You have made the decision to transform your home into your dream home. Now what? Choosing the right Residential Architect can help make this next part easier to design your dream home. Here are some tips to keep in mind in order to choose the right Architect for your Custom Residential Home.
Research, Ideation, and Inspiration. What do you want for your dream home? Spend some time searching and learning about the type of features and design style you’re looking for in your home. Start by looking through architecture magazines, websites or even social media for that inspiration. Start saving images for reference. You want to save houses and spaces that inspire what you’re looking for in your dream house so you’ll be able to show your architect.
Functionality. What are all the spaces and must-haves for your new house? Or consider in a current home, how would you want to improve upon the spaces you have now. It comes down to function. How do you use the spaces you live in? Think about what rooms you spend the most time in, and why some spaces you aren’t ultilzing. The purpose of each space is important. You don’t need to build or maintain rooms that you aren’t using. Think about what you like and what needs to change. Is there an accessibility issue to the rooms you are not using as frequently? These are the thoughts to keep in mind and communicate to your architect which spaces are the most important to you.
Materials. When you have a strong preference for a certain type of materials or aesthetic, it’s good to communicate that as early as possible in your design process. You can take the time to research different types of materials. Some materials might not make sense in every space but your architect can keep that in mind in the design or incorporate similar alternatives. Example being you love wood, but in a high humidity space like a bathroom natural wood might not be a good fit. There are some alternatives for moldings, accents, floors, kitchen materials etc. that your architect can suggest.
Consult a local residential architect. In our last blog we discussed how to interview and ultimately choose the architect you want. Taking the time to do the previous tips, will help guide you through reviewing portfolios to help narrow the field. Another important consideration is finding an architect who understands your local area well. Not only do they have experience with similar designs of what you’re looking for, but they also understand the natural environment will more attune to the best contractors, excellent interior designers, plus any potential building constraints.
Sturman Architects can help you design your dream home. Here at Sturman Architects in Bellevue we can help you design the home of your dreams with the help of our experts, from the initial creative sessions to working with qualified professionals through the build phase all the way to the final touches. Contact us today to discuss the possibilities for your next project. Schedule a consultation with us today!