Building a Home: The Design Process

Since having several conversations about building a home, we’ve received a variety of responses. Some people meet us with general excitement, some people meet us with condolences for how overwhelming it must be, and some flat out say “I could never do that”. Certainly this process, at times, has been very overwhelming and yes, there are MANY decisions to make. But a good interior designer, architect, or builder will help you. 

The first step of any design process is called Programming. And any good designer SHOULD take you through this process. The benefits of programming are two fold. First, the designer gets a good idea of what you like, what you don’t like, and what your needs are out of the project. Secondly, you, the client are sort of forced to narrow down the many ideas that may be floating in your head. Once you both get through programming, you should have a very clear idea in your head about what the scope of your project will be and it is the job of the designer to take those wants and needs and bring them to life. 

The Programming Phase

So how does this process work? Basically it’s an interview. Or honestly a date. You are getting to know your designer and he/she is getting to know you. The designer asks you all sorts of questions about how you live, where you spend most of your time, do you like to cook, what door do you typically enter in your home. It can even go as far as the client can bring inspiration photos we talked about last week or name colors they absolutely don’t like… Basically anything that pertains to how your house or space will be designed should be brought up during this phase of design. Having a good program to start with will help eliminate a whole ton of changes during the design phase.

Since I knew this was the first step to our design process, I took the initiative to write up what’s called a program. Basically an outline that contains anything and everything we wanted out of our house from room to room. A virtual walk-through of our house, essentially. If you think you’re going to want it, put it in the program. It’s better to lay everything out now and then narrow things down later on than try to add things later on. Another key part of programming is be real. You like the romanticized idea of something, but if it just isn’t you, don’t try and force it into your design. If you live in the city and eat out 4x a week, you maybe will want to spend your money on another space besides a big, fancy kitchen that will never be used. 

I will give you some examples of things we included on our program.

• Since (surprise, surprise) I love to cook, the kitchen will be a focal point as well as the heart of our home. We have built an open floor plan around our kitchen as well as invested some serious thought, appliances, and workspace into our kitchen. 
• Since we live in North Dakota where there is snow and slush on the ground several months out of the year, we wanted plenty of space in all entries to the house to come in, take off coats, gloves, boots, and hats along with plenty of storage for those items. 
• When it comes to our closets, my husband likes to keep his neat and orderly as he usually cycles through the same sets of clothes fairly consistently. Me on the other hand, I have what he likes to call “my nest”. It’s a mixture of shoes, blouses, pants, etc. that usually ends up on a stool and then the floor and piles up as I can’t decide what to wear. Since we share a long wall closet now (half is his, half is mine), we went into this knowing we wanted separate closets. That way my nest can be hidden and my husband can enjoy his organized closet. 
• My husband is a shower man, I am a bath gal. So our master bathroom has included both, to our specifications and liking. My parents are currently remodeling their home and mom was originally slated to have a big, beautiful bathtub… But neither of my parents take baths, ever. So what’s the point? Use the space for something else and spent the money on things you are really going to use. 

These are just a few of the things we talked through during our programming phase. The woman who designed our plans asked us a million more questions, but all were important and relevant to designing our space. Since we don’t have any children yet, we had to make decisions pre-kids. But I was sure to consult many of my friends with kids about what works for them and what doesn’t. Hopefully the space we’ve designed will be perfect for our family, but even if it isn’t, we will still learn to live with it. Thanks for that reminder, Dad!

Here’s a very simple example to get you started: Residential Program

The Design Phase

After you have laid out all your wants, needs, likes, dislikes, now it is time to start putting designs on paper. This is mostly the work of the designer or architect you are working with. They will lay our schematic initial designs and work through any sort of space planning issues. Some designers may choose to share these things with you but most will come to you with a finished product or floor plan.

Revisions may be made with the designer and client, or simply by the designer themselves. Once they have worked through the schematic planning, a designer will usually present you with a finished floor plan. From there you, as the client, can make changes as necessary. There will always be changes, but a good designer or architect should be able to capture the bulk of your project the first time around. It’s their job afterall. 

Once you have settled on a floorplan, the designer will begin working on finished drawings to present to you. Depending on the person or firm you are working for, their finished design idea could include elevations, perspectives, and even finish material selections. Anything you may need to visualize the space better, the designer can produce for you. 

My husband and I have opted to pick out all of our own interior and exterior finishes. We have sought out some advice from our builder and our designer on these things. This is where I cannot emphasize enough about how important it is to work with good companies for all aspects of your building process.

Nobody likes to work with someone they don’t like. When I was in design school, we often related meeting our clients as dating. If your first date doesn’t go well, chances are the next ones aren’t going to as well. No one enters into a relationship they know is going to fail. And building a home is already a stressful process. So save yourself the heartache and the trouble and work with people you trust, people you like, and people who you believe will deliver. 

Before You Move Onto Construction…

Whether you are working with a designer or not, be sure that you have all your materials, finishes, appliances, flooring, and any other decision PICKED OUT before you break ground or tear down walls. The construction and demolition process is plain stressful. Some days it feels like trying to coordinate a circus. Having to make decisions and pick out materials under stress is not fun on anyone. 

We started our design process nearly five months before we broke ground on our house. At this time really the only thing left to choose is paint colors. Yes, there will be decisions that come up during the building process about how doors, windows, trim, etc. fit, but as far as making product selections, those choices are made already. 

If I were to advise anyone and everyone who is looking to build and remodel, it is don’t skimp on the programming and design process. Follow the process. There is a reason designers follow it. And that’s because it works. Plus it helps alleviate stress from your life, so you can enjoy the process. And even more so, you can truly love the space you build or remodel. Narrowing down your vision is tough, but programming should help you do just that. 

So without any further adieu, I will share with you our floorplans. I have simplified them just so it’s easier to see how the space flows and how rooms are connected without all the dimensions and construction information. 

As we get more into construction, I will go over more details about each room and why we made the decisions we did. Currently, we have a foundation and are getting ready to pour walls this week! It’s just the beginnings, but we are so excited!!