HBA Showcase of Homebuilding 2022

We’re in this

Together

Building a new home or remodeling an existing one can be an exciting time — yet not without challenges. Today, more than ever before, the relationship between a builder or remodeler and their client is extraordinarily important. Good communication is the key to successful projects.

The scarcity of skilled labor, delays in deliveries and constant price increases continue to affect the day-to-day operations of all construction companies, despite how large or small they are.

Most contractors are busy. However, this year is different from the previous ones. The issues we have been experiencing were expected to be back to normal by now, but that is not the case.

Since most of the issues have not improved, the discussions between you and your contractor about any delays in materials, labor shortages and cost increases need to happen early. Please know that your builder is trying their best to deliver quality work on schedule, but there are global issues affecting many day-to-day aspects of any project.

It is important to remember that we are all in this together, and we need to be more understanding, more flexible and be able to work together to get through the many challenges.

To ensure your project is a memorable and positive experience, take time to choose a professional builder or remodeler that is a member of the Home Builders Association (HBA) of Greater Cleveland. They will have access to all the necessary information important to your job — especially during turbulent times. With any problem there is growth and learning, and these current market conditions have

highlighted the benefits of being patient and working together. In the end, every project gets done.

Although we were dealing with a worldwide pandemic, HBA members finished some of the most amazing projects this past year. Some of these award-winning homes are highlighted throughout this section, and we are proud of the people and companies involved in designing them.

Every one of these projects faced hurdles, but the homeowners and builders collaborated and created these awesome projects — and yours can be, too.

This is not the time to put off major renovations; it is just the opposite. Interest rates are rising, so the cost of borrowing will be higher next year, as will the cost of most everything.

So, get your wish lists together, contact an HBA builder or remodeler and get started. A beautiful new project is just waiting to be built!

Sincerely,

Rob Myers

HBA President President Myers Homes

2022 HBA

Officers & Board

Rob Myers (President)

Myers Homes/RHM Homes

Darren Mancuso (Vice President)

Mancuso Homes

Debra Branske (Treasurer)

Third Federal Savings & Loan

Andrew Gotlieb (Secretary)

Keystate Homes & Development

Mike Kandra (Immediate Past President)

Edgewood Homes

Brenda Callaghan (Executive Director)

HBA of Greater Cleveland

Board of Trustees

Leslee Archer

GLT Products

Tim Bennett

Bennett Builders & Remodelers

Steve Caldwell

Ferguson Bath & Kitchen

Dennis Dlugosz

Corrigan Krause CPAs

Roger Frisman

Revere Title Agency

Dave Hocevar

Property Inspections

Paul Klein

Great Lakes Publishing

Frank Makoski, CGR, CGP, CAPS

Makoski Construction & Remodeling

Darryl Mancini

Darryl Mancini, Consulting

Brian Miller

Mont Surfaces by Mont Granite

Dennis Reber

Apollo Supply

Jason Rodgers

Paine Creek Builders

Dan Smoulder

Petros Homes

Legal Advisor

Russell O’Rourke, Esq.

Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis

On the Cover

Keystate Homes

Courtesy Keystate Homes, HBA 2022 Cleveland

Choice Award Winner: Best Green Built Home (2501-4000 Square Feet)

Next month, the HBA will be having its annual Fall Parade of Homes — mark your calendar for Oct. 1-2 and 8-9 to tour some beautiful, new model homes.

NAVIGATING A NEW NORMAL

by rachel hagenbaugh

In 1992, Hurricane Andrew stormed through eastern Florida, ripping apart thousands of homes and leaving more than 250,000 people homeless and 82,000 businesses damaged or destroyed. It was the state’s second costliest natural disaster (Hurricane Katrina was No. 1) and resulted in shortages and rises in the costs of building supplies, particularly plywood and shingles. “For a month, month-and-a-half, you couldn’t get those plywood panels,” says Myers Homes president Robert Myers, whose career in the homebuilding and remodeling industry spans more than 35 years. “That’s the only comparable situation to what we’re facing now, and that was short-lived.”

Edgewood Homes

Edgewood Homes

During a time where the only certainty is uncertainty, homebuilders and remodelers discuss the state of the industry and what lies ahead.

