The Case

A builder and developer partner enlisted Tristan and the Domaine Team to oversee and execute the design, marketing narrative, and sales of a historic home to be renovated, expanded, and modernized in the prestigious sub-market of Belle Meade, TN. In this role, we had to be mindful of the full-lifecycle of the project, working from the ground up to manage the architecture and design in such a way that would influence the marketing narrative, the sales process, and the final profit of the project. We also had to leverage our market analytics to construct the project’s path and program in order to deliver a successful result for the developer.

The Solutions

The first goal was to take a very dated historic gem with tremendous potential and turn it into a home perfect for modern living. Our extensive experience and market research informed our process, and using our analytics we created a design concept and project program to maximize both the project's return on investment and the continued longevity of a house that was originally built in 1925.

Working closely with a team including the architect, landscape designer, and general contractor, we carefully reconfigured the interiors of the home and expanded the overall structure. This included adding a garage, relocating and significantly expanding the footprint of the kitchen, creating new media rooms and dining spaces, and adding a full primary bedroom suite on the main floor, which previously had lacked any bedroom space.

Next we crafted a narrative to inform and drive the marketing. We enhanced the exclusivity of the listing with a slow drip campaign akin to a theatrical trailer release to pitch a forthcoming feature film. We leveraged our extensive social media reach, both at the local and national levels, to reach a maximum word-of-mouth audience, and the buyer ultimately found the home via socially-shared information.

The Results

The home received a full-price offer on the day of listing, and was under contract within 3 days of listing. The builder achieved the targeted profitability and received enhanced market exposure in the exclusive Belle Meade market, resulting in additional custom home projects.