Yes, our Design Studio is by appointment-only. Previews can be arranged through your Community New Home Specialist.

Once you have signed an agreement of sale and finalized your structural options, you will be contacted by our Design team to schedule your time in the studio.

The Design Studio is located at our Main Office at 4511 Falmer Drive, Bethlehem PA 18020 and is open Monday-Friday. We offer single full-day, 6-hour appointments (with an hour lunch break in between) and two, 3-hour appointments in either mornings or afternoons. We also offer conducting design appointments by Zoom for those who live long distance or prefer virtual appointments.

The best way to prepare is to visit our model homes! Our model homes are fully decorated and showcase some of our favorite color selections and combinations of included and upgraded options. We recommend you schedule an appointment so that our community specialists can give you a tour and point out their favorite selections.

Can’t make it to a model? Tour our homes virtually here!

Another fun thing you can do to prepare and get inspired is to learn more about your personal style and tastes through popular home design websites and books. Find inspiration using Instagram, Pinterest, Houzz, magazines, books, photographs of options you like in our various homes’ photo galleries, and more. You can even send our Designers your inspiration photos ahead of time! Then, they can swiftly help bring your vision to life with our catalog of options during your Design Studio appointment. Also, follow us on social media or check out our blog to see other homes we’re currently building, as well as our favorite design trends!

There’s nothing quite like being able to see the colors and combinations in person – so feel free to drive through our communities and note what exterior colors you like and share them with your Design Consultant!

Whether your design inspiration lives in your phone’s photo albums, on your tablet’s Pinterest app, or in a binder, we encourage you to bring them along! Trying to coordinate your sofa’s upholstery with your future flooring? Bring along a cushion cover (or photo)! If you plan to purchase or upgrade the included appliances through us, please bring your preferred GE model numbers to your appointment. (Reference your community’s specification sheet in your AOS for info on the appliances and more handy info!)

The buyers and/or decisionmakers should be present for the design appointment. Designing a home can be so exciting that you may be tempted to share the experience with close family or friends, or you might want them present for guidance if designing isn’t “your thing.” However, we advise only the necessary people are part of the design process. Many decisions and details go into the colors, materials, and options of your home, and your time in the studio is limited, so minimizing distraction is key. If a babysitter is unavailable to watch the young ones, they of course are welcome to join. 

Our Design Consultants will learn about you, your needs, your lifestyle, and your tastes to best guide you through the whole process. We are firm believers that beautiful, functional design will enhance your lives for years to come, and we want to help you achieve that!

We pride ourselves on building personalized homes to meet every style and budget, so you can choose as much or as little as you want! You’ll start by selecting your exterior colors, and then continue to your interior colors. Every home is different, so we’ll go through your plan so you can pick the options specific to your home. You’ll know what’s included, and can see what optional offerings are available to you as well. 

Have a specific idea in mind? Consult your New Home Specialist or Design Consultant to see if we can accommodate it! 

On design day, your Design Consultant will review your home’s floor plans with you, highlighting design elements that make up your home, offering options to consider adding, and marking where you’d like your included electricals and hose bibs to go.

Next, you’ll design the Exterior of your home. From siding to shingles – you’ll be involved in selecting included options and considering others available in the exterior design.

The main event comes after exterior: Kitchen and Flooring! Cabinets, countertops, and flooring are decided first. Then finer details like faucet, cabinet hardware, and optional items tie it all together.

At this point, you’ll either break for lunch if you have a single, full-day appointment, or you’ll head home and reconvene for your second 3-hour appointment another day.

Owners’ Bath comes next. Depending on the number of options you add in here, this can be like designing a kitchen. Based on your vision, your designer will start you with the vanities and flooring or your shower. Like the kitchen, you’ll then select the other details such as faucets, hardware, and optional items.

Hall Bath, Powder Room, Laundry and/or Mud Room (and, depending on your home design, any other bathrooms) follow the Owners’ Bath. You’re a pro at color and material options available in bathrooms by now, so the rest is a breeze!

Finally, you’ll sit with your Design Consultant to review the designs you selected and options you added. This is a great time to review any outstanding items that you were considering but haven’t yet committed to, understand your totals, and check for accuracy.

If you’re ready to finalize your design selections and options following your review, you may sign off on your design then! If you’d like some time yet, you may coordinate it with your Design Consultant to authorize your design electronically.

Congrats! You’ve designed your brand new, personalized home for you and your family to enjoy!