Friday Favorite- Initial House Inspiration

We loved our first home so much!! So when it came to building a new home, we literally almost went and built the exact home on a different, larger piece of land.  It was at that point that we learned our large ranch would not fit on most lots with a pool in the backyard- (oh yes we are putting in a pool)!!! So we moved onto looking at 2 story homes.  I knew immediately I wanted all bedrooms upstairs- we are at the beginning of growing our family and I did not want endless nights climbing stairs to reach my little ones.  I also wanted laundry upstairs with the bedrooms and a play space for Emersyn on the main level.  So the search for a layout and floor plan that worked began.  After discussing our wants with our builder and looking at different homes, we finally settled on a floor plan.  That is when the real work began.  I immediately hired my design sister from Jessica Stout Design to be with me on every decision and there are LOTS of decision to be made when building a custom home!!

Here are a few of my early inspiration pics when thinking about the feel I wanted the outside of this house to have.
All pictures are taken from my Pinterest: For the Home.

Immediately I knew I wanted a light, airy feel to our home.  When looking at homes I am always drawn to a lighter gray and classic stone.

I LOVE a large, double door entryway.  I think a large entrance is very welcoming.  I want to modernize it a bit and go with a painted door instead of the traditional wood, and I have learned it would be easier to maintain as well.

I don't love garage doors, unless they are really nice ones, and I have found out those cost a fortune!  So my plan is to add a pergola detail and paint them.

Dark windows are really popular right now.  I think when building a new home you want to be on trend but in a way that it won't be dated as soon as that trend is over.  I think dark windows are a bit trendy but really quite timeless.  They are pricey- more than white let's just say that.

I also love a bit of tin roof.  -ever since the 'love shack',  "tin roof, rusted."  Sorry as soon as I said tin roof I thought of that song.

Designing and building a home is a constant battle between beautiful Pinterest pictures and what you can realistically accomplish.  I must say I am pretty excited to see all of our exterior selections come together.  Some inspiration picture ideas made the cut others were simply too pricey.  But honestly that is the name of this home building game- spend your money wisely and put it into places that will make the most impact.

Check back next Friday as I share interior ideas!