For our first foray into property development, Ruby Mountain Builders wanted to showcase a flat-roofed stucco dwelling in the downtown Nelson area, as an expression of the founder and owner's California roots. But central to this idea was that the building would reference nearby Modern Era homes from the 1920s and 30s. We handed our conceptual plan of a side-by-side duplex with a carport, as well as photos of Art Moderne architecture, to local designer Stacy Ellwein of A Simple Plan. Informal talks in her home were followed by our teaming up to record elevations of the sloped lot at Carbonate and Josephine. We think she hit the design out of the park. Ruby Mountain Builders finished the project on budget, despite contending with inflation in building materials, and sold into a strong market. For our next development, we have our eye on a particular view lot for a mid-Century Modern stunner. In the meantime, we have some custom homes to build.