Things I’ve said no to

Dual vanity sink in bathrooms. I really don’t need that.

Buying “new” everything: I’ve gotten all sorts of things on Craigslist, from toilets to sliding patio doors to floor tile and tarps.

Making everything bigger: although I did just ask my architect to make my studio a bit wider…

Clearing all the trees and ignoring the constraints given by the site.

Using boring “safe” neutral finishes. Y’all know I love color, pattern, textures and these things always make a space feel richer. There’s so much creativity & personality that can be expressed through architecture and interiors, so celebrate it. I looked to other warm climates for inspiration, e.g. styles in S. America, southern Europe (e.g. Spain) and north Africa.

Only getting one window company quote: instead I got four. And then reviewed every window with the salesman in order to plug & play different size options to ultimately save $1,000s in simple things like ensuring a window is high enough off the finished floor so that it doesn’t have to be tempered.

Excessive overhead lighting. All lighting designers will tell you that a good scheme is all about layering low, medium, and high where necessary.

Living alone. This house is built for hospitality including a nanny suite and guest quarters. It’s meant to meet our current and future and very future needs.

Customizing everything to my specific tastes. This is a trap. Keep accessibility in mind. Keep style in mind, but don’t overthink your personal needs and make impractical choices that feel right for you, but future owners may not find it useful. Example: a bar in the master bedroom.

Just take their word for it. I need to remember to check and double check, because we are all humans, moving quickly and stuff gets overlooked. I have ordered a few wrong parts, have a mismatched window and bought a door handle that opens the wrong way. C’est la vie.