Hello, hello, hello!
Welcome back or welcome if
you haven’t read the first few blogs in this series!
If you want to know what
you have missed so far, here are the links to the first two blogs I have
written about my First Time Home Buyer experience:
· Blog
#1 – First Time Home Buyer Blog
In this blog, I want to
start talking to you about the Design Studio Selection process. It is an
extremely exciting, nerve racking and awesome experience! I want to share with
you my experience and also share tips that helped make it a much easier process
for me.
First, I want to start by
explaining what the Design Studio is. The Design Studio is a convenient one-stop
shop for picking out everything that goes into your new home! I mean EVERYTHING!
Carpet, floor tile, wall tile, hardwood, kitchen cabinets, kitchen countertops,
bathroom cabinets, bathroom countertops, doors, trim, faucets, railings and all
exterior finishes - I could go on but I don’t want to scare you! Luckily, all
this is available in one place so you can compare colours and styles all in one
location. Also, I should point out that the Design Studio has many standard
options that are included in the price of your new home. However, if you have
the budget and are looking to upgrade your new home, there are many, many
upgrade options throughout the Design Studio to choose from as well.
Now for a look into my
experience…
As I mentioned before, I
work for Parkview Homes, which has given me the advantage of being in and out
of our Design Studio many times. Even before I knew I was buying a Parkview
Home, whenever I was in there I was looking at all the selection and dreamed
about how some of the finishes would look in my imaginary home. I once
contemplated becoming an Interior Designer (before I settled on being a Graphic
Designer), so picking out interior finishes, matching colours and patterns is
very exciting for me!
Here is Tip #1 – RESEARCH!!
Even if you think you know
what you want and know your personal style really well, still do your RESEARCH! A good place
to start is online, search interior decorating sites. I really loved Pinterest
and Houzz. They were extremely helpful in deciding what kind of style I wanted to
accomplish in my new house, before I headed into the Design Studio for my Design Studio Appointment. Also, in
your research, figure out if you prefer classic, transitional or contemporary
styling. As well, I found it helpful to decide what neutral colour I was – are
you cream, beige, grey or greige person? I am definitely a grey person! I am a
big believer in keeping large items neutral and accessorizing in colour.
Accessories are easy to change out, big items such as ceramic tile flooring or
kitchen cabinets are not so easy or cheap to change.
Tip #2 – BROWSE, BROWSE, BROWSE!!
Once you have determined
what style and colour you would like to see in yournew home, head into the Design
Studio for Browsing Hours. Browse through the selections, see what you like,
what you don’t like, make notes and take pictures. When browsing at the Design
Studio I found it extremely helpful to take pictures of the combinations that I
liked, so I could reference back when I got home.
Also, if you are design or
colour challenged, don’t worry! Susan, our Design Studio Consultant and
Interior Designer is there to guide you through the process and offer
suggestions to make your home fit your personal style.
Now I should mention, with
my closing date not until fall, I had plenty of time between when I signed my
agreement and when I needed to pick my Design Studio Selections. In most cases
you don’t have the luxury of that much time. The typical time frame is within 7
days of signing a firm agreement. My suggestion, if you fall into this
category, is start browsing online before your agreement even goes firm. You can also visit
the Design Studio for Browsing Hours, to get an idea of what is offered and what
you would like in your new home!
I am going to break this
blog here! I don’t want to bore you with all my ramblings. Stay tuned for my
next blog where I will give you a sneak peak at the selections I chose and also
explain how beneficial it was to visit our kitchen designer! She’s awesome by
the way! :)
Until my next blog - I
hope this has been helpful! I look forward to continuing to write about my
Design Studio Selection process!
Talk to you soon,
Alyssa
Click here for more information
about the Parkview Homes Design Studio!
(Also, there are fantastic videos on this page that
will show you the Design Studio and explain the Design Studio (Colour)
Selection process!)
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