Lee Wetherington Homes marks 45 years by deepening customer experience and design innovation
Lee Wetherington Homes holds a distinct spot in Florida’s luxury homebuilding market. Based in Sarasota, the team has built more than 4000 homes along the Gulf Coast and always prioritized craftsmanship, consistency, and customer relationships over sheer volume.
Those priorities have held steady even as buyer preferences, architectural trends, and market conditions change. That focus has helped the company sustain demand across Sarasota and Manatee counties, including Wellen Park and Lakewood Ranch. Today, Lee Wetherington Homes builds about 36 homes each year, with average values near $2.5 million. Its clients expect more than a custom home; they want an experience tailored to how they live. David Hunihan, Chief Executive Officer, leads that charge.
Customer experience
David’s connection with Lee Wetherington Homes goes back to 1995. He helped shape the business during an earlier phase, then returned as CEO in 2021, bringing a rare perspective. He understands both where the company started and where it’s headed.
“Thanks to our history, we’re steady. We don’t see the peaks and valleys that many other companies face. We keep working toward being the builder of choice in our markets, and we’ve set ourselves apart by delivering high-quality homes and a better customer experience. We’re in our own category. By the time buyers decide on us, they’re rarely looking at anyone else.”
For David, the difference isn’t just what the company builds; it’s how it delivers it. He believes the industry often overlooks what customers remember most: how they’re treated. That belief shapes the company’s product strategy, especially as its team creates new model homes focused as much on experience as architecture. “The real differentiator is customer experience. We focus on that because it’s harder to copy and, honestly, it matters more to customers.” This approach is visible in its latest projects, where every space is designed around how people gather, entertain, and interact. “We want to move a home away from being a commodity and make it something personal and exciting.”
Next generation homes
Solstice III shows where Lee Wetherington Homes is heading next. “The Solstice III is a reimagining of one of our most successful and award-winning floor plans, the original Solstice. We’ve updated it, refined some of the details, and brought it into a completely new market. The biggest showstopper is the speakeasy, but that’s really part of a larger goal. We always try to create what I call ‘memory points.’ People might have seen a bar before, but how many people have seen a speakeasy inside a luxury home? We want visitors to leave saying, ‘Wow, you’ve got to go see that.’”
Hidden behind a smoked-glass wall, the speakeasy feels like a discovery, not just another room. But it’s only one memorable moment in a home designed to offer a sequence of experiences. From the foyer to the transitions between indoor and outdoor living, the design encourages movement, connection, and surprise.
“It’s very open and designed for entertaining. The sliding glass doors completely pocket away, creating indoor-outdoor living. Rather than treating the lanai as an afterthought, we design it as an outdoor living room. The home unfolds as you walk through it. There’s one memory point after another, each pulling you deeper into the home.”
That same mindset is shaping the company’s next generation of homes. One of the most anticipated projects is the Hemingway model, now under construction in Westlake at Wellen Park.
Return to traditional
Unlike Solstice III, which reinterpreted an established design, the Hemingway emerged from a shift David observed across Florida’s Gulf Coast. As more homeowners moved inland following a series of hurricanes, demand grew for homes that retained the character of coastal living without the risks associated with waterfront locations. “These homeowners still loved the coastal lifestyle and resort feel of waterfront living, so the Hemingway was created for those buyers,” explains David.
Inspired by Key West architecture and Florida resort living, the Hemingway combines indoor-outdoor connections, gathering spaces, and a wellness-focused primary suite. The project reflects another shift that David sees shaping buyer decisions. “We’re seeing a growing focus on wellness that extends beyond exercise. Buyers want larger pantries, additional refrigeration space for healthier food choices, and dedicated areas for physical and mental wellbeing. Increasingly, they want those experiences at home. It’s about wellness for body, mind, and spirit.”
That same instinct toward personal wellbeing is showing up in buyers’ taste, and this is helping shape the Coquina, the company’s next model planned for Shellstone. “We’re seeing a return to more traditional architecture. People are moving away from stark whites and grays and embracing richer colors. We found that when you stay with traditional architecture, it becomes timeless instead of trendy. If you execute it properly, it will preserve a homeowner’s value for years to come.” The response from buyers makes it clear: the approach is working. Even before construction began, buyers committed to several versions of the floor plan.
Shared purpose
After four and a half decades in business, Lee Wetherington Homes focuses less on projects or sales numbers and more on the people behind the success. The anniversary year has become an opportunity to highlight employees and customers who helped shape the company’s history. Rather than organizing a major celebration, Lee Wetherington Homes produced a commemorative video that places team members at the center of the story. “To celebrate our 45th anniversary, we chose to highlight our customers and team members. Our anniversary video follows a dancer moving through our model homes while members of our team step into the frame. It reflects a common thread that runs through every Lee Wetherington home. While there’s a distinct Lee Wetherington feel in our design, it’s our people who have made that possible.”
The focus on team members is more than an anniversary theme. It reflects the part of the business David values most. He talks less about management structures and more about culture, accountability, and shared purpose. “Without question, it’s our team. A lot of companies say they have a great team, but we truly mean it. It’s a joy to come to work with people who love and care deeply about what they do and take pride in serving customers. You can’t make people care. They either do or they don’t. We have a team that genuinely cares about our customers, and that is incredible.”
Lee Wetherington Homes is now building on that culture with its Unreasonable Hospitality Initiative. Inspired by the best in hospitality, this effort aims to elevate every stage of the customer journey.
Inspiring concept
The initiative has become a central focus for the leadership team and is set to launch before the end of 2026. “We heard Will Guidara speak about Unreasonable Hospitality, and it inspired us. We’ve been developing our own version of that concept for two years, and it will take our customer experience mission to the next level.”
While many companies focus on strategy documents and presentations, David measures progress differently. He shares moments inside finished homes where preparation, craftsmanship, and customer care come together. In one recent walkthrough, a homeowner didn’t need a single item corrected. “Our homes average about $2.5 million and contain thousands of details, so achieving a zero punch list is extremely rare. I’m proud because it shows our team understands the mission and keeps getting better. They’ve embraced the idea of Unreasonable Hospitality and deliver something different, better than expected.”
Four and a half decades after its founding, Lee Wetherington Homes continues to evolve through changing markets, design preferences, and buyer expectations. Yet the company’s focus stays consistent: refining the experience as carefully as the homes themselves. As the company looks ahead, it’s clear that attention to detail and a commitment to the customer’s journey will shape every home and every year to come.
