Before we ever sat down with our architect, I had already sketched up the main areas of our home. I knew what I wanted. The kitchen layout, living spaces, even the flow between rooms—I had a vision. So we brought him our rough plans and said, “Can you just add in some bedrooms, bathrooms, and maybe a game room?” I had plenty of inspiration photos saved to help guide the process, but I also wanted to leave space for his creativity (and believe me when I say he had a lot of his own ideas). And let me tell you, our home evolved through many rounds of edits.

We spent months fine-tuning the floor plan—thinking about how we actually live and use our space right now. My husband (bless his sweet heart) measured every single room in our current house so we could compare them to what we were planning to build. I’m so glad he did—because it gave us a clear picture of what we were gaining or losing, and how that would shift the way we’d use the rooms.

One space we knew had to be bigger was the front porch. It’s always been a favorite gathering spot, so we made sure to prioritize that early on.

We also got a jump start on appliance selections for the kitchen while the architect was still working on the plans. That might seem early, but it was a key step—it allowed us to make sure we’d have the right amount of cabinet space for everything. I called in my favorite cabinet girl, Krissy (a former employee of mine and one of the best in the business), to help me dream up and plan through every inch. From appliance placement to drawer size and pantry layout—she helped me bring our kitchen vision to life, as well as all of our other cabinets.

Once we had the main spaces and sizing figured out, we moved on to what ended up being the hardest part: the exterior design.

Inspiration Image 1 from Harrison Design | Inspiration Image 2 from The Fox Group | Inspiration Image 3 from Pohlig Custom Homes

I had a very specific look in mind. I had saved all the photos, carefully labeled them, ready to communicate our vision... but I’m not entirely sure our architect looked at them. When he sent us the first draft, it was a one-story ranch with a hip roof. I’m not going to lie—I wanted to cry. But I also knew he had put in a lot of work, so I had to find a kind way to say, “This isn’t it.”

Once we started editing the elevations, it became clear we’d need to make a few small changes to the floor plan too. Certain architectural features needed different layouts to work properly. And so began another round of tweaks. I think we spent more time on the elevations than on any other part of the plans—because I had a crystal clear vision of what I wanted.

The Evolution of our Exterior Elevations

Screenshot 2025-05-28 at 10.51.56 AM.png

Then came the brick and stone placement. Since we’re doing a mix of both, I needed to figure out how and where to use each material so the exterior felt cohesive. Out came my trusty markers—I literally printed out the elevations and started sketching. (I'll share a photo of this step because it felt both chaotic and oddly satisfying.)

When we were close to finalizing things, I sent the plans off to a 3D rendering guy. The renderings were beautiful... but something looked off. The roof pitch wasn’t right, and somehow, we still had a hip roof on one part of the house. So I dove into a deep rabbit hole of roof pitches (which I never thought would be part of my life), studying styles and angles until we landed on what felt just right.

We met with the architect again, made a few more adjustments, and finally got the exterior exactly how we imagined it.

In total, it took us about six-seven months to finalize everything, but it was worth every back-and-forth email, every late-night debate over window placements, laughing at Matt as he was constantly walking around with a tape measure just to “be sure”, and yes—even the roof pitch deep dive. Seeing our plans now, it finally feels like us on paper.

Looking back, the process wasn’t always easy—but it was worth every step. Designing a home from the ground up takes time, patience, and a whole lot of back-and-forth. But more than that, it takes heart. We didn’t just want a pretty house—we wanted a home that would serve our family well for years to come. One that felt thoughtful and personal, not just in how it looked, but in how it lived.

Now, with plans finalized and construction underway, I can already imagine the memories we’ll make here—coffee on the front porch, game nights in the family room, slow Saturday mornings in the kitchen we designed down to the inch.

This part of the journey taught me so much about trusting the process, staying true to your vision, and knowing when to be flexible. And I’m so grateful for every twist and turn that brought us here.

If you’re in the middle of designing or dreaming about your future home—I see you. It’s a wild ride, but you’re building something beautiful. One decision, one layout tweak, one marker-colored elevation at a time.