Building a Forever Home… and a Lasting Friendship 

While Kip and Brigitt Berry’s home was built in 2018, their story with Rufty Homes goes all the way back to 1997…

Brigitt remembers, “We met Jon Rufty for the first time in 1997 when we were looking to build a home in Cary. Then, during the architectural stage of the project, we got transferred to move through my husband’s job. However, the connection we made with Jon was a lasting one – we even exchanged Christmas cards for a few years! When we moved back to the Triangle in 2017 to be closer to our kids and granddaughter, we immediately knew that we wanted to work with Jon on our forever home.”

That initial friendship that was formed 20 years earlier made a lasting impression on the Berrys, who didn’t even consider contacting another builder when they were ready to build their home. Brigitt continues, “We sat down with Jon and it was like no time had passed at all. He asked us about what we were looking for and started sketching it out right there. In about an hour we had our initial floor plan.”

After living in a traditional home in Gainesville, Florida, Kip and Brigitt were ready for a bit of a change. The Rufty team introduced them to Interior Designer, Vicky Serany, of Southern Studio Interior Design, who helped develop a “transitional” style, which was a fresh take on traditional ideas. 

Vicky explains, “We wanted to give them a home with a new perspective, something that still felt like ‘them’ but with a breath of fresh air. Brigitt and Kip had a few key pieces they wanted to incorporate in their design, so we started there. Then, Brigitt and I worked closely together to find other elements to complement the space.”

She continues, “One of my favorite parts of interior design is to help homeowners find the pieces that make them light up with excitement and then making all of those pieces work together in a way that makes their home feel uniquely theirs. I’m thrilled that the Berrys love the end result.” 

Rufty Homes values a team approach to each project and developing relationships with designers like Vicky makes the whole process easier and more rewarding for homeowners like the Berrys. 

Brigitt agrees, “I became very close with Vicky and my Rufty Project Manager, Don, throughout the project. They were amazing! The three of us would work together, solve problems, and think about the best ways to build a house that was beautiful and functional for our needs. The whole team was always one step ahead of any potential issue and if I had a question about anything, I’d get a response in 24 hours or less.”

Brigitt remembers a specific instance when they were planning out the back porch area, one of the main focal points of their backyard space. She says, “We really wanted an outdoor TV on our back porch, and Don came to us with the idea to put a small sliding door over the TV that would protect it from pollen in the spring. That’s just one example of the little details they thought about ahead of time to make the whole building process a breeze.”

One of Kip and Brigitt’s top priorities during their initial meeting with Jon was an outdoor space they could enjoy all year. He helped them find a lot adjacent to a piece of protected land, ensuring that nothing could be built behind them. As a result, their backyard includes their beautiful siding, porch which backs up to a waterfall, hot tub, fire pit, and gazebo, perfect for both entertaining or just relaxing at home by themselves or with their kids and granddaughter. 

“We can open the sliders and sit in the kitchen, listening to the waterfall and just immersing ourselves in the landscape. It’s exactly what we envisioned back in our meeting with Jon when he sketched out our floor plan. This is truly the forever home we’ve always dreamed about building and sharing with our family, but if we ever changed our mind, we’d use Rufty Homes again in a heartbeat,” smiles Brigitt. 

See the full photo gallery here.