Designing Your Stairway

Stairways are difficult to build and can be expensive, therefore, you want to work with an expert at building custom-designed stairways. Russ Doucette Custom Home takes pride in applying skill and creativity to custom design and build unique stairways that fit the homeowner's needs and style of their home. The stairs in your home set the stage for the style of your home. The balustrade, handrails, and stairs are a permanent and integral part of your homes’ interior and a necessity for multi-level houses. There are plenty of options when choosing the aesthetics of a beautiful stairway, but remember you must keep physical safety in mind when choosing the creative design you desire. Designers and architects are incorporating custom stairways into their house plan designs because homeowners want an exquisite and unique custom look that is a focal point in their home.

Some stairway trends right now are crafting a stairway from exotic wood, like Walnut, Redwood, Maple, Bass Wood, Cherry, African Mahogany, and many other choices. A lot more homeowners now want their stairway to match their hardwood flooring and woodwork as closely as possible. A very common trend over the past few years has been to mix and match wrought iron balusters into the stairway. Another option is to create an impressive focal point by having a custom-designed spiral or curved stairway. It does not matter what style stairway you choose a fine craftsman is needed to custom design a beautiful stairway.

When building your custom designed home Russ Doucette will work closely with you to be sure he knows exactly what you want from your custom designed stairway.

A Beautiful, Custom Home Is Always In Style

One of the most important decisions to make when building your custom home is, what style home would I like to live in? There are many different styles to choose from. We have compiled a list of some of the most popular. When browsing these different style homes, ask yourself which one would best compliment your location, lifestyle, and personal preferences. 

🔳 Cape Cod

🔳 Craftsman

🔳 Farmhouse

🔳 Mid-Century Modern

🔳 Cottage

🔳 Log Home

🔳 Victorian

🔳 Colonial

🔳 Mediterranean

🔳 Art Deco

🔳 Contemporary

🔳 Tudor

🔳 Spanish

🔳 Modern

🔳 Ranch

🔳 Townhouse

Location, Location, Location...

Once you have made the decision to build your dream home, you will find that you have yet another very important decision to make. Where are you going to live? Home decor and design can always be changed but location can not. Here are some questions to ask yourself when choosing the location for your home.

• How far are my spouse and I willing to travel to get to work? 
• Who are the friends and family that I want to be close to? 
• Are there businesses or attractions that I want to live by? Think about stores, parks, theaters, restaurants, etc. that you frequently visit. 
• Do I have a preference when it comes to the school district my children will attend? 
• How much land is right for our family? 
• Are there possible restrictions such as what pets, landscaping, fencing, and paint colors are allowed that would conflict with my wants and needs. 
• What do I want to see when I look out my window? Ocean views, buildings, landscaping, lakefront, and more are all possibilities. What is your personal preference? 

When Should You Build Your Dream Home?

Home building is an amazing journey. Before beginning that journey, however, there are some final i's to dot and t's to cross. Here are the things that we suggest having in order before you begin.

• Get your financing in order. This means meeting with a bank to determine what you qualify for. It also means sitting down to look over your monthly/annual expenses and determining what you feel comfortable spending. Just because you qualify for X amount of money, does not mean that you have to spend X amount of money. 
• "Location Location Location" Where do you want to build a home? A family? A life? Some possible considerations could be proximity to work, school district, distance from family/friends, lifestyle and hobbies, crime rates, nearby attractions, scenic or city views, etc. 
• How much space do you want? Consider square footage and acreage. I think that a good long-term home is one that you can grow into should your family or hobbies expand. 
• Create a functional layout. This varies from person to person. Consider your day to day tasks and activities. Some people will want a large open-concept living space for entertaining while some people prefer a more traditional style layout. If you work from home, consider a designated office space. If you have family that lives far away, consider a spare bedroom or guest suite for visits. 
• What is your personal style preference? By having an idea of what style and colors appeal to you, it gives you a design to work off of to help make your home decor more cohesive. 

Choose Custom

Choosing a custom built house for your home, means choosing to get everything that you want in a home. You get to work one on one with home building experts to transform your dream home vision into a reality. Together, you can come up with something that fits your personality and lifestyle.

Your home should offer functionality that helps to make your day to day life easier for you and your family. This is easy to do with a custom built home. You get to choose all of the essential components of a house including: size, layout, bedrooms, bathrooms, number of floors, storage, etc. It is whatever works best for you.

When you choose a custom built home, you are getting a home that is brand new. With a brand new home comes zero history and a clean slate. This means no wear and tear, no damage, no hidden problems, and no outdated decor. You can relax knowing that you now have a low maintenance home that won't be giving you any out-of-pocket "surprises." You won't have to put money and time into repairs. You can spend your time enjoying your new custom built home with your family and friends.

Open Or Closed?

Open-concept design means that barriers such as walls and doors are removed to open up the space between main living areas such as the kitchen, dining room, and living room. Commonly favored by home owners, it provides a space that is often considered ideal for entertaining. It provides easy access among the rooms and also allows the host or hostess, who may be preparing food and drinks, to be more engaged with guests. Another benefit to this type of design is that it makes it easier to keep an eye on children while you prepare meals and perform other household duties. An open-concept design can also give the feeling of a larger and brighter space. The openness that comes with this design style may also be considered a drawback depending on who you ask. Some may prefer the privacy that comes with more defined spaces created by walls and doors. Some may also prefer the traditional feel that you get from having all of the rooms closed off. Also, while some may like to be open to their guests during a gathering, some may prefer to not have their meal preparation and messes open for their guests to see. Deciding whether you would be more suited in an open-concept or a closed-concept home is something that varies from person to person. It is a decision that should be made based on your own personal preferences and lifestyle. So, we want to hear from you. Open or closed?

Welcome To Our Blog!

Russ Doucette Custom Home Builders now has a blog! We invite our customers, family, and friends to check back here each month for informative posts related to home building and remodeling. Feel free to leave us any comments or questions that you may have in the comment section below. We would love to hear your feedback. Also, if there is a topic that peaks your interest let us know. You may just see it in our next blog post! 😃