Your colour appointment is the most important (and exciting) part of building a new home! Not only is it the final stage before getting your build underway, it’s also the part where you’ll see everything start to come together, where what you’ve envisioned starts to become a reality.
External Selections
A rule of thumb for external selections: keep things simple and work in threes! We recommend using three colours over three textures for external selections. This avoids over-complicating your facade (the face of your home) and works for both grand houses and more cosy homes. This will ensure your selections are aligned with the overall vision of your home and how you want it to look from the outside.
Kitchen Selections
Ah, the heart of the home! Getting it right starts here and will set the tone for the rest of your home.
This is another area where we recommend you try to work in threes, as you never want to over-complicate this space. Start by getting your basic colour palette down and work back through the layout and design from there. Consider details such as a ‘main’ colour. Think about what kind of finish you’d like – perhaps a timber look? Do you want a pattern on the doors and drawers, and, most importantly; what colour do you want for your bench-top?
The major layout details in your new kitchen needs to be based around practicality. Our resident interior designer’s hot tip is to include a built-in bin drawer in the cabinetry nearest the sink wherever possible: this means it’s accessible, yet out of the way. You will also need bench space close to your oven, this is particularly important when you have a wall oven and can sometimes be overlooked. You’ll want to make sure you’ve got room to put all those tasty baked goods when you pull them out of the oven!
Bathroom Selections
Surprisingly, bathroom selections are often the easiest part of a colour appointment. Most people building a new home know exactly what they do or don’t like when it comes to bathrooms. Some favour freestanding baths because they feel luxe, others prefer in-hob baths because they see benefits when it comes to cleaning (you don’t have try and get a pesky mop in the cracks behind it). That being said, don’t worry if you’re not sure about exactly what you want, your colour consultant will be able to give you some guidance.
A major consideration, however, is the vanities. Vogue Homes offers wall-hung, customisable vanities as part of their standard range! When considering builders, you should always see what they offer as standard and whether you need to make any upgrades. Pro tip from Kathleen: consider splurging on an amazing shower-head! There is nothing like a rain shower-head after a long day at work, it is one of the most underestimated satisfying items in your new home.
Flooring Selections
Most builders include tiles as a standard, they’re versatile, clean and hard-wearing. This is a fantastic option to take advantage of, especially with a growing family or if you have indoor pets. Main floor tiles are easily elevated with rugs to soften and bring warmth to living spaces.
Depending on the size and style of your home, the size of your tiles can make a big impact. For example, contemporary style homes usually benefit from larger, simpler tiles, whereas a Hampton’s style home may be more suited to timber flooring There is a solution for every budget and a variety of applications including laminate, vinyl, engineered oak and real timber. Speak to your colour consultant about which option will suit your needs and style best.
Electrical Layout
This is possibly the most practical part of the selections process. Before you attend your colour appointment, really think about how you will live in your home and all your day to day activities. This goes beyond the placement of your bedside table and TV and delves into things like; are you wall-mounting your TV or will it be placed on an entertainment unit? Will your vacuum cleaner cord reach down the hallway without an extension lead? (You may need to add a power point for this)
Often overlooked items here are:
- Where will your internet access point be? This is typically where your internet modem will be located. This typically goes in the garage with our new home hubs. You want to consider access points or WiFi extenders to provide flexibility and ensure quality WiFi throughout your home. If it is in the wrong place it may affect the quality of Wifi performance in certain parts of your home.
Also, certain devices like network attached storage (NAS) or Printers are more reliable if they are connected directly to your network rather than via WiFi. Think about where in your home these will be located and consider providing dedicated access points for those devices. - To avoid the need for unsightly power-boards, consider adding additional power points in high use areas, such as around the TV for home theatre systems, gaming devices or for computer equipment in your study.
- Most households will have a range of appliances to complement their kitchen requirements. Some like coffee makers, toasters or electric kettles will find a permanent place whilst others like a kitchen mixers or air fryer are only brought out when needed. Consider the quantity and location of the power points in the kitchen to ensure that you have sufficient to meet the needs of your applicances.
Go into your colour appointment having thought about how you live and function in your home. Trust the process and finalise everything before your build starts on-site. Your colour consultant and builder will have done this many times over, so they’ll be there to guide you through the process with expert recommendations.
Have everything completed in a timely manner and before you get to site. This way, all your selections will be fresh in your mind and you won’t have a need to re-select anything (which can delay the process and confuse you if you can’t quite remember every detail). Good preparation instils confidence, making for an exciting (and straight forward!) build.
Building a new home? If you’re looking for some advice on your home selections or have any other questions about your upcoming Colour Appointment, give us a call on (02) 9607 9554 for a chat!
