Hey everyone, Kaitlyn here!
Thanks so much for following along on our journey to building our dream home! I'm beyond excited that we’ve decided to blog this adventure for two reasons: 1) To share all of our updates with friends and family, and 2) Because I’ve already learned so much—and the fun has only just begun! We’re hoping that by sharing the ins and outs of designing and building a custom home, we can be a helpful resource for anyone considering building themselves.
In our last post, we shared how we designed our home’s floor plan based on our budget, lot restrictions, and setback requirements. Now that we have the floor plan finalized, it’s time to jump into one of the most exciting parts: interior selections—floors, tiles, cabinets, and countertops! These choices are such an important step because they set the tone for the style and functionality of the entire home. Our goal? To balance aesthetics, durability, and—once again—budget.
Our Design Vision
When we first started thinking about the vision for our home, we were challenged to come up with three or four words that describe how we want it to feel (shout out to Peggy and Joanna Gaines for this tip!). Together, we landed on: timeless, inviting, cozy, and peaceful. We’ve used those words as a filter for every selection we’ve made since!
Next, we (well… mostly I ) spent hours upon hours scrolling Instagram and Pinterest in search of inspiration. Full disclosure—social media is full of stunning homes that are slightly (okay, very) above budget, so be cautious when looking for ideas there! Thankfully, I had Kevin and Peggy to help keep me grounded.
The Selection Process
Once we gathered our inspiration photos, we started with cabinet selections, looking through all the sample colors Kevin had at the office. We picked a handful of favorites and brought them with us to our favorite vendors to start making decisions on countertops and tile.
We brought Peggy along, and having her there was amazing! For those who don’t know, Peggy used to be the design coordinator for Alex Custom Homes—until our sweet second niece, Hailey, was born and she became a full-time mom! Since then, ACH has brought Candice on board as our new design coordinator, and both Peggy and Candice have been so, so helpful throughout this process.
One of the huge perks of building with Alex Custom Homes is that the services of a design coordinator are included in your build cost. I can’t say enough about how valuable their insight has been already! (Side note: Be on the lookout for an upcoming blog post highlighting Candice and the incredible job she did designing our recent spec home!)
Alex Custom Homes also has a great relationship with one of our favorite flooring sales reps, Herb, and he was so helpful (and patient!) as we searched for flooring and tile options. Here’s a look at what we selected!
Bathroom Selections- Bath 2, Bath 3, Master Bath
Next Up: Plumbing Fixtures
Once we finalized our floors, cabinets, tiles, and countertops, we moved on to plumbing fixtures. And let me tell you… I thought planning a wedding came with a lot of decisions, but this house takes it to a whole new level!
That said, it’s the best kind of problem to have. One of our big goals for this build is to make as many decisions as early on as we can, to minimize stress later in the process. Take a peek at a few of our plumbing selections below!
What's Next
We’re feeling so excited to see all of our interior selections come to life. We’ve officially broken ground, and we can’t wait to share more updates soon!
Hit the sign-up button in the top right corner if you’d like to stay up to date on our build.