By Cheryl Van Tuyl Jividen  ::  Photography by Blue Bruin Photography

Partners In Building (PiB), a preferred Cordillera Ranch builder builds more than 200 custom homes per year in three different Texas cities and Nashville earning them the designation of one of the top custom-builders in the Lone Star state. That volume in multiple markets differentiates them William Tucker, PiB San Antonio Project Manager, says, “It gives us an advantage with ever-changing trends; it allows us to see what’s coming and what’s passed us by.”

Their home building process affords clients the opportunity to see those trends at their model homes. “Those relocating to Cordillera Ranch from Houston or Austin have the ability to view model homes in different neighborhoods with various home sizes, price ranges and design features relatively close to their current residence. If they need inspiration it’s probably just a short drive away,” adds Tucker.

They’ve recently built another beautiful home on Clubs Drive. The stone façade Mediterranean-style home features a tiled stucco roof, wood garage doors, outdoor kitchen and outdoor fireplace on the back patio. Past the custom-made, Cantera metal double door entrance with its arched transom iron windows is a spacious 4,267-square-foot home boasting four bedrooms, four and a half bathrooms, a study, wine room and media room.

The home’s barrel-vaulted ceiling entryway gives clues to the special features and designer touches throughout. One of many ceiling treatments, the family room’s soaring 16-foot cathedral ceiling sports cedar beams. A stone fireplace is crowned with a matching cedar mantle.

The room is just one place friends and family can gather and enjoy time together. There’s a large media room with a raised floor, an expansive game room with barn doors and a wet bar with a cathedral ceiling that carries out to the patio with its stained tongue and grove ceiling. The outdoor kitchen has granite counters, custom cabinetry and a fireplace creating the perfect setting for outdoor entertaining overlooking the heavily treed lot with room for a swimming pool.

The showcase kitchen features ample storage with maple cabinets painted Nebulous Gray and taken to the ceiling; drawers under the cooktop provide extra space. Designer cabinet hardware and granite countertops add elegance while island corner posts allow for extra seating. All plumbing fixtures are Moen^® including the kitchen pot filler. For the ardent home chef, Viking^® appliances include a 42” built-in fridge, a 48” cooktop, double oven with warming drawer, microwave and Pro Series dishwasher. Barn doors lead to a vast walk-in pantry.

Special touches aren’t limited to the kitchen, a custom-made iron door fronts the wine room which has a groin vault ceiling, granite counters and wine refrigerator. The master closet has custom built-in shelving and shoe racks, while the bathroom en suite features stained maple cabinetry, tiled mirror surrounds, granite counters and granite tub deck with a drop-in whirlpool tub, frameless shower glass, a dual head shower with moveable spray head and custom faux paint finishes. The fourth bedroom has a coffee bar, beverage refrigerator and a roll-in shower.

More unique treatments and features are evident above and below. The study has a star-burst ceiling, the dining room has a pop up ceiling while both the kitchen and master bedroom have double pop ups.   Premium Shaw wood flooring covers most of the living areas, high-end travertine or tile is used throughout the other areas, with carpet in bedrooms, closets and the media room. Interior stone walls in the dining room and media room match the stone fireplace in the family room.

The decorative details, finishes and appliances throughout the home are from PiB’s Design Center’s vast selections. The Design Center at 1604 and Green Mountain, says Tucker, is where home buyers can select everything in one place. “It is hard enough to pick out everything it takes to design a home. You sure don’t want to drive all over town to do it. We use the Design Center in San Antonio to make selections. It gives us the ability to make all of our selections in one place and help more than one customer at a time. The buyer can put their granite, tile and cabinets together to make sure they come together the way they envisioned rather than rely on pictures taken at a granite yard while they are picking tile somewhere else and then taking those pictures to the cabinet guy. Once again, it’s about saving their time and being as efficient as possible. We also use a few interior designers on our model homes that can be contracted to help those that desire the design to carry into window coverings and furniture. We have design centers in Austin and Houston should a buyer need to make selections closer to their current residence in order to make better use of their time.”

While this stunning home is built and ready for move in, PiB is at the ready to create something unique for buyers. “This house plan, like most of the homes we build, was drawn in-house. We have multiple plan designers we use so that our buyers don’t have to spend $15,000-20,000 on architecture fees,” says Tucker. Building luxury, custom homes in the area since 1986, PiB has small teams consisting of a Project Manager, Sales Counselors and Building Superintendents, at different locations throughout the area. “It’s like several small custom builders in different parts of town, and we empower these small teams of entrepreneurs to give you the personal attention you deserve. We tell our buyers, ‘Your plan, our plan, your lot, our lot or start sketching on a napkin.’ It doesn’t matter to us how we get going as long as we help you get what you want in an efficient manner.”

Multiple offices has its advantages, “You need a builder that can build your home on time and on budget, that has the buying power to get you the best price on materials and the relationships with trades and vendors to make sure your home stays on schedule. Our buyers have the ability to work with our Houston-based plan designers, too, should that be a better use of their time.

“Choosing to build a luxury, custom home is a really big decision. It’s the kind of decision that requires some research before you make it. A custom home is the home you design, not a home someone is trying to fit you into. At PiB, you tell us what you want, bring us photos of the things you’ve always wanted in your one-of-a-kind home, and you don’t pay for things that don’t matter to you because you’re in the home we design together. That’s the value of a luxury, custom home — it is built on the foundation of what is most important to you, based on your budget.” The process he says is one of great satisfaction, “When you are finished, there won’t be another home like it. And that makes doing your homework so important when you decide to build the home  you’ve always dreamed of living in.”

Partners in Building has offices in Houston, Austin and the Hill Country, and operates on the philosophy that custom homes are as unique as their homeowners. Always striving to provide better resources for home buyers, PiB is constantly developing new plans with cutting edge details and materials. Visit their website at www.partnersinbuilding.com for more information about their Design Centers in San Antonio, Austin and Houston, or call 210.978.2424.