Suncrest Homes’ president Michael Ruefle, who grew up in Penn Hills, entered the construction field right out of high school, working for one of the largest home builders in the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. After a stint in the US Navy, he joined his brother in the remodeling business and founded a company in 1970, specializing in window replacements and room additions. After 13 years, Ruefle was itching to get back into the new construction business, so he founded Suncrest Homes, building his first custom home in Murrysville and established a good reputation, carried over from his remodeling days. He initially partnered with Meritage Group, a company that built developments in other eastern communities. Eventually, his company began developing their own communities. To date, he has built over 1,000 homes, most in the luxury market
Colleen Ruefle-Haley is Michael Ruefle’s daughter; currently she is the vice-president of Suncrest as well as a second-generation home builder, but she has been working in the family business since the age of 13, starting at the remodeling company. “We started the development business 25 years ago with some large communities: Sterling Oaks in Penn Township; the Acres in Murrysville; and Allegheny Woodlands in Apollo,” she said.
What distinguishes a Suncrest-built home is…” they are always open, bright and airy, and they’re always on the leading edge of design but conservative and widely accepted, so they are not a niche product geared toward one particular client,” he said. Ruefle earned a degree in marketing and always had a keen eye for design. “I was always confident enough to take risks that other people weren’t doing at the time,” he added.
Trendsetting
Suncrest Homes was the first builder in Metropolitan Pittsburgh to develop empty nester single family and attached homes. “The first one we did was in Buffalo Township in Butler County, called Buffalo Trails. That was back in 1992. We did master bedrooms on the first floor; they said we were crazy,” laughed Ruefle. But he was right on the money with that empty nester product, as now, patio homes are in demand in Western Pennsylvania. “We really specialize and love doing the empty nester product, and we really specialize more on the luxury high end side; even our empty nester product is a luxury product,” he said.
Suncrest Homes’ second community was in Sarver Mills, one of the first communities in Western Pennsylvania to include the traditional neighborhood development—TND. “This was a concept of smaller homes on smaller lots with a club house, swimming pool and walking trails. Over 200 single family and town homes were built,” he said.
In addition to being trendsetters in the patio home market, Ruefle said that his company was one of the first to build open floor plans. “We were doing this back in the ‘90s, when no one had even heard of an open floor plan,” he said, adding that they also embraced solar. “Our trademark has always been bright and airy and conservation with natural light.”
Municipality of Murrysville: Monroeville’s Quieter Neighbor
Just over the Allegheny County line in the eastern section of the Pittsburgh suburbs is Murrysville, dubbed as the Gateway to Westmoreland County. Murrysville has experienced a growth spurt over the past several years, with new businesses and new construction shaping the landscape.
When people think of Pittsburgh’s eastern suburbs, perhaps Penn Hills, Plum, Churchill or Monroeville come to mind. But Murrysville is situated in an advantageous location: it is just over the border of Allegheny County but its location in Westmoreland County means that there are lower taxes. The Franklin Regional School District, which recently built a new intermediate school building, is a huge draw for newcomers and in fact, is considered to be the best school district in Westmoreland County, according to Niche, which gave it an “A” rating. Ruefle said that the school district is one reason for the area’s growth and why families from other parts of the eastern Allegheny County suburbs migrated to the area, beginning in the 70s. The other reason was the growth of companies based in Monroeville, such as Westinghouse, who was bringing in high level executives, many of whom wanted the higher end custom homes. There was also a growing number of hospitals in Monroeville, which attracted doctors to the area as well.
“That was our target market,” said Ruefle. “I was very fortunate to partner with Meritage Group which had home sites made available to us to build on. Franklin Regional and Murrysville just took off, and it’s still growing. We get people from all over the country for the school district.”
The combination of lower taxes, the good school district, and an abundance of developable land made it an ideal spot for Suncrest Homes to focus its business.
In addition to the school district, Murrysville is conveniently located to Monroeville and all of its retail and restaurants and to the city of Pittsburgh. Accessibility to Route 22, Route 286, the Pennsylvania Turnpike and the Parkway is another draw.
With a population of close to 21,000 in a 37-square mile area, Murrysville is a sizeable home rule municipality, with many parks and green spaces, a community center and clubhouse, a selection of affordable and executive homes. Ruefle-Haley added that there are bike and walking trails in Murrysville, including the Westmoreland Heritage Trail, along with the Murrysville Community Park Miracle Field Pavilion, operated by the Miracle League of Western Pennsylvania and the Murrysville Export Rotary Club.
Out of Sight, Out of Mind
No one has ever designed a kitchen without making storage space a priority. The longer you live in a place, the more appliances you seem to collect—and the counter just isn’t the place to keep it any more.
Walk-in pantries have grown in popularity, not only because they are convenient but because they can also add value. Bienal Custom Closets reports that 50-75 percent of the cost of building a pantry or butler’s pantry can be added to the value of a home, though the amount a pantry adds to the value is determined by the home’s price and the type of pantry installed.
