Exterior Home Design
The ‘70s were not always kind to home aesthetic. I can help you envision a new exterior that brings out the best in your home.
When Your Home Needs a Facelift
Some looks are classic, others are timeless. Some homes, no matter when they were built, have an enduring style that always feels right. And then there are other homes. Homes that have good bones and a solid floor plan that don’t need an interior remodel as much as they need an exterior upgrade. When you need ideas as to what your home could look like, I can help.
Selling, Staying or Making The Best of It
There are many reasons you may want to redo your home’s exterior; maybe it’s deteriorating and needs to be replaced, maybe the “quick fix” that a previous owner tried just doesn’t work. You may be thinking of putting your home on the market and want to improve the curb appeal. If you’ve just purchased the home, changing the exterior can be a way to make it your own.
No matter what your reason for wanting a change, I can work with you to ensure that you get a solid concept of all of the ways your home could look. With over 30 years of experience, I’ll give you ideas and designs that are effortless and elegant (and hopefully make your neighbors a little envious).
I offer a $250 exterior bundle. I will meet you on-site and sketch up what you have in mind as well as any other ideas we talk about. From there you can use the sketches with a contractor to provide them with a general idea, or we can talk about moving forward with detailed drawings at my hourly rate. I’ll always tell you how many hours I think the project will take before we start. Call me, Guy Williams at 651-210-7042 or send me an email about your exterior design project.
Five Phases of Architectural Planning
Predesign Phase:
This includes our initial meeting at your home and the discussion of options, possibilities and budget. We can create a wish list of which spaces are important. Also, an overall bud-get should be put put together in this phase. From there I will collect information from the city such as: what site restrictions there are like, what the setbacks are, what is the height limit, and lot coverage, etc.
Schematic Design Phase:
I will develop conceptual designs. These are preliminary bubble diagram/ rough sketches that incorporate your design ideas and wish list. There might be several different design options for floor plans and location on the site. This process will go back and forth with you until we are happy with the design and have settled on a sketch.
Design Development Phase:
After choosing a design to move forward with, I will refine the floor plans and overall look based on your comments and the reality of building i.e. thinking about small details, light, flow, your lifestyle and any special accommodations (such as using universal design to allow for aging in place).
Construction Documents Phase:
This is the final step for drawing. The CDs will show all the information needed for the builder to construct your new home. Depending on the level of detail we decide to show, the CDs can show just the minimum required to get a building permit or can be more descriptive to show elements such as interior elevations, finish trim and window grids, electrical plan, lighting placement and other facets of design. Having more detailed drawings also enables the builder to give us more accurate pricing. So, instead of a ballpark number that has a span of tens of thousands of dollars, with detailed CDs the builder will know which materials he will need to use and the skill and time required to implement the design features shown. In my experience, the more detailed the drawings are, the less room there is for misunderstanding and error.
Construction Admin Phase:
In this phase, I ensure the home gets built the way the drawings show. I coordinate with the builder regarding timelines, materials and method of installation and finish carpentry. I do site visits as needed (typically once a week for one to two hours) but during the height of construction when things move at a faster rate it might be twice a week. In addition to onsite personal supervision and quality assurance, my presence on site is conducive to improved communication between the builder and me. This also allows me to answer your questions and immediately address any concerns. When builders are unsure of a design feature or misinterpret a plan they typically just move forward based on “the way we’ve always done it.” When I am on site I discuss with the foreman and team member show things should be done to achieve the look that is depicted in the drawings. I have over 40 years of construction experience and have personally built and remodeled 5 of my own homes. I know how a structure is put together, the tools needed and the steps required to do things right. I do not allow for cheaper material substitutions or cut corners. This onsite supervision, client advocacy and flow of communication prevents a loss of time and money and I have found is crucial for overall quality.
Before you sign up with any contractor ensure your best interests are being taken into account. I am working for you and not the bottom line.