With hands-on leadership, Milan Custom Build completes luxury homes with a personal touch
Offering luxurious custom homes across Dallas, Texas, Milan Custom Build is a custom homebuilder built on the foundations of trust, luxury, and integrity. Although originally established by a group of businessmen, the business is today owned by seasoned construction professionals, Richard Bragg and Arlen Haruthunian.
Having completed several projects throughout Dallas, as well as in New York, Milan Custom Build has earned a strong reputation for its ability to deliver truly custom homes that exceed customer expectations. The business also leverages relationships with popular architects to collaborate on projects from a design and architectural standpoint. 
We sit down with Richard to learn more about the business, its most notable projects, and why it stands out from competitors. “Milan Custom Build started as a boutique, luxury construction outfit, originally owned by a group of businessmen from out of state,” he begins. “The group wanted to create a Dallas-based company to enter the very competitive luxury homebuilding market, but without construction experience, they hired external people to look after projects, which is when I joined the company around six years ago.
“However, after working together for a few years, Arlen and I came to recognize the value of a homebuilding company owned and operated by builders, not businessmen. Arlen was also a project manager at the time, and together, we decided to make an offer around three years ago to purchase the business. The previous owners agreed, as they appreciated the perspectives and experiences we brought to the business and had always intended to exit the company eventually.
“As of September 2021, Arlen and I became the official owners and we’re very hands on. We’re a very small team of three superintendents, a business manager, and a project coordinator, leaving me and Arlen as project managers. We purposely operate a small team because we think there is tremendous value in providing personal attention at this level of construction.
“At many companies, there are several layers of people and processes separating the client and builders, but we like to keep things intimate to enable positive, close relationships,” Richard states. “Arlen and I are present on site daily for most of our projects, and we operate simultaneously as project managers and owners of the company. We’re offer our clients’ direct contact, dealing with their questions and concerns or helping with product suggestion. That’s what sets us apart; it’s rare to find a company where the owners are in the field, not the office, most of the time.”
Outstanding project
Richard and Arlen’s hands-on approach to leadership filters down through the business, fostering a positive and family-oriented culture. “We’re a small team who all know one another on a personal level as well as professional basis,” Richard states. “Our team is filled with seven truly motivated and determined individuals, and we’re passionate about supporting their development. We want them to grow, so we provide them with opportunities to not only gain experience, but also develop client relationships, in the hope that we can offer long-term support and employment.”
Turning to projects, Richard is keen to highlight the building process and interesting features of a recently completed single-family project in Bluffview, North Dallas. “This project, which comprises just over 11,000 square feet of living space, incorporates high-quality materials like architecturally formed concrete, curved glass, major architectural retaining walls, and limestone that was dimensionally cut specifically for this home,” Richard elaborates.
“There’s also a lot of structural steel involved to support the home and its 1600-square-foot open terrace. A further 3000 square feet of covered outdoor space backs onto a small creek, featuring a lower yard, playground, artificial grass, an outdoor kitchen, and a pool area with an infinity edge pool. Other features include a large amphitheater in the center of the home, which is surrounded by glass, as well as a four-car garage, home gym, and two-story family den with LED-controlled lighting that can be lit in different colors. The front facade boasts an artistic visual screen to obscure the street view into the home.
“It was a fantastic and unique project that we wouldn’t have been able to deliver without our strategic partners,” he adds. “We worked closely with Jason and Signe Smith from Smitharc Architecture + Interiors on the overall architecture, as well as Garden Design Studios for the outdoor design and AquaTerra Outdoors for the landscaping.”
Brand growth
As our conversation ends, we ask Richard what the future holds for Milan Custom Build. “2025 will be a year of continued accountability at a leadership level as we begin new projects that mean new clients to build rapport with.” he says. “We’ll continue to operate with integrity as we navigate the year ahead, representing ourselves according to our beliefs and core values. In terms of challenges, we have great relationships with our supply network and subbase that allow us to collaborate to find effective solutions that the industry presents to clients.
“Further afield, we’ll support our current team to progress into more senior positions, particularly project manager roles. When it comes to geography, we’ve had a few opportunities to expand outside of Dallas, but we’re mindful not to grow beyond our capabilities to deliver excellence. However, we complete some projects in the New York area, as Arlen still holds his license there and has extensive experience in this market and an established base of contractors. Arlen is comfortable working in high-rise construction, whereas I prefer the Dallas market, but together we have over 54 years of experience in luxury construction across New York and Dallas.
“Overall, I’d like to grow the brand further and work with new clients and architects on unique and challenging projects,” Richard concludes. “There’s often a misconception that construction is difficult and overwhelming for clients, and although it can often be stressful or challenging, I absolutely love what we do. We take huge pride and responsibility in creating something that wasn’t previously there, and we feel truly blessed to play a part in delivering a family’s forever home.”