Congratulations! You’re finally ready to begin the process of home design. Designing your own custom home means getting ultimate control over your dream retreat. Whether your wish list is longer than imaginable or you’re looking to downsize your life, the design process should yield exactly what you have in mind.
Of course, if this is your first time in custom home design, your enthusiasm can override experience and result in major mistakes. Since years of enjoyment and your investment is on the line, it’s important that you don’t get swept away in the excitement of designing your own spaces.
So, perhaps keep an eye out for these common design mistakes that almost everyone makes their first time around.
Ignoring Your Interior Designer
Let’s jump to the punch line right away because after all, we design homes for people and have decades of experience and opinion in this space. As a homeowner, you know exactly what you want from a personal taste standpoint. That doesn’t always mean it’s the best option, however. If you are in a place of having a working budget to bring professionals into your project, you’ll want to get comfortable with asking plenty of questions and implementing good advice. This is important for all interior home design, but even more important for new homes. When diving into architectural design for your new home, it’s very important to utilize your designer’s expertise.
If he or she expresses concern over a design element or floor plan feature, take the time to hear out your designer and make an informed decision. Let your designer’s distinguished experience and creative eye help polish your overall plan to ensure it’s the best it can be. The design phase is arguably one of the most exciting components of building your own custom home, but the excitement can get ahead of you. Taking the extra time necessary to avoid mistakes and think things through will get you to a place of loving your new or redesigned home.
Overlooking Storage
Obviously, you are much more excited about getting into the nitty gritty of designing your new master bath or kitchen space for your linen closet or other storage areas. Let’s face it, these are afterthoughts for many people. But, you shouldn’t underestimate the power of closets in your home design. In fact, your vision for most of your rooms will come to life when you have proper storage areas that serve a great function and keep your drive isles clean and beautiful. Storage spaces that are really thought out will also help your home’s resale value, as many people are lacking places to keep all of their stuff.
You should think of storage as the supporting cast in your dream home design. This will help you craft a better picture of where closets, cabinets, and cubbies will come in handy.
Ignoring Other Bedrooms
When it comes to home design, master bedrooms are definitely one of the more exciting rooms to create. If you’re thinking about good rest, you’ll probably want a zen oasis where you can kick back and really love your home. But don’t spend so much time designing the master bedroom that you completely forget about the secondary bedrooms. If those bedrooms are too small, have an awkward layout, or are far from a bathroom, they could negatively affect the way you live in your home.
Give secondary bedrooms a little love and you’ll love your place even more. Your guests will also be equally happy when visiting for a few nights or more.
Putting Your Master Plan First
It is certainly okay to look around and see what plans and layouts you like, but designing your dream home before you purchase a lot could set you back quite a bit. Things like lot size and view could turn your plan upside-down, resulting in a complete redesign. Save yourself the time and wait to start on the architectural and interior design until you’ve chosen your lot and know how to position, size, and plan your home.
Forgetting To Define Wants and Needs
Unless you have an unlimited budget, you’ll need to make some compromises as you work on the design of your home – nearly everybody does. Defining the difference between things you want and things you need can stop you from getting caught up in all of the ideas, features, and finishes available for your home. If you’re not sure exactly where to draw the line, try writing down five things that you would need to purchase an existing home. Then, write down five things that would be nice to have. Reminding yourself that it’s okay to settle and compromise if it gives you the things you really want could be the key to sticking to your budget and coming up with the right design. Often times, when we don’t have a pre-defined idea of what these things are, “shiny things” happen and we get talked into things on the “want” list. Sometimes we didn’t even know we wanted them…
Forgetting About the Flow
A home design that is done well will have what architects call “flow”. Flow is the ease with which you can move from room to room. This might seem trivial or like a small thing, but blow really affects the way you live in your home (and entertain!). Think about it: if your guests have to walk up a flight of stairs and down a hall to use the bathroom, could that affect entertaining? If your master bedroom is so close to the front of the home that you hear every noise on the street, will it be as relaxing? How will you, your family, and your guests move around and live in your home? It’s an idea that definitely requires some thought. “How do we LIVE in our home?”
Leaving Spaces Undefined
Blasphemy! Leaving undefined spaces keeps interior designers up at night. Don’t do it! While it’s true that everyone loves an open-concept home, you have to ensure that spaces don’t get left undefined. When spaces are left undefined, the end result can seem messy and leave you with areas that are underutilized.
Keep an open concept home airy and casual by using the flooring, furniture, and cabinetry to create distinctions between the kitchen, living areas, and bathroom. That way, you preserve the “flow” while making sure each room really shines.
We love flow.
Contact Tiffany Hanken Design
Now is the time. You’ve thought about your dream home and you’re financially ready. Who do you call? At Tiffany Hanken Design, we offer full home interior design as well as architectural design from the ground up. We can work with and connect your crews and work within budgets and timelines to make your dream home come true.
Contact us today to inquire about your project.