Avoid These Costly Mistakes When Building a Custom Luxury Home

Building a custom luxury home is a dream—until avoidable mistakes turn it into a stressful, expensive nightmare. The truth? Most homeowners don’t know what they don’t know. And that’s when budgets get blown, timelines stretch endlessly, and design regrets pile up.

If you’re investing millions into your home, you need to do it right from day one. Here’s what NOT to do if you want a smooth, high-end build that actually turns out how you envisioned.

Mistake #1: Hiring a Builder First & Thinking You Can Add a Designer Later

You wouldn’t assemble a puzzle with missing pieces—so why would you build a home without the full team from the start? Architect, builder, and interior designer should all be involved from DAY ONE.

❌ What happens when you don’t?

• That stunning chandelier you picked doesn’t actually work with your ceiling height.

• Custom cabinetry is designed after appliances are ordered (spoiler: they don’t fit).

• Electrical plans didn’t account for custom lighting, motorized shades, or smart home tech and now you’re retroactively trying to make these things work.

💡 How to avoid this: Hire your designer, builder, and architect as a team so every detail is planned upfront—before costly mistakes happen.

Mistake #2: Making Design Decisions After Construction Starts

Waiting until framing to choose your kitchen layout? Recipe for disaster. Rushing paint colors after drywall? Big mistake.

A luxury home requires detailed, proactive planning—not last-minute decision-making that delays the project and increases costs.

❌ The real cost of indecision:

• Change orders that blow your budget

• Delivery delays that push back move-in dates

• “That’s not what I expected” regrets

💡 How to avoid this: Lock in your materials, finishes, and layouts before construction begins. The more proactive you are, the smoother (and less stressful) your build will be.

Mistake #3: Relying on Pinterest Instead of a Real Design Plan

Pinterest is inspiration, not execution. Your builder needs detailed specs, elevations, and drawings—not just a mood board.

❌ What goes wrong?

• The team “interprets” your vision instead of executing a clear plan.

• Tile layouts, fixture placements, and finishes aren’t documented, leading to mistakes.

• Your project turns into an expensive game of “telephone” between trades.

💡 How to avoid this: Work with a designer who provides detailed construction documents that leave zero room for misinterpretation.

Mistake #4: Underestimating Costs & Thinking You Can “Figure It Out Later”

Luxury design doesn’t happen on a bargain-bin budget. If you expect high-end craftsmanship, custom details, and premium materials, you need to plan for it financially.

❌ The reality check:

• That statement range that you’re dying to have? It’s fully custom and takes 20+ weeks to arrive.

• Bespoke millwork? Skilled artisans = $$$.

• Smart home integration? It’s not an afterthought—it’s a major investment.

💡 How to avoid this: Get realistic cost estimates upfront and work with a designer who ensures your vision aligns with your budget before construction starts.

Mistake #5: Thinking You Don’t Need a Designer for a New Build

Your builder isn’t a designer. Your architect isn’t managing the build. If you don’t have a designer overseeing every detail, here’s what can happen:

🚨 Tile layouts get “interpreted” incorrectly, requiring expensive fixes.
🚨 Your furniture doesn’t fit because space planning wasn’t prioritized.
🚨 Electrical placements don’t support your lighting plan.

💡 How to avoid this: Hiring an interior designer on a multi-million dollar build is not only a luxury - it’s kind of a necessity. Your home is too big of an investment to “hope for the best.”

The Right Team = A Smooth, Stress-Free Build

Building a luxury custom home is a major investment, and cutting corners in planning or hiring the wrong team will cost you in the long run. If you want a high-end, fully customized home, the key is proactivity, expert collaboration, and hiring the right professionals.

If you want a seamless, high-end custom home build, make sure you:
✅ Hire your designer, builder, and architect together from the start.
✅ Plan every single detail before construction begins.
✅ Set a realistic budget for luxury materials and craftsmanship.
✅ Work with professionals who think ahead—not react to problems.

Building a luxury home? Let’s talk.

At Studio Gaspo, we specialize in custom new builds and large-scale renovations, making sure your home is designed to perfection before the first hammer swings.

Reach out to start building your dream home the right way.

Behind the Design: How Studio Gaspo Masterfully Balances Form and Function in Luxury Interior Design

At Studio Gaspo, we're no amateurs when it comes to blending aesthetics with functionality. In fact, it's a cornerstone of our design philosophy. We place equal importance on both aspects in a space, and ensure we’ve got the perfect blend in every interior we create. It’s our job to find solutions that let you truly LIVE your life in your house, but still have it look amazing! Wanna know how we do it?

1. Cutting-Edge Products and Technology: One of our core values at Studio Gaspo is perpetual learning and improvement, and constantly educating ourselves on the latest and greatest products and technology available in the design industry is part of that. Proactive is our middle name (okay, it’s actually Rose - sue me). By being in the know about innovative solutions, we can select the coolest elements that not only enhance the visual appeal of a space but also serve a purpose functionally.

