Wondering how working with a designer on your custom home journey really looks? Designer Hilari Goris walks us through it.

Over a decade ago, G&G owner Joe Garcia reached out to fledgling designer, Hilari Goris. “[Joe] took a chance on me with his first home show back in 2014. I was just going out on my own, and I wanted to get my feet wet.” And did she. The team won the show’s People’s Choice Award on their first outing, setting the foundation for a fruitful partnership.

In addition to working with G&G Custom Homes, Hilari serves her clients at her eponymous firm with targeted design solutions. This presents an incredible benefit to our clients. Hilari has worked with them throughout the process, establishing strong relationships and honing her insight into their personalities, lifestyles, goals. Choosing Hilari for their furnishing/accessory needs ensures “the house works together from groundbreaking to move-in.”

The Value of Working with a Designer on Your Custom Home Build

The beauty, and challenge, of building a custom home is that you decide everything from roof and plumbing to registers and paint colors. Everything. Fortunately, that’s just what experienced designers do… Everything.

“Interior design,” says Hilari, “is such a misleading term” as people often think it means “decorator” or “interior designer.” In fact, though, “I help with every exterior selection, window color, the stone, the brick, the color of the house, the materials used… And then we get inside those walls to work on interior selections as well.” Cabinets, tile, flooring, fixtures, and furnishings are all within Hilari’s purview.

Design is “so much more than just making a house look pretty.” It’s about ensuring that inside and out, top to bottom, are cohesive – and reflective of the people who will call it home.

Working with a designer on your custom build also provides you with an invaluable ally. “It’s having someone to bounce everything off of. Another voice. It’s having someone help you feel comfortable with your decisions. Doing it alone is stressful, you second-guess yourself. Working together, it’s a much more fun process. You have someone in your corner the whole time.”

A Proven Process

Shouldn’t every connection begin with coffee? Hilari prefers to enter into client engagements in a casual and comfortable way – setting realistic expectations for the entire relationship!

She starts at the very beginning: “In today’s world, there is so much out there that they can see from Pinterest, Houzz, Instagram. I do ask people to bring me images of rooms they like. They don’t even have to know why they like that. That helps me get a sense of what they want their home to feel like.”

Additionally, during initial meetings, “I present [clients] with a binder, an organizational tool that we are going to use throughout the whole building process.”

The binder breaks the marathon custom home journey into manageable steps. Arranged by category, Hilari leads clients through each selection in a methodical manner. “When we start digging that hole in the ground, we begin with windows. We put it in the binder. We move on to exterior stone and roof color; selections go into the binder. Then we’re going into cabinets, layouts, colors, and layering plumbing in. With this tool, we’re building the home piece by piece.”

This dynamic visual aid becomes indispensable when it is time to delve into the details. It allows us, Hilari says, to “make sure, at the end, everything is cohesive. We have the whole snapshot, and it keeps everyone organized.”

This thoughtfully designed tool is a tangible reminder that a marathon is completed one stride at a time. “If we have to go back and change the finish of a faucet, absolutely we can do that. We just have to start somewhere and not get overwhelmed.” And she knows just where to start.

“After working with Joe for so long, we have an assembly line down, if you will, an order of operation. It’s a proven process that works for us. Again, if we don’t take this by baby steps, we’re going to get stuck in the mud on all of the details – and we’re not even there yet!”

Hilari explains that with a custom build, “You’re literally picking out everything from the register to the doorstop to every handle and door knob. It’s my job to help clients do that and feel confident in the decisions they’re making.”

The Heart of the Process: Trusting Relationships

The binder is a tool; the real magic lies in the relationships Hilari forges and fosters with clients. “I get to know them on a personal level. I want to know about their kids. How much they entertain. What their day-to-day looks like – and what holidays look like.” This ensures that the materials selected, the flow of the house, the cabinets, the storage… everything… works for all aspects of their life.

Hilari’s genuine interest in her clients also helps her navigate challenges. And every build will have them Whether it’s struggling with decision-fatigue, fixating on small details ahead of major selections, or prioritizing trends over timelessness, Hilari always reminds clients to go back, revisit their goals (and their binders), and reconnect with what they really want.

A Balancing Act

Arguably one of the biggest challenges revolves around budget. As Hilari puts it, we’re “working against allowances and the internet!” That is, there is oftentimes a gap between the picture-perfect Pinterest vision and the real-world cost. Hilari is a master at bridging that gap, leveraging her industry knowledge and experience to “meet the expectations of their overall vision but still keep it at a good price point.”

A client might find the perfect Italian tile online, for example, but it needs to be imported, significantly increasing their spend. On the other hand, they may find an attractive, cheaper alternative that just won’t last. “Part of the job,” Hilari says, “Is to find the balance and provide advice on where to spend” – and where to save a bit.

Again, it all comes down to the trust that Hilari’s clients have established with her throughout the process. They know, on a deep level, that she is looking out for their best interests and will deliver a home that meets (and exceeds) their expectations. The rest… It’s details!

The Results – and Rewards

Hiliari is exhilarated by any opportunity to stretch herself as a designer – which G&G asks her to do regularly on builds from Modern Mediterranean to ultra-modern Colorado Lodge. “It’s rewarding to step outside my comfort zone a little, to push myself to get more creative.” Evidence that she consistently steps up to the challenge: 9475 Windy Hills Drive. This G&G-built and Hilari Goris-designed Modern Vineyard was a true standout at the 2024 Home-a-Rama. Hilari’s thoughtful touches and expert eye are clear inside and out.

More rewarding to her, though, is the look on clients’ faces when their custom build comes to life. “You’re making this home for them to live in. It’s a very important job to make it feel like them.” When clients choose Hilari Goris Designs for their interior furniture, “I have one big install day, placing everything down to the last accessory. Then they walk in and see everything they’d been envisioning.” It’s the culmination of months of work, and years of dreaming.

Your Team

Just as her relationship with clients facilitates a streamlined, positive experience, so too does Hilari’s relationship with G&G. “Having such a good relationship [with Joe] helps the process. No one’s butting heads; no one’s stepping on toes. Having a builder you feel comfortable with, in conjunction with a designer they’ve worked with extensively, is very important in building your team, and in making sure everything goes smoothly.”

As Hilari points out, the custom home process should be fun. With a designer, and person, of her caliber on your side? It absolutely is.

To learn more about the design process, working with Hilari, and building your forever home, connect with G&G.