Eye for Detail

Pride in their work and attention to detail are only two of the things that make Mike Fleming Construction a good choice when building or remodeling a home.

“Our main reason for entering this business was our passion for working with wood and our love for construction,” John Michael Fleming said. “We enjoy seeing someone’s ideas turn into their dream home.”

Fleming, son of the company’s founder, believes the quality of their work can be traced back to humble beginnings.

“My dad and I wore tool belts,” Fleming said. “We are carpenters by trade – we’ve worked on houses from the ground up, and that is part of why we take these jobs so seriously.”

The father and son team has been in business more than 30 years – always in the Shreveport-Bossier area, where they were both born and reared.

Their love of wood comes from carpentry, and Fleming seems to know just how much wood is enough. If he had to put a name to it, Fleming’s style would be “simple elegance.”

“Not too much trim … a little bit of trim with the wood accents that soften the room,” he said. “If you walk in a room that has a white wall and ceiling color, it tends to be a little hard. If you put a little bit of timber or wood, it makes it a little more homey or classic.”

Lighting is very important in achieving that look.

“You don’t want it to be too dark, and windows are a big part of that,” Fleming said. “You definitely want to show off your work.”

The good news is that light bulbs are playing a big part in achieving a certain ambience.

“Now they make bulbs that give off this antique look,” he said. “Lighting has really come a long way.”

Fleming recently completed a house in Many that boasts timber trusses and wood accents, such as barn doors.

“They (owners) wanted to keep that old feel, and they were able to pick some lighting to have some of that old, industrial look,” he said, adding you can use almost anything to create lights now.

From coffered ceilings to special wood trim, much of the woodwork comes from the artistic talent of Fleming and his father. They try to work as closely as possible with the homeowner to get exactly the look that is requested.

“HGTV and Pinterest have played a big part in contributing to the work we are doing now,” he said. “People want that look, and as long as it’s in the budget, it’s okay.”

But the idea behind Fleming homes is to make it special – something no one else has.

For instance, in that same Many residence, Fleming installed a lavatory from a whiskey barrel … and not just any whiskey barrel.

“You can buy the barrel already ready, but this one was given to their parents, so we custom-built it into the lavatory,” he said. “It meant something to the family, so they were 100 percent fine with that being the only change to the bathroom.”

Many homes featured in magazines and on television today are a mixture of old and new. When customers want something new to look old, it takes creativity.

“There’s a trick to that,” Fleming said.

“My job is to get them what they want. If it’s not in the budget, we have to find a way. For instance, with a barn door … I went and got the barn door hardware and knotty alder doors.”

Then, Fleming took much of his own time to work with his painter and create the perfect stain blend to make that door look old.

“It was a lot more cost-friendly than buying the reclaimed wood, which is the most popular thing that’s being requested,” he pointed out, “no matter what style they want.”

Fleming prefers not to change styles within a house, when working on different rooms or in building a house from the ground up.

“I like to take a style and keep it through the house all the way,” he said. “But everybody loves the timbers … as do I. It’s my personal favorite. I like old, and I can take something and make it look old. To use that whole style within a house brings it collectively together.”

The Flemings work hard to give the customer what they want. And although they do build spec (speculation) houses, they prefer custom-built homes.

“The difference in us and – not all, but some of the others – is our willingness to walk hand in hand with the customer,” he said. “To us, it’s part of the job, and we enjoy it.”

Fleming warns against judging style changes by spec houses.

“To me, you have to judge styles by what’s going on in these custom homes,” he said. “The homeowners are the ones who make the choices, and we meet with them one-on-one and discuss the process from start to finish.”

Cookie cutter is a term that is not in Fleming’s vocabulary.

“Styles change, and by using local architects, I get to see them bring in the styles,” he continued. “But the styles are brought on by the customers more than the builders.”

Fleming said he sees more grays, blacks and whites in houses built today and doesn’t mind painting the wood as opposed to using a stain.

“I use a lot of knotty alder because of the knots and cracks,” Fleming said. “I usually stain it and put a heavy glazing or antiquing on it. Then I have my faux finish girls go in there and rough it up even more.”

But they can use many different types of wood in a house, and then stain each one to look consistent throughout the project.

“It’s that attention to detail that’s important to us,” he said.

At Mike Fleming Construction, John Michael and his father are the general contractors. They use all local subcontractors and only order products

if necessary. That is one way they ensure the quality of their construction while giving back to the community.

“If there is an opportunity for us to give back, we absolutely will,” he said. “We use local vendors, materials … however we can.”

Mike Fleming Construction builds and remodels residential homes, as well as commercial buildings. They will also construct add-ons and outdoor spaces that are an extension of the inside.

“We’re all about building custom quality homes and making them affordable for those who may otherwise think buying a custom home is not an option,” Fleming said.