2. Customization for Unique Needs: We get it - every client’s lifestyle and needs are unique. When the perfect off-the-shelf solution doesn't exist, we leverage our expertise in customization. If you follow us on Instagram, you know I’m a broken record with my “custom is king, baby!” saying. Whether it's designing a vanity in a toddler’s bathroom with a special pull-out step so that your big kid can “do it myself!” or creating a custom sofa with a solution for the rogue overnight guest, we ensure that every space is tailored to meet our clients' specific needs. If the perfect solution doesn’t exist, we simply invent it. Boom!

3. Thoughtful Space Planning: Aesthetics and functionality go hand in hand in well-designed spaces. We carefully plan the layout and flow of each interior to optimize the usage of available space and ensure that it aligns seamlessly with our clients' daily routines and activities.

4. Multi-Functional Design: We believe in the power of multi-functional design, where elements serve more than one purpose. This approach maximizes the efficiency of the space and minimizes clutter, offering versatile solutions that are both beautiful and practical.

5. Durability and Quality: In addition to aesthetics, we prioritize durability and quality in our design selections. By choosing high-quality materials and furnishings, we ensure that our designs not only look stunning but also stand the test of time and daily use.

6. Client Collaboration: Collaboration is where the magic happens. We listen, we gather all of your input, and then we use our expertise to tell your story and create spaces that resonate with your wildest dreams. By collaborating with our clients upfront, we achieve a space that is not only visually appealing but also highly functional and tailored to your lifestyle.

So there you have it, the Studio Gaspo way of balancing beauty and brains (ahem, functionality). We're not your average interior design firm; we're here to create spaces that not only turn heads but also make your life so much easier. Ready to get to work on your dream custom home? We’d love to connect!

Elevate Your Holiday Decor - Studio Gaspo Style

Here are some tips to get your home holiday-ready Studio Gaspo style:

1. Statement Entryway: Wow guests at the door with a sculptural wreath. Include luxe textures and bold metallics that set the tone for your home's holiday vibe.

2. Moody Lighting Layers: Add depth with lighting - candles in collected vintage holders add warmth and drama to a holiday mantle. 

3. Luxe Greenery: Drape velvet or satin ribbon through wreaths and garlands, using rich colors to give greenery a chic, tailored look. Bonus points if your greenery is live - if that's not quite in the cards this year, we love this faux option. 

4. Unexpected Accents: Swap traditional reds and greens for deep burgundy, silvers, or champagnes to bring an elevated edge to your decorations.  

5. Personalized Touches: Monogrammed stockings or custom-made place settings add personality in your holiday decor. 

These touches transform your home into a welcoming holiday retreat that's both festive and refined. Let us know which of these tips you’re trying out this holiday season!

xx jamie

The Low Down on Slate Appliances

When we bought our house and decided to rip out and totally redo our kitchen, we knew we'd have to consider appliances, since we weren't loving the creepy, dirty, old ones that came with the place. Ha. The default for kitchen appliances seems to be stainless steel, but I'm just not a big fan. As a hater of all things silver, I wasn't really feeling a bunch of huge, silver appliances in our kitchen.

Slate appliances had been on the outskirts of my radar, but when we actually went appliance shopping, both Ryan and I fell hard for them. We love the deep gray color and the matte finish. Pretty much everyone that comes into our house has commented on them or asked about them! 

Our Slate Appliances in action when we first moved in!

So what's the deal with slate appliances? Their classic yet distinct look makes slate appliances a great option for anyone who's looking for stainless alternatives. The slate finish has actually been around since 2012, but hasn't quite reached mainstream popularity levels yet. GE is the only company that manufactures this particular finish, and their line includes all of the major appliances, such as refrigerators, gas and electric ranges, dishwashers, and a microwave. 

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The GE slate line is sold at most major retailers, such as Lowe’s, Home Depot, and Sears, but you can get the slate finish appliances for hundreds of dollars less by shopping at certain online retailers, such as Appliances Connection or Abt. We got our refrigerator and dishwasher from the Sears' Outlet, which saved us a lot of dough. Our range was ordered online from Appliances Connection, and we got a great deal on that as well! It's always worth shopping around online to see what kind of savings you can find - especially for big purchases! 

What differentiates slate from other common appliance finishes? The color is unique; a deep gray that is matte rather than shiny. Unlike stainless steel, slate appliances are in fact magnetic. Another advantage the slate finish has over stainless is the fact that it’s “smudge-proof” and won’t get fingerprints all over it. Where a stainless steel fridge can quickly look messy and require cleaning, slate maintains its clean appearance.

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(All of the sources for our finished kitchen can be found here!)

We love our slate appliances, and would buy them again in a heartbeat! (Edited to add: we now live in our new house, and bought slate appliances again - check them out on our instagram page!) I know I've discussed mostly aesthetics, but they actually do their jobs pretty well too. ;) 

If you need help pulling together the design of your space, don't hesitate to reach out! We offer both full service design and e-design, and would love to help you!