Check List Before Your Design Studio Visit

Your Design Studio visit is one of the most exciting parts of your home buying experience.  It is where you can really let your personal style shine through, and it is where you can really customize your home exactly how you want it.  It also can be overwhelming.  With all of the different options, colors, and styles how will you ever make a decision?  So here are a few tips to help prepare you for your Design Studio visit.

1.  Know your budget:  Walking into our Design Studio can be both overwhelming and make you feel like a kid in a candy store.  You will see everything from our standard selections to our top of the line selections.  So to help prevent you from over spending, know your budget beforehand and stick to it!!
2. Know where you are willing to compromise and where you are not: You have a budget in place for a reason, so keep in mind that you might not be able to afford all of the extras right now.  Preparing a list of must haves and wants will be very beneficial.  It is also important to remember there are certain things that you can easily add to your home down the road.  For example, a tile backsplash or additional molding can easily be added to your home later on, but things like the style of cabinets or type of hardwoods are a much bigger project to change down the road.
3. Bring color swatches:  Having an idea of what colors you want to use in your home will help you with all of your other design choices.  Also if you have a couch or chair that will be used in your new home, bring in a pillow or photo of it so you can make sure that all of your selections will work with that piece.
4. Take inventory of your existing furniture:  Decide what pieces you would like to incorporate into your new home.  Do you have a family heirloom that is important to you, or a chandelier that you will be using in your new dining room?  Bringing in photos of these items will help you to visualize your new home.
5. Make sure both parties are present:  If your wife is the decision maker then make sure she is at every appointment.  Designing your home is exciting and will run more smoothly when decisions are made at that appointment (not 3 weeks later).  The last thing you want to do is delay the start of your home because you can’t decide on the carpet color for your bedroom.
6. Keep your lifestyle in mind:  Do you have kids or pets?  If so then you might want to keep that in mind when selecting your hardwood flooring or the color of your carpet.  Also be sure to ask about each products warranty and their  maintenance requirements.