Two Tips for Getting the Most Out of the Residential Design Process

By Michael Roehr, AIA | March 9, 2023

Lake Threshold in Balsam Lake, Wisconsin, by RoehrSchmitt Architecture. Photo by Gilbertson Photography.

IN PROCESS

ENTER asked RoehrSchmitt Architecture’s Michael Roehr, AIA, for a few insights on the design process for homeowners who are working with an architect for the first time. His answers may surprise you.

Set Aside Your Preconceptions. Come to the design process with as few preconceptions as possible. Start with a clean slate. You should spend some serious time talking with your architect about everything except architecture—thoughts, feelings, experiences, dreams. What keeps you up at night? What helps you fall asleep? What do you think about as you’re getting ready for your day? What do you say when you talk to yourself? 

Collecting images of features and finishes you like can certainly be helpful, but you won’t make the most of your design opportunity by simply listing the specific items you’d like to see incorporated into the design. Instead, talk about how the images make you feel—it will help you develop a shared vocabulary and frame of reference with your architect. Use your inspiration folder or Pinterest board to help generate a design that uniquely integrates the qualities you want in your home, not one that cobbles together a collage of features from other houses.

Work Smarter, Not Harder. One of the first things you can do with your architect is determine how little you need to do. You may find that you don’t need more space; you just need to better utilize the space you’ve got. Your architect can help you fully understand what you already have, along with its potential, before you add anything. It’s also important to understand that any additional space can shift your home’s center of gravity—for good or for ill. Often, homeowners working with a residential architect will end up with a smaller addition than what they had imagined because the design effectively reorganizes what’s already there, providing not just a wonderful new space but a house that finally works.

Our In Process department highlights an important step or tool in the design process or in community collaboration.