INTENTIONAL DESIGN. CLEAR GUIDANCE.
AN EASY PATH FORWARD.
A Process Designed to Feel Good
Designing a home – whether new or reimagined – is a deeply personal journey. It should feel exciting and joyful – not overwhelming.
Our process is thoughtfully designed to support your wellbeing and peace of mind from the very beginning – bringing clarity to each step and creating space for creativity to unfold naturally.
Wellness isn’t layered on at the end. It’s considered from day one, with clear milestones, transparent communication, and meaningful collaboration, so you’ll always know where you are in the process.
Every project is unique and our proven framework keeps all projects grounded, collaborative, and enjoyable from beginning to end.
Steps to Alignment
Foundational steps that establish a strong, aligned relationship from the start. Through open conversation and thoughtful discovery, you gain clarity, experience our expertise firsthand, and build the trust needed to move forward with confidence and ease.
Step 1: Discovery Call – Let’s Talk
This is a relaxed, no-pressure call where we get to know you, your goals, and what’s inspiring your project. You’ll gain early clarity, honest guidance, and a sense of what’s possible - so you can move forward feeling supported and confident.
Step 2: Consultation – Let’s Meet
A deeper, more personal step to explore your vision, your lifestyle, and the full potential of your home - whether designing new or upgrading your existing home.
NEW HOME
Your first meeting with Jenny, our founder and lead designer, is an in-depth and highly collaborative conversation hosted at our studio or via Zoom.
Together, we explore:
- How you desire to feel in your home
- Your daily rhythms and the life you want to be living
- Wellness, comfort, and connection to nature
- Opportunities for maximized views, natural light, flow, and beauty
- Accessibility and planning for the future
This 1.5–2 hour session is designed to uncover what truly matters – laying the foundation for a home that supports you physically, mentally, and emotionally.
RENOVATION/ADDITION
We meet you at your home to understand how your current space can better support your life.
During this walk-through, we:
- Evaluate what’s working – and what’s not
- Identify opportunities to reduce friction and improve flow
- How you desire to feel in your home
- Explore opportunities for enhancing natural light, views, and spatial potential
- Assess structural and property considerations and constraints
- Discuss wellness, accessibility, and evolving needs
This step brings immediate clarity and often sparks exciting ideas – helping you see your home in a completely new way.
Step 3: Design Questionnaire – Let’s Learn
After your consultation, you’ll receive our in-depth Design Questionnaire.
This is where we go deeper - capturing the fine details that shape a truly personalized home:
• How you live day-to-day
• What brings you ease, joy, and comfort
• Functional needs and future goals
• Investment priorities
This step ensures your design is aligned, deeply personalized, and supportive of your wellbeing from the start.
Step 4: Agreement – Let’s Make It Official
Once your questionnaire is complete, we’ll provide a detailed agreement outlining your scope, our fees, and next steps. With everything clearly defined, you can move forward with confidence and peace of mind. After signing and submitting your Agreement and the Phase I retainer, your project is added to our design schedule and the creation process begins.
Phases of Design Creation
LET'S START DESIGNING
From here, your project moves into structured design phases.
While New Homes and Renovations follow a similar path, there are a few key differences early on.
AS-BUILT DRAWINGS
(Renovations & Additions Only)
Before any design work begins, we carefully document your existing home with precise measurements and details. This foundational step ensures that all renovations and additions integrate seamlessly with the current structure, setting the stage for a smooth and well-informed design process.
Stage 1: Laser Scan / Field Measurement
Advanced 3D scanning captures dimensions of all areas of the existing home.
Stage 2: CAD As-Built Drawings
We create detailed drawings of your current home from the field measurements including:
- Floor plans
- Exterior elevations
- Roof plan
- 3D exterior model
This step creates a clear, accurate foundation for all future design work – supporting a smoother, more predictable design process.
SITE ASSESSMENT & CONCEPTUAL DESIGN
We begin by getting to know your land and how your home can live in harmony with it.
This includes:
- On-site evaluation of your property
- Study of the current property survey and boundaries
- Analysis of views, topography, sun, wind, and natural features
- Consideration of access, utilities, and setbacks
- Long-term planning for your overall property potential
From there, we begin conceptual design:
- Hand-drawn conceptual floor plans and proposed site plan
- One conceptual exterior elevation
- Collaborative review meetings
This phase is creative and exciting – where possibilities and exploration begin to take shape and your vision starts to feel real.
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
(Refinement Phase)
Your design evolves into a cohesive and detailed vision.
This includes:
- Refined CAD floor plans and elevations
- Roof and site plans
- 3D exterior perspectives
- Material and finish discussions
- Ongoing collaboration with you, your builder, and interior designer
These drawings allow you to fully visualize your home and support preliminary pricing conversations with your building team.
CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS
(Final Phase)
This phase produces the complete, build-ready plans your construction team needs – removing uncertainty and supporting a smooth construction experience.
Construction Drawing Set Includes:
- Site plan (based on survey)
- Fully dimensioned and noted floor plans
- Foundation and roof plans
- Exterior elevations with 3D exterior perspective views of all structures
- Building and/or wall sections, as needed
- Electrical plans
- Door, window and skylight schedules
- Kitchen cabinet elevations
- Retractable screens and elevator details, if applicable
- Sealed crawl space details, if applicable
- Healthy home materials and resource recommendations
For renovations, this phase also includes demolition plans for the existing structure.
These drawings:
- Enable accurate builder pricing
- Support permitting
- Coordinate with engineers and other consultants
- Guide construction from start to finish
Structural Engineering
While structural engineering is not included in our services, it is highly recommended. We coordinate closely with your engineer to ensure seamless integration – helping everything come together smoothly and efficiently. Engineering fees are paid directly to your engineer.
Optional Advanced Visualization
For clients seeking a more immersive experience or needing more help visualizing their future spaces, we offer:
- Interior and exterior renderings
- Color fly-around animations
- Walk-Thru Plans® (full-scale layout projections you can physically walk through)
These tools bring clarity and confidence – helping you truly feel your home before construction begins.
A Process Designed Around You
At every stage, our process is designed to support more than just a beautiful outcome.
It’s designed to:
- Reduce stress through clarity and structure
- Create space for creativity, exploration, and meaningful input
- Keep you engaged, informed, and excited
- Deliver a home that supports your health, happiness, and daily joy in life
Because a well-designed home doesn’t just look good – it feels right, from the very beginning.
GET THE HOME YOU DESERVE.
Select Pippin Home Designs as your Designer and Guide through the home design process.
