Founded on design-centric construction with a heavy emphasis on craftsmanship, relationships and a strong sense of community, DreamBuilt has been building custom homes in the Lake Oconee area since 1999. Originally established by Atlanta transplants Paige and Jim Ruhl alongside Ann and Derek Welch, the business has since grown into a multigenerational legacy, with Haley Patten, née Ruhl, and Jep Pound helping to guide its future toward continued success.
Over nearly three decades, DreamBuilt has watched design trends come and go, experienced the advancements of technologies that have streamlined its processes and enhanced its capabilities, and navigated the challenges of a social media-obsessed public whose perception of home design is driven to impossible expectations. Through it all, the company’s standards have kept it relevant, always evolving and deeply rooted in lasting quality. It’s a formula that underscores the enduring value of craftsmanship that outlasts trends.
The key lies in understanding the client. “Psychology and relationship management play a huge role in what we do,” Patten says. “Clients are trusting us with one of—if not the—biggest investments they will make. Not only from a financial perspective but also in terms of time. We do not take that lightly. It’s important to us to communicate well so clients can be comfortable and enjoy the process, rather than feel overwhelmed or stressed by the volume of decisions and oversight required to build a custom home.”
In custom homebuilding, the process starts with design. Often, clients meet with the team at DreamBuilt with ideas that need refinement and guidance to arrive at a real, achievable design that will live well and meet their needs and their aesthetic vision. “There’s an alchemy in creating a luxury home for a client that feels thoughtful and sophisticated, rather than being oversized for the sake of being ostentatious or camera-worthy,” says Patten. “Intentional spaces designed for the way the family lives play a huge part. Warm and personal finishes and furnishings are also key features to ensuring character. A home is an incredibly personal thing, and it should reflect its homeowners. When a client shows us inspiration photos, we try to dig deeper to find what it is that they are really responding to. Is it the symmetry? Is it the mix of materials? Maybe it’s the lighting. Whatever it is, we try to home in on the why and translate that to something that works with their plan and functions for their family.”
As expectations are discussed, Patten says that there is a delicate balance to be struck in staying within budget while still checking all the boxes. “Social media has given everyone access to so many incredible homes that it feels like the norm to have high-end, ultra-custom finishes,” she says. “Because of that, I think it’s hard for the typical client to understand the costs associated with and the time spent on any home they have seen published. That’s not the fun part, but it is incredibly important to help clients understand cost relative to the scale and finish of homes they’ve seen. It’s also our job to help guide them in prioritizing to make sure they get the most out of their budget.”
In addition to the lack of understanding surrounding associated costs, Patten explains that many people are working under misconceptions about the custom homebuilding experience. “Many people think that it is time-consuming or that the process is overwhelming,” she notes. “While there can be challenges along the way, clients who trust our expertise and allow the team to guide the project tend to have the most enjoyable experience and the strongest results.”
That same need for trust and flexibility extends beyond the actual construction. According to Patten, one of the clearest indicators of how smoothly a project will unfold often appears long before the first nail is driven. “Typically, we can tell early during the design or selections process,” she says. “Clients who have a hard time fully committing to approve designs or final selections often put a lot of pressure on themselves to create something perfect. For those who are unfamiliar with the process, there can be a feeling of self-doubt that makes them second-guess decisions or not trust their own instincts. Building a team you trust—one that can give you confidence throughout the process—is the most critical part of a smooth project.”
Being the “trusted team” is what DreamBuilt strives for in every project with every client. In these last 27 years, the company has left its mark in the Lake Oconee community and beyond, building homes that balance livability with incredible design.
“This area is known for being laid-back and relaxing,” Patten says. “Most of our clients are very interested in an approachable home that functions for their family. To meet that need, we pay as much attention to the invisible details as we do to the finishes of the home. Granted, those unseen, often underappreciated elements of the home are not the exciting aspects that clients want to discuss, but they’re still incredibly essential to the overall picture of how a home will live. Case in point: storage. While it’s never the most fun thing to talk about during design, it is critical for creating a sense of calm in the home and making sure that everything has its place.”
Each completed home represents another client’s vision brought to life. And as members of the community where they work, the entire DreamBuilt team feels an incredible sense of responsibility to doing things exceptionally. “We build for clients that are future friends and neighbors,” says Patten. “While we want you to walk into one of our homes and have the design take your breath away, we refuse to cut corners on the details that can lead to maintenance concerns and costly issues for homeowners down the road. We want the quality of the house to be felt for years to come.”
For years to come. It’s a statement of excellence that speaks to their lack of compromise and dedication to craftsmanship—an ethos that has been built into their framework since the beginning. And, as Patten explains, it’s all part of giving their clients a finished home that they are excited to walk into for the first time and every day after. “We are creating a backdrop for our clients and their families to make memories, so we want them to feel overjoyed and truly at home from their very first time through the door,” she says. “That’s an incredible thing to see as builders. Beyond that, the real measure of success comes after move-in day, when a client sends a note about their first night in the house or shares a photo of family and friends gathered in the spaces we envisioned together.”
Nearly three decades after its first project, DreamBuilt continues to approach each home with the same philosophy that has guided the company since its early days: build thoughtfully, communicate honestly and never lose sight of the families who will live and grow there. The result is more than a beautiful house—it’s a setting for everyday moments, lasting traditions and memories that will endure for generations. *
Liesel Schmidt lives in Navarre, Florida, and works as a freelance writer for local and regional magazines. She is also a web content writer and book editor. Follow her on X at @laswrites or download her novels, Coming Home to You, The Secret of Us and Life Without You, at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.
