Our Services
What We Do
Heritage Design & Build is a full service design-build firm owned by Gary Gilmer and Erin Shafer Gilmer. Our Services include Residential and Commercial Design-Build, Interior Design, and Custom Elevators and Greenhouses— serving clients throughout the Southeast. With over two decades of professional experience between the pair, in both residential and commercial applications, their combined expertise ensures the highest quality of service for each project.
Gary has been involved in construction for more than thirty years, specializing in custom homes, renovations, additions, as well as high end multi-family projects. His distinct custom “Modern Manor” home style can be seen throughout the Brookhaven neighborhood in Atlanta, with examples of his commercial and residential design-build work all over Georgia. As the interior designer, Erin works closely with each client to ensure their vision is executed on every level, both inside and out, for each home or commercial property. At Heritage Design & Build, the Gilmers work together to create timeless spaces which truly reflect each individual client's personality. Their combined expertise results in luxurious spaces, cherished by each client for many years to come.
Recent Projects
Five Points Home
Erin’s longtime clients tasked her with updating their master bedroom suite and creating a tranquil and luxurious space to retreat. Frequent guests at The Cloister on Sea Island, Erin’s clients wanted their bedroom to embody the same relaxing feel as their favorite getaway resort. The master bedroom was updated with soft, serene hues contrasted with rustic beams accentuating the newly vaulted ceiling. Erin introduced sumptuous fabrics and elegant lighting to achieve a spa-like haven the client wife so desired. In addition to the master bedroom, his and her bathrooms were completely renovated. New tiling, heated floors in his bathroom, custom vanities, designer lighting and closet systems were among the finishing touches Erin incorporated into the project. Continuing on with this project, the Gilmer’s remodeled the kitchen and den, updated the junior and guest suites and bathrooms, and built a new pool house and added exterior landscaping and stonework to coordinate with the main home.
Video of Five Points Home
River Shoals Residence
Classic English Manor in the heart of Athens. The beautiful wooded and gated community of River Shoals is nestled at the edge of the Oconee River. Timeless architecture, stunning views and breathtaking sounds of the shoals, with a gracious stone entrance to this gorgeous custom home by the Gilmer team.
Video of River Shoals Residence
Appling Cottage
Nestled on 3 wooded acres, this storybook cottage was a fun project from start to finish. The Gilmer team added a three car garage and outdoor living space, then they revised and expanded the floor plan from a 2 bedroom & 1 bath, to a 2 bedroom & 2 full bath, with 2 loft spaces in the cottage. Rustic cedar beams and interior trim work contrast nicely with crystal chandeliers, baby grand piano and one of a kind antique pieces. No detail has been overlooked. Custom touches abound in this quaint cottage include artistic finishes on kitchen cabinets, an antique pantry door, and petrified wood sinks in the master bathroom. The master bedroom features a custom lambskin headboard and cedar bed frame with antique column caps as feet of the bed, plus a vaulted ceiling and 6 foot fireplace are accented with rustic cedar beams.
Shoal Creek Farms
A spacious but outdated home on Athens’ Eastside received an extensive renovation of the main floor with an updated open floor plan for an active young family. In order to achieve optimal functionality for her clients, Erin flipped the home’s dining room and kitchen layout and removed walls and raised ceiling heights to create an open floor plan to the great room. Inspired by the homeowner’s desire for a modern rustic feel, Erin incorporated durable natural materials like quartzite countertops, rustic hammered pendant lights, distressed rough sawn built-in cabinetry and family friendly fabrics to achieve a fresh new look for this young family. This home was recently featured on the cover of Athens Magazine.
Buckhead Condominium
The Charles Condominiums in Buckhead, developed by The Loudermilk Cos., is located at 3099 Peachtree Road at the Buckhead Triangle, where West Paces Ferry, Roswell, and Peachtree roads intersect. This is one of the Gilmer’s most comprehensive projects.
Residential and Commercial
Design-Build and Interiors— Classic Style for Modern Life