Beechwood Carolinas believes in local talent. That’s why we partnered with Charlotte-based design firm 505 Design and their residential design lead, John Oxenfeld, for our luxury home collection in our Weddington Glen and Broadmoor at Marvin communities.
We sat down with John to get an insight into his design process, his thoughts on the Beechwood Carolinas brand and more.
What would you say is unique about Beechwood Carolina’s style?
John Oxenfeld: A lot of other builders I’ve worked with are based in the southeast and the style and vernacular they use are very rigid. That’s not the case with Beechwood Carolina’s design. I appreciate the work Beechwood has done, especially out in the Hamptons and bringing a little of that Hamptons Influence into the Carolinas has been fun. I think the design is still very appropriate stylistically and you can see some great shingle style homes if you go through Myers Park. So bringing some of that flair and style to their product is what we’re looking to do. I always say that if you put one foot in the future and one foot in the past, you can create something that is very timeless. With Beechwood Carolinas projects if you put one foot in the South and one foot in the Northeast, you can create something that is still appropriate for their audience, but completely unique.
What would you consider to be innovative about Beechwood Carolinas design?
John Oxenfeld: From day one they have been very adamant about not wanting to be a cookie cutter production builder. I think a lot of folks in the production world draw a front elevation and whatever the floor plan is dictates what the rest of the house looks like. Beechwood Carolinas has been very good about caring what 4-sided architecture looks like and really creating a well-crafted home all around and something that is more than just a front elevation.
How do you tie in local architectural elements into your design?
John Oxenfeld: For me it’s exciting to not be doing homes that are just white. We’re trying to incorporate some richer palettes in the Beechwood Carolinas properties. You see that a little more up north. In the south, you see brighter colors, but we’re looking at a wide range of more saturated tones with Beechwood Carolinas.
What drew you to the Beechwood brand and made you want to partner with them?
John Oxenfeld: I had previously worked with a member of the Beechwood team, and he introduced me to Steven (Dubb), who has really impressed me. I think he is just a very kind and thoughtful person who is willing to take the time and spend the money to do things right and treat people well along the way. I always say I would rather work with somebody I would want to have dinner with than just somebody that’s rich. I’ve enjoyed talking with them and Bob (Kardos) and his team have been great to work with.
What is your design process like?
John Oxenfeld: We are very image centric to start the process. We create image boards to look at what else is in the market and also to gain consensus on our direction. Especially with our single-family product line we sit down and look at some styles and thoughts we have. That’s where we begin to blend both north and south stylistically. That’s our step one. From there we look at a floor plan, keeping in mind the flow of the space and how people live. We model up in 3D so we can move around the homes and really get a sense of scale and proportion better than with a front elevation and 2D drawing.
What are some of the thought processes behind the innovation with kitchen and bathroom design in these homes?
John Oxenfeld: It’s just breaking the status quo. People get into the habit of doing the same things just because that’s what they’ve always done. I think other companies will say they want to do luxury products, so they just make it a little bigger and make the finishes a little nicer and charge more money for it. Beechwood Carolinas hasn’t done that. They’ve been really conscious about how their homes can truly be luxurious and different and I think that attention to detail will really differentiate them in the market. Our kitchen layouts and master bath layouts offer something you don’t typically see in the market.
What is about the kitchen and bath layouts that are different?
John Oxenfeld: There are auxiliary kitchens being built in some of the homes, that’s not something you can get with a lot of builders. There are no outlets in the backsplash so you have clean lines throughout the kitchen. We’re doing some wet rooms where you have the oversized shower with the standing tub inside. Some of our bathrooms feature shared showers for his and hers layouts. I think overall it will feel a lot different than what you typically see.
Beechwood Carolinas is just doing something innovative and I can’t wait for everyone to see it.