I am assuming most people don't decide to build a house on a whim like Lam and I so they have months, if not years, to patrol interior design magazines and websites. They tear out pictures and save articles in attempt to find the perfect kitchen and develop their "design style". Do you know what your "design style" is? Apparently it is very similar to declaring yourself as an "Autumn" or a "Winter". While trolling the internet I see comments like "I'm a modern, but love your traditional foyer", or "Your mix of transitional and classic is amazing!". Seeing all these woman declare their style made me think that maybe picking things would be easier if I was sticking to a single design category. I ended up taking a couple of those "find your style" quizzes to see what the fuss is all about. Well, I was very disappointed. They all say I am a "transitional" and "traditional", both of which I like but don't love. The only thing these quizzes helped me decide is that I don't give a *beep* about my "design style"... and that has been my motto while looking at interior design pics. I am going to just go for what I like while keeping an eye on the big picture. Fingers crossed I make it through this with all my finger nails and my marriage intact.
Here are some notes on the direction I am currently leaning towards with my design selections:
Wood Floors
We have wood throughout the entire main floor as well as the stairs up to the 2nd floor and the 2nd floor hallway. We like the look of darker wood like the below and feel we will choose something along these lines:
Kitchen Cabinets and Counter
I know many of you might cringe but I am leaning towards white cabinets with a dark counter. I like the cool, clean feel white cabinets give off and how they let your eyes flow through an open concept home. There will be crown molding on top of the cabinets and I plan on adding some upgraded design storage (wine rack, glass doors, etc) to class it up a bit. I am not a huge fan of lighter wood cabinets but I am also considering a dark,espresso like finish with a lighter counter. I have run close to 100 pics past Lam and he seems to be on the same page as me which makes me feel better. Here are some pictures I like that I pulled from Houzz.com:
Appliances and Hardware
We upgraded to stainless steel kitchen appliances and fixtures (faucets, door knobs, lighting, etc). We will pick out the specifics on May 17th. Nothing too exciting on this front. They have a limited selection so we might end of changing things. Lam and I are already shopping for island lights on our own.
Fireplace
We have already decided on a stone faced fireplace. We will pick out the exact type of stone and mantel at the Design Center but it will look something like this (with different wall and floor color of course):
A/V
We are not exactly sure what the A/V opinions are but the company Drees works with has a catalog and also does custom work. The catalog has a simple listing of speakers, intercoms, surround sound, etc. We know they will show us more at the appointment. Lam is taking the reigns on this portion (gasp!) and has showed some interest of installing the following:
- upgraded wiring throughout the house
- Built-in speakers in kitchen, living room, breakfast area and deck
- alarm system
- Flat panel TV mounts in Master, Living room and Basement
- some additional outlets in various places around the house
I am told that once we get to the Design Center and A/V shop that we will most likely change our mind on many decisions. I still feel like we need to go in prepared for a fighting chance.
Happy Building!
Amanda and Lam
