Checklist - Preparing for Your Personalization Experience

Download a printable version of this checklist to be well prepared for the excitement that comes from personalizing your home. The Design Center is your next stop, so come with great ideas. Download a PDF of this checklist.

You'll be happiest with the results when you feel prepared.  Here are some tips to remember:

Getting Organized

• Make your appointment as soon as you can. Construction and finishing can progress very quickly, so you’ll need to plan ahead to meet your design deadlines.
• Allow enough time for your appointment. Your design consultant will schedule a generous block of time – up to three hours – to thoroughly understand your style and explore your ideas.
• Start a design "dream-book" to hold important dates, ideas, notes, and pictures. A notebook will work nicely, or you might create a digital version on your laptop.
• Jot down any questions you want to ask at your appointment (like which materials are "green," or if you can have more than one kind of countertop in your kitchen).

Doing Your Research

• Explore your neighborhood’s model home and make notes about your favorite cabinets, flooring, lighting, fireplace mantels, countertops, bath fixtures, and so on.
• Start collecting pictures of rooms you like. Pull ideas from magazines, decorating books, catalogs, and the Internet. Look for colors and finishes that appeal to you, rather than furniture.
• Print your floorplan and take it with you on a walk-through of your home. Think about how you plan to use each room, and note it on the floor plan. This will help you start thinking about things like the number and placement of outlets for electrical, cable, and telephone lines.
• Visit your home at three times of day: mid-morning, mid-afternoon, and early evening. Consider the way natural light plays in different rooms. Will you want deep, rich tones in these spaces, or light, airy colors?
• Think about traffic patterns and activities. This will help guide your decisions about carpet, tile, and wood flooring options.

Making the Most of Your Appointment

• Bring your design dream-book with you. You’ll remember all your questions, and you can share your pictures and notes with your design consultant.
• Bring along fabric swatches (cushions and linens work, too) to help coordinate colors.
• Don’t be shy about taking notes. You’ll be covering a lot of information, and it’s a lot to remember.
• Bring your camera (or camera phone). Capture photos of your finishes to help when you’re shopping.
• Make sure the final decision-maker is at your appointment. If you and your co-buyer want to make decisions as a team, you both need to be there.
• Minimize distractions. Officially block off your time so co-workers, kids, and others know you’re busy. Arrange for daycare (including doggie day care) as needed.
• At the conclusion of your appointment, bring home paint chips, brochures, and any other documentation of your choices.

Following Up

• Start a file for the paperwork and documentation you received at your appointment. This can be a new section in your design dream-book, or a new permanent file. Make sure you keep information about maintenance and warranties.
• Mark ongoing deadlines on your calendar and make sure you get your design decisions in on time.
• Arrange to drop in periodically and see how your finishes look as they’re installed in your home. This will help you finalize décor decisions like art, window-coverings, and task lighting.
• Expect variations. Every home is different, and your finishes will take on their own distinctive look and feel in your home.