Offer Valid on Potomac and Imperial LS Models. 4 Window Minimum. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Excludes Labor. Financing offers a no payment - no interest feature (during the “promotional period”) on your purchase at an APR of 17.99%. No finance charges will accrue on your account during the promotional period, as set forth in your Truth in Lending Disclosures, and you will not have to pay a monthly payment until the promotional period has ended.  If you repay your purchase in full before the end of the promotional period you will not have to pay any finance charges. You may also prepay your account at any time without penalty. Financing is subject to credit requirements and satisfactory completion of finance documents. Any finance terms advertised are estimates only. Normal late charges apply once the promotional period has ended. Offer expires on 9/30/2022.

Seeing Through Supply Shortages

For today’s homebuilders and remodelers, the material shortages run the gamut, from lumber and aluminum to glass. This, of course, impacts the availability of a range of products, including flooring, windows, and appliances such as refrigerators and dishwashers.

“There’s a massive inflation environment that is just now being felt,” Myers says. “Lumber went up more than 300%,” he says. “In 2020, a lumber package for a typical home was $30,000 to $40,000. Last year, that same package could have been $120,000.”

This, of course, has led to an overall increase in the cost of new builds and remodeling projects. Bo Knez, president of BR Knez Homes, a residential market rate developer in Painesville, says two years ago his company offered starter homes at $250,000. Now, they’re $370,000.

“I don’t think the costs are going to go down. I think they’re going to continue to go up, but not at as rapidly of a pace as we’ve been seeing,” he says, adding that he has not heard anything from his suppliers regarding increases in availability or decreases in prices of materials.

“The cost of lumber did go down, but as soon as it went down, it went right back up,” says Brett Dawson, division vice president of Payne & Payne Builders in Chardon. “Depending on the different analysts you talk to, it’s interesting because it was falling, and I was trying to get a large project bid. I was talking with two different lumber guys, and one was like, ‘I don’t want to bid it until Monday because it’s going to fall because it’s still falling.’ And the other guy said, ‘Let’s lock this in today because it’s going to go back up.’ So no one knows. They say it’s going to flatten, but it hasn’t quite yet. Even when it does, it’s not going to flatten to the point where it was before COVID-19. We’ll never see pricing like we did three years ago.”

Tim Lynch, sales manager for the trade/new construction segment at Gunton Corp., a distributor for Pella Windows and Doors in Bedford Heights, agrees that prices will continue to increase, noting the variety of components that go into something as seemingly simple as a window.

“You’ve got metal aluminum that’s involved in the product, and that price is skyrocketing. There have been glass shortages, which is 90% of a window. Even wood and vinyl and non-wood composite materials, we saw a lot of that come from Texas, and they’ve been having weather issues. Since the pandemic, there have been storms that have ripped through those manufacturing facilities,” he says.

“I think you will see increases in the cost of products to the end user, but I don’t know if it will be in materials as much as it will be in labor, and that’s considering production labor. Even the price of moving a product from a manufacturing facility to wherever the product is distributed is going up due to rising fuel costs and other factors.”

Although price hikes have not yet had an impact on demand, the market is changing.

“Interest rates are going up, so that will be interesting to see how that affects the market, as well as new construction. It will certainly slow it, but to what extent is really unknowable at this point,” Dawson says. “COVID-19 was a huge game-changer in people figuring out how they want to live in their homes.”

The Importance of Pre-Planning

Since COVID-19 turned the industry on its head more than two years ago, it seems that the only certainty lies in the constant uncertainty regarding product availability and costs, which inevitably results in longer lead times for projects.

“These are the longest lead times I’ve seen in my 25 years with Pella, and that’s all inclusive,” says Lynch. “It’s just not the way it was five years ago where you could sign a contract to do a project at your home, and you pretty much knew within days when that project was going to be completed. There’s just so many variables right now.”

Overall, local homebuilders are estimating projects to take an additional 30 to 60 days to complete. One big factor of the longer lead times is that it reduces the number of changes people can make throughout the construction process.

