The interior of your home defines the flow and feeling of everyday life. When there’s clutter on the floor or the furniture is too tight-packed, moving around your space can feel cramped and awkward, whereas open floors and plenty of space feels calmer and more relaxing. Your home interior makes a big difference on your day-to-day well-being.
When you’re building or moving into your dream home, you want to be sure that what you’re creating is a space where you can feel comfortable and relaxed, but also proud to show off when you have guests.
You want to live the lifestyle you deserve when you move into a new home as an empty-nester. You’ve paid your dues, raised a family, and now it’s your chance to kick back, relax, and enjoy the best life has to offer.
As custom home builders in Niagara on the Lake, Blythwood Homes gives homeowners a unique opportunity to ensure that their new home is exactly what they’re looking for. With these tips, you can start envisioning what you want in your new house and prepare to make it a reality.
#1 Start an Idea Book
Visualize what you want your new house to look like. What colour are the walls? Are you going to move in with the furniture you already have, take the opportunity to totally redecorate, or a mixture of both? It can help to visit the house and spend time in each room. Imagine yourself and your life there. For a new construction home, you can take a look at floor plans.
A scrapbook or a Pinterest page is an excellent way to organize your vision all in one place. It’s a great place to collect images from magazines and online of the flooring, colours, appliances, and themes you want to implement in your new home’s décor.
Once you’ve collected all the ideas and inspirations that speak to you, narrow it down into one cohesive plan. There may still be changes, especially once you meet with a décor specialist, but it’s good to have a big picture.
#2 Prepare for the Design Appointment
When you work with Blythwood Homes, you have an opportunity to customize many of the features in your new build. You can work with a décor specialist to discuss options such as flooring, countertops, cabinets, appliances, paint colours, and others. It’s a chance for you to make sure that everything matches your style when you move in.
You might be surprised by how much there is to cover in your design appointment. While you can always opt for standard options that we include in move-in ready homes, this is your opportunity to make your home your own.
There are going to be a lot of choices. Bring your idea book to the appointment so that you don’t forget any of the details in your vision. Be prepared for feedback, too. Décor specialists know how it will all fit together and they can provide invaluable advice to make sure you’re making the right decisions. They’re a great resource, so take advantage of it.
#3 Think About Appliances
What are you looking for in your appliances? Not only do you want them to have a certain look that fits with your kitchen, you might also want to consider getting Energy Star appliances that will save you money and make life easier.
Energy Star appliances include:
Clothes Dryers – One of the most energy-consuming appliances in the average home, Energy Star Certified clothes dryers use as much as 20 percent less than alternatives.
Clothes Washers – Buying energy efficient washers saves you both energy and water, as they use significantly less than standard washers.
Dishwashers – Dishwashers aren’t the most power-hungry of appliances, but you can still reduce your bills and energy consumption with Energy Star.
Refrigerators – Moving is the perfect opportunity to upgrade from an older refrigerator. Older models consume considerably more energy than newer alternatives.
#4 Plan Your Furniture
Where do you want your furniture to go? How you layout each room defines how you move through your home, socialize, and cozy up. Take a look at the floor plan and think about how you want to arrange your living room, bedroom, patio, den, sunroom, etc.
You can even use online tools to layout floor plans and insert furniture so you can get a feel for the room, and then generate a 3D rendering. Some of them even allow you to replace take home samples and try out colour combinations in the app. They’re a convenient way to start seeing your vision come to life.
#5 Enjoy Low Maintenance Life
One of the popular draws to our adult living communities in Niagara is the option to move into a low maintenance bungalow townhome in a gorgeous neighbourhood. Condominium-style ownership means that common areas and exteriors are owned and maintained by the Corporation. It’s a great set-up for anyone who doesn’t want to have to worry about doing outdoor work or keeping things presentable while you’re away travelling.
Embrace the low maintenance lifestyle when you’re furnishing your new home too. While outdoor patios take summer living to the next level, maintaining outdoor furniture can be a pain. Invest in low maintenance, highly-durable patio furniture such as:
- Tubular, wrought, or cast aluminum furniture;
- Synthetic wicker furniture;
- Water-proof cushions and coverings.
Not having to worry about a sudden rainfall on a summer afternoon will give you peace of mind. There is a big trend toward having covered patios added to the Homes Blythwood is building in the Niagara region. These afford protection from the rain and sun and allow you to enjoy the outdoors even when it is raining!
Find Your Custom Dream Home
We want to make sure your new home is exactly what you want. If you’re ready to make a move, register today for a custom home in Niagara on the Lake or Ridgeway, home to two of our adult lifestyle communities.
When you’re buying a dream home, you expect everything to be perfect. It’s time to start envisioning where you want to live. Start by putting together an idea book that expresses your vision, prepare for a meeting with a décor specialist.