Almost every prospective client I speak with begins with a number. "We are thinking about 6,000 square feet." Or 8,000. Or 10,000. The number feels concrete and decisive. It suggests a clear starting point.
But after designing homes across the full spectrum of luxury residential — from 4,500 to well over 12,000 square feet — I can tell you that square footage is one of the least meaningful numbers in the entire process. I have seen 5,200-square-foot homes that feel expansive, gracious, and perfectly proportioned. And I have seen 9,000-square-foot homes where the owners confess they only use half the rooms.
The difference is not size. It is programming.
Programming: The Work Before the Floor Plan
Programming is the design phase most homeowners have never heard of, and it is arguably the most important work we do. It happens before a single line is drawn. It is a structured conversation — sometimes several conversations — about how you actually live.
Not how you think you should live. Not what looks impressive in a magazine. How you actually spend your mornings, your evenings, your weekends. Where you cook. Where you work. Where your children do homework. How you entertain. Whether you exercise at home. What your hobbies require. How much you value privacy versus openness. Whether you want to see the kitchen from the front door or not.
These answers — specific, personal, sometimes surprising — are what determine the size and character of your home. Not an arbitrary number you mentioned in your first phone call.
Our Discovery and Programming phase is specifically designed to surface these answers before design begins. The result is a program document that lists every room, its purpose, its spatial relationships, and its approximate dimensions — derived from your life, not from a spreadsheet.
Why Rooms Matter More Than Total Square Footage
Consider two homes. Both are 7,000 square feet. In the first, the great room is 28 by 22 feet with 12-foot ceilings. It is dramatic, light-filled, and proportionally correct. The primary suite is 600 square feet including the bathroom and closet system. The kitchen is generous but efficient, with a walk-in pantry that actually functions. The circulation — hallways, stairs, transitions between rooms — is clean and purposeful.
In the second home, the same 7,000 square feet is distributed differently. The great room is 32 by 26 feet — technically larger but now too wide for a single conversation area, so the space feels empty rather than grand. The primary suite is 850 square feet, which sounds luxurious but includes a bathroom so large that it feels cold. There are four secondary bedrooms even though the family only needs two. And the circulation is indirect, with long hallways connecting wings that could have been adjacent.
Both homes cost roughly the same to build on a per-square-foot basis. But the first home feels intentional, and the second feels oversized. The difference is not budget. It is design intelligence applied to the program.
Room-by-Room Thinking for Luxury Homes
Certain rooms in a luxury home have strong size guidelines based on function and proportion. Others are more personal. Here is how we think about some of the most common spaces.
The primary suite in our projects typically falls between 500 and 750 square feet including the bathroom, closet system, and sleeping area. Beyond 750 square feet, the sleeping area often feels disconnected from the bathroom, and the bathroom itself can feel institutional rather than spa-like. The goal is warmth and comfort at a generous scale — not vastness for its own sake.
The kitchen is perhaps the most dimension-sensitive room in a luxury home. Counter-to-island clearances, appliance proximity, and pantry access all depend on precise measurements. A kitchen island that is 42 inches wide with 48 inches of clearance on each side functions beautifully. Stretch that island to 60 inches with 36 inches of clearance — technically larger — and the workflow breaks down.
Great rooms and living spaces are where proportion matters most. Ceiling height should relate to room width. A 20-foot-wide room with 9-foot ceilings feels compressed. The same room with 11-foot ceilings transforms. We design these relationships precisely, coordinating with structural and mechanical systems to ensure the proportions we specify can actually be built.
Secondary bedrooms are where square footage most often gets wasted in luxury homes. Not every bedroom needs to be a suite. A well-designed 14-by-16-foot bedroom with proper closet space serves a guest or child beautifully. Oversizing secondary bedrooms to 18 by 20 feet adds construction cost without adding comfort.
When Bigger Is Better — and When It Is Not
Some spaces genuinely benefit from generous dimensions. Mudrooms and utility areas in luxury homes are chronically undersized because they are not glamorous — but they serve critical daily functions. A well-designed mudroom with dedicated storage for each family member, a pet washing station, and a connection to the garage can transform the daily experience of coming home.
Walk-in pantries, laundry rooms, and closet systems also deserve more space than they typically receive. These are the rooms your family uses every day, and they function best when designed with the same care as the more visible spaces.
Where bigger is not better: hallways, foyers that prioritize drama over function, bathrooms beyond a comfortable scale, and rooms that exist only because the square footage needed to be distributed somewhere. Every room should justify its existence through function and lived experience — not through its contribution to a number on a listing sheet.
Right-Sizing Your Home
The homes in our portfolio range from approximately 4,500 to over 12,000 square feet. What they share is not a size — it is an approach. Every room was programmed from the owner's lifestyle. Every dimension was chosen for proportion and function. And every square foot was evaluated through our Builder's Eye methodology to ensure it could be built as designed.
If you are beginning to plan a custom home and feel uncertain about size, that uncertainty is a good sign. It means you are thinking about the right questions. The answer is not a number. The answer is a design process that starts with your life and works outward from there.
We welcome that conversation whenever you are ready to begin.