Wieland unveils big new design showroom

Leroy Burnell
The Post and Courier

A model kitchen in the new 6,000-square-foot design center from John Wieland Homes displays a two-level island table and a wine rack on the side. The Atlanta-based builder just opened the facility at Dunes West in Mount Pleasant.

Let's say you're a home builder and offer thousands and thousands of options both inside and out but don't have space to display even a portion of the choices.

One solution: Construct a roomy, user-friendly design center.

That's the tack taken by John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods, the Atlanta-based contractor and developer of upscale communities and houses at Dunes West, Daniel Island, Hamlin Plantation and The Ponds in Summerville. Wieland erected a new design outlet, which at 6,000 square feet is twice the size of a previous 12-year-old facility on Long Point Road that was showing its age. The new locale, which opened June 2, is in a wing of the company's main Dunes West building that also houses sales offices.

"There's 45,000 different choices," says Mark Szlosek, Wieland division sales manager. "If we don't have it, we can find it," Szlosek says, noting the company can custom order.

The center has a vaulted, carved wood ceiling with cupola to bring in light. Customers can walk through areas dedicated to lighting, roof materials, flooring, walkways, bathrooms, fireplace mantels and sound systems among other features. To give a scope of the center, there are eight distinct kitchen arrangements.

As buyers have their homes built, they typically meet three times with design specialist Becky Marchiney for three-hour appointments to go over their choices, from windows to framing, carpet to fixtures.

The center should be fairly busy, based on Wieland's sales year thus far. "We've sold more than 60 homes in the Mount Pleasant, Daniel Island, Summerville area in the first part of the year," he says. Most of the builder's homes are valued at $400,000 and above. There also is one condominium complex at Dunes West priced from the high $100,000s to low $200,000s. Extras can cost $10,000 or more.

"The idea is to one-stop shop when you are building your house," Szlosek says.

John Wieland Homes is hosting an open house at the center for Realtors on July 10 and a grand opening for the public 11 a.m.-3 p.m. July 12 and 1-2 p.m. July 13. For more information, visit www.jwhomes.com.

Reach Jim Parker at 937-5542 or jparker@postandcourier.com.