As a builder, you might not spend a lot of time poking around on social media, but if you did, you might be surprised at what is "trending" in terms of home design and features. Sites like Pinterest are awfully helpful when looking for inspiration, and this is true whether you are making meals or building multi-million dollar homes. Where home design is concerned, custom capitals, columns and custom corbels are a very hot topic.
The Uses of Custom Capitals and Custom Corbels
While it is true that you'll see a lot of architectural elements being used as part of elaborate DIY projects, you will also see that there is a deep desire to integrate historic and old world elements into both interiors and exteriors. Kitchens, for example, are now home to custom capitals or custom corbels, as are oversized foyers and simple halls framed with arches and finished with custom corbels for a touch of elegance.
Integrating the Trend Into Your Work
Clearly, this means that, as a builder, you can start to develop a bit of a niche of your own - using custom capitals, columns and custom corbels in many of your designs. The question, naturally, is "how?". The answer has to start with you, your clientele and your goals.
Let's begin with you. What sort of homes are you building right now? In other words, what is their overall style? Try to sum it up in only a few words. Are they a contemporary take on Colonial? Maybe they are the Mediterranean influenced with stucco and terra cotta tiles? Perhaps you are doing basic Cape Cod homes or Art Deco gems?
It doesn't matter, almost all exterior and interior styles can actually use corbels, columns and capitals. The key is to determine your general approach or look and then figure out how you can get your clientele on board with these elements. That is when social media can help. You may roll your eyes at the thought of it, but it is the way of the future, with billions of people holding accounts and using them daily.
Take some time to dig around on Pinterest and see if you can find any of your actual clients. It is likely that many of them will have galleries of images dedicated to home decorating or home projects. Think of these as treasure troves of inspiration and look to see if any are using accents that could be replaced by corbels, columns and capitals.
Now, translate whatever you find into elements in your newest projects. Perhaps you love Mission or Art Deco styles? These are prime candidates for columns in main entries or corbels in arches.
Take time, too, to visit Pattern Cut and see how they have supplied builders like yourself with the resources needed to bump up their design game and stand out in their industry.
