Building Service Over a Lifetime:
Jeff and Jean Martin
by Linda Salisbury
Jean and Jeff Martin enjoy their Santa roles at many events, including at this Louisa County Chamber of Commerce holiday party at The Cove (submitted photo).
Jean Martin has a booth at the Mineral Mercantile where she displays and sells her upcycle items and clothing she designs and sews (submitted photo).
Quality, Community Service, and Caring are only some of the terms that describe Jeff and Jean Martin, owners of their award-winning Southern Image Design Builders. In fact, the Lake Anna Business Partnership recently awarded the Martins the Rich Binns Community Service Award and the President’s Award for their dedicated membership.
These admirable attributes took hold from the beginning of their lives together. Jean explained that they met in Richmond. “Jeff was studying to be a journeyman carpenter,” she said. “I was a student at VCU (Virginia Commonwealth University) studying theater arts and fiber art where we met through mutual school friends. We married in the spring of 1982 and honeymooned near Destin, Florida.”
This trip started their love of Florida and their desire to be part of the new community. They were hooked by the wide, sandy beaches on the Gulf of Mexico and the many work opportunities. Thus, when they returned from their honeymoon, the newlyweds packed their belongings. They returned to Florida where Jeff started his own construction company and Jean opened a fabric store and did custom sewing and volunteer work.
Jeff said the nearby town of Destin had a tournament fishing industry, active water sports businesses, and many opportunities for new construction jobs. After tourists arrived and experienced the area, they often decided to have a home built in the Sunshine State.
In 1990, the Martins moved back to Virginia, living first in Chesterfield, Short Pump, and then in Hanover County’s Montpelier area, where Jeff continued to run his business. “Then the call came that would again change our lives,” Jean recalled.
“We got a phone call one day from a client who asked if we built at Lake Anna,” she said. “Once we saw the area, we decided it would be our next venture. We had always planned to return to Florida some day, but Lake Anna would be the next best thing until we could make that dream come true.”
Like the Florida panhandle, the Lake Anna area had lots of opportunities for new construction.
The Martins opened their home business at Lake Anna in 2003 on the warm side of the lake. At that time, much of the lakeshore and surrounding area was very rural and undeveloped. That meant long drives to stores, medical facilities, restaurants, or the post office. It was a good place to build custom homes near the 17-mile lake in the larger region encompassing Louisa, Spotsylvania, Orange, Hanover, and Fluvanna counties.
Jean and Jeff Martin at their home
(submitted photo).
Jean and Jeff Martin with their son Jacob, a first responder in Goochland (submitted photo).
The company’s name is based on their love of the South. “Jeff and I have always been interested in history,” Jean explained. “We would find ourselves taking trips and walking tours to areas mostly in the South, and we both admired the style, architecture and the stories behind the designs. As we planned homes for clients, we incorporated some of the Southern designs into the concepts.”
“So the phrase ‘it reflects the image of Southern design’ was used many times,” she added.
Jean and Jeff are dedicated to making every aspect of a new home top quality. The company uses 3D design services as they work out the specifics for each project. After meeting and discussing their initial ideas with their customers, they visit their clients’ selected lot.
Considering the features of a lot is important in building a home that ensures the lot is properly proportioned. Most projects include garages, patios, and decks. For example, a lot on a hill with a view of the lake would need a different building design than one located on a flat field.
The Martins stress that they don’t build “cookie-cutter” homes. Their designs include special areas for unique hobbies or lifestyles.
Also, the homes are designed with a variety of materials such as brick, wood, vinyl, or plank siding. But that’s not all! The company prepares lots; builds docks and sun rooms; designs and constructs workshops; specializes in energy-efficient homes; and even handles tiny homes, home offices, and more.
The Martins welcome potential clients at their home office to discuss finances for the building costs, including whether or not they can afford the house. “Detailed background information is essential for developing a successful outcome and quality job,” Jean explained.
