Publisher's Pick: Floorplan

In the homebuilding universe, very few national builders can compete with their more specialized custom counterparts in building and selling homes priced as high as seven figures. David Weekley Homes, based in Houston, is one of a handful that can go toe-to-toe with local niche builders who work only from personalized architectural plans.

If you don’t believe it, check out the company’s Custom Classics collection at prestigious Baldwin Park. Weekley is offering four single-family designs from its Custom Classics portfolio at the popular Orlando master-planned community, which is tucked conveniently between Orlando and Winter Park.

We’re especially impressed with the Susannah model, a spacious 5,259-square-foot beauty with five bedrooms, five-and-a-half bathrooms and a three-car garage. It’s priced from $1,249,990.

Like most Weekley designs, this one is a timeless classic that studiously avoids anything smacking of ostentation. But make no mistake: it’s the embodiment of understated elegance, with clean lines and a traditional Deep South ambiance — complete with a second-story covered balcony.

On the first floor, just beyond the entry, you’ll find a cozy study to left. To the right you’ll find a formal dining room. Look straight ahead and you’ll really get wowed by a dramatic open area that encompasses a family room, a breakfast room and an island kitchen with a butler’s pantry.

At the rear to the right, a breakfast room and an adjoining bedroom look out onto the lanai. On the opposite side, an owner’s bath and an owner’s retreat are separated by a sitting room. The second floor features three more bedrooms, three more bathrooms, a media room and a retreat that opens onto the balcony.

Of course, you don’t have to spend seven figures to own a David Weekley home in Baldwin Park. The company is also offering “city homes” priced from the mid-$300s. These Mediterranean-style homes range in size from 1,900 to over 2,000 square feet.

David Weekley Homes is ranked among Fortune Magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” and was the first builder to win homebuilding’s “triple crown,” notching America’s Best Builder, National Builder of the Year and the National HousingQuality Award.

You can tour the Susannah at Baldwin Park. In fact, at presstime there was a move-in-ready model available. For more information, visit davidweekleyhomes.com.

IN BRIEF

• Builder: David Weekley Homes
• Model Name: The Susannah
• Square Footage: 5,259
• Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 5, 5 ½
• Price: $1,778,321
• Notes: Part of the David Weekley Custom Classics collection; move-in-ready model available in Baldwin Park.