Spotlight on Suncadia Featured Builder: Trailside Homes
A dream home in the heart of the majestic Pacific Northwest is a labor of love, the culmination of months of hard work not just by one, but many specialists. At Suncadia, we engage with partners who share our vision for the community and help our residents design and build homes that embody their desires. Meet Sean Northrop from Trailside Homes.
Tell us about the company, and your journey to designing custom homes.
I grew up in the Olympic Mountains, in a home that my father and mother built themselves. My father drew the plans, designed the home, and used reclaimed timber from a barn to build the structure. Years later, when I found myself spending time with my family in the Cascade Mountains, I knew it was my chance to follow in my parents’ footsteps and design and build our family’s mountain getaway. After a 25-year career in land development, this simple realization changed the path of my life. I understood it was much more fulfilling to build homes, and to help families through the process from start to finish. Our company history as a developer only underscored our skills and helped us to apply our passion for place making to the finished home process.
What makes your company different from the others?
Our team of lifelong Pacific Northwest residents has extensive experience designing and building luxury homes. We offer a deep understanding of Kittitas County land planning and building codes, the varying terrain, ARC guidelines, and the changes each season brings to the Central Cascades. We feel strongly that the process should be predictable and enjoyable for every family choosing Trailside. We have developed the discipline internally to carefully manage every project and as a result, we make zero requests for change orders and we have no customers or projects over budget. Our expertise is used to guide you through a seamless building process that is on time and delivered on budget. And with offices on both sides of the Cascades, we can meet you in Cle Elum, Seattle, or anywhere in between.
What is the unique advantage of engaging with Trailside Homes?
Our team lives and breathes our mission to deliver a seamless experience, which starts at the beginning; selecting the perfect homesite and continues all the way to handing over the keys to every completed home. Trailside Design 360 is the natural extension of this approach to building, our playbook for creating the very best in Northwest living—a process which encompasses careful consideration of land, location, interior design, and architecture to accomplish our clients’ vision for their finished home. It ensures your site is planned to maximize views, the features of your unique homesite, and interior spaces that are equal parts functional, beautiful and comfortable.
What do you think makes the Suncadia community special?
This is a spectacular location where one can enjoy a four-season getaway located within an hour of the Greater Seattle area; there really is nothing comparable that I can think of. We are proud to be a part of Suncadia’s vision and the passion they have invested in the land, the architectural integrity, and the community design of the resort. The Suncadia community helps to bring people together to celebrate the outdoors and life well lived, and that is at the forefront of every home we build and every family we serve.
How do the elements and environment influence your design process?
We understand what is important in a legacy home, and part of that consideration is the climate in Suncadia and how to build homes that will stand the test of time. The building envelope, weather conditions, and water protection must be carefully considered in a much different method than what is used on the west side of the Cascades. This care results in homes that are designed in and around the land, and in consideration of four seasons of outdoor and indoor lifestyles.
What is the most important thing you consider when working on a custom home for a client?
Relationships are the most important thing we build. Strong relationships with our clients, vendors, and our professional trade partners allow us to provide the personal attention you would expect from a friend. The greatest compliment we receive is when a past client asks us to build a second, or even third home for them, or has referred us to their family and friends. Once we start on a custom home, the client becomes part of the Trailside Homes family.