Custom Home Design Tips From Home Improvement Shows

30 Jul Custom Home Design Tips From Home Improvement Shows

You can’t flip through channels without catching at least a few home design shows. There’s even a show right here in our backyard, Good Bones, and, of course, there’s everyone’s favorite, Fixer Upper. These shows seem to air endlessly and every time you sit down to watch, they pull you in. One minute you sit down to watch just a minute and the next thing you know its hours later and you have strong opinions about shiplap and countertop material. While these shows are great and inspirational for people tackling DIY projects in their own homes, they do offer some good tips for the person ready to build their dream home from top to bottom. Read up on the tips we’ve taken from home renovation shows and get planning!

Open floor plans

It seems like every single episode of design shows features at minimum one wall being torn down. Sure, it’s good for dramatic effect. Who wouldn’t love to swing a sledgehammer through a wall? But there is a lesson to learn from all this wall removal. Open plan homes aren’t just a trend, they’re extremely practical for families. Open designs make the home feel more connected. Mom or dad cooking dinner in the kitchen can still keep an eye on the kids as they wrap up their homework assignments. Don’t miss a word of the conversation during family gatherings when you go grab the cheese platter. As you start designing your custom home, think hard about the walls you put up. Will you be dying to tear them down 5 years from now? Your design team can help you make the best decisions for your home.

Plan for the future

Most of these design shows feature an old home getting a full redesign. For you, of course, that isn’t the situation. You have the luxury of designing your perfect home from start to finish. No need to find workarounds from someone else’s design, this is all your own. One thing we can take from design shows though is how trends change as time goes on. We love seeing the outdated kitchen with orange floral wallpaper because it makes the transformation that much better. Be cautious when designing your home to make timeless decisions. Avoid extremely trendy features unless you know that they will serve a purpose and never go out of style. Of course, it is your home, and you can change it whenever you want to, but think about the longevity of each design decision you make!

Invest in Quality Materials

These shows are great at uncovering hidden gems in houses. It seems like the first thing any one of these home renovation hosts does is rip up the carpet in search of hardwood floors. As these shows explore a home, they usually find a thing or two that will be worked into the new home design plan. A high-quality fireplace with a beautiful mantle or intricate crown molding gives the space character. These features and materials all have one thing in common, they are quality materials. Consider this when designing your own home. Use materials that are beautiful, functional, and high quality. Regardless of whether you’re planning on selling the home eventually, or passing it down to a child, the materials you use will increase the value and make the home appealing for generations to come!

Get Inspired

These home shows are great for more than mindlessly relaxing after a hard day of work. They can actually serve as inspiration for your new home. When watching, pay attention to things you like and things that would never be considered in your own design. When creating a brand new home, it can be tempting to look at the newest design features, but take a little inspiration from these older homes. You could add a little character to your own home by modernizing older home features. Think outside the box and get inspired by interesting characteristics from older homes!

Choose the Right Partner

If you could choose any show to be on, which one would you choose? Would you want Chip and Joanna Gaines to bring their shiplap and barn-inspired decor? Maybe the Property Brothers and their love for open floor plans are more your style. While it’s unlikely you’re going to be on a reality tv home show any time soon, you do have a choice in who you bring in to help you with your customized home. Take this story from the hit show Love It or List It. The couple is still fighting for compensation from damages. The wrong contractors or team in place could spell disaster for your custom home project. Fully vet the people you’ll be working with before anything gets started. Protect yourself from the people just looking for a quick job and a paycheck.

Ready to get started on your own custom home? Our team is here to make you feel like you’re on a home show, but instead of being amazed at the transformation, we want you to be amazed by a home that is everything and more you’ve dreamed of. Contact our team and let us help you build the home that checks every box off of your dream list!