Improving What You Have in Your Home

Written by: Simonini Builders

While building a new home may not be feasible for many in our current economic climate, a lot of homeowners are taking a step back and looking at what they can do with what they have.

There are hundreds of homes dating back to the late 1970s and early 1980s on the islands and, while they have wonderful character, owners are looking for ways to “spruce up” their home’s dated look without going overboard on construction costs. At the same time, many families with newer homes are looking for ways to make their home more energy-efficient and earth conscious.

That’s where Simonini Builders comes in. Located at Kiawah and Seabrook Island, and Charlotte, North Carolina, Simonini Builders has an office conveniently located in the Freshfields Village and they are ready to sit down with you and run through a whole list of creative, innovative solutions to improving your home both inside and out. And by making a majority of their interior design options available in their office showroom, Simonini Builders is a one-stop shop for changing your aging home into the house of your dreams.

Simonini Builders began building on Daniel Island in 2000 and by 2001, they had completed their tenth home. In 2005 they were up to 50 homes and had begun building custom homes on the Isle of Palms. That same year, Simonini Builders was hired by Kiawah Development Partners to build The Cassique Garden Cottages and to date, their company has built more than 180 homes across the Lowcountry.

“We’re always looking for trends,” said Fred Bricketto, Division Manager for Simonini Builders in Charleston. “What does the customer want and what is the industry doing? Overall, we look for three things: form, function and beauty.”

In order to track down those trends, Simonini Builders travels to all corners of the United States and abroad. A study in Naples, Florida; Bloomfield Hills, Michigan; and Newport Beach, California, yielded some interesting new trends: the creation of “Right Sized Home” home design and reconstruction, and bringing the outdoors, in.

Inspired by several beautifully designed homes with surprisingly small footprints, Simonini Builders began designing homes with open spaces and multiple use applications. Extra large glass doors are often integrated on porches and gardens access areas, and kitchens are designed to accommodate multiple chefs and room for several people to sit and talk during dinner parties.

Simonini Builders recently announced their new Coastal Series Portfolio Homes for lot owners looking to build a pre-planned and pre-priced home. For condo owners, their “Condo Makeover” program gives new life to a condo while only taking six weeks total from start to finish. Simonini and its designers sit down with the condo owners and find out exactly what they’re looking for, even providing samples of design options so the owners can see and feel their choices. The entire project is then listed with all of the details and an estimated price is always given prior to construction.

For homeowners looking to give their whole home a facelift while not delving into building a completely new home, Simonini Builders has partnered with nationally renowned architect Dominick Tringali to custom-design the exterior of homes through a “Coastal Inspiration.” With this program, a picture is taken of the home and Tringali sketches a black and white overlay according to the owner’s specifications, then paints the redesign in watercolor so that it can be taken to the island’s architectural review committee. The entire cost of the redesign is $750, but the amount will be credited back to the homeowner if they chose to go with Simonini Builders.

“We’re your builder,” said Bricketto. “But we’re also your guide. We take you through the steps and share what we’re learning as a company and how it can be applied to your home.”

Simonini Builders is one of a handful of builders across the country who has won the construction industry’s “Triple Crown,” having been named National Builder of the Year, America’s Best Builder and winner of the National Housing Quality Award. They are also the only builder nationwide to win the National Association of Home Builders and Professional Builder Magazine Gold level of award twice and was the 2002 America’s best builder award winner from Builder Magazine and the Business Management Committee of the National Association of Home Builders.

For more information, call Fred Bricketto at 768-0823, email fbricketto@simonini.com or visit www.simonini.com.

Dominick Tringali Architects is a residential, custom and community architectural firm specializing in the methodology lifestyle by design. To learn more, please visit www.dtarchitects.com or http://dtarchitects.blogspot.com.