A Home designed around family, friends, and the moments in between.
For this family, their home isn’t just beautifully built. It’s the realization of a vision that started with a piece of wooded land and a clear idea of the kind of life they wanted to build on it.
“We really wanted it to feel modern and clean, but also warm and comfortable. It’s kind of a special place because it sits on wooded property and gives us privacy and a peaceful atmosphere. We were looking for a luxury mix with a relaxed, family focused feel that works well for entertaining and just spending time together.”
STARTING WITH THE LAND
Long before any blueprints were drawn, the Heartland team came out early to walk the property and help this family figure out where the house should sit based on topography. Together, they marked trees to clear the surroundings. From there, the homeowner put in the work himself.
“I spent the next year and a half clearing trees. And I did enjoy that.”
SEEING THE HOME BEFORE THE GROUND BROKE
One of Heartland’s real gifts is the ability to see a home on a piece of property before it is actually built. That gift showed up early in this build, before construction ever began. Steve (Heartland Builders’ construction manager) walked the site with the homeowner and pulled out a laser level to show how the topography would actually relate to the planned house. That conversation led the team to reposition the basement walkout from the side of the house to the back, all before any ground was broken.
“I’m really glad we paused in that moment. He showed me, ‘Yeah, your main floor is way up here,’ and I was like, oh, for real. Taking that minute to pause and reevaluate how the topography was going to impact the house, that significantly improved our layout. I absolutely love how it looks now. Plus we got the bigger patio area and glass railings.”
designing for the way they live
When this family walked in for our first meeting, they brought a plan they were excited about and Heartland’s role was to help bring that vision to life. Through the architectural design process, we worked closely with them to refine the layout, walking through it together and exploring the home in 3D so they could really get a feel for the space. By the end of design, they had landed on a plan they truly loved, one that fit their lifestyle, their property, and their priorities.
“You guys took our sample design that we liked and fit it into one of your existing floor plans and redesigned it to capture the feel and the functionality we were looking for, while still customizing it to fit our lifestyle and our property. At the end of the day, we ended up with the same price and the same square footage as the original plan.”
From architectural design into interior design and on into construction, Heartland’s process gives families room to refine details and feel confident at every step. For this family, part of that process was simply picturing how their everyday life would unfold in the new layout.
“It literally sat on our counter. After a family gathering, we’d leave and I’d go, ‘Okay, this kitchen felt tight with everybody in it.’ So we’d come back to Heartland, have another design session, and tweak things. Like, oh, we needed an extra foot between the island and the stove so it didn’t feel cramped. Just the small things.”
CUSTOMIZATIONS WITHOUT COMPROMISE
This family brought plenty of unique ideas to the table, and that’s where Heartland loves to dig in.
“One thing we really appreciated throughout the whole process was that Heartland never simply said no to any of our ideas. Instead, you’d take the time, step back, think through the challenge, and always find a way to make our customizations a reality.”
the master shower
The master shower came together with arched glass doors and large format tile detailing, brought to life through close collaboration with our designers on every selection.
“We worked with Lauren over and over and over again on the master shower, and everything came together the way we envisioned it.”
THE IN WALL WATER DISPENSER
A creative feature with its own design and installation considerations, integrated cleanly into the wall so it looks like it was always meant to be there.
THE IN HOME SALON
A personalized space designed and built around how this family actually wanted to use it day to day.
“Each of those had unique design and installation considerations, and Heartland helped guide us through the process and figure out how to successfully incorporate them. It really made the house feel personalized to our family and our lifestyle.”
WATCHING IT COME TO LIFE
With design behind them, the family got to enjoy the fun part: watching their home rise from the ground up.
“The easiest part of the process was sitting back and letting you guys build the house. The most fun was seeing our ideas come together on paper and then watching those plans transition into an actual home. There’s just something exciting about taking concepts and details that once only existed in drawings and actually seeing them come to life.”
And the biggest surprise? How fast framing went.
“Seeing that framing go up was incredible. It was hard to believe how quickly it transformed from a foundation into something that actually feels like a home. That happened in like a matter of four days, it felt like.”
MORE THAN A WORKING RELATIONSHIP
When asked about the Heartland team, the homeowner had especially warm words for Steve.
“Steve, our project manager, exceeded our expectations. He’s always easy to get a hold of, quick to resolve issues, and incredibly responsive throughout the whole build. Beyond that, I just generally enjoyed our small talk and conversations along the way. It feels more like a close friendship than just a working relationship on building the house.”
WOULD THEY RECOMMEND HEARTLAND?
“We absolutely would. Building a home can feel intimidating, especially if it’s your first time, but you guys made the experience feel manageable. We’d tell somebody to focus on finding a builder who communicates well, listens, and genuinely cares about the finished product, which was our experience with Heartland.”
WHY “THE GATHERING PLACE”?
Of all the details that make this home special, the one that captures its heart, is its name. This family calls it The Gathering Place.
“It was designed around bringing family and friends together, from open living spaces to outdoor areas. We wanted the home to feel welcoming, comfortable, and centered around creating memories with the people closest to us.”
That’s exactly what we hope you feel when you walk through The Gathering Place during this year’s Parade of Homes. Come on in. You’re welcome here.
