Alongside determining your space needs, the topic of our first apt+candid blog post this past May, figuring out the look and feel of your new home is possibly the most critical step to the success of your project. Not only will it shape your budget, but also the environment you dwell in every day for years to come. The more thought you put into it at the earliest stages, the happier you will be in the long-term. 

Some of my clients come to me with a clear vision for what they want. Others have no idea. When you have a good architect, there is no need to fear this process! The architect’s role is to serve as your advisor and your guide, regardless of whether you are starting with a blank slate, or have a fully formed vision.  

Below, I offer some key recommendations for homeowners, as well as describe what my typical process looks like in working with clients to explore and establish the design vision for their new homes: 

1. Gather Images that Inspire You 

   To start the conversation, the architect will likely schedule an initial talk with you to get a sense of what your design preferences are. I like this to be very casual, and many times I will meet with clients in their homes. This is so I can begin to gather some information on what kind of environment they're currently living in, and whether their existing home represents any of their preferences. Perhaps it doesn’t at all. If that’s the case, then I have a clear idea of what to avoid in designing the new home. 

   
   

   During this stage, you should start gathering images that show what you like and don’t like. You might already have a collection of photos or a Pinterest board tucked away. If not, you can easily Google key phrases for inspiration images that capture your design preferences and share links with your architect. This is not so that your architect can copy what you share, but rather, so that they can understand the general direction you’re thinking in. 

   
   

   Some homeowners are very knowledgeable about architecture, design and interior aesthetics/styles and may have some of these in mind already for their new space. If that’s your starting point, it will make it easier to talk through design options with your architect. 

   
   

   Other homeowners may have a firm grasp on the space program they need but they have no idea how it should look. This will likely require a longer conversation. For example, your architect may ask if you gravitate toward a more modern or traditional feel. It will be important to make sure your definitions of such terms match your architect’s definitions. It might be a good idea to review sample images that align with these definitions, and your reactions will begin to give your architect a sense of what your preferences are. 

   
   

2. Keep the Local Climate and Landscape of Your Site in Mind 

   There are two common pitfalls during  the early design process. Sometimes homeowners will fall in love with an image from a very different landscape or climate than where they currently live. Obviously, in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, the land is relatively flat, we have four seasons, and we are used to seeing certain types of vegetation.  

   
   

   If a client brings an image to me of a beautiful home surrounded by palm trees, or something with a mountain vista, it can be challenging, if not disappointing or impossible, to translate these preferences into what would realistically work on the existing site.  

   
   

   For this reason, I try to advise my clients to think in terms of where they currently live and narrow down their favored images to similar landscapes and climates.

    

3. Be Prepared to Adjust for Context and Scale 

   Another common scenario is when clients bring images of homes built at very different scales in very different contexts – for example, a home on a ranch of dozens or hundreds of acres. When it comes time to think about the design for a much tighter urban or suburban site, this can again be difficult to translate.  

   
   

   Context and scale are incredibly important in architectural design. These may not necessarily be concepts that the typical homeowner is familiar with; but, as your architect works to understand your preferences, they can define and explore these important concepts with you to help you develop a realistic picture of what your home could look like.  

   
   

   One recent client of mine expressed an affinity for French chateaux. Given we were designing and building in the suburbs of Chicago, in a very different context, it was important for me to interpret this preference appropriately. By showing my client a variety of images of French chateaux and talking through them, I was able to pinpoint what specific qualities and details appealed to them. Then I was able to fine-tune these elements and creatively incorporate them into a design that made sense for the local context as well as what the client functionally needed in their new home.  

4. Balancing Aesthetics with Functionality 

   Any home should be a good balance of both style and substance. You want to achieve a certain look, but you also need your home to serve you well from day to day. If you are going through the trouble to custom design and build your home, it’s worth it to make sure you get this balance right. 

   
   

   Luckily, balancing aesthetics with functionality is the essence of good architecture. If a client skews more toward either side, the architect is there to make sure the proportions are right. I consider it my job to ensure that all functional elements, sizes, and adjacencies are working in the context of the style we’ve agreed upon.

   
   

   When appropriate functionality is in place, the architectural vocabulary is flexible. Different style elements can be adapted and negotiated around the spaces and functions you must have in your home. 

5. Cohesiveness in the Design 

   Part of the delight of residential design is that it doesn’t have to be linear or repetitive to have cohesion. There are always a few spaces you can be playful with while keeping within the same design language.  

   
   

   I regard the interior of a house as a small journey with elements of discovery. When I design a home, I think through what the journey looks like – how you enter the house, what the volume looks like, what invites you to the next step, where you want people to go. Through this journey, there is cohesiveness in certain things and deviations in others. It’s the experience of discovery that ties them all together. 

   
   

   Just like the process of refining the design vision for your home, the architecture itself is a type of conversation. Hopefully this is a successful dialogue inspired by the productive exchange you have with your architect in the early stages of the process. In my experience, it’s always the truly collaborative visions, drawing from my expertise and the client’s wishes, that deliver the best design. 

Setting Your Design Direction 

Whether it’s an ultra-contemporary or ultra-traditional style that inspires you, or something in between, taking the time to envision your future home and think through all of the aforementioned design considerations for your new home is as important as determining your space program and budget. There’s no need to panic if you’ve never given a thought to architectural design and all that goes into it – your architect is there to draw your preferences out of you and design a home that not only gives you the space types you need, but the look and feel that captures your vision and results in an ideal environment. 

Setting the design vision for your new home is one of the fundamental aspects of achieving success for your new-construction residential project. But first, finding the right partner to guide you through this process is critical. In our next installment of apt+candid, we’ll take a look at Raffi’s checklist for interviewing architects and selecting a designer for your custom home build.