NKBA reports that 76 percent of the 600 design specialists they surveyed note the high increase in the need for walk-in pantries, followed by built-in pantries (66 percent) and butler’s pantries (62 percent). Dedicated work areas for small appliances, as well as “appliance garages” are also on the rise.
The minimalist movement has come to kitchens as well, with built-in refrigerators and flush cabinetry helping to streamline the look. Refrigerator doors and pullouts are now being covered by paneling to mimic the cabinets in a space, and even dishwashers, microwaves and freezers are being designed to fit in barely noticeable drawers, some of which can be set to desired temperatures to hold drinks, wine, produce and more.
Today’s kitchen consumer not only doesn’t want to see clutter, but they don’t want to hear loud noises, either. Approximately 65 percent of designers say that their clients want ultra-quiet dishwashers, and 41 percent say clients are choosing standard pull-out trash receptables instead of noisy trash compactors.
Maintenance is a big concern as well, with homeowners requesting easy-to-clean materials. Demand for quartz countertops is on the rise as is interest in slab backsplashes featuring little to no grout. Easy-to-clean flooring, especially hardwood, is also in demand.
Smart Appliances
As technology continues to evolve, smart appliances are finding their ways into every area of the home, including the kitchen. Refrigerators can now sell-fill pitchers of water, switch from fridge to freezer, let you view recipes and watch TV shows on the door, and let you know when a door has been left open. Dishwashers can check the progress of dishes while they’re being cleaned, and ovens can be programmed to remotely defrost, bake, broil and roast, and shift into a warming mode once food is cooked. You can even live-stream the baking process, as well as clean your oven just using an app.
While a lot of people are interested in having a smart kitchen, there are a couple of drawbacks that may prevent homeowners from making that leap. The first is cost—most smart appliances, either run by Wi-Fi or artificial intelligence—cost a good deal more than their ‘analog’ counterparts. There is also the fear that technology will outpace installation; a homeowner may buy the latest and greatest tech, but that doesn’t mean that something newer and shinier won’t hit the market tomorrow.
According to Today’s Homeowner, the market for smart kitchens is growing and is expected to continue to grow, partly driven by Millennial and Gen Z demands. The report notes that the size of the global smart kitchen market is projected to grow through 2027, reaching $43 billion. Millennials say they are willing to pay 20 percent or more for the connectivity of a smart home, and 81 percent of consumers say they are more likely to purchase a new home that has smart technology.
Smart technology not only makes things quicker and more convenient, but can result in energy savings, too. While earlier refrigerators used up to 1,278 KW hours per year, smart refrigerators use less than half of this power.
In fact, nearly three-quarters of homeowners say that they choose environmentally friendly kitchen features because they are cost-effective. Induction cooktops, for example, are gaining in popularity as they cook faster than electric or gas ranges, making them 10 percent more energy efficient than electric stoves and three times more efficient than gas stoves.
“Energy-efficient homes and appliances will continue to be a top priority for consumers,” noted Brandt Varner, vice president of product marketing for home appliances, LG Electronics, at the most recent Kitchen and Bath Industry Show. “The home of the future will continue to get smarter and more intuitive since consumers are spending more time at home, now more than ever, and have a growing desire to simplify their daily household routines by integrating innovative, tech-forward products that will optimize convenience and functionality.”
Consumers are also looking to save energy and reduce lighting costs by installing large windows to maximize natural light. Kitchens of the future will also include more layers of lighting, with NKBA reporting that 85 percent of the designers it surveyed are using ambient lighting to create various moods, 80 percent are using decorative statement lighting to showcase design elements, and 69 percent are adding nighttime lighting for safety and aesthetics. This trend toward safety also adds to the fact that more and more consumers are considering the amenities that they need as they age in place.
Homeowners are also still building outdoor kitchens, which are not only fun for the family but can also provide a healthy return on investment. According to Absolute Outdoor Kitchens, homes with outdoor kitchens can potentially see an ROI between 100-200 percent. Features in demand include built-in grills with side burners, pizza ovens, outdoor refrigerators and extra storage space.
Hiring Professionals vs. DIY
Depending on the size of the project, some homeowners are choosing to do it themselves, while others are still more comfortable hiring professionals for the job. The Home Improvement Research Institute reports that about 43 percent of homeowners remodeled their own kitchens in 2023, and 34 percent hired professionals for the entire project. About a quarter were a combination of DIY and professional contributions.
Painting and floor projects, including installing, replacing and repairing kitchen floors, were some of the most common renovations made in 2023. Other projects included installing, repairing and replacing molding or baseboards, and installing, repairing and replacing windows and doors, and these projects are expected to remain on the to-do list in coming years.
While times and technology may change, having a kitchen that you love can make all the difference when it comes to creating the perfect home—now and in the future. NH
