Summer/Fall 1999

Interior Designer Sings RPC Praises

A custom-home builder’s dream? or nightmare?

A client who’s an interior designer, that is.

Roselind Cronin had a vision of exactly what she wanted to do with her new home and even designed the floor plan herself. She knew she wanted a front entry that made a statement—an entry with a psychological element. She said, “The entry had to be a transitional zone that makes you feel welcome and safe before you even enter the house.”

She also knew that lighting was critical, which caused her to focus on the back of the house. She wanted a design that let a lot of light shine in and wanted to take advantage of the view of the valley down below. She said, “By looking out the windows and down into the open area, it feels like you are the only house around.”

With this type of vision and the ability to convey her idea, one would think that the path to reaching her dream home would be an easy one. Well, two architects and two builders later, the path was as she thought it should be—a synergistic relationship between the client, the architect, and the builder—all bringing their talents and expertise to the project as a team.

The Cronins agreed that the chain reaction of top-quality people was great. HBF Architects, who put the final look on the exterior of the house, responded with great sensitivity to the clients’ needs. They put the Cronins in touch with the Rausers, who were not only willing to deal with the transition from the first contractor but did so professionally...as they’ve handled the entire job.

Mrs. Cronin added, “Being an interior designer, I had a lot more professional input than most clients. The Rausers were very respectful of our needs and did a fabulous job working with me. This was true for management, as well as for the subcontractors we met on the site.” At the same time, the Rauser team contributed ideas and a level of professional expertise to the project that helped define the final results.

For instance, the Cronins knew they wanted cedar-shingle siding, but it’s labor intensive and expensive. Rauser suggested using cedar-shingle panels that could be stained before installation and simply touched-up, rather than staining after installation which costs much more money.

So, 2700-square feet later and within budget, Mrs. Cronin sums it up this way: “Rauser is really a wonderful company to work with for anyone wanting to do a unique renovation or to build a custom home as we did. They are very quality conscious, but do so with a budget in mind...we’d recommend them to anyone.”

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