Modern Home Builders Issue 124 Dec | Page 47

. . . I love the blues of the ocean , and sunset colors

elements of traditional inspiration as well . Our cabinets are shaker-style cabinets , rather than the flat panel cabinets . I also like gold accents . I am lucky in that the home industry in Dallas is ahead of many other markets . For example , we put all our electric outlets in the baseboards , which offers a much cleaner look , and that is something that when I built my first house , my electrician told me this is what all the multi-million-dollar

houses are doing now . I think it also comes down to using the right subs , who are used to doing things that are high-end luxury .”
Mitigating disruptions
When asked from where she derives this level of inspiration , Sue discusses how she takes pride in being closely observant of her surroundings . “ I walk around a lot of new builds , and many of my friends in the neighborhood live in beautiful houses that I admire . I go to trade shows , for lighting and home building , to get insight into what ’ s trending . I also draw inspiration from nature . I love the blues of the ocean , and sunset colors . However , I am careful to use neutral hues . A lot of people like that our spec houses don ’ t just do white and grey colors . I like to throw splashes of blue in to try to make my tiles more interesting , which people seem to like .”
There have been many challenges within the supply chain that have had their consequences on the construction industry , and to mitigate these obstacles , Sue shares how she has had to stay ahead of any disruptions . “ At first , we had no trouble getting supplies , and the first couple of houses we built after the pandemic started ran very smoothly . On those houses , I ordered lumber , and it arrived within a week . Now , we have to order lumber a month in advance . For the project I am currently working on , the biggest impact has been the windows .

. . . I love the blues of the ocean , and sunset colors

I was told by my suppliers that windows are among the products most affected by supply chain issues , predominantly because the materials are sourced from so many different

Berk + Walters Homes
places . The handles for the windows subsequently delayed us by six weeks , and
it was very frustrating ,” she says , adding that she has had to accommodate the extra stock and early deliveries as well . “ We live in a big house with a lot of storage . I literally have boxes of light fixtures everywhere , boxes of plumbing suppliers , everything all over the house . I bought my appliances before we even started building the house and then for some reason , they arrived quite early , so I had a dishwasher , a microwave , all these electrical appliances kept in storage in my house .”
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