08/04/2026
I said what I said, and here’s why.
A home is often one of the greatest investments someone will make in their lifetime. Yet many people begin building without hiring the person responsible for designing how the home will actually function, feel, and come together once construction is complete.
Your architect may design the structure and floor plan. Your builder brings those plans to life. An interior designer thinks through what happens inside those walls every single day.
We design for the groceries in your hands, the backpacks dropped by the door, the wet towels coming in from the pool, the way your family gathers, and the storage you will wish you had considered before the walls were closed.
For our Palma Verde project, I reconfigured the pantry, mudroom entry, and staircase from the original architectural plans because I was thinking beyond how the rooms looked on paper. I was thinking about how the family would move through the home with full hands, where the children would leave their belongings, and how the spaces needed to support their routines.
We even added a secondary washer and dryer downstairs for guests and pool laundry so the family would not have to carry everything upstairs.
These decisions affect plumbing, electrical, construction costs and so much more. They need to be made early enough for the builder to price and execute them properly.
The biggest misconception is that interior designers arrive at the end to choose paint colors, furniture, and artwork. In reality, we make hundreds of decisions that determine whether a home feels finished, functions well, and reflects the people living there.
Hiring a designer too late can cost thousands of dollars in change orders, missed opportunities, and decisions that are expensive or impossible to correct once construction is underway.
Mood boards do not design a home. Detailed plans, thoughtful problem-solving, and an understanding of how every decision connects are what turn a house into a home that truly supports your life.
If you are planning a new build and want to understand how our construction design services can help, send me a message 😊
Mariana Neumann | Full Service Interior Designer
