Walking you through the Design Lab process

Selecting the colours and finishes you’ll be using in your new home is a bigger undertaking than you might expect – and while it’s a really exciting part of the build journey for many, the sheer volume of decisions when it comes to colour selection can take people by surprise, and even be a little overwhelming.

The last thing we want is for you to feel stressed when you arrive at your colour selections appointment, so we’ve put together a little step-by-step to help educate you on what to expect from our Design Lab part of the process with Arden Homes – so you can breeze into your colour selections appointment feeling confident in the decisions you’re about to make.

Colour browse appointment

Once you’ve paid your initial deposit, you’ll be invited to visit our Design Lab studio to give you an idea of how the colour selection process works and what kind of decisions you’ll need to make at your colour selection appointment. There’s no need to make any decisions during this appointment, it’s purely to help you prepare. Our interior designer will take you on a tour through the showroom, which usually takes about an hour and will answer any questions you may have. We will also provide you with samples and additional supplier information to help with your research.

Research

Before you attend your colour selection appointment it’s a good idea to start doing some research. We recommend that our clients spend some time working out what they like by browsing for inspiration on Instagram and Pinterest, and building collections of saved images. Our display homes are also a great source of inspiration, and we have some handy resources that’ll let you know some of our favourite colours and finishes. You can take photos of any display home features you particularly love, and we’ll help you make similar selections in your Colour selection appointment.

Mapping out your personal style

Prior to your colour selection appointment we’ll send you a questionnaire and some trend inspiration boards so we can get an idea of your personal style before we meet you in person for your appointment!  Your responses will guide our interior designers when it comes to making recommendations about the creative direction for your new home.

We’ll ask you about your preferences and any Estate guidelines that we need to keep in mind when choosing your colours.  We’ll also ask that you submit your completed questionnaire and any accompanying images at least 7 days prior to your colour selection appointment to allow our interior designers adequate time to prepare.

Colour selection appointment 

The day you’ve been waiting for! Our qualified interior designers will review your sales quote, questionnaire and any inspiration images you’ve included prior to your appointment so we’re ready to hit the ground running! They’ll guide you through a full day appointment where you’ll select all of the fittings, finishes and fixtures of your new home, from flooring to finishing touches.

There are a lot of decisions to be made here, so the more you put into the preparation, the less overwhelmed you’ll feel on the day – but remember, you’re in excellent hands, and will be guided through every decision by qualified professionals who have been through this process many, many times! If you’re feeling uncertain, our designers are always happy to make recommendations that will fit with your desired look and feel – but also with your budget.

Some pricing will be available on the day of your appointment for items like appliances and fixtures, but other items like flooring, tiles and paint will need to be calculated based on the size of the home you’re building. Then, it’s onwards and upwards to your electrical appointment!

Electrical appointment

This is where you make your selections for the electrical requirements you have for your home.  Our Electrical Designer will run through everything with you on the day of your appointment, it is always great to be as prepared as possible. We’ll send a copy of your electrical plans to you prior to your appointment, so you can mark up any lighting and electrical requirements you have on this plan as a starting point.

Consider things like where you’ll be placing your microwave, whether you’ll need power in your pantry, or to the island bench? Will you have a home office? If so, don’t forget the hard-wired data points! Are you picky about where you put your Christmas tree? Don’t forget to include a power source for your lights! It’s always more cost effective to add power at the time of the build than in retrospect, so we’ll review your placements with you at your appointment and make any suggestions or inclusions you might’ve forgotten.

Tender appointment

Now that all of the selections have been made and we’ve had time to calculate everything, you’ll be invited to a full day tender appointment where your Tender Presenter will talk you through each item line by line. This is your opportunity to refine or review any decisions you’ve made during your colour selection process, reselect any items, and make any final additions. Your Tender Presenter can take you through our Design Lab studio again during this appointment if there are any decisions you’d like to revisit.

This is also the final opportunity to make changes to your floor plan and façade. From here, it’s onto your contract signing appointment and the most exciting phase of your build begins – the construction phase!

Remember – although there are a lot of selections to be made, we’re here with you every step of the way. We pride ourselves on only using qualified interior designers to assist you at this stage of the process [because we can, not because we have to!] and we’re really committed to helping you design a home you’ll absolutely love.