Design a Custom Home – Initial Consultation
One of our most popular posts, How to Build a Home without Getting a Divorce, has prompted us to write this article about how to design a custom home. Here, we discuss the issue of conflict during the design process, how to handle it, and whether or not they are problematic.
Clients often come in our office for our Lifestyle Analysis interview and begin with an apology that the couple doesn’t exactly agree on all aspects of how their home ought to look and feel. They sometimes appear frustrated that they’ve attempted to work through some of the issues in private without resolution. They seem to think they are the only ones who have ever faced this issue. Well, for those of you in this situation, take heart! There are very few couples who actually agree on every aspect of their new custom home’s design. It is, in fact, common to have a number of disagreements crop up during these discussions. The key is to keep these discussions productive…so, how do we do that?
1. Know that some conflict is healthy
One thing we have learned over the years is that some of the best designs are born out of a healthy debate. All conflict between clients is not bad, and many times conflict can force us outside of our traditional design “box” and cause us to design something even better!
2. Keep it civil
There are times when it can be unhealthy, but 90% of our clients keep it entirely civil and simply layout the disagreement. We can then ask the right questions to lead us to an amicable solution. It’s really one of the best challenges of the job – when we can find an amazing solution that both clients really love!
3. Be willing to laugh
We love to laugh during our design consultations, and it helps keep us focused on the fact that we are working toward one exciting goal: We are designing the dream home that you are going to be living in soon! Remembering that will help the compromises come easier.
What we have learned over the years is that, although styles change, good design and flow never go out of style. A well-designed floor plan and layout will make living in the home fun and bring the family closer together. Even if, temporarily, there is some conflict, the end product is so worth it and can bring the couple together as a result.
If you are thinking about designing a custom home, you may want to see examples of What’s in Design at Jenkins Custom Homes.
