Wouldn’t it be wonderful to know at a very early age what you wanted to do for the rest of your life and then actually have the opportunity to do just that? In Matt’s case that is exactly how his life and vocation have unfolded. For as long as Matt can remember, all he wanted to do was build houses.
Meet Matthew Bowe
The son of Irish immigrants who came to the United States in search of better opportunities to start and raise a family, Matt’s story rings familiar to many of us in this country. The Bowe’s made their home first in New York City, and eventually on Long Island. They raised their four children in a modest Cape Cod style home they were able to purchase after years of hard work and sacrifice. As the needs of the family changed and the children grew, their home had to grow with them. Over the years, again through his parent’s hard work and sacrifice, projects were completed to finish the upper level, finish the basement, extend the kitchen and add a garage. During each project, Matt recalls skipping after-school playtime with friends to sit and watch the work, and the workers, transform his home. He wasn’t sure why this was so captivating, except that there was some faint recognition of the pride his parents felt as they were able to expand and improve their home, along with a keen awareness of the improvement in his family’s quality of life. All of it appealed to Matt and planted the seed that grew into his never-ending desire to create for other families the same magical experience and the same quality of life improvements that had so strongly affected him as a boy. The path was set which would eventually lead him to form Matthew Bowe Design Build and subsequent Alair Homes Hunt Country.
The Formative Moment for Matthew Bowe
As is often the case, many of the formative moments in life that stick with us are not monumental in stature, but rather, seemingly simple gestures or passing interactions. One such moment for Matt had to do with a particular contractor that Matt’s parents hired. His name was Charlie Byrne. Matt remembers his Dad once saying “If Charlie Byrne shakes your hand, its better than a contract” as he was expressing admiration for Charlie. Matt remembers how highly his Dad has always valued honesty and integrity and in that moment, with a simple statement, Matt understood at a very young age that the only acceptable way to conduct business, and your life, for that matter, was to be a man of your word. His Dad had set the bar high, and for Matt it is the very foundation that informs every interaction he has with his clients as they, after years of sacrifice, trust him with their dreams and ask him to build their homes. The strength of a handshake backed by honesty and integrity is one of the most important guiding principles of Matt’s life.
Matt’s admiration of his parents and the appreciation for the sacrifices they made to build a home and a life together is evident. Memories were made, lives unfolded and time passed and the years were fruitful and full when they were surrounded by the people and things they loved. They still live in their home in New York, their story is still being written within the same walls in which they raised their children, and now welcome grandchildren and great grandchildren as the family they started so long ago in a cozy Cape Cod home on Long Island continues to grow.
This theme of family, and moments, and quality of life, all of which are unique to each family, is what drives Matt and what underpins the story of Alair Homes Hunt Country . The trust his father placed in the hands of Charlie Byrne was sacred; the same trust placed in Matt’s hands today is treated with no less reverence. For Matt, home is more than a shelter, home is a haven and a respite; a unique reflection of each client and a place to escape where you feel protected, comfortable and serene. Matt will tell you that his goal is to make your home completely custom and uniquely yours so that it tells the story of your life.