Article originally published by Rick Mauch on August 13, 2024 in candysdirt.com.

While they were highly successful individually, developer Bruce Graf and designer Michelle Wade teamed up a few years ago to take their venture Graf Developments to new heights.

“Michelle and I think a lot alike. Mediocre is easy, like when I learned to fly a helicopter, I like a challenge,” Graf said. “When she comes up with an idea I’m challenged.”

“I like working with him because he never says no,” Wade said. “He allows me to be creative.”

The Power of LinkedIn For Business

Graf and Wade became Graf Developments as a result of a simple LinkedIn search.

“I needed a designer. I was trying to find those things that stand out,” he said. “Everything is about detail. You can never have too much information. She and I have clicked ever since. One of the great things about Michelle is no ego.”

Bruce grew up in a family where his father was a contractor, as were his grandfather and two uncles.

“Back when I was 22 we remodeled South Fork (the famed ranch on the TV show Dallas). The show was in its heyday,” he said. “That has a lot to do with what I do today. We gutted it.

“For the first time I was working with real designers, working with people from all over the world,” Graf said. “When I realized how much I enjoyed that I decided to pursue it even more.”

Wade has a plethora of design experience she brought into the union.

“I worked in a design firm that had a retail store out front, so I got the mindset of a buyer,” she said. “Another had an upholstery room in the back.”

She also worked for a high-end design firm in Fort Worth, along with career stops in Houston and St. Louis.

Collectively, she and Graf have over half a century of experience.

Wade recalled her first design experience. It was her dorm room in college. “I drew it up, my dad built it — he could do anything,” she said.

“I was holding a flashlight for my dad when I was 5,” Graf said, noting that he also had an early start in his career destination. He also did some apartment remodeling in college, giving his bathroom a makeover.

Giving Clients a Very Special Place

For each project, Graf and Wade focus on being cost-effective and providing value engineering, while giving their client a product that’s above all others.

“People don’t like you to keep coming back saying you need this and you need that,” Graf said, noting that when they quote a price for something, the client can rest assured.

“We’re mindful of that during the process,” Wade added.

Another important part is understanding their client’s personality and how they want to implement that in their house. It’s absolutely critical that the client be thoroughly pleased with the final result as that is what all are going to see.

Graf Developments: Doing Whatever it Takes

Graf and Wade go the proverbial above and beyond when it comes to making their clients happy. For example, Graf traveled to an event by Kohler to test out a unique bathtub, complete with a water speaker and a highly advanced shower with a DTV system.

“For me, it comes from being a dad. My job was to answer for everything my kids came up with. I also want to have an answer for anything my clients ask,” he said. “Most contractors don’t do that. Most don’t want to.”

If an appliance goes into a remodel, Graf has tried it out.

“I grew up with my dad telling me, ‘You can figure it out,’” he said.

Graf is a certified aging-in-place specialist. He knows all about providing for special needs, wheelchairs, curbless showers, grab bars, occupancy sensors, and more.

“Now the house is marketable to anybody, and as comfortable as can be to anyone with such needs,” he said. “I’m constantly continuing my education.”

Likewise for Wade.

“I’m now learning Archipod,” she said. An Archipod is a tiny roundwork or getaway space, kind of like a shed that you can have in a backyard.

The Reality Behind Reality TV Remodels

Graf and Wade said one of the challenges they face comes from TV home makeover shows. They noted that reality TV shows aren’t always reality.

“People have pre-conceived ideas from watching these TV shows,” she said. “I will give them a couple of floor plans, based on our interview. I’ll go with them to pick out appliances, work with them even down to the grout, and put it all together in one plan for Bruce. Then, he’ll come up with a plan.”

“It’s extremely challenging,” Wade said, “which is why we have a budget discipline in place.”

Graf said it helps that their clients are more sophisticated. Also, he noted that the contractor, designer, and homeowner are all equal in the project.

“Our job together, the three of us, is to get this awesome job done,” Graf said.

“And some of them have great ideas,” Wade added.

Read the original article on candysdirt.com.