She said that if customers are over age 50 and planning to stay in their home into retirement, they are encouraged to have the home designed for “staying in place.” This means their new home should include easy accessibility for senior living so they don’t have to move elsewhere as they age.
Members of the Southern Image Design Builders team include (front row from left) Barbara Maransky and Jean Martin and (back row from left) Mickey Hawk, Graham Russell, and Jeff Martin (submitted photo).
This is one of the many homes throughout the Lake Anna area for which Southern Image completed a remodel and additions (submitted photo).
As always, quality is essential. This includes the project design, laborers, office staff and – of course – the work that Jean and Jeff do personally: making customers feel welcome and fully satisfied. They employ three office staff and a changing number of construction workers depending on what’s needed for each part of the job. In their 45 years in the construction business, Jeff estimated that they have built more than 100 custom homes.
Jean said her advertisements in Lake Anna Connections – plus word of mouth – brought them immediate customers and continues to do so.
The Martins are also affiliated with a program that allows veterans or their spouses to be paid during their on-job-the-training to become a journeyman carpenter. Currently, Southern Image Design Builders provides training for the Carpenter Apprenticeship Program offered by the Veterans Administration along with the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry.
With their quality work, it’s no wonder they have received many awards from different sources. In addition to being honored for their business excellence, the Martins are recognized for their commitment to the lake area and beyond.
As they have from the beginning, the Martins have generously offered their talents, leadership, and time to the community. Jean has shared her expertise in custom sewing to help with costumes for theater productions for Louisa County High School and the Louisa Arts Center. Now she designs “upcycles” (taking something old and turning it into something better) and makes custom clothing to sell in a booth at Mineral Mercantile.
Jeff has also offered his services through the CTE (Career & Technical Education) program that was started several years ago at Louisa County High School. “The program helps students who do not plan to go to college find a trade they would like to pursue,” he explained. “CTE has a program that offers everything from culinary to mechanics to IT, media, and carpentry and hopefully other trades.”
There have been more than 70 courses offered since the program’s inception. Jeff has worked with students to promote values such as showing up on time and learning quality work on the job.
Besides all the time they have spent on their business, the Martins have still found time to spend on their volunteerism in the community. Jeff has been an active member of Habitat for Humanity, lending his carpentry skills and leadership as board president. Habitat for Humanity uses volunteers to build affordable homes for deserving families and also helps with repairs such as windows, doors, and ramps.
Jeff and Jean have been involved with the Lake Anna Business Partnership (LABP) for 23 years. Jeff has served as president of the organization, and Jean has been the treasurer and social hostess (a position suitable for her outgoing nature!). The LABP is a group of business executives and community leaders who work together to promote economic development and service projects. Their monthly social gatherings meet at various restaurants in the area, and their fundraisers support scholarships for area high school students.
The Martins are also active members of the Louisa Chamber of Commerce. For example, they volunteered as Christmas elves in 2025 and helped spread “Chamber Cheer.”
Jeff’s work has also included being the contractor for the Fluvanna-Louisa Housing Foundation which – in addition to helping people during problems such as droughts, floods, hurricanes and other disasters – builds affordable housing. In fact, he was recently elected chairman of the board.
“We are building 25 units on eight acres that the county gave to the foundation,” Jeff said. “There will be 16 one-bedroom and nine two bedroom units. The one-bedroom units will mainly be for senior living, and the two-bedroom units will be workforce housing.”
“My inspiration for doing this is the need to contribute my talent as a builder to help with the county’s housing needs,” he added. “If you look around, so many people are in need, and I believe I can make a difference, even just a little.”
Jeff and Jean have been working on detailed retirement plans. They have enjoyed their years at Lake Anna but still have dreams of living in an area like Destin with large, sandy beaches. Wherever they go, they are sure to make a difference in their new community.
In addition to numerous homes, the Martins also built many additions such as this garage (submitted photo).
This lovely home was designed and built at Lake Anna by Southern Image Design Builders (submitted photo).
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