Cashiers Historical Society that invited approximately a dozen top interior designers to each merchandise a room according to their style, showcasing their unique talents and bringing an artistic element to the home.
“The home has a rich variety of design styles from room to room,” said Loudermilk. “We really enjoyed seeing so many different versions for design come together in a cohesive way.”
The project was designed with expansive windows throughout, offering a seamless portal between the home and woodsy outdoors. The dining room’s pointed ceiling, framework windows, and sage green walls offer an openness to nature and a timeless design.
Rustic, wooden elements were embedded throughout the custom home, most notably the Grand Room. Wooden beams overlook the room in cabinesque fashion, adding a rustic flare to the home. Full-height sliding pocket glass doors open from the great room to an expansive, covered balcony, allowing the clients to enjoy fresh air and beautiful mountain views.
The kitchen is accentuated with rich, dark wooden cabinetry, while the homeowners’ bathroom has giant wooden doors to match. The doors open to a space that blends wellness within the design, its openness prioritizing comfort and efficiency.
The great room at Saratay Falls Lot 14, which was designed and built by Loudermilk Homes and was chosen as a Southern Living Showcase Home.
The covered balcony at Saratay Falls Lot 8, which was designed and built by Loudermilk Homes.
Custom Charm in Cashiers
Saratay Falls in as ultra-private mountain community tucked into the hills of Cashiers. Surrounded by a 40-foot natural waterfall, old-growth native trees and hiking trails, Loudermilk came across what was originally a 25-acre plot of land and saw a vision for a luxury retreat. Since buying the land in 2020, he has divided the plots into one-acre-plus custom homesites.
Cashiers’ topography of rolling hills and steep changes offered both beauty and unique challenges. The lots’ natural grading included pockets of rock and hard, compacted dirt that the builder had to contend with when digging a basement or laying foundations. The builder also wanted to preserve as many trees and native plants as possible to incorporate naturistic design, going in with a scalpel during construction preparation.
The three custom homes have architectural style influenced by modern mountain aesthetics, with large banks of windows that frame views of the forest, oversized wood beams, metal roofs, oversized fireplaces, natural stone and other wooden materials. Each of these three homes has a European modern design influence, with clean lines and luxurious amenities such as spa-inspired bathrooms with ceramic tile and a chef’s kitchen with top-of-the-line appliances.
Lot 14 was one of Loudermilk Homes’ first projects in Saratay Falls and was designed by an in-house interior design team with custom millwork, such as built-in cabinets in the dining room and panel molding on the wall to create unique visuals. The enormous grand fireplace creates a sense of grandeur upon entry, offering a glimpse to the mountains in the foreground from the kitchen and living room.
The kitchen at Saratay Falls Lot 5, which was part of the Cashiers Designer Showhouse event in 2025. Organized by the Cashiers Historical Society, the event brings together about a dozen professional interior designers to create unique designs for each room and celebrate the heritage and history of Cashiers.
The Builder’s Mission
Loudermilk Homes was founded in 2009 once Loudermilk saw the need and potential for a more rigorous, disciplined and transparent process for custom home design and construction.
With his own nine-step strategy that he calls the “Process to Perfection,” Loudermilk prioritizes client understanding through each step of the homebuilding process, from budget updates to a live 24/7 video feed of the project’s construction.
Loudermilk Homes offers in-house architectural services, and interior design services through its sister company, Loudermilk Designs, owned by Loudermilk’s wife, Roane Loudermilk.
Loudermilk Homes continuously aims to build with technological advancements and sustainable design in mind. The company prides itself on going the extra mile when designing custom homes, seen with these nature-inspired projects in Saratay Falls.
