My passion for building
Over the last few decades, I've built several custom homes, most recently with a custom build here in Bluffton. Throughout each experience, I've learned a great deal about the buidling process. With a background in interior design, my eye is on the details that make a house a home. While I had a selections coordinator with each build to assist with the interior selections, I felt something was missing. We had free range to suggest the features, finishes and fixtures we wanted, but there wasn't a dedicated person in charge of ensuring that all these components would work well together or work with our furniture.
It occurred to me that the component that was missing was someone to bridge the experience beyond just building a home. I wanted someone who wasn't just checking a box that my pendant lights were ordered and hung at the right height -- I wanted someone who was helping me choose the right fixtures to blend with my furniture and interior decor.
With my experience as an interior designer, I took on much of this on during our last build. Before the plans were finalized, I caught things like a bedroom where the fan would either be centered to the room or centered over the bed, due to a closet door sharing the wall with the bed. With some creativity, I had the builder move the door to the adjacent wall so that my fixture would be centered. I axed the windows in my master closet from the original plan, since those would just take away from functioning space. To preserve the balance on the exterior, we had our builder create "faux" windows with closed shutters. I made sure we had a handicapped accessible bathroom with a walk in shower and grab bars, so that our aging parents could have a safe room when visiting. I sourced the detailed things like our pulls for our built-ins in the great room and found curtain rings that matched the brass shower rod my builder installed. While I would have preferred to have more design assistance on our personal build since I was working full time and didn't have the bandwith, it turned out to be a blessing. I had found a way to incorporate my background in interior design with my passion for custom home building.
As a builder liaison, I will work with you to flush out your vision. I will ask the detailed questions that helps me uncover how you live now, and what we can do to ensure this home grows with you for years to come. Let me assist as you navigate this process, and bridge the gap between building your home with your builder and designing the interior space that reflects your vision.
Benefits of an Interior Designer/Builder Liaison
An interior designer/builder liaison plays a pivotal role in transforming a design vision into a flawless reality. Studies reveal that poor communication between designers and construction professionals leads to delays in more than 85% of projects—yet effective collaboration can slash timelines by up to 30% and save significant costs. Interior designers and builders bring distinct, complementary expertise: while one visualizes and plans the aesthetic and function of a space, the other executes it. A liaison ensures seamless integration of their efforts, resulting in better budget control, fewer change orders, and a more efficient workflow. From optimizing floor plans and lighting to selecting durable materials and coordinating intricate details like outlet placement, the interior designer advocates for the homeowner’s vision every step of the way. Acting as the central communicator among clients, contractors, and architects, the designer prevents misunderstandings and costly mistakes, ultimately delivering spaces that are not only beautiful but perfectly tailored to the homeowner's needs—both now and into the future.