09/05/2026
New construction details I consider on every custom home. A few more rules I design by from the ground up. Some are architectural, some are material, and some are the details that are very easy to overlook until it is too late to change them.
Part two of my new construction non negotiables as a residential designer. 🤎
Restraint is often what makes an exterior feel resolved. A few well chosen materials allow the architecture, rather than the number of finishes, to create interest.
The memorable choice is rarely the one made by committee. When a wallpaper keeps pulling you back, I tend to trust that instinct.
A ceiling is part of the architecture, not simply where the walls end. In new construction, it is one of our best opportunities to introduce scale, material, and character.
Trim has a way of giving new construction a sense of history. It adds depth and character without asking for much attention.
Some materials become classics because they age well, wear beautifully, and continue to feel relevant. For the most permanent decisions in a new home, there is real value in what has already stood the test of time.
A home feels more cohesive when color is considered as a whole. Build a palette with enough continuity to connect the rooms and enough variation to let each one have its own identity.
Custom cabinetry is an opportunity to think beyond utility. Borrowing the proportions and details of furniture gives built ins a more collected, architectural presence.
The right paint color can fall completely flat in the wrong sheen. Sheen changes how color holds light, how a surface reads, and ultimately how refined the finish feels.
With exterior wood, more is not necessarily better. Invest in the right species, grain, and finish, then use it where it can make the greatest architectural impact.
Hardware may be one of the smallest details in a room, but it has an outsized effect on how cabinetry reads. Scale, placement, and finish deserve to be considered from the beginning, not added at the end.
