Why You Need a Team for Your Custom Home
Designing a custom home involves a lot more than just putting up four walls. Clients have specific goals and visions for the homes they’re getting designed and built, and having a team of professionals means every detail will be taken care of.
The best teams collaborate on every aspect of a home. The interior design complements the residential design, while builders provide feedback on costing and materials. Together, they draw on each other’s expertise to design and build a home that’s cohesive, comfortable, and aligns with the client’s vision.
Who Should Be on Your Custom Home Design Team?
The Most Important Member: You, the Client
When you’re getting a custom-designed and built home, you want a team of experts on your side. Remember, though, that while they may have expertise about every step of the design process, it’s your home. Your wants, needs, and dreams should guide the design. While you may defer to your new team on how things get done, every other member of the team needs your feedback.
The beauty of custom home design is that clients get to see their dream home become a reality. Make sure you articulate those dreams so the design team has the chance to make them come true.
Residential Designer
A residential designer is responsible for the strategic planning of a home and is largely responsible for the design phase, which focuses on the exterior style and curb appeal of a home, as well as its interior function, efficiency, and safety.
Typically, many residential designers hold Architectural Technology diplomas and design and draft detailed plans for custom homes or expansive renovations. They:
- Are responsible for the look and feel of a home
- Consider the function and structure of a home
- Take care of all design aspects that are required to build a home up to drywall.
- Will help ensure custom home designs meet Calgary’s zoning laws and get the required permits
- Facilitate relationships with builders and developers
Interior Designer
Interior designers have tremendous value for homeowners. They enhance the interior of a building, making it both aesthetically pleasing and functional for the people using it.
How do they do that? Interior designers work with everything from furniture to colour schemes to lighting to make sure an interior space speaks a cohesive visual language, is pleasing to look at, and works for the day-to-day needs of their clients. The best interior designers make sure your home is:
- Comfortable and functional
- Visually and aesthetically coherent and appealing
- Reflective of your personal style
Builder
Your builder will be responsible for the construction of your home, but that doesn’t mean they should be brought into the process only after the design is complete. Builders can provide invaluable insights while your home is being designed and offer feedback on costs that can help keep the project under budget.
Selecting the right home builder is an important decision. You’ll want someone who:
- Has experience working on projects similar to your own
- Comes with references from friends and colleagues or has positive reviews online
- Will provide regular updates throughout the building process
- You find it easy to communicate with
Our team at Ellergodt Design has decades of experience working with builders in Calgary and can recommend options we think would be right for your project. We are also happy to work with new builders and establish relationships to ensure a smooth design-build process.
Consultants
A few other professionals will be required for the construction of your home. However, they’re not necessarily going to be working with your custom home designers throughout the design process the way a builder would. They include:
- Energy Modellers, who evaluate the home from an energy efficiency perspective.
- Structural engineers, who can evaluate the structural integrity of a home.
- Surveyors, who provide site surveys initially and stake your lot to be ready to begin the construction process
Each of these professionals has a role to play in designing and building your home, although they will not be day-to-day members of the team.
The Importance of Teamwork
Everyone on the team who’s designing and building your home should be working together toward the same goal. That’s what we strive for at Ellergodt Design.
The work our interior designer does will be directly impacted by the plans the residential designer creates, and vice versa. A builder can provide expertise on budget as they are well-suited to recognizing pricing when it comes to materials, complexity, and square footage. As a client, you will be regularly consulted and asked to provide feedback on your priorities.
It takes a team to design and build a beautiful home. Having the right team members in place and working together toward the same goal can unlock your dream home.
Start Building Your Dream Team
Having the right team in place is a crucial step in designing and building your new home. At Ellergodt Design, we have residential and interior designers who work in tandem to create gorgeous and functional homes and have been working alongside homebuilders for over two decades to bring Calgarians’ dream homes to life.
FAQ
What is the difference between an interior designer and an interior decorator?
An interior decorator is primarily focused on aesthetic elements, such as choosing colours and fabrics. The role of an interior designer extends beyond aesthetics, as they also focus on the functional and aesthetic aspects of your home.
When should home builders become involved when designing a new home?
Ideally, a home builder will become involved in the design of a custom home in the earliest stages. They can provide invaluable feedback on cost, which can help ensure you’re getting a home designed that fits within your budget.