Not all the effort that goes into the 2013 Fort Worth, Texas Dream Home will be clearly on display to a visitor. Framing, wiring, foundation and air and heating ducts are prime examples.
Conversely, everyone will see the work of Partin Drywall. Tracey and Ernest Partin started the company in 1990 as a home-based business and worked their way into the custom building market. This is their fourth Dream Home project.
Dream Homes can be complex projects with a variety of finishes in different areas. If you've ever tried taping and bedding, not to mention texturing, you know how hard it is to do well. That, says Ernest Partin, is extremely difficult to do without experience.
The 2013 version of Fort Worth, Texas magazine's Dream Home is at 4010 W. 4th St. in the Monticello Addition. It is a 5,600-square-foot French Eclectic-style home. Proceeds from the tour tickets benefit a Wish with Wings, a non-profit that grants special wishes to children dealing with life-threatening conditions.
That's a big draw for the Partins. "After learning what a Wish with Wings is, we are even more excited. The benefit of giving back and helping others is priceless to me and Tracey," says Partin. "This program is a privilege and honor to be a part of. I am looking forward to working with them in the future to help grant more wishes."
The roof on a Dream Home also is a high-profile project, says Larry Cremean, president and owner of Texas Tile Roofing Co. The company is family-owned with more than 30 years of experience. Cremean doesn't have personal experience with a Wish with Wings, "but we are proud to give a helping hand with this wonderful organization."
The job has not been especially challenging, he says, but "what's usually challenging about any roof project is all the subs staying on schedule and, of course, you have to factor in our crazy weather here in North Texas."
This is the first Dream Home project for Overhead Garage Door, says Bret Westbrook, a U.S. Army combat veteran and TCU alumnus. We enjoy "the challenge of creating custom, hand-made cedar doors for new homes," he says. That is what has been designed for the Dream Home - "a beautiful custom cedar door design that we can't wait to show on the Dream Home."
And there are benefits, he says. "We get the opportunity to work with a Wish with Wings and hopefully help some children with life-threatening conditions," he says. "Also, working with local companies in the community and creating new relationships will benefit us in the future."
For Paula Roberts of Pierce Hardware & Decorative Plumbing, a 75-year-old company, it's all about the details.
"I look at every job as my own personal project and strive to make every situation a smooth one, hopefully minus a few grey hairs," she says. Dream Homes are not normal jobs because the ultimate owner is unknown. So the customer here is the interior designer and the builder.
Regardless, the process is to meet with the decision-makers early in the process to gain insight so that she can offer suggestions that will make the home the masterpiece they visualize.
"I always tell my customers, "Don't worry about all the small details; that is why I am here," " Roberts said. "Just think of the big picture. In the end, it will be fine."
She's also excited about the charitable aspects of the project. "Being a mom and now a GiGi - not a grandmother, there is a difference - I couldn't imagine the worry and heartache these families have faced," she said. "If I can make a small difference in one of those kiddo's lives, I am all in."
2013 Fort Worth, Texas magazine Dream Home
4010 W. 4th St., Fort Worth
Benefiting a Wish with Wings
Tour Dates: Sept. 25 - Oct. 27