“You’re certainly seeing a reduction in the flexibility that builders have, because it takes a lot longer to get materials,” Dawson says. “Where a change could have taken three to four weeks and people could live with that, now it’s taking two to three months.”

This means that preconstruction planning is critical.

“Pre-planning is vastly crucial to what’s going on out there in the construction industry. We have many products today that are being ordered before a shovel hits the ground, and typically, that’s not the case,” Lynch says. “Pre-pandemic, we had two- to four-week lead times. We see those in the 12- to 18-week range, and some of those go much further depending on the specialization of your product.”

Perhaps one of the silver linings to the pandemic’s negative effects on the homebuilding and remodeling industry is that it has caused homeowners to plan their projects from start to finish during the pre-planning stage, which is fantastic for the results.

“Because of COVID-19 and the supply chain issues, we’re ordering everything upfront,” says Pat Perrino, president of Perrino Custom Builders LLC in Chesterland, adding that his happiest customers are the ones who pick out their furniture ahead of time with the company’s designers because they’re putting the entire house together at once — nothing is an afterthought. “Our houses are turning out gorgeous — just beautiful — and the difference is that everything is planned.”

“Pre-planning is vastly crucial to what’s going on out there in the construction industry.”

– Tim Lynch, Gunton Corp.

ProBuilt Homes

Quartz | Quartzite | Granite | Tile Marble | Soapstone | Porcelain Slab

Working Through Labor Shortages

On average, a large-scale remodel or new home build involves between 20 and 30 trades. Although labor shortages existed prior to 2020, COVID-19 certainly magnified the issue. “Becoming a carpenter or electrician or skilled laborer is something that is going to be in huge demand during the next two, five or 10 years,” Lynch says. “There are so many jobs out there available for trades or skilled laborers, and we do not have a resource pool to choose from right now.”

So what’s causing these labor shortages? Across the board, homebuilders and remodelers attribute the issue to a lack of understanding young people have regarding the benefits of a career in the trades. At one point, Knez says, there was a huge push for high school students to attend college after high school — no one was educating students about attending a vocational school, learning a trade and turning it into a career. Lynch adds that although he commends the number of high school students who are graduating and attending college, it needs to be accepted that college is not for everyone. In fact, 32.9% of undergraduates do not complete their degree program.

“There are trade jobs out there that are well-paying jobs. There are people who start in a trade who become such an expert that they decide to open their own company and hire people and train people in their likeness so they become business owners,” he says. “There’s not a pile of debt you face at the end of four years. You’re earning income every year after you graduate from high school. And you will continue to earn an income because you will continue to be needed.”

Knez, who’s been a part of the homebuilding industry for nearly 40 years, describes his trade as a very rewarding career, and he couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

“To be able to take a raw piece of land and provide [a home] for a person, a couple or a family, not only from the time they move in, but for the next 100-150 years … It provides a place for the family to gather, to eat together and raise their children. It’s a good thing,” he says. “I see young men and women who are getting in here now and making a very strong living without student debt, and they have more work than they could possibly handle.”

Coming to Cleveland

One of the biggest effects COVID-19 had on the region’s homebuilding and remodeling industry is the influx of people moving to Northeast Ohio from Illinois, New York and California.

“We’re seeing a lot of out-of-state people coming into Cleveland surprised by the amenities that we have and the price point that these homes are available at and find it a great place to live,” Knez says, adding that he’s also seeing a lot of the rubber band effect, where people who moved out of state are moving back to Ohio. That’s true for all age demographics, from millennials to people in their 60s.

So what’s attracting people to Cleveland?

“The different responses in states regarding lockdowns had a massive effect on how people used their homes,” Myers says. “That brought a reawakening of people’s interests in making their homes nicer to be in or finding cities with more amenities that reflect their lifestyle. On the national scale, it caused consumers to move out of some states and into others.”

Also as a result of the pandemic, many employees now have the option to work 100% remote, so their living options are not limited by where their company’s offices are located. Those who move to Ohio from out of state boast of the friendliness of the Midwest, Knez explains. They appreciate Cleveland’s cultural diversity, the arts district, sports teams, Cleveland Metroparks and Lake Erie. And, while Clevelanders are feeling the effects of the pandemic and seeing housing prices increase, Knez notes that they are still at a reasonable price point for those coming from larger metropolitan areas such as Chicago or New York City.

