By Danielle Harris
Have you ever toured a model home and thought, “This is exactly what I want for my personal home!” But how do they make it look so welcoming and put together?
The purpose of a model home is to help every house hunter who walks through the door envision their life there, which is why so much thought is put into designing these homes. But as a designer who who curates both model homes and residential clients, it’s important to understand the needs of a space to make it beautiful yet also livable. Our task is to blend basic design principles, timeless style and most importantly functionality while catering to each individuals needs and specific desires. Today I want to share with you some key points and tips on the main areas of your new build that you may want to consider when merchandising your forever home.
Kitchen/Dining Rooms: for client dining spaces it’s always important to prioritize each individual family and how they will function day to day here. This home is going to be a house of entertaining family and friends so we made sure that we had as many chairs as possible. We also selected a table that has 2 leaves for extra extensions should they need more seating for special occasions. We also chose not to install a chandelier over the table so we would not be locked into where the table was placed. We were able to shift everything to the right of the room to allow for more space to accommodate a large server for china and cutting boards. It’s also important to note the island stools have higher backs and leather for overall comfort and wearability.
Great room: when designing a great room for a model home, we tend to go for the best look. But when working with a clients you must also think comfort and hand of the fabrics used. Will it be used for formality or casual lounge. All of these are determining factors in the type of pieces we curate. This specific Home was all about comfort and lounging with family. We chose 2 overstuffed goose down extra deep sofas and a lumber lounger in the corner for long nights by the fire reading. Residence often times enjoy displaying personal items and family nostalgia to bring joy. So we opted for custom narrow floating shelves to complete the space!
Owners Suite: primary bedrooms tend to be the largest difference in how we merchandise a model versus a residential client. In a model home we are selling square footage and aesthetic. But in a livable situation, storage is the highest priority! you will notice in the model we opted for a stunning bench for softness and pop of color. However the residential home we installed extra large nightstands with drawer storage and a tall armoire to maximize the clients personal items. We also ensure the bedding is durable, breathable, and soft to the touch for ultimate luxury.
Overall, residential design is about listening to each individual clients needs to accommodate their daily lives with ease and beauty! You want to walk into your space and feel like you’re in a gorgeous model…but HOME is truly where the heart is, and it’s always been our pleasure to make each clients house a home of their dreams! Let us help you today!