New angles on design
You’ve decided on a home and it’s either under construction or about to be built. You know the amount your lender has approved for you to borrow and you’ve decided how close to that number you’re willing to get so that you don’t feel “house poor” after closing.
Now it’s time for the fun part — design and decor. Every builder takes a different approach, each designed to create an efficient and personalized home design
process. This week, we begin the first in a series of pieces about the design center experiences offered by builders.
For starters, many builders offer a researchbased approach to their design package choices. These packages might include finishes such as flooring, countertops, backsplashes, bathroom and kitchen tapware, paint colors, banister and railing choices, and even window treatments. Before offering packages, each set of design features is thoroughly vetted by professional designers who have studied the tastes and budgets of people buying in or near a particular new-home community.
Still other builders take a classic, hands-on, a la
carte approach to newhome design.
“We are happy that we’ve been able to offer a wide range of choices, so that each buyer can create their own unique look,” said Juliann Cretsinger, vice president of sales and marketing at Pleasantonbased Signature Homes. “I love our design center experience and the fact that we’ve continued down that path.”
Signature, she explains, contracts with Residential Design Services, whose professional designers work one-on-one with buyers, closely adhering to budget while discovering the finest design combinations that they can install in a buyer’s new home.
“We really adhere to our ‘quality, private and local’ philosophy. The design center experience
is a great example of that,” said Cretsinger. “We make sure that once a buyer finds a home, it is built and designed to their finishes, tastes and needs.”
Residential Design Services has several full-service design center locations in Northern California that can serve buyers for any of Signature’s new-home communities. In other words, Cretsinger explains, buyers can choose from all the materials displayed at every design center, not just their closest one, when making decisions. Along those lines, buyers can even seek design inspiration from model homes in other Signature communities outside their own.
By touring models, buyers can speak with sales teams and designers
about trends or longlasting design choices while viewing the professionally designed homes. In addition, each of the sales centers at Signature Homes communities displays up to 10 cabinetry choices, including choices of several pulls and knobs.
“We also take pride in the fact that the firsttime homebuyer has access to the same materials as a move-up buyer who might be purchasing a home for the fourth time,” said Cretsinger. “Rather than limiting anyone’s choices by their budget, our design team is educated in helping the buyer make selections within their budget. By working with the buyer and knowing what amount they’re approved for — and how close to that number they’re willing to go — the designers
help a buyer take from one area and apply to another so that they can get the best overall design materials within budget.”
For instance, designers will always show buyers the latest and greatest backsplash materials to accent their countertop choices. Another part of the process includes electrical choices and fixtures, such as pendant or canned lighting and under-cabinet lighting.
“The design center process also includes conversations about lowvoltage options, flat-screen TV prewiring and surround sound along with our included smart home features like Nest thermostat,” said Cretsinger.
Naturally, with all builders, some choices involve structural decisions that must be made before
or soon after construction begins. Examples are prewiring for in-wall mounted TV components, surround-sound wiring, trim, molding, banisters and railings. Cretsinger suggests that buyers who are certain of specific requests, such as the placement of the television or any additional cabinetry or shelving options, should discuss these needs at the start.
Sales teams and design professionals also work with buyers to ensure that all these decisions are made in accordance with the construction schedule. And while Cretsinger points out that it is tempting for prospective new-home buyers to want to visit a design center before deciding on a home, most design centers are open by appointment only.