WHAT TO TELL YOUR ARCHITECT EARLY IN A LUXURY HOME PROJECT
The most successful projects begin with conversations far beyond “How many bedrooms?”
Considerations for Custom Luxury Homes in Colorado
Designing a custom home in Colorado, especially in a mountain community or on a rural property, isn't just about finishes or square footage. It is about clarity.
Many of our clients are building second homes, vacation retreats, or legacy properties that will stay in their families for generations. Early alignment around how you live, what you value, and what you expect from your home allows us to design spaces that feel effortless, as though they always belonged exactly where they are
The most successful luxury home projects begin with conversations that go far beyond “How many bedrooms do you want?" Here's what we encourage clients to communicate at the very beginning of each home project.
"Luxury is often defined by how effortlessly your life fits into your space."
Art & Collectibles
Do you collect large-scale artwork? Sculpture? Photography? Do you rotate pieces seasonally? For clients who value art, whether a growing collection or a few meaningful pieces, early conversations allow us to design spaces that anticipate them.
We often plan dedicated art walls, controlled lighting conditions, and indoor or outdoor locations for sculptural focal points. By aligning architecture with artwork from the beginning, the home feels composed and intentional rather than retrofitted. Art affects scale, lighting design, wall materials, climate control, and even structural coordination. When we know about it early, we can make it integral, not an afterthought.
A/V, Acoustics & Security
Whole-house audio. Hidden speakers. Dedicated media rooms or sound booths. Advanced security systems. Gated entries. Remote monitoring. Acoustic separation between public and private zones. Many of the most luxurious elements in a custom mountain home are the ones you don't see. But invisibility requires planning.
If a primary suite needs to feel exceptionally quiet, that influences wall assemblies. If you want discreet speakers and motorized shades, that affects ceiling design and electrical planning. If security and remote access matter because the home won't be occupied year-round, that infrastructure should be coordinated from the start. For out-of-town homeowners especially, seamless technology and thoughtful security planning create peace of mind.
Specialty Furniture, Equipment & Appliances
Grand pianos. Commercial-grade ranges. Wine storage. Fitness rooms. Oversized dining tables for multi-generational gatherings. Specialty refrigeration. Car lifts or collector garages. These elements influence floor structure, clearances, mechanical loads, ventilation, and circulation patterns. Even knowing your preferred appliance brands early can impact cabinetry dimensions and utility planning. When these pieces are part of the conversation at the exploration stage, they feel embedded in the architecture rather than inserted later.
Mechanical Expectations, Performance & Certification
Backup power. Snowmelt systems. Advanced air filtration. Humidity control for art. High-performance assemblies. Passive House, LEED, or other certification goals. In Colorado’s mountain environments, performance isn't optional. It shapes durability, comfort, and long-term value.
If sustainability, energy performance, or third-party certification is important to you, that affects envelope design, detailing strategy, consultant selection, and budget from day one. Performance goals are extremely difficult to be added later. It's better to let them shape the architecture itself. For discerning homeowners, true luxury means comfort you never have to think about.
Storage & Spatial Priorities
Closet size. Seasonal gear. Ski tuning areas. Fly fishing storage. Art crates. Specialty car storage. Separate primary suites versus a shared primary bath. A soaking tub or no tub at all. Seemingly simple spatial preferences meaningfully influence square footage, plumbing layout, and overall hierarchy within the home. Luxury is often defined by how effortlessly your life fits into your space. Planning for these realities early is how we make rooms feel intuitive and natural, as though they always belonged to you.
"We ask about art. About comfort. About sustainability. About how you host friends for long weekends. About how you retreat after a powder day."
Entertaining & Guest Experience
How do you host friends and family? Do you need large indoor/outdoor entertaining spaces, multiple guest suites, a wine or cocktail bar, or flexible living areas? For many of our clients, a Colorado mountain home is a gathering place, not just a retreat. Early conversations about entertaining priorities help us design circulation, seating, kitchen and dining layouts, and outdoor spaces that make hosting effortless. By planning your home around entertaining and guest flow at the start, it can feel expansive yet intimate, seamless for both everyday living and multi-generational gatherings.
Legacy & Multi-Generational Living
Will your home evolve with your family over time? Do you anticipate adult children returning for holidays, aging parents visiting, or long-term guests staying seasonally? Designing with legacy and flexibility in mind allows us to create spaces that adapt gracefully to changing family needs. This may include separate living wings, accessory buildings, convertible guest suites, or adaptable indoor/outdoor spaces. Early conversations about multi-generational living ensure your home is not only beautiful today but functional and welcoming for decades to come.
How You Like to Communicate
An important logistical preference to define is how you prefer to communicate. In person, by video, or through an owner’s representative? How often will you be in Colorado during design and construction? Many of our clients live out of state and are building second homes or vacation properties. Understanding communication preferences and availability early allows us to structure meetings, documentation, and decision timelines appropriately, without wasting your time. Clarity around process and presence is just as important as clarity around design, and it sets the tone for a smooth, collaborative experience.
The Good News
The good news is that we don't expect you to anticipate all of this alone.
During the exploration stage of every FOLLOW project, we intentionally guide clients through these conversations. We ask about art. About comfort. About sustainability. About how you host friends for long weekends. About how you retreat after a powder day. About what legacy means in the context of a mountain home.
This early clarity allows us to assemble the right consultant team, align budget with performance goals, set clear collaboration and communication rhythms, and design proactively instead of reactively. Planning for these layers isn't about adding complexity. It is about removing friction.
When priorities are understood from the beginning, the resulting architecture feels grounded, calm, and inevitable, as though it rose from the Colorado landscape and from your life simultaneously. Designing a modern luxury or vacation home in Colorado is the best kind of adventure. Every site brings new terrain, new light, new constraints, and new opportunity.
The more thoughtful the preparation, the more seamless the experience. And that preparation is where truly effortless luxury begins.
'till the next one,
Andi
Hello hello! I'm Andrea (or Andi), a partner and architect at FOLLOW Architecture. I write about modern luxury design, and how to build thoughtfully in the West.