“I think we sometimes take for granted what we have available to us in Cleveland, and if you’re an outsider looking at it with a fresh set of eyes, you’re not accustomed to looking at all of these things,” he says. “It’s just about finding a great place to live.”

“I think we sometimes take for granted what we have available to us in Cleveland...”

– Bo Knez, BR Knez Homes

Myers Homes

PROJECT PLANNING 101

Industry experts share six tips for how to prepare for your next homebuilding or remodeling project.

by rachel hagenbaugh

“Make sure you’re doing your project with a reputable, reliable contractor, because they will be the ones who have access to the suppliers that have facilities that homeowners need to pre-plan their project,” says Lynch. Choose a contractor with several years of experience and a library of projects to view. Also go online and read testimonials. “The biggest thing is before and after pictures,” Lynch notes. “That’s where you can get an idea of the scope and scale of projects that are in a certain builder or remodeler’s wheelhouse.”

Pre-planning is vital.

“Pre-planning is vastly crucial to what’s going on out there in the construction industry. We have many products today that are being ordered before a shovel hits the ground,” says Tim Lynch, sales manager for the trade/new construction segment of Gunton Corp., a distributor for Pella Windows and Doors, noting that even a planning session with a representative is huge. “Most builders or contractors will allow a project owner direct access to their supply. Take advantage of that as early as possible in the process.”

Pick your appliances first.

Prior to COVID-19, choosing the appliances was considered one of the last steps of the homebuilding or remodeling process. Now, with the supply chain issues, it should be one of the first things you check off your list. “You have to pick your appliances first, even though they go in last,” says Melissa Kent, vice president of Snow Bros. Appliance, a 100-year-old appliance center with a showroom in Lyndhurst. Kent notes that while some appliances are readily available, others take 12 to 14 months to deliver. “If the items deliver before the customer is ready to install it, Snow Bros. will hold appliances until the customer is ready,” she says.

Do your research.

“A lot of people think luxury products are out of reach for their budgets, but there are packages that can be put together that are really comparable,” says Carol Amato, trade sales representative for Trevarrow Inc., a luxury appliance company with a showroom in Cleveland. “When you’re doing a remodel or build, you want to match the quality of the appliances to the build.”

Anticipate longer lead times.

Never assume that something is available, Kent suggests, and take wait times with a grain of salt. “Distributors give us their best estimates, but there’s a lot of factors going into it that can change that,” she says, adding that it’s a good idea to pick a backup option. “A lot of people do that during the selection process. They pick what their dream piece would be, then they also pick what they would want to be their plan B.”

Communication is key.

“When you are working with a reputable contractor or builder, you need to get yourself to a level of comfort with the project manager,” Lynch says. “That person is going to be your information highway about what’s going on with your project. That communication is paramount to a successful project.”

OPENING UP THE INDOORS

Get the scoop on the latest home trends and ways to reimagine rooms into fun, fashionable and functional spaces.

by rachel hagenbaugh

Maximizing square footage — that’s what it’s all about in today’s homebuilding and remodeling industry. That means wide open spaces and seamless transitions from room to room, including outdoor living areas. As people continue to spend more time at home, they’re redefining what’s important to them, placing a heavy focus on entertaining and getting the most bang for their buck.

“When people walk into these homes, they want to see open spaces. They want entertainment spaces,” says Pat Perrino, president of Perrino Custom Builders LLC, a custom homebuilding and remodeling company in Chesterland. “Open kitchens blending into family rooms and dinettes — we’re seeing a lot of that.”

Along with open-concept living comes a desire for big kitchen islands, many large windows and covered porches to expand living areas.

“The thing that we learned over the past three years is how we can make houses more practical and livable. A lot of people are spending a lot of money making their homes more livable and expanding them,” says Tim Lynch, sales manager for the trade/new construction segment at Gunton Corp., a distributor for Pella Windows and Doors in Bedford Heights. “Today, we’re seeing more contemporary, open designs, less closed off spaces, less interior walls. All of that is attributed to the architectural community in Northeast Ohio. There are just some incredible designs out there and some incredible projects right now that have been completed and are in the works to open spaces up.”

