Before getting started on this project, our client, a local real estate developer, shared with us that one of their family's favorite pastimes is heading out west to go skiing. Over the years, they’ve fallen in love with the nature-inspired, lodge-style homes, and knew that they wanted to bring that inspiration into the home they planned to build here in North Carolina. 

The homeowners say, “We’re drawn to natural elements, like stone and wood. We wanted to incorporate that style into our home, without veering into a completely rustic design. It was important to us that we struck the balance between natural and contemporary. Rufty Homes helped us do just that.”

Before selecting a builder, the homeowners looked through different company portfolios, but the only builder they chose to meet with in person was Rufty Homes. “We knew we wanted to work with a builder with an established track record of quality building and unmatched customer service. We loved Rufty’s portfolio and thought their team seemed like a perfect match for us,” they said. 

As it turns out, their instincts were correct. In fact, one of their favorite parts of the build process was the collaborative nature of the project. “Our project manager, Don Pegram, was great. We’d come up with an idea, and Don and his team would communicate back and forth with us while coming up with creative solutions,” they explain. 

They continue, “Because of our desired aesthetic, some materials we wanted, like western red cedar, were not readily available in the area, but Don was able to find a supplier for us and at a great price. They continually went above and beyond for us.”

From Don’s perspective, that’s one of the best parts of his job. “I enjoyed hearing the homeowners' ideas and then figuring out how to make them happen. There’s a hand-built floating stone hearth on their fireplace that’s incredibly heavy. We were able to figure out how to balance it in there securely and I think the end result turned out great. That was the first time I’ve worked on a project like that, so it was a fun challenge to solve.”

The homeowners worked with the Rufty Homes team on another creative idea; the glass cork wall between their dining area and wine room. The idea was inspired by a trip to Aspen, where they were drawn to a similar idea in a restaurant they visited. 

The homeowners remember, “While we were designing the dining room, we had an epiphany to include the glass cork-filled wall. We knew that if we wanted to actually use our formal dining room, it needed to be interesting and we wanted there to be something for everyone to look at, no matter where they’re seated at the table.”

They continue, “We worked with the Rufty Homes team on several ideas about how to make the glass wall functional for holding the corks, talking through the logistics at every turn. We couldn’t be happier with the end result.”

When thinking back about the home building process, the homeowners believe that what sets Rufty Homes apart from other builders starts at the very top. They say, “Jon Rufty is very involved with his clients. He takes a personal interest in each home that is being built and kept in contact with us throughout the process. It wasn’t unusual for us to see him out at the build site when we'd stop by to see how progress was going.” 

They continue, “Jon sets the tone for the level of communication and transparency that’s expected from his team. It was clear to us that customer service is integral to what they do, and we genuinely felt like we built personal relationships with the people we worked with during this project.”

While they’ve been in their home since late 2017, sometimes they still stop for a moment to take it all in. They muse, “There’s an area between the front door and living area with stairway next to three-story windows going up the wall. Sometimes when walking up the stairs, we say to each other, ‘We can’t believe we're actually living in this house.’ Rufty Homes truly made our dream home a reality.”

See the full photo gallery for this project here.