In the beginning . . . the first chapter in a new home project

Anytime I take on a new project, especially when it's a brand new home with a clean slate, there is inevitably that feeling of "where the heck do we start?" There are so many decisions to make, flooring, counters, cabinets, fixtures, paint, not to mention furniture and accessories. The thought of it can be quite daunting, but it doesn't have to be. The key is having a plan, and a good plan starts with inspiration. When you have inspiration, all decisions are effortless and just come naturally.

Here is an example of one such project. A brand new home, construction has not even started yet. The clients want something totally different than they've had before. They might keep some artwork and a couple of small pieces of furniture, but that's it. So, where do we start? Let's start at the beginning, the architecture.

The exterior elevation they have chosen is a Spanish ranch style, with arched windows, tile roof and wrought iron fixtures. This is our first, and most important, clue to where our inspiration will come from. Next we talk about color, are they drawn to warm earth tones, like olive greens, reds and gold? Or are they more inclined to cooler blues, greens and maybe a splash of fuchsia? I show them some examples of warm and cool color palettes and they both agree that the cooler blues and greens are the way they want to go. Yes! We are on a roll.

Now that we have a jumping off point, I start my search for inspirational photos to create a mood board. This mood board will be the basis for every decision we make; light fixtures. tile, paint and right on down to the knobs on the cabinet doors. As I sit in front of my computer to get started, what happens next can only be described as divine intervention. I get an email from Wisteria, one of my favorite online sources. It reads "Join the Adventure: destination Andalusia". Hmmm, I'm not a cracker jack geographer, but I'm pretty sure that's in Spain! I click on the link and as the images start to appear I could hear a choir of angels sing "hallelujah"! The inspiration we have been looking for is all right there. Thank you Wisteria!

This is the first mood board, one of many for this project, Color Inspiration:

I will be sharing more details from this project as it progresses, from finish selections to room by room detailed plans. If you would like to follow along, be sure to subscribe here!