NEW HOME & REMODELING DESIGNS

CUSTOM HOME DESIGN

From your ideas, sketches, and online clippings to fully realized blueprints and 3D illustrations.

Prairie-Fade2

When the dream is a new home designed and built just for you, I can help you realize that dream and simplify the process. My approach takes you through the 5 Key Design Stages I've refined over time to create a plan for your home that is tailored to you. We'll work through the stages and decisions together at the pace that you'd like - whether you want to just do some initial planning to determine what's possible, or whether you're ready to go to be ready for construction.

As a former general contractor and builder I can provide practical insight and guidance throughout the design process, bringing you the peace of mind and confidence that you're starting the project on the right track.

More Than Just Drawings MCM Kitchen1

While many design sources give the impression that you just need someone to put together a drawing for your house, that's only one part of a much larger picture. At Artisan, I work with you through each of the design stages to make sure that your project truly meets your goals and is ready to be built.

Why is this so important?

  • Avoiding the dreaded Change Orders. Change orders occur during construction when you realize after something is built that it isn't quite right, and are both expensive and a lose-lose situation for you and the builder. Maybe the dining room is too small to seat the 12 people that you want for family events ... or the living room is too large and feels like an auditorium ... or one of other several details that looked good on paper, but wasn't what you intended or missed some important element.

  • The perfect plan that costs too much to build. Everyone has a limit to what they want to invest in a home, whether that's $400,000 or $4,000,000. Too often the design process ignores the budget and ends up creating the "perfect plan" that costs 25-40% more than you wanted. This happens for a number of reasons, however at that point the main options are to "give up" features that you've set your heart on, come up with the extra money, or just not build at all (which is often the case). None of these options are ideal as it starts the entire building process from a negative perspective instead of the exciting undertaking it should be.

The good news is that these situations can often be avoided by designing with a clear understanding of your dreams, wants, and needs - including the budget. Do you need space to regularly entertain 20 guests? Or like smaller bedrooms that feel cozy and intimate? Or perhaps you don't want to see the kitchen from the front door? Or need a space for that piano or other heirloom?

These are the types of preferences and outcomes that we'll want to uncover during the design process so we can plan for them from the start. Those discussions will help focus the design on details that are important to you as well as provide the opportunity to review what options are available. So you can make informed decisions along the way and get the home that you really want and need.

So while a drawing might be beautiful, it isn't of value if you can't afford to build the home - or worse, if you build it only to find it doesn't really fit your needs.