Curated Craftsman

The Gast Family turned to Rufty Homes for a craftsman-inspired home full of their own personal touches.

When Bill and Donna Gast sat down to design their dream home, they had a clear vision of exactly what they wanted: a Craftsman-inspired home with built-in usable storage, beautiful wood features, and a well-designed floor plan where every room serves a purpose, set on a wooded lot to feel surrounded by nature.

Bill says, “Small details are important to us. Traditional Craftsman homes were filled with nooks and crannies so that no space went to waste. We wanted that authenticity reflected in our home, so we tried to be very intentional about how each room in our home would be used. For example, we knew we wouldn’t get much use out of a formal dining room, so we left it out of our plans altogether. Instead, we have an open kitchen space with a built-in seating area that better suits our lifestyle.”

After carefully planning out their design, their next step was to find the right builder to transform their dream into a reality.

“We put a lot of time and thought into designing our home, and it was important to us that we could find a builder that would support our vision, while also helping us make smart design decisions. After our first meeting with Rufty Homes, it was clear that they understood our goals and were on board some of the more unique aspects that were important to us,” explains Bill.

Bill and Donna were involved in every part of the build process, at times working almost as a subcontractor, as they built a number of specific elements - like their wooden countertops in the Butlery - that were integral to the home’s design.

“It was refreshing to work with a builder that trusted us enough to build and install these things on schedule. I recognize that if we got behind on our end, it would have affected Rufty’s timeline, but they were willing to give us a shot. And hey, they didn’t end up firing us, so I think we did a good job,” laughs Bill. 

Likewise, the Rufty Homes team enjoyed that the Gasts were involved with the project and committed to bringing their own design elements to their home. Sydney Jamison, our business development coordinator says, “It really stood out to me that they wanted to bring their own work into the home. They incorporated a beautiful stained glass window into the design, and my personal favorite part of their home is the dog room! A lot of thought had to go into these different elements, but the end result is a home that’s a reflection of what’s important to them.”

Bill and Donna credit the success of this working relationship to Rufty’s strong communication strategy. “If something needed to be changed or fixed, they came to us immediately instead of waiting for us to ask for updates. We never felt like we were out of the loop or that things were happening without our knowledge,” says Bill. 

After working thoughtfully on their design for several years, seeing it come to fruition with the Rufty Homes team was incredibly rewarding. Bill explains, “We knew exactly what we wanted, but Rufty’s attention to detail and high-quality workmanship meant that the end result exceeded our original design ideas. We absolutely love it.”

While it’s nearly impossible to narrow down their very favorite part of the house, Donna thinks it’s hard to beat their screened-in porch. She says, “I always wanted a liveable screened-in area at our old house, but there wasn’t a way to integrate into the space. While we were designing this house, it was one of my top priorities. I’m out there almost every day!”

More than anything, Bill and Donna appreciated that Rufty Homes was always looking out for their best interests. Bill explains, “We couldn’t be happier with our home. The construction process can be stressful at times, but the Rufty Homes team is just as easy to work with on the good days as they are on the hard ones. At every turn, we felt confident working with them and would strongly recommend them to anyone looking to build a custom home.”

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See the full gallery of our Curated Craftsman project here.