Gardens at Dusk

A conversation with Rachel on the Courtyard Collection at Highland Gardens

There is a moment in late season when a garden stops being bright and starts being deep, when the light drops low enough that the greens go blue and the windows of the houses around you start to glow from the inside. That moment is where the Dark Mode exteriors at the Courtyard Collection began.

Rachel sits on our Product Development team, which means she is the person deciding what a Legacy South home actually looks and feels like, from the exterior scheme down to the trim profile and the stain on a porch ceiling. She came to design the long way around, through years as a Realtor, and that history shows up in how she talks about buyers. She has watched hundreds of people walk through a house and decide, usually in the first thirty seconds, whether they can picture a life in it.

We sat down with her to talk about how Dark Mode came together, what she thinks will surprise people, and the one trend she would like to see disappear.

Getting here

How did you get into home builder design specifically? What drew you to it over residential or commercial?

My career has always been driven by three things I genuinely enjoy: working with people and understanding their stories, being creative and seeing something new come together, and managing the practical side of projects with lots of moving pieces and timelines.

I first began working with homes as a Realtor in general real estate. I found pretty quickly that my favorite part of the process wasn't just helping clients buy or sell a home. It was helping them envision how to make it their own.

With my buyer clients, I would often continue helping after closing by giving interior design guidance and helping them create spaces that felt personal and functional. With my seller clients, I loved the creative side of preparing homes for the market, whether that meant recommending updates, selecting finishes, or staging the home to showcase its full potential.

Over time, I realized I was essentially balancing two careers: real estate and design. The more experience I gained, the more I was drawn to the creative aspects of the business. That's what ultimately led me to make the transition into design full-time.

New construction was especially appealing because it allows me to be involved in shaping a home from the beginning rather than working within existing constraints. I love the opportunity to influence the design experience before a homeowner ever moves in and help create spaces that are both beautiful and functional.

What does your role at Legacy South actually look like day to day?

My role at Legacy South is on the Product Development Team, where I'm responsible for helping create and evolve both our interior and exterior designs. A big part of my day-to-day involves researching design trends, studying the market, and understanding what today's buyers are looking for so we can create products that feel fresh, relevant, and aligned with our brand.

One of the things I enjoy most about the role is how collaborative it is. I work alongside our Procurement Team to stay informed on available products, new materials entering the market, vendor relationships, and pricing structures. Great design has to be both inspiring and attainable, so understanding cost implications and supply availability is a critical part of the process. I also oversee the staging and design for new community launches. Sometimes this involves collaborating with other stagers and design teams, or managing our own design and install. It's exciting to help create an experience that allows people to connect with the lifestyle and personality of a community.

Another aspect of the role, and honestly one of my favorites, is partnering with our Production Team. I love seeing our ideas move from concept to reality. I work closely with Project Managers to ensure that what we're designing is not only beautiful but also realistic, buildable, and practical in the field. There's a lot of problem-solving involved, and I enjoy finding solutions that maintain the vision while supporting construction timelines.

Overall, my role sits at the intersection of design, strategy, and execution. That's what makes it so rewarding. I get to be involved throughout the entire process, from the initial idea all the way to the finished home!

What's something people assume about your job that isn't quite right?

I think some people may assume a lot of my time is spent creating mood boards. While mood boards are definitely part of the process, they're actually a very small piece of what I do.

A mood board is often where I start when developing a new concept because it helps establish the vision, overall aesthetic, and design direction. But what most people don't see is everything that happens after that. As the design develops, that initial inspiration evolves into highly detailed specifications, product selections, pricing considerations, vendor coordination, and construction documentation.

The final deliverables need to provide accurate information that both our Procurement and Production teams can use to successfully source and build the product. That means understanding availability, costs, installation requirements, timelines, and ensuring every design decision is practical and executable in the field.

So while the mood board is often the most visible and exciting part of the process, it's really just the starting point. A large portion of my role is translating a creative vision into something that can actually be purchased, built, and delivered successfully.

Designing for someone you haven't met

A production home has to work for a person who does not exist yet. Rachel treats that as a research problem rather than a guessing game.

How do you design for a buyer you've never met?

I've found that even when I haven't met them, the process is surprisingly similar. Instead of designing for one specific person, I'm designing for a well-defined customer profile. I consider the target market, location, price point, and lifestyle factors that influence how people will live in the space. I also pay close attention to what buyers are choosing today, where they place value, and how those preferences are evolving over time.

My background in real estate has been especially helpful because I spent years working directly with homebuyers and seeing firsthand what excited them, what they prioritized, and what ultimately influenced their decisions. While every buyer is unique, there are often common themes based on life stage, budget, and lifestyle.

How do you create spaces that feel personal and curated when they need to appeal to a wide range of people?

I consider the key to be designing around shared human experiences: how people gather, move, work, relax, and connect with their community. Understanding the context of the neighborhood, its culture, and the lifestyle of the people who live there is important. Our goal is always to create a sense of place, and not just space. I want customers to walk our homes and envision themselves spending time with family and friends, or starting an exciting new chapter. Human connection and relationships are at the core of what and how we create.

