John builds houses the way craftspeople build beautiful pieces of furniture. My husband and I get more excited by the house with the passing weeks. In fact for the first 12 months I loved our house so much that I was unable to leave it—so I didn’t go on holiday with my family. When we moved in John and his site foreman were our first dinner guests.

It is enjoyable working with Bellevarde. It starts with John. He is businesslike, but less interested in the business of building than in creating extraordinary buildings.

He is easy to talk to. He doesn’t take himself too seriously and is completely up front. If he likes something he tells you and if he doesn’t he tells you that, too. Then he wants to discuss how to make it special.

It is a common thread through everything they do. John values good design, and pushes everyone to make it even better. He surrounds himself with foremen and tradespeople and subbies who feel the same way.

You get to know them all.

We had a potential client to whom I wanted to give a feeling for how John builds, so I sent him to a site just to walk around by himself. He came back convinced he should give up banking and work for John!