One such design feature is the movable glass partition — a floor to ceiling folding or sliding glass door that creates easy transitions from kitchens and great rooms to outdoor living spaces, which continue to skyrocket in popularity. From pizza ovens and fire pits to bars, hanging televisions, in-ground pools, hot tubs and more, it’s all about expanding the entertainment footprint.

“That’s definitely seen a huge spike in the past three years, and I think that’s going to continue,” Lynch says. “We put a premium on the time that we spend outdoors in Northeast Ohio. As soon as spring hits, we’re outside until as far into fall and winter as we can go.”

Ten years ago, entertainment looked a lot different. Instead of outdoor spaces, layouts featured a home theater.

“Usually it was on the lower-level, and you could go downstairs, shut the door, it’d be dark, and you had your surround sound, and you loved that experience,” Lynch says. “I don’t see as many of those today, but every house I see has outdoor living built into it. It’s just a place where the family can get together.”

Not only do people get a lot of use out of in-ground pools because they are heated, they also add aesthetic appeal.

“I’ve had a pool in my yard in various houses I’ve owned for the past 30 years,” Perrino says, adding that since the pandemic started, it’s something that’s on people’s wish lists. “They also just add a great appearance in your backyard. It makes it more of a resort-style living space.”

“When people walk into these homes, they want to see open spaces. They want entertainment spaces.”

– Pat Perrino, Perrino Custom Builders LLC

Otero Signature Homes

Office Space Comeback

Overall, the open-concept reigns supreme. But, with more people opting for hybrid or 100% remote work environments, homeowners also are finding an increasing need for quiet, private spaces to focus and conduct business.

“I think the whole work from home aspect is bringing in a different way of looking at things, where you have a place to be able to work from home, but it’s not on your kitchen countertop,” says Bo Knez, president of BR Knez Homes, a market rate developer in Painesville. “It’s a segmented room that is allocated for that. Once you’re done working, you can leave the room and close the door. It’s more like a mini office — or offices if more than one person is working from home — usually in a space where they won’t be distracted or distracting others if they’re on a call or having meetings online.”

Brett Dawson, division vice president for Payne & Payne Builders, a homebuilding company in Chardon, agrees that the work from home dynamic is very prevalent and continuing to change today’s floor plans. He adds that instead of just one office space, a lot of people are looking at two office spaces, or even flex spaces that offer a little more privacy than the open spaces of the kitchens and great rooms. Think pocket offices, which are located close to the kitchen and offer small, cozy spaces for people to open a laptop, store paperwork and work without being closed off from the rest of the first floor.

“With more people working from home, we’re seeing a demand for those separate office spaces, which for the large part, were starting to go away to some extent,” Dawson says. “But we’re still seeing that large open concept where people want the eating area attached to the kitchen attached to the great room. That’s still a pretty popular concept having not as much of a designated dining space but utilizing it as part of the great room space.”

Because the kitchen has become a prominent destination for mingling with guests, homeowners want that space to remain clean and free from clutter. This means expanding the pantry, allowing for space to store large appliances (sometimes even the refrigerator), as well as including an island to provide a closed off space to temporarily set aside dirty dishes.

“So you can use your kitchen to entertain and serve people, and then you can put that leftover stuff into a large pantry space and close the door so it’s instantly clean,” Dawson says. “So if people are gathering in your large, open great room or dining space, the food isn’t out for hours, and it allows for a quick cleanup.”

Winner

Sheely’s Furniture

Accommodating Custom Living

One of the results of the pandemic is that people are spending more money on homebuilding and remodeling projects. Although some of this can be attributed to people using money they would have spent on vacation toward upgrading their homes instead, it’s also a testament to homeowners spending more time at home and redesigning spaces to accommodate their lifestyles. To that end, people are not as concerned about the overall value projects add to their homes. Instead, it’s all about customizing spaces to fit their needs.

“We’ve had areas where people are putting money into remodeling their houses where the remodel is worth more than what they could have bought a house for,” Perrino says. “They’re putting in

that money because they want to stay where they’ve lived for the past 20 or 30 years. They’re not worried about the resale price.”

