Welcome to Custom Homes by Stearns Design Build!
About Us:
Hugh Stearns, owner of Stearns Design Build offers nearly 30 years of experience in the home-building and remodeling industry and has been serving the Brazos Valley since 1993. Hugh grew up in the Brazos Valley and while he was a student at A&M he worked as a carpenter developing a love of quality craftsmanship and building science. But his studies were in cognitive psychology which led to his love of design. Specifically, he became interested in the ways that design can impact happiness. Early on, one of our primary focuses was “green” building, as we were intent on recycling (remodeling) homes and not building new. We also chose to focus on the renovation experience as well as building science and quality craftsmanship. Over the years, Stearns built multiple new homes, including the first net-metered solar home in Brazos County.
We created a design theory, we call Transitions, as it serves to create physical and visual transitions into nature and community providing the transcendence that evokes health and happiness. We are happy to report that we are bringing custom homes BACK!
Our approach to new homes is 100% custom. We do not start the design process until we know the land and the family we are designing for well enough to design a space that fits that family and that piece of land. Our process takes 20 – 25 weeks to design a home. We are only building 4 homes a year. We treat each home as a piece of art; a portrait of a family, if you will. The Transitions approach to design allows us to identify the personality of the family and the land to create a totally unique home that will evoke health, happiness, and an outward expression of who they are.
Georgia O’Keefe once said, “to create one’s world in any of the arts takes courage.” Your home is not only your sanctuary, it is also your art.
We are here to take that courageous step with you. Our unique approach to design + home building ensures that each client receives a one-of-a-kind custom-quality home. We offer clients a personalized one-on-one experience and a seamless process from start to finish.
Our Unique Custom Home Design Approach:
- We design spaces that inspire health and happiness.
- We create spaces that invite you outside.
- A home that easily flows into outdoor spaces can often be smaller than a home that ignores outdoor living.
- Being in nature allows us to become more aware of our senses. The color and smell of a flower, the song of a bird, the feel of the breeze, and the taste of a wild berry.
- When we design intentional connections to nature, we inevitably become awakened to our part in it.
We are designing only one home a quarter. The complete design process takes up to six months. We are not a one-size-fits-all, custom home builder. Our homes will be completely custom to YOU.
Building Science:
The market model for most homes is to reduce the cost per square foot while delivering curb appeal. Both new and previously owned homes are assessed by their cost per square foot. Modern home construction is personified by what has become known as builder-grade materials. That is materials that are intended to last only as long as the short builder warranty period. This makes homes essentially disposable.
A great deal of what we do in our remodeling division is replacing annoying builder-grade materials with higher-quality items that function better and last longer. We are committed to quality in everything we build.
The equation of price per square foot only considers cost at the time of purchase, but of course, other factors go into the value of a home such as durability, utility costs, aesthetics, and flow of space. The Transitions approach to design incorporates modern building science in a form-follows-function approach. There have been tremendous advances in materials and building science over the last 25 years. Residential design has not adapted to these changes. There are significant opportunities to improve the aesthetics and efficiencies of homes once design becomes married to modern materials and building science.
We’d love to sit with you and hear about your goals, dreams, and the transformation you envision. Are you ready? Is this the year for you to begin the creation of your dream home?
Call us or sign up online today for a free consultation! We can’t wait to hear from you.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What kind of houses do we build? We can build any style of home you are looking for!
How long does the whole process take from start to finish? Our complete design process takes about 6 months to complete & 8-18 months to build.
Do you have lots available? We don’t have any lots available but we are happy to help you find the perfect lot for your dream home.