What's the balance between following trends and designing something that holds up over time?

I think the best projects strike a balance between being current and being timeless. Trends can be valuable because they tend to reflect how people are living today. Ignoring those shifts can make a design feel disconnected. At the same time, I don't want buyers to feel pressure or be overwhelmed with the task of updating their new home in a few years. I understand the importance and value in homeownership, and the reality of market demands. The goal is to create places that feel relevant today but still function beautifully and resonate with people years from now.

Dark Mode

The Courtyard Collection closes out Highland Gardens, and the team wanted the last homes in the community to feel like a deliberate ending rather than a continuation.

What was the starting point for the Dark Mode design direction?

The starting point for the Dark Mode design direction was our desire to finish Highland Gardens and the Courtyard collection with the most refined and intentional exterior schemes in the community. We wanted these final homes to feel elevated, memorable, and reflective of the maturity of the neighborhood.

As we explored concepts, we kept coming back to the idea of transition, the moment when the seasons begin to shift and the landscape takes on a richer, deeper character. We were inspired by the experience of gardens at dusk, when colors become more nuanced, homes begin to glow from within, and the natural world settles into a quieter, more contemplative state.

Rather than creating something that simply felt trendy or dramatic for the sake of being dramatic, we wanted to design exteriors that felt grounded, sophisticated, and emotionally connected to their surroundings. The deeper palette allowed us to highlight architectural details, create stronger contrast, and bring a sense of warmth and intimacy to the homes.

The result was what we came to call "Dark Mode," a collection of exterior schemes that feel bold yet timeless, dramatic yet welcoming. It was less about using darker colors and more about creating a mood: one that feels intentional, refined, and fitting for the final chapter of Highland Gardens.

What finish or detail in these homes do you think is going to surprise people?

I think what will surprise people most is how much warmth and character can come from a darker exterior palette.

When people hear "Dark Mode," they often expect something that feels stark, modern, or even a little intimidating. But once they experience these homes in person, they'll see that the richness of the materials, thoughtful contrast, and warm interior glow create something incredibly inviting.

From a design perspective, I'm especially excited about how the darker color palettes allow architectural details to take center stage. Elements that might go unnoticed in a lighter scheme (trim details, textures, rooflines, and landscaping) suddenly become much more intentional and impactful.

I also think people will be surprised by how seamlessly the homes integrate with the surrounding gardens and landscape. The darker tones don't compete with nature; they actually allow the greenery, seasonal color, and natural textures to stand out even more. There's a sophistication to that balance that is difficult to appreciate until you see it in person.

More than any one finish or material, I think the biggest surprise will be the overall feeling these homes create. They feel refined, moody, and distinctive, but at the same time incredibly welcoming, which is exactly what we hoped to achieve.

How does having a private courtyard change the way you think about the interior design?

I'm constantly thinking about the relationship between inside and outside, how views are framed, how natural light enters the home, and how the spaces connect to one another. The courtyard becomes a focal point that influences the experience of multiple rooms, not just the outdoor area itself.

Lightning round

What's a design choice you fought for that you're really glad made it in?

One design detail I will almost always advocate for is a wood porch ceiling. Anytime we're able to incorporate one, I'm happy because it makes such a significant impact! It's one of those elements that people may not immediately identify, but they definitely feel.

What I love most is its versatility. Depending on the stain color and surrounding materials, a wood ceiling can feel modern, traditional, rustic, or refined. It adapts beautifully to different communities while still bringing that same sense of warmth and craftsmanship.

What's one trend you wish would go away?

I'd have to say fast furniture. It feels like there's a growing pressure to constantly update our homes to match the latest trends we see on social media. The result is often furniture and decor that's designed for a moment rather than built to last.

What those perfectly curated photos don't always show is the value of craftsmanship, quality materials, and durability. I've always appreciated the beauty of solid wood furniture and well-made pieces that stand the test of time. The great thing about quality furniture is that it can evolve with you. An older piece can be refinished, reupholstered, or styled in a new way to feel fresh and relevant across multiple design styles.

I'm definitely a quality-over-quantity gal. I love bringing life to overlooked pieces that others might dismiss as outdated or the wrong color. I can usually see the potential underneath. Those are often the pieces that bring the most character and authenticity into a home.

What space, in any home you've worked on, are you most proud of?

The spaces I am most proud of would have to be the bedrooms I've created for my three daughters, each reflects a specific season of life, which makes them incredibly meaningful to me. From nurseries to little girls' rooms, I've had the most fun creating new spaces for them as they grow. For my oldest daughter, Teddi, I created a teddy bear-inspired nursery with muted pinks, soft browns, and layered textures that felt sweet and timeless rather than overly themed. That same room later evolved into a glamping cabin bed with sage green paint, rustic wood accents, and the contrast of crystal chandeliers and bronze lanterns. Having three girls, I've become pretty well-versed in all things pink, so I love incorporating a little boy's room in our staging projects. It's a fun creative challenge and allows me to experiment with materials, colors, and themes that I don't often get to use at home.