4 New House Interior Design Ideas For Planned & Custom Homes
Posted by Edmonton Homes.ca on Tuesday, November 1st, 2022 at 12:00pm.
Building a new home often offers buyers the ability to get exactly what they want. From blueprints to interior design, new construction homes can be highly customizable. Choosing the right interior design ideas for new construction homes will help buyers create a space that suits their tastes and accommodates their needs. Are you dreaming of your new home's interior design? Use these design considerations for new construction homes to help make your vision a reality.
Custom Homes vs Planned Homes: How Interior Design Varies For Each
Before buying a new construction home, buyers should understand the difference between a custom home and a planned home. As a general rule, building a custom home involves heavy input from the buyer throughout the design, construction, and decoration processes—some builders are willing to take a buyer's idea and create a home plan from scratch. In this case, buyers should consider involving an interior designer early in the design stages. That way, the designer can help to flush out the buyer's expectations before the building plans are complete.
For semi-custom or planned homes, buyers have limited influence over the design or layout of the home. Semi-custom home builders may allow buyers to select from a range of floor plans with the ability to incorporate customized designs within set parameters. A designer may be able to negotiate preferences in a way that works with the existing floor plan. Meanwhile, a planned home already has a set design. Buyers who intend to work with an interior designer may need to determine how much freedom they have to change their plans. It is wise for buyers to ask these questions in advance, so they can be sure to choose a builder that can work with their goals.
Encourage Collaboration Between Interior Designers & Contractors
The best home builders value communication and collaboration with interior designers. Interior designers have significant training in the necessary elements of living space. They may already have a deeper understanding of their role in the design process. This puts the designer in an excellent position to negotiate the buyer's goals for the home in a way that is more likely to work well with the builder's responsibilities.
Buyers can encourage the designer to work directly with the builder, particularly during the design and early construction phases. Designers can help new construction home buyers by:
- Translating buyer needs into a set of actionable steps for the builders
- Engaging with an architect to ensure that the design can turn into a sound structure
- Communicating essential aspects of the design to various contractors for the project
- Ensuring that the final design meets the buyer's priorities for the home
The designer should be an essential point of contact for the buyer from start to finish.
Add Some Character
Buyers purchasing a planned home, and even a custom home in some cases, may feel that they need to add to the home to give it a character. Builders of planned communities often choose floor plans, styles, and finishes broadly appealing to a broad audience. While this decision can help buyers get a contemporary home that feels like it fits in the community, it can also seem generic. An interior designer can help buyers customize each space and draw design ideas from other architectural styles to create a one-of-a-kind look. Stylistic choices might include:
- Highlighting interesting architectural features in the room
- Using a colour scheme that suits the buyer's personality
- Selecting or ordering pieces that are unique
- Adding landscaping with the owner's favourite colours or flowers
- Avoiding trendy choices that are likely to look dated within a few years
Buyers who have trouble getting a feel for the space may consider making these choices over time. Once they live in the home for a year or two, they could hire a designer or decorator to help them refine the look of individual rooms.
Make a Flexible Plan
New construction homes require flexibility, and buyers should understand this before starting the process. There are many opportunities for buyers to misunderstand some design or construction aspects. Sometimes, the buyer's expectations for the space are impractical or unrealistic. Outside factors affect the design or construction process in other cases, requiring a change of plans.
Maintaining a flexible mindset while choosing a new home builder will help buyers to minimize stress and frustration about the process. The goal for the designer, the builder, and the buyer is to provide a home that meets the buyer's expectations for the project. Sometimes this involves a delay in the completion date to meet a goal for a particular style or finish. At other times, it might involve the buyer setting priorities for the things they want most, allowing flexibility in other areas. Being clear about expectations, and allowing professionals the time they need to carry them out, will give buyers the best opportunity for a good result.
Planning a Great Design for Your New Home
When buyers imagine living in a new construction home, they often envision a space just right in every way, from the lighting in every room to the feel of the flooring at night. The design shapes the way the home looks and feels when finished, and the designer is responsible for taking the buyer's dreams and making them into a real space the buyer will love. By following these tips, buyers can increase their likelihood of getting the desired result.