When it comes to new builds, Perrino says customization is key. About 80% of his clients customize the company’s existing floor plans, of which there are more than 30. The other 20% want designs drawn from scratch.

“We’re completely custom,” he says, adding that clients are customizing everything from ceilings and trimwork to built-ins. “We’ll do whatever they want.”

Whether it’s new home builds or remodeling projects, trends are leaning toward putting modern twists on traditional designs. For example, modern farmhouses saw a huge spike in 2020. And although that style is still popular, people want to see different variations of it. This includes adding gray stone to the exterior, which offers a little more dimension.

“You know how they’ve taken the Chevy Camaro or the Ford Mustang, and they’ve modernized the car but kept some of the traditional features? That’s what we’re doing with our homes,” Perrino says. “There’s nothing like taking an older home and transforming and modernizing it. It’s a huge feeling seeing these homes come from dark woods, darker walls and being brightened up.”

“Years ago, it was an upgrade to go to a granite countertop. Now, it’s very limited. Quartz has pretty much taken over granite,” Knez says, describing quartz as having less deflection in coloring than granite. “There’s also a lack of fabric in the home. Everything is pretty much hard surface. The reason for that is green building is a big push, which we’re a huge advocate of.”

Perrino points specifically to the popularity of white quartz.

“It’s just top-of-the-line,” he says, adding that the quality of materials has significantly increased during the past couple of years and is

Perrino Custom Homes

2022 HBA Showcase of Homebuilding

affecting everything from countertops and flooring to lighting. “We’re still applying a lot of the old features, just modernizing them.”

Think white ceilings, clean lines, brick behind a vanity and generally lighter colors. White on white is still popular, but customers are also incorporating darker accents to give the room some contrast while still allowing for a light, airy atmosphere. Perrino highlights the popularity of mixing blue, black or even stained cabinets with white cabinets.

“For windows and doors, black or white probably represents 70% of the products we sell,” Lynch says, noting that it’s all a nod to the popularity of more contemporary designs featuring sleek, minimalistic finishes.

“For a long time, we were seeing the white-on-white trend in everything, and that’s still very popular,” Dawson adds. “But we’re seeing lighter taupes, lighter grays — not completely full white as much. Still light though — we’re not seeing a ton of trends into the dark colors, except for accent pieces.”

Overall, as a greater number of people spend more time in their houses, whether it be for work or entertainment purposes, trends will continue to evolve as homeowners dive into the importance of transforming their spaces to fit their lifestyle needs and desires.

“When people weren’t able to go to work and were at home, they had to find ways to live in their houses, and that started the whole mass migration of figuring out their housing needs and everything that’s been happening in the past two or three years,” Dawson says, adding that it’ll be interesting to see how the trends change in the near future. “I think we’re in the middle of trying to figure out where those trends will ultimately land.”

Alexandra Fine Homes

COURTESY ALEXANDRA FINE HOMES

Exceptional Exteriors

Discover three ways to create a picture-perfect, eye-catching home from the outside in.

Metal Roofing Brick Style

Brick is back. But for those who want to deviate from the traditional red tones, painted brick in white or gray tones are welcome transformations.

Metal roofing is popular over covered porches, adding a textural element to the outside of the house. “In a lot of our houses, we’re doing portions of metal roofing. It’s more of an accent than a full-blown metal roof,” Perrino says. “The majority of metal roofing is black. The copper roofs are coming back, some are more of a greyish gunmetal, but those aren’t as big as black.”

The modern farmhouse style — white houses with black windows — is still trending. Looking to change it up? Capitalize on the popularity of colored windows by deviating from black and instead, opting for a dark brown or light clay tone. Blues also are rising in popularity, especially blue and white combinations, including darker blue exteriors with white trim.

Bennett Builders & Remodelers

MJ Builders

Mancuso Homes

DAZZLING DESIGNS

Payne & Tompkins Design Renovations

Best Bathroom Renovation | $50,000 to $100,000

Best Kitchen Renovation | $80,000 to $130,000

When it comes to masterfully crafting creative, thoughtfully designed and functional spaces, Payne & Tompkins Design Renovations’ talented staff has the winning strategy — dedicated employees who love what they do and care about their clients.

