Whether you’re designing a newly built home or renovating a kitchen, bathroom or laundry room, there’s a substantial amount of detail that goes into the process. Most people have an idea of what they want going into a project, but they can have trouble visualizing it, said Brad Roe. That’s where his business, Residential Designs by Brad Roe, comes in.
By working one-on-one with clients, creating a custom design and even being present on-site during the installation of a renovation project, the Residential Designs team can assist in the decision-making process and make that vision come to life.
“Our customers see their vision on a piece of paper,” said Caitlin Teeters, kitchen and bath designer who also specializes in windows and doors at Residential Designs. “They see it on a computer screen. We talk about it. But when you walk into their house and it’s done, to see the joy that it brings is indescribable.”
EXPANDING A STARTUP
Roe began his career in high school, selling doors, windows, cabinets, and countertops for Black Lumber Company in Martinsville, where he stayed for six years. He then worked for Wholesale Home Products before going to Newcomer Lumber in Mooresville, selling the same products at each company.
In 1999, he decided it was time to venture out on his own. He discussed the idea with his wife, Mikie and with her support, he jumped right in. He created Residential Designs by Brad Roe with the idea of designing homes and living spaces for his clients. He drafts everything from homes, barns, garages, and room additions. He was only three months into the startup when former customers began calling to ask for him to get into the window, door, countertop, and cabinet business.
“Here I am, a little guy just trying to design homes, and my customers are the ones who wanted me to expand,” he said. “It fell into my lap.”
He called Sun Windows which granted him permission to start selling their products and other companies followed.
Artistry runs in the Roe family. Roe’s father was a sign painter. Roe enjoys the art of drawing and designing. He hand draws his blueprints, a process which takes longer but he feels offers Residential Designs by Brad Roe brings a personalized approach to crafting home designs him more control over the finished product and reduces errors that can sometimes get overlooked when a computer program fills in the blanks. He ensures each product not only meets codes and regulations but has a realistic design that will stand the test of time.
“Customers come to me with their ideas and dreams,” he said. “I take notes and put together a preliminary plan for them. To see their reaction when they come in here, it’s pretty neat. They have it visualized in their head, but they don’t know how to put it all together. When I put it together for them in that preliminary stage, it gets exciting.”
A NEW HIRE
Twenty years after starting his business, Roe brought in Teeters. Teeters graduated from Indiana State with a bachelor’s in interior design in 2009. She found a job in Bloomington designing kitchens and baths in 2010. After four-and-a-half years, she thought she’d enjoy working for a corporate company in Carmel better. She immediately realized that wasn’t her calling. She returned to Bloomington where she worked at a couple of companies before feeling the need to make a change. A Martinsville resident, she was tiring of the commute to Bloomington, coupled with long work hours. She felt as though she was missing out on too much time with her children. She has two sons, ages 7 and 11. She desired to find a job closer to home and called up Roe.
“I said, ‘I think you should hire me,” Teeters said. “He laughed. He said ‘I’ve been doing this by myself for a long time, so why? Pitch me your vision.’ I told him that I wanted to be able to be there for my kids more, but I love selling kitchens, cabinets and that I work for an Amish line that I’d like to bring to his business and do more custom things there. I had all kinds of ideas.”
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