Interior: First Things First, Windows and Floors

There are tons of things to pick out for a custom house.  Tons.  It can be overwhelming, but if you do it in a progressive fashion and make the most influential decisions first, that will go a long way in defining your space in a more confident manner as more and more choices need to be made.

Just like when painting a room - you don't go to the paint store and randomly pick out color swatches, right?  The smart way is to take something that guides the CHOICE of color swatches, like a piece of fabric, throw pillow, rug, painting etc.  It starts you out in a direction.

The same principle goes for windows and floors.  Deciding on your windows and floors way in advance will determine a lot of other choices down the line, and make it easier for you not to make rushed decisions or waver in your preferences, because at least the basic "bones" are in place to define your space.  

FLOORING
I frequented tons of flooring stores and took many samples home.  I laid the samples in bright daylight, then compared them when it was dark outside and only artificial light inside.  I experimented with the quality - did a drop of water I left overnight make a mark the next day?  If bread crumbs were sprinkled on the floor, did it disappear or stick out like a sore thumb?  If I hit a spoon on the wood, did it make a dent?  If so, how big and how noticeable?   Etc. Etc. Eventually, I narrowed it down to two sample boards, then as luck would have it, one of them became discontinued which made my final decision even easier.   I also decided which rooms would have hardwood, tile and carpet.  Ultimately I decided on a solid, medium-toned hickory wood floor.  I wanted something between light and dark, which didn't show much dirt or wear and tear, which was important to me with pets and kids. Here's a picture of the sample board along with my kitchen cabinet selection on top.  I'm trying to reach an earthy/modern balance with these materials.

WINDOWS
I also did a lot of window shopping in advance, and met with all the local vendors just to get an idea of what was available, and then read a lot of online reviews regarding quality.  I'd always wanted dark windows and neutral paint inside, so ultimately our windows will be a very dark stain on the interior, to contrast with the off-white paint.  Add in our deep windowsills with the ICF effect, and hopefully it will have a pretty dramatic effect. I chose to go high-end on windows as it's not an area I wanted to skimp on, so we are going with Marvin windows.  It was a hard decision to make because you certainly pay more and I'll have to cut costs in other places because of it, but in the end we felt it a worthwhile place to go top-of-the-line.

Looking at just the windows and walls in the below photos, I'm hoping mine will have a similar  effect to these:

Mediterranean Living Room design by Atlanta Architect Summerour Architects

Eclectic Family Room design by Cincinnati Architect RWA Architects

Mediterranean Entry design by Atlanta Architect Summerour Architects

 
Now that those decisions are done, do you see how it gives a much clearer image as to what the space will feel like?  Now other things like tile, hardware, etc can be narrowed down significantly because the "bones" of style have been determined, and other choices can fall into place a bit more easily.