“Our core purpose as a company is to make lives better,” says Dean Tompkins, vice president of the Chardon-based company.

Such was the case for the spaces that won Payne & Tompkins Design Renovations two categories in the 2022 HBA Cleveland Choice Awards.

“[The bathroom renovation] has been, to-date, one of my favorite projects,” says Payne & Tompkins interior designer Morgan Lepore, describing a client who had lived in her home for almost 20 years. She was in a wheelchair, and her primary bathroom was not functional for her.

“It was a struggle for her every day,” Lepore says, adding that she envisioned a space that would completely change her client’s life.

The first order of business was removing the hallway entrance to the bathroom. The space already had an entrance from the client’s primary bedroom, and creating more square footage was a top priority, Lepore says. Next, elements such as the freestanding tub and pedestal sink were replaced with options that better served the client’s needs, such as a curbless shower with an extended half-wall and a floating sink.

When it came to the space’s ambiance, the client’s only request was a “zen” feel.

“We updated everything in the bathroom,” Lepore says, adding that she replaced the space’s original orange walls with a stone color and brought in warmth with custom walnut cabinets and stone tiles in the shower. Horizontal, 3D-textured tile that stretches across the back wall adds a calming effect.

“She actually just put her faith in me and said, ‘Whatever you want, I’m going to do it,’” Lepore says, adding that this was a special project to design. “I’m doing something I love, and this is what I do every day, but I also made a big difference in her life.”

The award-winning kitchen renovation is another memorable project for Lepore for similar reasons. This client’s three main pain points were the lack of kitchen space, lighting and storage. She has two kids who like to do their homework in the kitchen while she’s preparing dinner, a difficult task with limited counter space.

“The dining room had great lighting from the front of the home and large windows,” Lepore says. “We were able to switch the kitchen with the dining room and made the dining room more of an eat-in area.”

The client also had a side door that was not being used and taking up valuable real estate. Payne & Tompkins was able to take that out and replace it with a walk-in pantry, which offered plenty of storage space for larger appliances and food.

“Everything was redone in those spaces, including flooring and moldings, and we also replaced some of the windows as well,” Lepore says. The cabinetry, plumbing, lighting, furnishings and

Get a sneak peek at these total transformations and showstopping spaces creatively curated by some of this year’s winners of the HBA Cleveland Choice Awards.

appliances also were replaced. “With the new space, we definitely made it brighter with a marble-looking quartz countertop, and the cabinet color was stunning and has become my most requested cabinet color. It’s really unique because it’s a deeper blue, but it has a greenish undertone to it.”

A large island in the center of the room completes the kitchen, giving the family ample space to move around and accomplish individual tasks while also spending time together.

“I really love doing kitchens and baths,” Lepore says. “They are definitely our niche.”

North Star Builders

Interior Design of the Year | $750,000 to $1,000,000

North Star Builders is all about making a statement, so when a client approached this custom Avon homebuilder about creating a unique space on the edge of a golf course, the sky was the limit.

“The rear of the house faces a tee box,” says Jason Scott, owner, adding that his clients are friends with a lot of people who frequent the golf course, so an open, inviting atmosphere was a top priority.

Two of the most compelling features of the home are the movable glass partitions — floor to ceiling sliding or folding glass doors that create a seamless transition from the inside to the great outdoors.

“They wanted kind of an open floor plan with privacy, so the entire great room opens up to the kitchen, which then opens up to the veranda through a movable glass partition,” Scott explains. “This house was built for entertainment.”

But, the movable partitions aren’t even the most unique aspect of the home. Two years ago, the homeowners traveled to Italy to choose the tile flooring that appears throughout the entire house. For the floor to ceiling fireplace, North Star Builders chose every piece, stone by stone.

“This is their forever home, and when you’re designing a forever home, it’s whatever they want,” Scott says. “That’s why we do custom homes — we get great satisfaction being able to make people’s dreams come alive.”

When the homeowners need to wind down, they can retreat to the quieter and more private side of the house, where the primary bedroom and den are located. A spiral staircase in the den leads to the basement, which features a bar and workout room.

