Need help with choices for our new home.
Hi All,
We signed a contract for new home. It will take about 4-5 months to be built, but we are so excited. Being first time home buyers, it is a dream which has finally started coming together.
But it was really overwhelming to go to the design center and having to make all those choices. With no experience of doing this and no idea of how things would look together – it was very difficult.
We need help !
A little intro about the home itself. – It is a beautiful open floor plan and it is big – about 3800 sft. The main areas are nice and open – I can give a link to the floor plan if it helps.
A little intro about our likes and dislikes – we are in our early 30s – we like mostly modern – not exactly contemporary but we like the home to be clean and crisp. Bright and airy (good we have lot of windows).
The choices we made till now are:
1.Danner Shaw 223 caramel flooring (http://www.shawhf.com/colors.aspx?id=10222&s=93996 – it is 223 caramel)
2.Aristokraft Saybrook Birch Rouge for kitchen cabinets (http://www.aristokraft.com/styles/product_detail/?id=280)
3.Santa cecillia countertop granite - Case Design/Remodeling, Inc.
4.Aristokraft Landen Maple Sarsaparilla for bathroom cabinets (http://www.aristokraft.com/styles/product_detail/?id=292)
5.Interior pain color Ice berg SW 6798 (Sherwin Williams - http://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-family/SW6798-iceberg/)
6.Capecod brick exterior – with Linen exterior trim – Linen painted shakes – Ledgestone aspen stone – rustic black roof shingles
7.Flooring in sunroom is Shaw casa grande azucar (http://www.shawhf.com/colors.aspx?id=11248&s=106416)
8.Flooring in master bedroom is shaw roma chai (700) (http://www.homefoundationsflooring.com/colors.aspx?id=46757&s=351256)
We are not very sure about how it is going to be overall – if these are good or bad – straight right ugly.
We plan to paint some rooms after closing – ex: kitchen – some kind of yellow, guest bedroom – some kind of light lavender, master bed – some other color (not decided)
Now question time:
First – thank you for reading through patiently.
1.Interior – the floor with the kitchen cabinets – will that combination of cherryish against caramel flooring look good
2.Interior – the bath cabinets are different color than the kitchen – is it common to do this ?
3.Interior – paint color Ice berg – is it good for majority of the home (considering we are going to paint sosome rooms other colors)
4.Exterior – linen siding +trim against capecod brick – will it look fine – we drove around a lot but really could not see this combination much.
5.Suggestions for some good yellows (not to bright, still kinda neutral) and some good light light lavender for spare bedroom
Thank you so much for reading. And any kind of suggestions will be helpful.
We signed a contract for new home. It will take about 4-5 months to be built, but we are so excited. Being first time home buyers, it is a dream which has finally started coming together.
But it was really overwhelming to go to the design center and having to make all those choices. With no experience of doing this and no idea of how things would look together – it was very difficult.
We need help !
A little intro about the home itself. – It is a beautiful open floor plan and it is big – about 3800 sft. The main areas are nice and open – I can give a link to the floor plan if it helps.
A little intro about our likes and dislikes – we are in our early 30s – we like mostly modern – not exactly contemporary but we like the home to be clean and crisp. Bright and airy (good we have lot of windows).
The choices we made till now are:
1.Danner Shaw 223 caramel flooring (http://www.shawhf.com/colors.aspx?id=10222&s=93996 – it is 223 caramel)
2.Aristokraft Saybrook Birch Rouge for kitchen cabinets (http://www.aristokraft.com/styles/product_detail/?id=280)
3.Santa cecillia countertop granite - Case Design/Remodeling, Inc.
