The Evolution of D'Asign Source Over 62 Years
D’Asign Source clients enjoy the advantages of working with a design firm that shares knowledge and experience between its divisions, as well as across the multiple generations working as one team. Cooperation between services, coordination of project flow and singular accountability give clients the confidence that their investment is in good hands.
Franco says, “Our customers who have hired star architects and star contractors in the past for their other homes tell us how hiring the best of everyone doesn’t necessarily result in the finest finished product.” The handoff between architecture, interiors, landscape architecture and the contractors that handle each can leave big gaps, misunderstandings and a lack of accountability, which can lead to less than perfect results and costly overruns. Franco says, “We have to make sure those interfaces are correct and that one project flows to the next, not only in timing, but also in functionality, quality and aesthetics. That’s our advantage. Our in-house capability to perform and manage the whole project, which is much better than incredible design with rough handoffs,” says Franco.
Franco recalls one of these “rough handoffs” from the earlier days of the D’Ascanio family’s business. In the early 1980s, he and his brothers were admiring one of their latest projects—the architecture and construction were beautiful, having evolved beyond the typical boxy cement structures common to the Florida Keys at that time. “But we had the same half a dozen plants as all our neighbors, because we had subbed out the landscaping. The landscaping was not keeping up with the rest of the company,” he says.
Another area where the D’Ascanio family has gotten involved deeply is in the designing of high-performance outdoor audio and lighting systems. With the opening of a 25,000 square-foot design center in 1999, they began not only using products for their own projects, but also selling home furnishings, fixtures and finishes along audio, and lighting systems to fellow contractors, designers and the public. Franco says, “We found we were replacing a lot of outdoor products within a year. The durability, reliability and performance of outdoor products was dismal. We’re in a harsh environment in the Florida Keys, and the manufacturers said, ‘Sorry, no warranty, you’re in a coastal environment.’”
Digging in deep again, they started designing, engineering and testing materials, coatings and finishes, which led to several years of research and development informed by multiple generations of professional experience with the sand, salt, heat and hurricanes of south Florida. Then, in partnership with the Zimmerman Family of New Jersey, who brought manufacturing and distribution experience to the table, Coastal Source was created as a source for high performance durable outdoor audio and lighting equipment built to defy the elements. Franco says, “We’re manufacturing with protection and weathering systems built in to make them not only perform the day we install, but for long periods thereafter.”
(Left) Franco demonstrating the Salt Chamber (Right) Salt chamber where products are tested
Franco, who has been building speakers and lighting systems since his early teens, knows the inner workings of the equipment. The products are made of the highest-quality materials and durable in all harsh conditions, which has made them popular beyond the coast with over 1,000 dealers across the United States.
"The compliment I hear most often is that
Coastal Source products are fun, which means
they are enjoyable & profitable to sell, demonstrate, install & maintain."
The products are all plug and play with air and watertight connections that save time on installation and increase reliability and performance. They are built to last, which not only reduces the hassle for clients but is a return to a standard in manufacturing that is often abandoned in the current throwaway culture of cheaper-to-replace products.
Every other year, D’Asign Source organizes the “Palms In Paradise” tour where invitees tour several estate properties and clients share the stories of their homes and gardens. D’Asign Source’s seamless integration of services and experience-driven vision give clients confidence in their choice to invest in the precarious beauty of the Florida Keys.
D’Asign Source
Marathon, Florida
Phone: (305) 743–7130