Embracing family values.
Mancini Made builds architecturally designed contemporary homes, townhouses, and apartments. Seesaw has been the business’s brand and design partner since 2011, working closely with its directors, Anthony and Paul Mancini.
Since they began, the brothers’ business has completed over 200 projects. And while the brand has grown and evolved, its original values of family, precision, and passion remain at the core.
Paul and Anthony, over the past decade, we’ve watched you build a respected and successful business. Your brand positioning is ‘design built-in’. Tell us how design informs your business.
Paul: Design is at the very core of everything we do at Mancini Made. For us, our brand positioning, ‘design built-in’, isn’t just a slogan; it’s a philosophy. Design influences every decision we make. We take pride in honouring the integrity of the architect and realising their vision with precision craftsmanship.
Anthony: Design is obviously a huge part of our own brand. That goes back to the original name, logo, and every part of what Seesaw developed. It’s a brand that reflected who we were and what was important to us in the beginning, and it’s safe to say that still holds true today.
Where do those fundamentals of your brand come from?
Paul: Probably our childhood. We’d go to our parents’ business after school and help out by cleaning, filing documents, and so on. They were real estate agents and very hard workers.
Anthony: Growing up around our parents’ business gave us a front-row seat to what it takes to run a successful enterprise. We learned early on about the importance of hard work, resilience, and attention to detail.
Paul: Perhaps because our family is in real estate, we had a natural appreciation for property and architecture from an early age. We’ve been fortunate to witness firsthand the care with which our parents run their family business, Mancini Real Estate, and that attention to detail has carried over to the next generation at Mancini Made. We’ve seen what it means to people to be handed the keys to a place they will call home, raise a family, and build a future.
Anthony: Our parents had a very strong work ethic. They still do! They built a business from nothing, and in many ways, we’ve followed that tradition.
How do your brand’s values and your family’s values cross over?
Anthony: Attention to detail and the pursuit of excellence are key values in our lives and our business. Coming back to your original question about design, we’re also very organised in everything we do, both as people and as a business. We appreciate a clean and concise approach to things — a sense of direction and clarity.
Paul: We also believe in teamwork, never taking anything for granted, and always striving to deliver more than we’re asked.
Anthony: Having said all of that, we recognise the need for a positive work-life balance. We have a no-work-on-weekends policy. We focus on the health and mental well-being of our people.
You both relentlessly pursue perfection. That drive has now built three businesses. Last year, we worked together to launch two sub-brands, Framed and Home. How do they complement each other?
Anthony: Framed and Home are natural extensions of our core business. Framed is a complete service, from detailing and production to delivering walls, joists, and trusses. It provides the backbone for our meticulous builds, and for other builders as well.
Paul: Home is a way to combine the experience of architecture, interior design, construction, and development professionals under one roof. We’ve worked closely with architect James McGann for many years, and by creating this sub-brand, we were able to bring his studio on board and offer a complete package for clients.
Anthony: Bringing everything in-house gives us more control over every project from start to finish. This approach makes us more efficient and economical, helps us deliver projects faster, and provides greater quality control throughout the process.
We’re always looking ahead, pushing ourselves to innovate and improve. The next step is to continue expanding our reach while staying true to our core values. We’re exploring new technologies and sustainable building practices.
— Paul Mancini
So, where to from here? What’s next? How will you continue to challenge each other?
Paul: We’re always looking ahead, pushing ourselves to innovate and improve. The next step is to continue expanding our reach while staying true to our core values. We’re exploring new technologies and sustainable building practices.
Anthony: As for challenging each other, that’s in our DNA. We’ll keep pushing each other to be better, to take on new challenges, and to never settle for anything less than the best.
Speaking of sustainability, how has that changed in the conversations you were having when you began versus today?
Anthony: When we started, sustainability was more of a niche concern, but over the past 13 years, it’s become a central focus in the industry and for us. Clients are now more informed, and we’ve embraced that shift. We’ve integrated sustainable practices into our projects, from using energy-efficient materials to designing homes that minimise our impact.
Paul: The conversation around sustainability has evolved, and we’ve evolved with it. I’m proud to say that today, our builds are not only beautiful but also responsible.
Another thing that’s changed is the size of your team. As Mancini Made has grown from the two of you to many, how have you maintained your brand values and culture?
Paul: Maintaining our brand values as our team has grown has been a priority. We lead by example, ensuring that every team member understands our commitment to detail and striving for perfection.
Anthony: Part of it is bringing people on board who naturally share our qualities. But part of it is also the culture we develop. Life goes beyond the building site with social catch-ups, breakfast meetings, and the always popular Monopoly nights in the office. We have a lot of events for partners and our subbies. It’s a very family-oriented culture.
Looking forward, what do you predict for your industry?
Paul: Significant changes, driven in part by advances in technology but also by the increasing importance of sustainability and evolving client expectations. I think we’ll see more integration of smart home technologies and greater emphasis on sustainable and resilient building practices.
Anthony: These are changes, but I don’t necessarily see them as challenges. We’ve always embraced the opportunity to improve and innovate. What remains fundamental for us is the value of craftsmanship and attention to detail in our work, and a strong culture in our team.
Paul: While we’ve been successful to date, we never rest on our laurels. We continue to seek new ways to remain a builder and employer of choice, ready for whatever the future holds.
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