Builder: Garret Syler
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Garret Syler, president of Syler Construction Inc., is not the newcomer on the building scene — in fact, he’s a third-generation builder, and his team comprises 200 years of experience — yet Syler’s homes feel fresh and trendy.
This family-owned business, including commercial and development divisions, builds diverse model floor plans in different communities around the Northland to establish themselves in highly desirable school districts, such as Liberty, Park Hill, Staley Farms, Kearney and Smithville.
Nine base plans in the $400,000-$1 million price range cater to a variety of home buyers, but especially those downsizing from monster-size houses who still want nice things, along with relocators, who want a ready-made house now in a neighborhood near downtown, such as The Palisades in Riverside.
The Richmond model is a gleaming example of the company’s craftsmanship there. As a top Kansas City home builder, Syler’s exterior facade stands out among the crowd with a mix of natural materials like stone or white-painted brick, stained trusses, Shaker-style gables and horizontal Hardie Board Siding. Landscaping upgrades also play a large role in rounding out good curb appeal.
Inside, the floor plan is very open, with a 12-foot slider door to the outside covered balcony seemingly expanding the space beyond the walls. A patio underneath is accessible from the reverse 1.5-story walkout.
“From the entry, you’re able to see through the house; it looks so spacious,” Syler describes.
Every room feels generous in square footage, while certain areas like the kitchen work zone and an oversized master suite, with natural daylight streaming in the closet and a connecting laundry room, lend functionality and luxuriousness to the space. What could be a formal dining room could just as easily transform into flex space for a home office. Syler installs glass barn doors that look elegant open or closed and still function to create quiet.
Attendees of the Parade of Homes tour give Syler Homes a lot of positive feedback on select amenities.
“A feature everyone loves is the barn door slider to the master bathroom,” Syler notes.
But the real piece de resistance is the tub housed inside the glass shower walls.
“It looks dynamite and flows well,” Syler says. “It’s like one big piece of art.”
There are plenty of other artistic features around the home. Syler points out the wood beams in the ceilings and detailed trim work and shiplap on focal walls. The kitchen design has crisp, clean lines, while hardwood floors warm the space and wear well with pets and kids.
“Rustic details blended with modern touches is very in right now,” he says.
One design trend that is ‘in’ yet not all that visible is Universal Design. Examples include three-foot-wide entries and zero-entry access points, as seen in shower and garage door entries, and even elevators and lifts. This extra thoughtfulness is helpful for those clients whose parents move in with them — and even those thinking ahead for themselves.
“This is often the last home people anticipate living in,” Syler says.
That’s why his team puts much emphasis on the upfront design process.
“We design according to how we would personally live in our homes,” Syler notes, adding that he’s open to buyers considering hybridizing plans; for instance, taking the master suite wing of one floor plan and the kitchen of another to create something new.
“In a normal spec house, you’re not allowed to change anything, but we are open to changes. Instead of us gambling on ideas, we love when clients bring ideas to us,” Syler says. “It’s easy to fall into a rut building the same stuff over; we’d prefer to keep up with the trends.”
That said, while Syler encourages clients to browse ideas on tv and Houzz, he cautions that some ideas aren’t practical.
“We are the professionals and can gauge whether it’s a good or bad idea,” he says. “Most of the time we can accommodate, but 10 percent of the time, we can’t do it because of xyz.”
The design process remains a fluid one, with multiple options. It all starts with the company’s selection book, which lays the groundwork for pricing on standards and upgrades, and covers everything from countertop materials, carpet and trim to decks, stone and fireplaces.
“It allows them to spend their budget however they want,” Syler explains. Plus, it keeps everyone accountable and on the same page from the beginning of the project through the end.
“We try to cater to the client — everything realistic is possible,” he says. “With patience and teamwork, we can put anything together.”
And, most notably, he adds: “Whether you have a sky-high budget or a tight budget, we give you the most bang for your buck.”
