At EG Home, we know that the details of your home aren’t just details — they’re the accessories in your life’s best scenes, the backdrop of your happiest memories. And you should be the one to decide exactly how your home looks and feels, from the cabinets and countertops to the light fixtures and finishes.
We also believe that your new home journey should be easy and enjoyable from start to finish, which is why we have a dedicated team member whose sole focus is guiding you through our exclusive Design Center. With the guidance of our talented and friendly design consultant, Kate, you will be able to bring your vision of home to life!
New Home Design Process
Kate will help you navigate all aspects of the design process, including what items to prioritize during construction. An expert on all things home design, it’s important to Kate to work closely with you to create a home that feels completely true to your personal aesthetic. We sat down with Kate to give you an inside look into her role at EG Home, advice for a successful design appointment, and what it’s like to design a brand new home with her!
What is your role with EG Home? What do you love most about working at EG Home?
I have been working for EG Home since 2016 doing sales and design consultations. It is a very supportive and positive group to work with. We all care about the homes we build and the people we build them for. I love that I am guiding people through such an important and exciting experience in their lives, and feel like home design is the field where I truly belong.
How does having a design consultant like you impact EG homeowners?
I have been working with these homes and materials for a while now and have seen a lot of designs come together. I love working with new ideas and making someone’s personal vision come to life. I am always honest with my feedback about what I think will or won’t work, and how to prioritize costs.
How does the design process work?
The first step is to work out any structural changes you want to make to your floorplan. Some of our homes are more flexible than others, and the sales team works with our purchasing and estimating manager to make sure the home’s layout performs for the buyer’s needs. Once we have those details worked out and a final floorplan drawn up, buyers meet with me to start the finish selections.
It typically takes us 2 meetings (about 3 hours each) to pick the hardwood, tiles, cabinets, countertops, plumbing fixtures, hardware, electrical options, exterior colors (in some cases), and all the other details. This is followed by a preconstruction meeting with the project manager on site. We review all your choices and confirm that all the details have been captured.
What do you wish other people knew about EG Home?
It is important to us to work with materials and tradespeople that create a quality product to stand the test of time. We do everything we can to personalize the style and functions of spaces without compromising quality of construction. At EG Home, everyone supports each other and contributes to making sure things come together the right way, both structurally and aesthetically.
What are some ways homeowners are able to personalize their EG home?
We offer tons of line item options where it’s as simple as picking from different cabinet door styles and colors, plumbing packages, quartz or natural stone surfaces, tile, etc. We have also worked with our buyers to make structural changes such as walls of windows, 12’ sliding doors, 2-sided fireplaces, and much more. The selections process is typically completed in our Design Center in Beacon Falls, but we have had buyers meet directly with our cabinet reps to create custom kitchen designs.
What advice would you offer to an EG homeowner in order to have a successful appointment?
Start looking at design photos, magazines, Instagram, Houzz, Pinterest, etc. well in advance for inspiration and to get an idea of the color schemes and styles you like. I would say the biggest decisions we make together are the flooring and kitchen cabinet selections. Both of these play a huge role in setting the overall tone in open floorplans like ours. They can also add a lot of cost, so it’s good to get them figured out first. Also, start thinking about things you use in your everyday life that you might need to design around. We do a lot of electrical outlets in specific places for things like chargeable cordless vacuums, clothes steamers, exercise equipment, lighted artwork, etc.
What are some design best practices that homeowners should know about?
Make a list of your priorities. Price out all of the things that are valuable to you and weigh them out based on price and importance. EG Home offers a high standard spec level compared to other production builders, so you start with a functional and aesthetically pleasing home with the base price. The best value in upgrades are within the typical upgrade options. These items have been negotiated and priced for volume and efficiency.
Marginal costs go up when you start to go outside of the normal offerings. There is value in making large structural changes, or a custom backsplash design that you will love to look at every day, but exploring custom plumbing, paint, or lighting options can get to be more expensive. Things like swapping out chandeliers or painting custom accent walls is much more cost effective and customizable when you do it on your own after closing.
Tell us about someone you admire.
I admire how well a lot of these couples get along during the selections appointments! These are big decisions and no one’s aesthetic vision is going to be exactly the same as their partner’s. It really is inspiring to see how couples work together to create something beautiful. This can be a stressful time, juggling the sale of one home and the purchase of another, making selections you want to be happy with for years, and deciding on paying for upgrades. It’s amazing to see the support and encouragement they get from their loved one. It’s not always a spouse, either. Some people have their kids, parents, sister, best friend, etc. help them through the decisions. I am very confident with what I do, but sometimes a buyer just needs that extra support from a loved one.
Where did you grow up? Tell us about your family!
I have lived in Connecticut for most of my life. My husband, my son, and I live not far from my parents and siblings, and we enjoy visiting family in Colorado and New Mexico.
How do you spend your free time?
Most of my free time is spent with my son and husband, getting outdoors and exploring local parks and beaches.
What would someone be surprised to know about you?
I think people would be surprised to see my house! My husband and I bought a fixer-upper a few years ago and still have a long way to go. While it is usually easy for me to guide people through their decisions and create beautiful spaces at work, it has been challenging to prioritize my own list and decide what I want to do in my house. It has certainly given me a lot of insight as to what our buyers experience when they make all these choices.
When you trust our team to build your dream home in Connecticut, you can be sure that you’re in the best hands, especially when you’re making decisions about what your space will look and feel like. With Kate at the heart of our design process, you will experience just how rewarding (and fun!) it is to bring your unique vision to life. We can’t wait for you to work closely with Kate on making your new house a home! For more information about our new homes in CT, please contact us at 203-714-6622.