4.Aristokraft Landen Maple Sarsaparilla for bathroom cabinets (http://www.aristokraft.com/styles/product_detail/?id=292)
5.Interior pain color Ice berg SW 6798 (Sherwin Williams - http://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-family/SW6798-iceberg/)
6.Capecod brick exterior – with Linen exterior trim – Linen painted shakes – Ledgestone aspen stone – rustic black roof shingles
7.Flooring in sunroom is Shaw casa grande azucar (http://www.shawhf.com/colors.aspx?id=11248&s=106416)
8.Flooring in master bedroom is shaw roma chai (700) (http://www.homefoundationsflooring.com/colors.aspx?id=46757&s=351256)
We are not very sure about how it is going to be overall – if these are good or bad – straight right ugly.
We plan to paint some rooms after closing – ex: kitchen – some kind of yellow, guest bedroom – some kind of light lavender, master bed – some other color (not decided)
Now question time:
First – thank you for reading through patiently.
1.Interior – the floor with the kitchen cabinets – will that combination of cherryish against caramel flooring look good
2.Interior – the bath cabinets are different color than the kitchen – is it common to do this ?
3.Interior – paint color Ice berg – is it good for majority of the home (considering we are going to paint sosome rooms other colors)
4.Exterior – linen siding +trim against capecod brick – will it look fine – we drove around a lot but really could not see this combination much.
5.Suggestions for some good yellows (not to bright, still kinda neutral) and some good light light lavender for spare bedroom
Thank you so much for reading. And any kind of suggestions will be helpful.
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add this on to the discussion line above and read and read and read, it will be worth it.
Usually the builder design centers have interior designers working for them I would ask the person who assisted you there if she/he would have preferred for you to have made different selections. Listen carefully to the answer. If you just ask if your selections are fine, you'll probably get a "yes". But if you ask more pointed questions, you may get a different answer.
I'll check out some of your selections when I have time tomorrow, but for now...yawn...it's off to bed.
Good night!
I don't like the wall choice with the cabinet color. Both nice, independently, but they don't feel cohesive.
What are your cabinetry options through homebuilder? Aristokraft only? If that's the only possible brand, spend extra on the construction options. I looked through their website, and 3/8" particle board is weak. I run a custom shop, and I don't even like using even 3/4" particle board. Go the plywood route. The upsale on the hardware is absolutely worth it as well.
Building a house is about more than floor finishes, wall color and countertops. WHere do you need plug-ins? Where are you putting the TV? Telephones? Lighting? A decorator working with the builder will eliminate a lot of regrets later on. Builders are not decorators. (When I had the A/C installed, I was out of town. Big mistake! The ceiling vents are in the middle of each room's ceiling! What an eyesore!)
That being said, painting any room a definite color (lavender, icy blue, for instance), even though you absolutely LOVE that color, will seriously limit your decorating choices, and 5 yrs. down, you'll be repainting. Neutrals in either the tan or gray (depending on your taste) families will last longer, be easier to accessorize, and save the colors for things that don't require a major effort or big $$: rugs, lamps, art, draperies, linens, the occasional chair. There are shadings of the colors (grays that hint at blue or lavender, tans or taupes that aren't quite yellow) that might work better.
Never decide on a paint color without painting a test patch in the room. Use flooring samples and other materials to compare. No color will look the same in the store, daylight or lamplight. I went through 6 colors before I found the color for my living room, and even then, I mixed the color myself. (Come to think of it, all the colors inside and out are custom blends.)
As long as you love it, you can do whatever you wish. If you plan on resale (hardly anyone lives in the same house for 20 yrs), there are considerations.
Following are the reasons we went with Iceberg -
Also if you want to see some existing records - i will need to set u up as PT (physical therapist).
1. We were bored of the regular beige and tans (having lived in apartments for so long)
2. We were going to paint the kitchen and some of the bed rooms in different colors
3. Iceberg to us looked like a very light pleasant blue
4. I got some sample paint from SW and got a piece of drywall - painted and liked the color
5. I grew up in a house with almost the same (blueish) colored walls and this kinda reminds me of this
6. we intend to stay in this house for atleast 5-7 years if not more - and any ways when we are ready to sell it - we would have to repaint house. (most likely)
Regarding the cabinets -
I will surely talk to the builder and check - But as far as I remember - we took an upgrade which mentioned solid wood - with dovetail - with soft close - with full extn.
