I always fantasized about designing my own home from scratch (who hasn't, I suppose?), so when the developers told us we'd put in our offer when there was "still time for customization," I was elated. I couldn't wait to study different tile samples and pick out paint swatches. It took one week — which included an epic, heated knob-vs.-handle debate with my husband — before I threw in the towel. I made some requests, like different pendant lights in the kitchen and a gray subway tile backsplash I'd always swooned over in interior design magazines, but for the most part, I stuck with what was in the model unit.
My thinking? The development team — which included professional stagers — selected finishes that worked for the space and the style, and without a ton of knowledge, I was likely to choose some fixture that, once installed, really wouldn't "go."
