The Collier Way

Inside the Showcase Home Design — A Conversation with Designer Mariana Loya

What does it actually look like when a great designer and a great builder work together on a Southern Living Showcase Home? In this episode of The Collier Way, Collier Bashara sits down with Mariana Loya — the designer behind the Olmos Park Southern Living Showcase Home — for one of the most genuine and entertaining conversations in the series so far. Mariana founded LED Design three years ago after 16 years in the industry. She studied interior design at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio and what she has created for the Showcase Home is something worth waiting to see. In this episode: How Mariana approaches a new project — from the first client meeting to room by room presentations and technical drawings Why she never sends a presentation before she is in the room with you — and what happens when she challenges clients with something unexpected The open plan problem and the millwork solution — how Mariana created three distinct spaces within one large room without adding a single wall The kitchen island that has the team at Cambria excited and the metal fabricators working overtime Why every project starts with the kitchen — the room that sets the tone for the entire home The importance of bringing a designer in before the slab is poured — and what happens when you wait until after the sheetrock is up Value engineering — how to identify what matters most and let the team find savings everywhere else Hidden details and the surprises Mariana loves to design into a home that clients discover after they move in The Showcase Home reveal is coming — and this episode gives you a behind the scenes look at the design decisions going into it before a single elevation is released publicly. The Collier Way is hosted by Collier Bashara, Southern Living Builder of the Year and founder of Collier Custom Homes — one of only 85 Southern Living Certified Builders in America. New episodes every week. Subscribe and follow along. Learn more at colliercustomhomes.com

Why Every Custom Home Needs a Designer — The Difference Between a Designer, Architect, and Decorator

Most people think a decorator and a designer are the same thing. They are not — and confusing the two is one of the most expensive mistakes you can make when building a custom home. In this episode of The Collier Way, Collier Bashara breaks down exactly what a designer does, why it is different from what an architect does, and why an interior decorator — as talented as they may be — cannot replace a professional designer on a custom home build. In this episode: The difference between an architect, a designer, and an interior decorator — and a memorable analogy for understanding how all three fit together Why Collier requires a professional designer on every project — no exceptions — and what his own project data taught him about what happens when that is skipped What a designer actually does that most clients never anticipate — from plumbing selections before the foundation is poured to floor plug placement before the concrete is set The master suite tub story — why your builder needs your tub selection before the first form board hits the ground The sheetrock moment — what happens when a decorator hands over a tile layout after the walls are already up The cabinet hardware story — why small decisions stop jobs for weeks and how a great designer keeps everything moving Why Collier reserves the right to approve your designer even if you already have someone in mind How a designer, decorator, and colorist can work together as a team to produce extraordinary results If you are thinking about building a custom home in San Antonio or the Texas Hill Country — this episode will change how you think about who needs to be on your team before you break ground. The Collier Way is hosted by Collier Bashara, Southern Living Builder of the Year and founder of Collier Custom Homes — one of only 85 Southern Living Certified Builders in America. New episodes every week. Subscribe and follow along. Learn more at colliercustomhomes.com

The Collier Way - Tampa Showcase S1E4-nside a Southern Living Showcase Home — A Conversation with Brook and Josh of Devonshire Custom Homes

