In Episode 3 of The Collier Way, Collier Bashara sits down with architect Elizabeth Haynes — the architect behind the Olmos Park Southern Living Showcase Home and one of San Antonio's most respected residential architects — for an honest conversation about what great design actually requires.

Elizabeth and Collier have been collaborating for years — from a complicated renovation in Oakwell Farms to historical restorations to multiple ground-up luxury homes across Olmos Park, Alamo Heights, and Terrell Hills. This episode is the story of that collaboration and the philosophy behind it.

In this episode:

How Elizabeth's career began with a historical renovation and what that taught her about buildings that last

Why as-built plans are the very first step of any renovation — and why skipping them is one of the most expensive mistakes a homeowner can make

Designing for aging in place and why this conversation has become increasingly important for how homes are designed today

The Olmos Park Southern Living Showcase Home — the design vision, the decisions made along the way, and Elizabeth's favorite room in the house — the keeping room

How Collier and Elizabeth approach designing to the lot, the neighborhood, and the client's actual life rather than just their wish list

What makes Olmos Park, Alamo Heights, and Terrell Hills each distinct to design for — and why that matters more than most clients realize

The collaboration that turned two friends into one of San Antonio's most trusted builder and architect partnerships

This is one of the most genuine conversations about residential architecture and design you will find — from two people who have built a lot of homes together and learned what actually matters along the way.

The Collier Way is hosted by Collier Bashara, Southern Living Builder of the Year and founder of Collier Custom Homes — one of only 85 Southern Living Certified Builders in America.

New episodes every week. Subscribe and follow along.

Learn more at colliercustomhomes.com

Before you talk to an architect, before you talk to a designer, before you talk to a builder — you have to find the right piece of land. And most people have no idea what they are actually looking at when they walk a lot for the first time.

In Episode 2 of The Collier Way, Collier Bashara breaks down exactly what to look for before you make an offer — whether you are buying an infill lot in San Antonio or raw land in the Texas Hill Country.

In this episode:

How to read a survey — and why the fence is almost never on the property line

What encroachments and easements mean for what you can build

The hidden gems worth saving before you demolish an older home

How to know when a house is worth saving versus tearing down

The three criteria that tell you a house might be worth renovating — good foundation, good roof, and virgin

Why an 8 foot ceiling will never grow into a 10 foot ceiling

The stumbling blocks on any infill lot — old pools, limited access, septic systems, and trees

Building in the Hill Country — access, roads, utilities, and finding the right building site

Why the flood plain is non negotiable — and what to do when it affects the site you love

Whether you are building in Alamo Heights, Terrell Hills, Fredericksburg, Boerne, or anywhere along the I-10 corridor — this episode will change how you look at every lot you walk from this point forward.

The Collier Way is hosted by Collier Bashara, Southern Living Builder of the Year and founder of Collier Custom Homes — one of only 85 Southern Living Certified Builders in America.

New episodes every week. Subscribe and follow along.

Learn more at colliercustomhomes.com

There are hundreds of thousands of licensed builders in America. Southern Living looked at all of them and has only selected 85.

This is the podcast of one of them.

In the first episode of The Collier Way, Collier Bashara — Southern Living Builder of the Year and founder of Collier Custom Homes — shares the story behind the company, the philosophy that drives every project, and what it really means to build a home that lasts.

If you are building a custom home in San Antonio, the Texas Hill Country, or anywhere along the I-10 corridor — this show was made for you.

In this episode:

The first house Collier ever built — for his best friend — and the philosophy it created

Why trust is the only real foundation a builder client relationship can be built on

What Southern Living Builder actually means and how selective the program really is

The family of 85 builders — why they push each other, help each other, and make each other better

Why Collier builds Southern Living Showcase Homes instead of spec houses

The trade partners behind the Olmos Park Showcase Home — GE Appliances, Kichler, Pella, Atlas, Cambria, James Hardie, Sherwin Williams, TimberTech, Clopay, and Southern Living Plant Collections

Why lighting is one of the most underappreciated decisions in any home build

A first look at the Olmos Park Showcase Home — and why it feels like it has always been there

This is not a marketing podcast. It is an honest behind the scenes look at what great home building actually requires — from a builder who has been in the field, knows the craft, and has the track record to prove it.

The Collier Way documents the building of a Southern Living Showcase Home in Olmos Park, San Antonio — and shares the philosophy behind every decision along the way.

New episodes every week. Subscribe and follow along.

Learn more at colliercustomhomes.com