Build Interior Design Awards 2017

9 2017 Interior Design Awards Build The interior design of their homes plays a vital role in the success of Mason Homes, and as such, the company make a special effort to ensure success in this area. The Mason Homes’ Décor centre is overseen by Wendy Treacy- Mason, Director of Sales, Marketing, and Operations. Wendy attended art school and majored in design arts, with drafting, colour, interior design and jewellery design amongst the many areas she studied. She then went on to work as the Canadian Director for a large international art gallery organization before she opened her own art gallery in 1995. Over the course of her career, Wendy worked with many interior designer firms on residential and commercial projects. Soon, she was approached by gallery clients to consult on their interior design projects, including Gord Mason. As such, after 24 years in the gallery business, Wendy joined Mason Homes as Director of Sales, Marketing, and Operations, where she designs model homes and manages the Décor Centre, the Sales Offices and the Marketing Department. Wendy explains how she draws on this vast experience to support Mason Homes. “There are many aspects of my past career that I draw upon in my current role daily. My love of art greatly influences my interior design process. I will design an entire home using a fabulous work of art as the inspiration. Paintings, prints and photographs set the personality of a room and the rest just flows. Artwork is never the last item I purchase for a model home, it’s always the first. Owning my own business has provided me with endless essential skills which I use every day in my position with Mason Homes.” The Décor Centre sends new homeowners a letter congratulating them on the purchase of their Mason Home, with this letter serving to outline the next steps in the purchasing process, advising that the new owner will be contacted to book two private appointments at the Décor Centre. During their first appointment, all structural upgrades and options such as electrical, plumbing, stairs, railings and fireplaces are reviewed and priced with the purchaser. During their second appointment, all colours and finishes are selected and reviewed for budget approval. Wendy has found through experience that most purchasers want to begin with the design of their kitchens. Mason Homes’ Décor Consultant guides them through the selection process by asking important questions such as ‘what is the overall look you would like for your kitchen?’, and clients are encouraged to bring samples of existing materials they need to co-ordinate with and photos of kitchens they like. Once the kitchen cabinets have been selected, the Décor Consultant guides the purchaser through other finishing items, such as counter tops, flooring, door hardware, and plumbing fixtures. A great deal of time is spent on the kitchen design, as many clients choose to customize the Mason Home standard kitchen layout in order to personalize their home and to accommodate certain features, individual to themselves. Once their ‘dream kitchen’ is priced out, the purchaser may need to re-select some finishes to stay within their budget; aligning a purchaser’s budget with their design concept is always achievable, due to the vast selection of finishes offered at Mason Homes’ Décor Centre. After the kitchen has been designed, the Décor Consultant leads the client through the finish selections for the rest of the home, co-ordinating colours and products that are in harmony with both the kitchen and the purchaser’s overall vision. By the time this process is completed, the purchasers are very excited to see the results! Mason Homes has seven model homes, all filled with fabulous finishes, allowing new buyers to preview their options before deciding on their own finishes. In the area of Interior Design, Mason Homes faces two major challenges. Firstly, there is an enormous variety of products available for Mason Homes to offer in their Décor Centre; Solid Hardwoods, Engineered Hardwoods, Laminates and Upgraded Laminates, are available in many widths, thicknesses, finishes and colours, as well as with a number of application methods. Staying abreast of the features and advantages of each product type in all areas of finishing is essential. This information must be shared with purchasers so they can make the best lifestyle buying decisions. Knowing which products to offer at the Décor Centre, without overwhelming the purchaser, requires regular visits to suppliers. The Décor Consultant must remain current in design trends and colour projections, as due to the availability of online resources, today’s purchaser is knowledgeable and demanding. Probably the biggest key challenge Mason Homes faces is when finishes are discontinued after a purchaser has completely selected all the products for their homes. This triggers a re-selection process during which the team at Mason Homes keeps the purchaser excited and happy with his/her choices, by sourcing replacements of the same or better quality. It is worth noting that in 2016, Mason Homes incurred a 100% increase in sales when compared to 2015. This success can be attributed to the hard work and dedication of all employees at the company. The team constantly reviews plans, asking ‘how can we make them better?’ The company’s social media presence has also grown remarkably strong, boasting over 10,000 followers. Its content is substantial, smart, engaging and responsible. Looking ahead, Mason Homes is currently in the pre-release stage of several exciting new phases and developments, including over 200 fabulous detached homes in Phase 4 of their Master Planned Parklands Community. The Arbours will be home to 87 unique condo town houses, situated within a private enclave within the Parklands community. Inspired by new urbanism concepts, these new releases feature rear laneway garages, spacious courtyards, optional lofts and wide front porches. The more traditional homes on extra wide lots feature recessed front garages, which enhance streetscapes. In 2017, Mason Homes’ incredibly successful Lakeside Village community in Port Hope will see the release of Phase 4 - exceptional lots overlooking the golf course and Lake Ontario. The firm’s new development in Barrie, Ontario – SPOT Towns, promises exceptional open concept designs to suit a variety of lifestyle choices. Beyond 2017, Mason Homes looks forward to the launch of HORIZONS, their Master Planned Community located in historic Lindsay, Ontario. HORIZONS is designed to feature many components of a Sustainable Community Development, and the company is looking forward to bringing this vibrant community to market.