This week, with support from special guest host Ty Pennington of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and Trading Spaces, Eastern Pennsylvania-based custom home builder and developer Rotelle Development Company opened the doors on its new design center. Studio(e) invites both potential and current clients to explore their options—or just hang out with a cup of coffee. With design or "experience" centers growing in popularity with designers and companies across the country, BUILDER talked to CEO Peter Rotelle about what fueled him to pursue the concept.
What are some trends you see emerging in residential design?
With the popularity of HGTV and Pinterest, consumers are getting more educated and particular about what they are looking for in a new home, so today’s buyer is much more informed. Multi-generational house plans are becoming one of the most popular, practical and economical design choices. While this trend has been popular in the South for many years, it has migrated to the Northeast with a vengeance. The idea is that one family can live under one roof, but not entirely together, and the shared costs—such as property taxes, maintenance, and utilities—make it an extremely attractive option. Additionally, we're sensing that buyers are done with the four-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath floor plan, and that they want to have more involvement in the customization process.
What’s selling?
In our region, Craftsman-style interiors and exteriors are in vogue. Buyers also want more flexible open floor plans. They are defining their spaces with decorations, not walls. On many projects, we are using natural, re-purposed materials such as ceiling beams and live edge counter tops. Single-story homes have significantly grown in popularity, and just for older buyers; we're hearing that many don’t want two-story foyers or wasted open space. Many of our clients also “think green” and consider fuel economy in the design/build process—it’s all about efficiency. And of course, outdoor spaces continue to draw large demand.
How does Studio(e) approach the custom home designing and building process?
Despite the fact that buyers love the idea of building a dream home, they view the experience of doing so as too expensive and time-consuming. Our team created a different approach: a design studio where buyers tell us about their lifestyle, and we design a home to fit those needs through a hands-on process that educates them on all the possibilities within their price range. We turn around pricing in one day, and we’ve reduced the time frame for delivery. We like to think we're making the idea of building a custom home attainable.
How does the firm's new design center facilitate and assist the process?
The new design studio offers all the services a custom home buyer needs under a single roof, and in a relaxed, open environment. We have an on-staff architect, interior designers, and lot experts, ready to guide home buyers every step of the way—from choosing the ideal location, to selecting the perfect plan and custom design features, and providing them with financing.
If a client is looking for land to build, the experience begins with site selection. In some cases, clients already have their own property, or are interested in a teardown and rebuild. But if they are looking for property in a specific area, Studio(e) can tap into thousands of Rotelle Development’s off-market land resources to identify other available lots. We also avoid financial surprises through a proprietary algorithm called Lot Scrub, where we can calculate the cost of the land, infrastructure improvements, and any additional state and local fees related to the building project. We also pursue all the proper building and environmental permits once the ground is purchased.
Where did the idea for Studio(e) come from back in 2011?
Like many home builders, we were in survival mode after the recession and were more than anxious to put that behind us and move on to higher ground. While doing our research we discovered that there were thousands of stagnant lots out there. We realized we could minimize our risk and fill a void in the market by building affordable custom homes. With many of the small builders out of business from the recession, we created a new business model where we could compete exclusively in the custom home space, and that’s how Studio(e) came to be. We designed it as an open “sandbox” where clients could be surrounded by inspiration and expertise. The goal was to make Studio(e) a destination and build our walk-in traffic, and achieved both.
How has the concept evolved since then?
Since then, this education and design Studio has been refined down to a science based on buyer input and reading the market. We were 80% of the way there when we started but continued to refine that last 20% to get it just right. Design studios require staff who know how to sell, design, source ground and finance a property. All those experts are now in place. We also streamlined our accounting system in order to deliver a home in 4-6 months from the contract signing. And we are continually refining our process, always asking ourselves, “what can we do better?” as market conditions and buyer demands evolve.
What’s up next?
Currently on the drawing board: restoring Airstream trailers and putting them on a lakeside camp ground we own. We’ll lease them out like hotel rooms but the entire experience will be built around a community setting with a communal kitchen and dining area where you can hang out with fellow “campers”. We’ll see...
