____________________________________________________________________________________ SkySail
Coastal Estates
For Drew, mentorship and collaboration are increasingly important parts of leadership.“ One of the things I’ ve learned is that leadership doesn’ t mean having every idea,” he says.“ It means putting exceptional people around the table, giving them room to do what they do best and making sure all of those ideas ultimately become one coherent home.”
Collaborative model
That philosophy is perhaps best illustrated at 1621 Anita Lane in Newport Beach, a 5057-square-foot residence dubbed Napa in Newport. Featuring five bedrooms, five full and three half bathrooms, an office, loft, and rooftop deck overlooking Fashion Island, the home represents what Drew describes as a return to‘ new traditionalism.’
“ We’ re seeing people move toward warmth, texture, and timeless architecture again,” he says.“ It’ s not about creating another box. It’ s old-world stone, warm woods, layered materials, and spaces that have an identity. You walk in and the architecture actually makes you feel something.”
For Drew, that movement is about more than aesthetics. It reflects a belief that great residential development should resist the temptation to simply follow whatever is currently fashionable.“ The goal isn’ t to chase what photographs well today and feels dated five years from now,” he says.“ We want to create homes with permanence.”
For Anita Lane, Drew collaborated with architect Eric Aust, Burkhart Brothers Construction, and designer Rona Graf of Grace Blu Designs, giving the team greater creative freedom than on many previous SkySail projects.“ It was one of the first times I really stepped back and let everyone do what they do best,” Drew says.“ The result may be the best home SkySail has done to date. It’ s where talent, trust and location all came together.”
That collaborative model is increasingly representative of SkySail itself. The company currently has multiple Visions residences underway, including projects in Corona del Mar and Big Canyon. Each is highly individualized, but the objective remains consistent: assemble exceptional talent, establish accountability across every phase, and provide the client with a single point of leadership from the earliest conversations through completion.
For Drew, the opportunity ahead is significant, but the strategy remains intentionally measured.“ We know Visions can grow,” he says,“ but I’ m much more interested in perfecting what we’ re doing than growing for the sake of growth. We’ re building the right team, working with the right clients and creating projects we’ re proud to put our name behind. If we continue to do that well, the growth will follow.”
As SkySail enters its next chapter, the company remains a developer at its core. Visions simply allows the philosophy behind its own residences to serve a select group of private clients as well: exceptional design, disciplined execution, trusted relationships, and deeply personal stewardship.
Drew’ s ambition is not simply to build more homes or become the largest company in the region, but rather to build one of the most trusted and distinctive development companies in coastal real estate.“ At the end of the day, we’ re developers,” Drew says.“ We create homes. Sometimes they’ re ours. Sometimes we’ re entrusted with someone else’ s vision. Either way, the responsibility is the same: build something exceptional and protect every decision it takes to get there. Because a home is built twice: the first time is the vision, and the second is making it real.” ■
www. skysailcoastal. com
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