I need some recommendations for some neutral light yellow (not really an yellow) for kitchen.
Thank you again for your comments.
As someone said, lighting is VERY important.
Bath and kitchen cabinets different sounds fine to me. Actually, since you guys seem to have your toilets in your bathroom (what are you thinking?), I recon that it would be better if one area did not remind you of the other.
Good to see you are getting a big house. Mitt Romney reckons that 47% of American's have houses that are too small. At least I think that's what he said.
So you keep these few things in mind. Call a pro and get thehome checked for water damage like the tanks, the pipes, sewer backup and basement humidity.
Get the reports of the home inspectors first before you move in.
That being said it is hard to pick they right paint colors over the computer so i will give you my tricks. Make sure you place the colors you are selecting together, in as much of the lighting they will go in as possible, and also with the tile/wood/etcetera you are choosing. You should be able to notice by comparing a broad range of yellows, for example, with the blue you like which one complements it and which one looks to green or dull. My compliments in going with color instead of neutral. Also look to the color families that many paint companies are putting together now to help coordinate colors. i don't mind admitting as a designer that I use these! For example i just found some great color brochures the HGTV put together form Sherwin Williams paint. Even if you don't use their paint many companies will match their colors. Check them out and have fun with color on your walls! It is easier and less expensive to change than than a plaid sofa!
http://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/hgtv-home-by-sherwin-williams/color-palettes/color-pizzazz/
I guess my only other advice would be to not be penny wise and pound foolish. (God, I sound like my mother!). You've chosen what many might think is a rather large home (3800 s.f.) Now please do not skimp on the really important things (i.e., as noted by the person who cautioned about the cabinets). You don't want to end up with a large home with inferior or mediocre surfaces, fixtures and appliances. ( You've probably already realized the difference between the cost of upgrading say 1500 sq. ft. of flooring versus 750 sq ft.). In the kitchen and baths for instance granite counters will last many lifetimes. But inferior and/or cheaply made cabinets will hardly make it to your 5-7 year timeline. (I know this because this from experience. My husband and I bought a home with a kitchen range that couldn't even boil water because the owner, a part-time gourmet chef, planned to redo the kitchen later on, sometime down the road. Unfortunately within a year his wife was promoted and they were relocated to Puerto Rico by the Navy and had no choice but to sell their home one year after moving in. At least they were fairly honest (not totally) about where they skimped. Other things we had to learn the hard way. madeline
another tip for you as others have mentioned, don't paint until your floors are in an and the light fixtures in place with the bulbs as that can wreck havoc on your paint color.Pick color for the things that can be easily changed, Also use quality on the things you touch, the rest will come together for you. Congrats on your new house. Different shades and tints of linen with blues will be stunning ! I hope you continue to post pictures of your progress and of course the finished home.
To Carolyn's point :) - yes blue/iceberg is big risk and limits a lot of decorating options. But again blue will only remain in - foyer + living + dining + family + bonus + hallways ( i know it is a pretty big portion of the house).
Kitchen + sunroom + breakfast nook - will be in some yellow or blonde
bedrooms - we are yet to decide.
But as you guys said, I surely will watch this color (i just painted 3 4X4 sheetrocks and put them in my current house) - I will look at it everyday - different times and lights etc... Eventually when the house is up ... i will move these there and take a look. That may give me a good idea. But last 2 days - i am seeing it and i like it even more :)
I think we did a great job at the design center (thanks to houzz forums) - we did do a lot of upgrades (gourmet kitchen, upgraded master bath with semi seemless frame, tile walls etc.. , added a lot of windows, cabinets, hardwood, carpet - this is where most of our big numbers went). we didnt do somethings we felt were unnecessary - like rocker switches, under cabinet lights etc.
As construction starts and moves on ... i surely will post pictures and keep this post updated.
Thanks again to all of you. Please keep the comments flowing ... there is a lot to learn - from every comment , I learn something.