When we first sat down with blank paper and big dreams, the question wasn’t how many bedrooms we wanted, it was what kind of feeling we wanted to come home to. One of the most critical and exciting steps in designing our dream home was defining our architectural style. Your home’s architectural style sets the foundation for everything—from the shape of the roofline and the materials used on the exterior to the interior finishes and overall flow. It’s not just about curb appea

Designing our custom home in New England has been a journey of balancing timeless regional styles with modern performance and comfort. The region’s four-season climate, with its snowy winters, humid summers, and dramatic coastal conditions, requires thoughtful decisions at every step. We want a home that feels rooted in its surroundings, looks beautiful year-round, and functions effortlessly no matter the season. In this post, I’m sharing the design considerations we've prior

When designing our dream home in New England, one of the first big-picture decisions we faced was whether to build a ranch-style home or a multi-story layout. At first glance, it seems like a straightforward choice. But once you factor in climate, terrain, land use, cost, and long-term lifestyle needs, it quickly becomes a foundational decision. After deep research and design exploration, we found that the right answer for us wasn’t choosing one over the other, but thoughtf

Our goal is to create a space that not only meets the needs of our family but also supports our lifestyle for the long term. Through thoughtful architectural programming, we're defining essential spaces and ensuring each one has a purposeful role in the layout. While we’ll likely make adjustments as we consult with a contractor, this is the exciting starting point of our dream home; where everything on the wishlist is possible, and the focus is on crafting a functional, famil

A Room-by-Room Guide to Designing a Right-Sized, Flexible Dream Home When we started designing our dream home, one of the biggest questions was: How big is too big? We wanted enough space to live comfortably but not so much that we'd be maintaining or heating rooms we rarely use. Striking that balance meant asking tough questions about lifestyle, long-term needs, and how we actually use our home. In this post, we’re walking through our full process for determining the ideal s