What does it actually mean to build a Southern Living Showcase Home — and what does it take to deliver on that standard? In this special episode of The Collier Way, Collier Bashara sits down in Tampa, Florida with Brook and Josh of Devonshire Custom Homes — siblings who built one of the most extraordinary Southern Living Showcase Homes in the country — for an honest conversation about building luxury custom homes, the Southern Living builder program, and what it means to be part of something bigger than any individual project. Collier recorded this episode on location at the Devonshire Showcase Home open house — walking through the finished home for the first time after seeing it in sheetrock — and sat down with Brook and Josh the following day while the emotion of finishing something extraordinary was still fresh. In this episode: The story of Devonshire Custom Homes — siblings building together in Tampa and what that family dynamic brings to a luxury building business What it means to build high-end custom homes in the Tampa market and who their clients are The Southern Living builder program — what it demands, what it gives back, and why Brook and Josh chose to pursue it The Build 10 group — the inner circle within the Southern Living program that functions as a personal board of directors for the builders inside it — and why Collier calls it the backbone of the entire program Taking on a Southern Living Showcase Home — the commitment it requires, the standard it demands, and what it does for a building company when they deliver on it What the open house felt like — real people experiencing a finished Showcase Home for the first time What Brook and Josh want every prospective client to understand before they sign a contract with any builder This episode was recorded live on location in Tampa at the Devonshire Custom Homes Southern Living Showcase Home open house — raw, real, and unlike anything else in Season 1 of The Collier Way. The Collier Way is hosted by Collier Bashara, Southern Living Builder of the Year and founder of Collier Custom Homes — one of only 85 Southern Living Certified Builders in America. New episodes every week. Subscribe and follow along. Learn more at colliercustomhomes.com

Designing a Home That Belongs — A Conversation with Architect Elizabeth Haynes

In Episode 3 of The Collier Way, Collier Bashara sits down with architect Elizabeth Haynes — the architect behind the Olmos Park Southern Living Showcase Home and one of San Antonio's most respected residential architects — for an honest conversation about what great design actually requires. Elizabeth and Collier have been collaborating for years — from a complicated renovation in Oakwell Farms to historical restorations to multiple ground-up luxury homes across Olmos Park, Alamo Heights, and Terrell Hills. This episode is the story of that collaboration and the philosophy behind it. In this episode: How Elizabeth's career began with a historical renovation and what that taught her about buildings that last Why as-built plans are the very first step of any renovation — and why skipping them is one of the most expensive mistakes a homeowner can make Designing for aging in place and why this conversation has become increasingly important for how homes are designed today The Olmos Park Southern Living Showcase Home — the design vision, the decisions made along the way, and Elizabeth's favorite room in the house — the keeping room How Collier and Elizabeth approach designing to the lot, the neighborhood, and the client's actual life rather than just their wish list What makes Olmos Park, Alamo Heights, and Terrell Hills each distinct to design for — and why that matters more than most clients realize The collaboration that turned two friends into one of San Antonio's most trusted builder and architect partnerships This is one of the most genuine conversations about residential architecture and design you will find — from two people who have built a lot of homes together and learned what actually matters along the way. The Collier Way is hosted by Collier Bashara, Southern Living Builder of the Year and founder of Collier Custom Homes — one of only 85 Southern Living Certified Builders in America. New episodes every week. Subscribe and follow along. Learn more at colliercustomhomes.com

How to Select the Right Lot — What to Look For Before You Buy

Before you talk to an architect, before you talk to a designer, before you talk to a builder — you have to find the right piece of land. And most people have no idea what they are actually looking at when they walk a lot for the first time. In Episode 2 of The Collier Way, Collier Bashara breaks down exactly what to look for before you make an offer — whether you are buying an infill lot in San Antonio or raw land in the Texas Hill Country. In this episode: How to read a survey — and why the fence is almost never on the property line What encroachments and easements mean for what you can build The hidden gems worth saving before you demolish an older home How to know when a house is worth saving versus tearing down The three criteria that tell you a house might be worth renovating — good foundation, good roof, and virgin Why an 8 foot ceiling will never grow into a 10 foot ceiling The stumbling blocks on any infill lot — old pools, limited access, septic systems, and trees Building in the Hill Country — access, roads, utilities, and finding the right building site Why the flood plain is non negotiable — and what to do when it affects the site you love Whether you are building in Alamo Heights, Terrell Hills, Fredericksburg, Boerne, or anywhere along the I-10 corridor — this episode will change how you look at every lot you walk from this point forward. The Collier Way is hosted by Collier Bashara, Southern Living Builder of the Year and founder of Collier Custom Homes — one of only 85 Southern Living Certified Builders in America. New episodes every week. Subscribe and follow along. Learn more at colliercustomhomes.com