Kaleidoscope Haven Open House
Press play to hear Mark Elster, AOME's Managing Director, share his remarks on the Kaleidoscope Haven Open House, or scroll down to read the transcript.
Transcript:
A few days ago, we had the pleasure of joining the many people who worked on our Kaleidoscope Haven project: the craftspeople, trades, consultants, vendors, and their families. I had hoped to share a few words in person that evening, but the timing didn't work out quite right, so I'm glad to have this chance now.
We are grateful to our clients for opening their finished home to us all last week. They embraced a tradition we encourage all of our clients to share in, providing a rare opportunity for those who often leave a project before the final details are in place to come and see the results of their labor. That is a genuine gift.
Homes like this one just don't happen that often. When they do, it's because a special group of people chooses to work together, starting with visionary clients who bring clarity and trust, a dedicated and imaginative design team who shape and refine that vision, and the builders and craftspeople who bring amazing skill and care to every detail. Along the way, materials and conversations, some ordinary and many extraordinary, are forged into something that will shape daily life there for years to come.
As part of marking the completion of this fine home, we presented our clients with this completion bonus check for over three hundred and seventy thousand dollars. We also wanted to leave them with something that has nothing to do with drawings, details, or contracts. During construction, my wife Nancy Ellen and I had the opportunity and pleasure of visiting Africa, where we found a Makonde Tree of Life sculpture carved from a single piece of ebony. You can see the figures climbing on one another's shoulders, some carrying pots or baskets or other implements, each person both supporting and being supported by those around them. In the tradition that produced this fine piece of art, the image expresses a simple truth: no one reaches higher ground alone.
Our strength is measured by the willingness of the people around us to lift one another, generation after generation. To us, it seemed a fitting companion for a home that was itself built by so many hands. Our hope is that this house will hold its family the way that people in this sculpture hold one another: steadily, generously, and with room to grow.
As you will see in the accompanying photos, in this home we named Kaleidoscope Haven, bold color and richness of detail run through every room in the house. We think it's a fitting testament to what AOME stands for: Aesthetics, Originality, Modernity and Elegance. And among the values that guide how we work daily, fellowship felt especially present that evening: the shared effort of everyone who contributed, each supporting the others so that something lasting and remarkable could be realized together.
To everyone who had a hand in that effort to bring this house to life, we thank you. We have been fortunate to work alongside such a talented and dedicated group of people, and we fervently hope we have the chance to do so again very soon.
