Rusty Green Named dsm Magazine's 2026 Home Design Professional of the Year

February 26 was a big night for Compelling Homes and our Founder, Rusty Green.

Rusty was honored with the inaugural dsm Home Design Professional of the Year award. As part of the annual dsm Home Design Awards ceremony at the Krause Gateway Center in Des Moines, the Home Design Professional of the Year award recognizes innovation, craftsmanship, and leadership in the home design industry across Central Iowa.

For those of us who work with Rusty every day, there’s no doubt that he’s extremely deserving of this award. We see firsthand everything that he does for our clients and our company, and we couldn't be more proud that he was recognized for his leadership and accomplishments in our industry.

About the Award

The dsm Home Design Professional of the Year award looks at the big picture, drawing on client testimonials, peer recognition, and a body of work built over time. For Rusty, that's 30-plus years in the trades and nearly two decades running Compelling Homes.

If you've worked with us, you already know how Rusty approaches a project. He shows up, he asks a lot of questions, and he pays close attention to how your family actually uses your home. All of our design decisions are downstream from the core principle of truly listening to our clients.

One homeowner put it this way in their nomination: "People think we're nuts when we say we actually enjoyed a remodel project—but with Rusty, the experience set a new standard for customer service across any industry." We never get tired of hearing that.

A History of Recognition

The dsm award is the latest in a string of honors for the Compelling Homes team, and it feels like a good time to look back at where it all started.

In 2000, Rusty won a gold medal at the National Craft Olympics as a carpenter, taking home this major prize from a national championship organized by the Associated Builders and Contractors.

That expert craftsmanship laid the foundation for further development as a remodeler who offers innovative and tailored design solutions for homeowners. Over time, recognition has kept up with the evolution of Compelling Homes:

• Pella's People's Choice Award at the Tour of Remodeled Homes. Three different times (2020, 2022, and 2024), Des Moines homeowners picked our work as their favorite.
• Remodelers Advantage Impact Award. Compelling Homes has won this four times -- both Denise and Rusty have won it twice. Coming from within the remodeling industry, this one means a lot.
• 2023 Remodeler of the Year from the Home Builders Association, awarded to Denise for her leadership and impact on the industry.

On multiple occasions, the Home Builders Association has also given us the “I Wish I Would Have Thought of That” award for creative design solutions. And if you know Rusty, that’s about the most fitting award out there.

But now, to top it off, we’re proud to add the 2026 dsm Home Design Professional of the Year.

What Our Clients Say

Awards are nice, but the feedback that means the most comes straight from the people we work with. Compelling Homes has dozens of five-star reviews on Google, and the things our clients write still blow us away.

Jordan Navara, after a recent basement remodel, wrote: "From the very first meeting, we knew this was the company to complete our basement remodel. The designers took the time to sit with us, listen carefully, and spent countless hours to make the best possible usage of our space a reality. Every personal interaction was thoughtful, warm, and genuine with everyone on their team." Jordan went on to mention the daily cleanup, the strict 8–5 timeframe so the crew never cut into family time, and the constant check-ins throughout the build. "I never had to worry, because I knew I was in the best hands possible."

Brad Conover put it simply: "Refreshing that there are still folks that do things the right way with a customer first mindset."

Kelly Zelinsky trusted us enough to leave town for a couple of months while we completed her bathroom and closet remodel. And when she came back, she hired us again—this time for the kitchen.

That kind of feedback is what this team works for every day, and we love seeing the impact our work has on our friends and neighbors in this region.

This One Belongs to the Team

Rusty would be the first to tell you that an award like this doesn't happen because of one person. Our designers, project managers, site supers, carpenters, and office team all play a part in creating a top-flight experience for our clients. And Denise, who runs operations and has built out much of the business alongside Rusty, deserves a huge share of the credit.

Above all, this award belongs to our clients. You trust us with your homes and your families' daily lives. That trust is what makes the work possible, and what makes it worth doing.

Rusty's design philosophy has always been simple:

Design is personal. Function creates freedom. Craftsmanship matters.

Day in and day out, we'll keep building on that.

If you're thinking about a remodeling project in the Des Moines metro, we’d love to hear from you. https://www.compellinghomes.com/contact today to schedule a consultation.