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<\/a>Do you absolutely need an interior designer? No. If you have the knowledge and the time to dedicate, going DIY is an option. However, given the number of decisions that need to be made with a new build, design support, whether from an interior designer or from a design consultant offered by the builder at the design studio, is generally a wise choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The level of design support you might require will largely be dictated by the type of new build home you choose: custom, semi-custom or production.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Depending on the level of available customization, you have a potential myriad of decisions to make, all of which carry weight in the functionality and aesthetic of your new home. That means, as a homeowner, getting the support you need to make those decisions that will combine to create a home you love is crucial. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are many benefits to working with an interior designer, from offering an educated opinion on functionality, to looking at the overall design through the lens of continuity, to being able to source items not readily available to the public. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Custom and semi-custom homes involve numerous decisions<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\nWith a custom home, you are literally starting from scratch. You need to design the floor plan, as well as every finish and feature. Your builder may have the skill set to supply the floor plan, but it is common to engage an architect as well. Additionally, it\u2019s a wise investment to work with an interior designer to round out your design-build team. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You should hire your interior designer at the beginning of the process, for the sake of efficiency and design continuity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
With endless options to modify your home, limited only by your budget, guidance from an experienced interior designer is your best bet to ensuring that your home is built with a function-first philosophy that matches your lifestyle. <\/p>\n\n\n
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<\/a>An interior designer will help to improve functionality. Photo Credit: Adobe Stock<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\u201cInterior designers who specialize in construction have a knowledge base that enables them to look holistically at a plan and remove deficiencies replacing them with spaces that function at the highest level,\u201d says Susan Hill, principal and owner of Susan Hill Interior Design.<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\nAt the beginning of the process, \u201cI look at every way to create as many functions as possible in every area of the home. Aesthetics don’t come into play for us until after we have completed our schematic drawings reflecting all changes we have made to the home,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
With a spec or semi-custom home, the floor plan might be pre-determined, but you may have to opportunity to make modifications, and you typically select finishes and some features as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For both housing types, an interior designer saves time and money by streamlining processes and narrowing down selections, based on an understanding of what a homeowner both needs and wants from their home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are experts at drilling down to what the client doesn’t like and what they are drawn to. This enables us to have a few meetings to pull that end of things together. We do all of this before ground is broken, have all decisions made and provide a construction binder on site to eliminate confusion and answer questions efficiently,\u201d says Hill. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAll of this creates a unique home for a client, the highest possible function in everything from their rooms to their cabinets and closets which saves them time and money on their build and results in a home they could never execute on their own,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do I need an interior designer with a production home?<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\nIf you are purchasing a production home, your builder typically has a design studio<\/a>, with a selection of finishes and materials, with builder-standard choices and a range of upgrades. <\/p>\n\n\n\nFloor plans are standardized, and homeowners are presented with real-life inspiration with model homes, built with available finishes and features from the builder\u2019s design studio. <\/p>\n\n\n
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<\/a>Builders offer design advice through design studios. Photo Credit: Adobe Stock<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nSome of the design work has already been done with a production home, as choices have been narrowed down already for homeowners. With floor plans pre-designed, there may be some customization options available, but they generally are a small tweak here and there – a far cry from designing a custom home from the ground up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many production builders offer support in the design center through a design consultant, who meets at regular intervals with homeowners to work their way through the selection list, offering guidance and advice for the options offered. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The process varies by builder, but design center consultants collaborate with homeowners to determine style preferences, functional needs and budget for home upgrades<\/a> to be able to suggest the most appropriate options for homeowners to choose from the builder\u2019s selections. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>\u201cInterior designers who specialize in construction have a knowledge base that enables them to look holistically at a plan and remove deficiencies replacing them with spaces that function at the highest level,\u201d says Susan Hill, principal and owner of Susan Hill Interior Design.<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n At the beginning of the process, \u201cI look at every way to create as many functions as possible in every area of the home. Aesthetics don’t come into play for us until after we have completed our schematic drawings reflecting all changes we have made to the home,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n With a spec or semi-custom home, the floor plan might be pre-determined, but you may have to opportunity to make modifications, and you typically select finishes and some features as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For both housing types, an interior designer saves time and money by streamlining processes and narrowing down selections, based on an understanding of what a homeowner both needs and wants from their home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe are experts at drilling down to what the client doesn’t like and what they are drawn to. This enables us to have a few meetings to pull that end of things together. We do all of this before ground is broken, have all decisions made and provide a construction binder on site to eliminate confusion and answer questions efficiently,\u201d says Hill. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAll of this creates a unique home for a client, the highest possible function in everything from their rooms to their cabinets and closets which saves them time and money on their build and results in a home they could never execute on their own,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are purchasing a production home, your builder typically has a design studio<\/a>, with a selection of finishes and materials, with builder-standard choices and a range of upgrades. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Floor plans are standardized, and homeowners are presented with real-life inspiration with model homes, built with available finishes and features from the builder\u2019s design studio. <\/p>\n\n\n Some of the design work has already been done with a production home, as choices have been narrowed down already for homeowners. With floor plans pre-designed, there may be some customization options available, but they generally are a small tweak here and there – a far cry from designing a custom home from the ground up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Many production builders offer support in the design center through a design consultant, who meets at regular intervals with homeowners to work their way through the selection list, offering guidance and advice for the options offered. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The process varies by builder, but design center consultants collaborate with homeowners to determine style preferences, functional needs and budget for home upgrades<\/a> to be able to suggest the most appropriate options for homeowners to choose from the builder\u2019s selections. <\/p>\n\n\n\nDo I need an interior designer with a production home?<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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