About Us

Building a home in Cashiers was always a dream of ours but undertaking a project 5 hours away was a bit overwhelming. Jim and the Design South team not only made this possible but enjoyable. Most importantly the final product was better than we could ever have imagined. We would do it again if we didn’t love our house so much.

My 1890’s farmhouse has a new life thanks to Jim Robinson and his Design South Team! It was a successful collaboration in part because Jim “shared the stage” when it came to incorporating design ideas (mine and others’) with his own creative ideas and construction skills. The end result is a finely crafted, unique home that pays respect to the past while offering a floor plan suited to my lifestyle, safety, comfort, energy efficiency and very handsome styling. Jim was a good communicator and among other things did an excellent job of offering up suggested material choices to keep within my budget. I presented many ideas and challenges along the way, they were met with an open mind and a can-do response. When the friendship with your building contractor is stronger than when you started the project, you know you have selected the right builder for the job, and I did!

It is refreshing to come across a company that can produce designs that are fresh, aesthetically pleasing and highly functional while at the same time construct the house in an efficient, high quality and cost effective manner. Jim Robinson, the principal, is a delight to work with. He is both professional and very articulate while maintaining an easy going rapport. His formula for design and build eliminates any slippage between the client desires, design fulfillment and resulting construction.

Jim is a listener! He took the time to really understand our lifestyle and needs, enabling him to design a home that included all of our specific desires and truly exceeded our expectations. Jim is organized and patient. After construction began, Jim kept me informed of upcoming decision points so that my answers were timely and did not delay our project. When Jim realized a decision needed “re-consideration,” he offered guidance and alternatives.

Working with Jim was a dream! I have built at least six houses over the years, and never have I had as talented of a designer and builder as Jim Robinson, with Design South Builders. His remarkable ability to design my home and bring to fruition my vision, was refreshing. My input in the process was embraced, and he respected any ideas I brought to the table. My home is not only beautiful, but superbly constructed. Jim was available to meet and help me understand the process and choices that needed to be made. It was a seamless and enjoyable endeavor. I highly recommend Design South Builders as a builder of quality, estate homes.

Having done significant renovation projects, but never built a house, we were nervous about building our vacation home by long-distance. We worried that we were starting down a road that could either consume us or lead to disappointment. When Jim showed up and listened through what we wanted in a mountain house and then returned a couple of weeks later with preliminary plans that truly reflected what we had envisioned for our house, we began to become more comfortable. Through the process of refining the design and building, Jim proved to be the ideal partner for our project.

We thoroughly enjoyed the creative, collaborative process and the quality of your work is superb. Your design and build process could not have worked any better for us. From the design phase process through the construction, the experience was a true partnership that created a home that we will enjoy with family and friends for years to come.

It was a pleasure to work with Jim and his design team at DSB. The entire team made the process a pleasure and they focused on every detail to make sure the project was a success and we were comfortable each step of the way. Thank you for your continued guidance and finishing strong!