Although we’re disappointed with having to move to a different lot, we’re continuing to plan for our new Midtown home. We spent several hours each day of the last week researching our design options. We revisited several model homes we like, made trips to Home Depot and Lowes, and read articles on interior design trends. All to prepare for our next design center appointment today.
We decided to forgo the super shower option. It looks great in the model, but there’s a lot of tile in that super shower. If you try to do it on the cheap, it could look like a locker room. With an additional lot premium, we need to trim the budget. Besides, how big does the shower really need to be? You could fit 4 people in that super shower, and we don’t throw those kind of parties. So we’re going with the standard bath setup for our model: a large corner tub and a normal-size shower.
We didn’t have to cut too many corners in the kitchen. We even sketched out our dream kitchen on a piece of paper and brought it to the design team. They made a few adjustments that made it even better. We were impressed with their expertise… and their software. It not only shows how the completed kitchen will look (in 3-D), it updated the cost in real-time as we designed it. The process was not only fun, it helped us stay on-budget.
Countertops will be a charcoal gray quartz, and cabinets are white with flat fronts. Probably wouldn’t be very practical if we had kids in the house! We added many drawers and pull-out shelves. It took a while to decide on hardware placement… in the end, we chose to mount all cabinet pulls horizontally so they match the drawers.
For appliances, we chose upgraded GE Profile stainless steel. I’m not a GE fan but Bosche was just too much for us. Since Richard shuns microwaves, we opted for a traditional hood above the gas range. (Given my cooking expertise, we’ll still need a microwave but we can hide it in a corner.)
Many homebuyers complete their design in two visits, but we’ve made a final appointment for a week from now. It’s exciting, and a little stressful. I feel like I’m picking out a very expensive custom-tailored suit that I’ll be wearing for many years. Whatever choices we make, we’re going to have to live with for a long time.