Indē Studio capitalizes on home remodeling surge

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Ned Tursunovic remembers his job interview a decade ago with Jeff Morrell, the CEO of Morrell Builders.

At the time, Morrell Builders and Pride Mark Homes Inc. were entering a joint venture to create a design studio, and they needed to fill positions.

“When I was interviewed, there was just a rendering of the building; nothing even existed,” Tursunovic said. “But they made it believable.”

For the past 10 years, Tursunovic, the designers and the interior experts at The Indē Studio have been doing the same thing: making remodeling and new-build concepts and dreams become believable for area homeowners.

Indē specializes in kitchen and bath remodeling, but the designers also do a fair share of walk-in closets, laundry rooms, basements and, on occasion, home offices.

The firm began as the design partner for the two homebuilders, incorporating a business model used in large cities but at the time foreign to Rochester. Over the decade, Indē has flourished, especially in remodeling. Today about two-thirds of the business is the re-creation of an existing room or rooms. And that’s just fine with studio manager Heather Garcia.

“We love to remodel kitchens and bathrooms,” she said.

A constrained housing market has fueled remodeling. While many empty-nesters would be willing to move, there are few moderately priced homes for sale in the Rochester area. So rather than pay more for a house that’s too big or too expensive, people are staying in the home they still like and giving the kitchen or bathroom the look of new.

Recent home-buyers make up another segment of the customer base. They want modern, not a kitchen that reminds them of their childhood.

“Some of those homes haven’t been touched since the ’70s or ’80s,” said Beth Bird, business manager at Indē, which is located along Route 96 in Victor, just off Exit 28 from Interstate 490.

The showroom, a haven of home decor eye candy, provides an array of choices. Keeping up with client tastes and desires means a continual updating of available products. Designers are going to trade shows and attending training courses. They know what’s trending.

Laundry rooms are making a comeback. So, too, are mud rooms.

“The things people are looking for in a new home, they’re changing,” Garcia said.

The junk drawer is now a drop zone. Wall outlets now include USB ports. Under-cabinet lighting isn’t merely a consideration, it’s a must for many. More than one client has asked for a dog bed to be incorporated into the cabinets.

“There are things we don’t even think about that people can’t live without,” said Tursunovic, the operations manager at Indē.

The planning process isn’t completed in a week, or a month. In fact, it may be 60 or 90 days before there’s a signed contract.

“We don’t want to rush them,” Tursunovic said. “We try to give them the best experience possible.”

That begins with being a one-stop, multi-room showroom. There are hundreds upon hundreds of samples of fixtures and countertops and tile and flooring and lighting and fireplace stone and everything else for a remodel.

“We take a very consultative approach,” Garcia said. “There’s a lot of listening. We find out what they want. And then the designers go to the client’s home to find out what they like and don’t like about their current space.”

A full understanding of taste allows the designer to create the look the client truly wants, from the color of the grout to the manner in which the tile transitions to the hardwood.

A project manager then follows the job from the first crowbar in demolition to the final buffing of the countertop, providing periodic updates.

What’s most important, however, is the finished product.

“The things people were looking for in a new home,” Garcia said, “they’re creating in their current home.”

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