By Jo Mixon
Danny Frey Owner/Designer
Danny Frey designed a floor plan for his ideal home when he was just ten years old. The home was complete with water features running from the inside to the outside and a fireplace large enough for an adult to stand up in. He still has this floor plan taped together on the original scrap paper. I suggested he frame it! Always having that desire, his sites remained on the beauty and value of architectural planning. At eighteen his Dad hired him as a draftsman to design pharmacies. Within a few years he was hired to design medical equipment like x-ray machines. (While at his Dad’s business, he redrew the plans for his childhood home. His Dad has used this plan in several remodels to date.)
With a few partners on board Danny’s business soon evolved into home design. He covered the entire process. He designed the houses, worked closely with the building contractors, staged and sold the houses, and gave the owners one year in follow time. During this time he learned the mentality of a job site and how to work with construction crews. His home designs quickly began winning awards on a yearly basis. He even won a Grand Prize in Tarrant/Dallas County, one of the nations largest home shows. Ask him the story about Kelly Clarkson. After winning American Idol she chose his design for her first home. (He didn’t know who she was at the time!)
Approximately ten years ago, Danny was asked to design a vacation home in Angel Fire for the friends who had financed his Dallas/Ft. Worth venture. They wanted him to come on site prior to his design. He told me he had never been to this part of New Mexico, so he loaded up his two children and the dog for an adventure trip. As they rounded the corner, coming out of the Cimarron Canyon where it over looks Eagle Nest Lake, he had to pull the car over. The beauty was so over whelming it took him a minute to catch his breath. He told his children, “I don’t know where Angel Fire is, but I hope it looks like this.” To his pleasant surprise it was just as stunningly majestic.
For the next three and half years, Danny designed homes in the Angel Fire area mainly with Richard Sutton as his General Building Contractor. When the opportunity arose for him to move his business full time to Angel Fire, the decision was easy.In the three years he has lived here, his home designs have consecutively won the Grand Hacienda Award in the Parade of Homes for builders of the Sangre de Cristo Homebuilders Association. (All three are pictured below) As a home designer, Danny works closely with his clients. He takes into consideration their wishes and budget. He told me that 80% of his designs get built. Some will be revisited when his clients are truly ready to build.
Danny works well with and truly appreciates all the local building contractors, but wanted me to give special recognition to Richard Sutton. Richard gave him the confidence to move to Angel Fire. He feels blessed that his dream of being able to reside and make a living here has turned into reality and that there is never one day he takes it for granted!
Another tidbit I found out about Danny; he’s a drummer. He started playing the drums in fifth grade. By junior high school, he and his friends formed a classic rock and roll band that played gigs together in the Dallas/Ft Worth area for twenty years. He is both artistically and musically talented!
When you are in the market to build or remodel your home, I am happy to recommend D. L. Frey Design Group! You can see his homes in any of the past three years Parade of Homes magazines. Call him at 505-603-7271 or email dlfrey1961@msn.com.
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