Kensington Custom Homes has been in business since 2001, serving Southlake, Westlake, Colleyville, Keller, Grapevine and surrounding communities.
The story of how owner Nick Smith found his way into the homebuilding and renovations business is quite interesting. Nick is originally from England. After college, he pursued hospitality school with the goal of becoming a hotel manager. He trained as a chef and started a career in the Northern England catering industry. He later moved to London to manage an employee restaurant in a government building. His focus was on working his way up in the catering industry, but he eventually changed his direction toward sales. Nick worked in computer sales in London for three years, then became a valued-added reseller in the field, providing everything a person needs to use a computer. After seven years, Nick decided he wanted to do something completely different, so he and his partner sold the business. In 1992, he started buying, renovating and reselling properties in England, including older London high street banks that were being acquired by larger financial institutions. Along the way, he met and fell in love with an American, which led him to Texas.
Here in the U.S., Nick met a builder and joined him for a year. He branched out on his own in 2001. He has thoroughly enjoyed the journey and is committed to taking the very best care of his clients as a builder of quality, custom homes.
“The idea of building something from the ground up is always unique and challenging – being able to transfer what people have in mind and desire into reality – and to create their vision, making it detailed and right.”
Kensington Custom Homes are known for quality and personal service. Nick purposely keeps the company at a size where he can personally be involved in everything that happens, building trust with his clients by being involved in all aspects of their homebuilding or renovation projects.
Nick really gets to know his clients. He likes to try to visit job sites with his supervisors at least twice a week, and he visits certain projects daily, depending on the complexities of the job. That’s why he likes to work close geographically, here in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Being very hands on allows Nick to immediately resolve any issues that might come up, and to keep his clients constantly updated on their job’s progress.
Building to benefit the children of St. Jude
One of the most satisfying things Nick says he’s ever done is being involved in the upcoming Carillon Parc St. Jude Dream Home Community, a community-wide fundraiser bringing together five local, luxury homebuilders to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®. St. Jude is dedicated to the lifesaving mission of finding cures and saving children.
Located in the heart of Southlake at the northeast corner of N. White Chapel Blvd. and E. State Highway 114, Carillon Parc is a welcoming, walkable 42-acre mixed-use development featuring a luxury boutique hotel, innovative office spaces, upscale residences, advanced health and wellness offerings, chef-driven dining and luxury shopping, anchored by an expansive park with water features and a beautifully landscaped central plaza. This alluring new development is inspired by old-world architecture, from oversized sidewalks with cobblestone details to iconic bell towers, infused with innovative hospitality, commercial and residential offerings. Carillon Parc homes will be very low maintenance to buyers, with incredibly beautiful and well-designed homes around 5,000 sq. ft.
Now – for the first time ever – five luxury home builders are coming together in one exquisite Carillon Park neighborhood to create five dream homes, showcased side-by-side to raise funds benefitting the lifesaving work of St. Jude. These homes will be ready in fall 2025. Kensington Custom Builders has 15 lots for luxury villas in Carillon Park, including the Dream Home.
“It’s a way of giving back, of feeling good about something you can actually do that makes a difference to people who really need it,” Nick says of being involved in the Dream Home project. “There’s such a sense of satisfaction with this project.”
The five Dream Homes will be built side-by-side in the same exquisite neighborhood. Along with Kensington, four other builders - Atwood Custom Homes, Beckett Graham Luxury Homes, Heritage Homes and Willow Tree Custom Homes - are the proud builders of this incredible showplace community. Along with their trade partners, vendors, suppliers and other campaign sponsors, they have committed to collectively raise at least $1 million for the children of St. Jude.
“Despite the fact that the builders are all strong personalities and competitors in the real world, we all get along well and have forged friendships; this whole St Jude experience has really moved us,” Nick says.
“Having been to Memphis to visit the research hospital, I’m already thinking about what other projects we could do to help the children.”
When the builders toured the hospital, Nick says, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room.
“The doctors and staff who care for the children at St. Jude are exceptional people, and we want to help them as much as possible. They really are doing lifesaving work,” he adds.
Kensington Custom Homes and Renovations is dedicated to delivering high-quality, detail-oriented, custom services. Kensington’s focus is on providing superior craftsmanship, bringing together aesthetics and value, while keeping pace with the evolving needs of modern homeowners.
Kensington Custom Homes specializes in elegantly crafted, custom luxury homes built to be comfortable and energy saving. The owner of this family business, Nick Smith, has over 20 years of experience building custom homes throughout North Texas and is an award-winning builder. Together with a carefully chosen team of the finest craftsmen and subcontractors, Kensington Custom Homes will build you a craftsman's product and create an incredible experience.