“Almost every home that we’re doing now, people are putting in workout rooms,” Scott says, adding that another popular element is clean spaces free from clutter. “Chaos — especially in these times — and clutter cause anxiety. They wanted a nice, clean look.”

JEMM Construction Interior Design of the Year | Under $500,000

Imagine being a homebuilder or interior designer with a completely blank canvas where your imagination can run wild. The only restraint is, of course, the budget. That was the golden ticket for this model home JEMM Construction beautifully crafted from start to finish.

“The neat part about this house is that we had a client who had the first right to purchase the house, and they bought it simply because they knew about our reputation and have been following JEMM for a while,” says Josh Edgell, owner of the Painesville-based homebuilding and remodeling company. “They had

absolutely no input on the house. They were going on faith that they’ve seen our designs and knew they’d love it.”

Because this was one of JEMM’s smaller model home designs, Edgell says his team wanted the clients to get a lot of bang for their buck. That meant higher ceilings and trim details that aren’t typically found in other homes. The interior design features a Scandinavian-inspired style — light spaces with bold pops of colors.

“We were going back to some of our roots with this design, with everything being very clean looking, and the knotty alder adding a nice, rustic charm,” Edgell explains, adding that gray tones rounded out the colors in the house.

The star of the show is the home office. The entire space — walls, trim, ceiling and bump-out bay window with a built-in

bookshelf — were all painted urbane bronze, a dark, neutral shade and Sherwin Williams’ 2021 Color of the Year.

“It’s actually a huge room, so we wanted to bring the ceiling down a bit and create a room that felt more like a sitting room or cigar room, but for an office,” Edgell says. “Working within the parameters of the budget, but also being on the cutting-edge of new design trends and showing off, is a fun balance and, as a team, we really enjoyed trying to pull that off.”

When the clients finally got to see their new home, they instantly fell in love with it.

“For them, it was like Christmas when they showed up and saw what we put into it,” Edgell says. “It really starts with our design team. We set ourselves apart as a new homebuilder by having that team on staff. It’s so fun to have that collaboration and work with other professionals.”

Husband and wife team Ted and Kelly Otero are an unstoppable duo taking Cleveland’s high-end homebuilding, remodeling and design industry to new, unimaginable levels. It started in 2003 with Otero Signature Homes, based in Chagrin Falls.

“The company was created out of a passion to bring professionalism and a sense of high customer service within the industry. Since then, we’ve created multiple companies, one of which is Ovation Interior Design,” says Ted Otero, who manages Otero Signature Homes while Kelly is at the helm of Ovation Interior Design. “Ovation stemmed from our clients wanting to work with the same interior designer they worked with during the design construction process to help them with their custom furniture, drapes, rugs, etc., rather than turning to an outside source.”

That collaboration and seamless transition from start to finish is reflected in the multimillion-dollar project for which Otero Signature Homes won Best Overall Custom Home and Ovation Interior Design won Best Interior Design of the Year.

The immaculate 10,000-square-foot home, featuring five bedrooms and six-and-a-half bathrooms, sits on two parcels on a cul-de-sac and overlooks a reservoir. Among the many unique characteristics of the home are three large backlit agate stone panels that add stunning texture and blue hues to the space.

“The client indicated to us that they wanted to do that as a show feature and art piece. They fell in love with this agate stone,” Otero says. “We were able to incorporate that with LED lighting. It’s a showstopper.”

While the main floor incorporates an upscale, modern farmhouse style, the basement reflects a smooth transition to a more dramatic, industrial design.

“We are huge fans of not having the entire house consistent, so we pushed the basement to a different level,” Otero says, highlighting the striking wine cellar that boasts a custom-made, lit-up tasting table. “The integration of stone and translucent granite in the center island is phenomenal.”

Outside, the backyard features private patios, an in-ground pool and a hot tub with a cabana. Otero’s favorite aspect of the home is the second-floor balcony, which overlooks the pool area and offers spectacular views of the magnificent property and adjacent reservoir, where bald eagles are often spotted.

“We pride ourselves on making our homes very functional and livable,” Otero says.

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