When we first started designing our home, I knew the 2D drawings made sense on paper—but translating them into how it would feel in real life is a whole different story. Unless you’ve trained your brain to read architectural plans, it’s tough to imagine walking through your future kitchen, standing in your great room, or looking out those big windows.

That’s why I decided to take things a step further and create a 3D model of our home. With the help of Michael Dooley, who took my model and transformed it into full renderings and video walkthroughs, we were able to step inside our future house before a single wall was built.

And let me tell you—it was shockingly similar to the finished product. Seeing those renderings side by side with the completed spaces still surprises me. The scale, the light, the way the rooms flowed into each other—it was all there in the digital version before we ever poured the foundation.

Why it mattered during the build

3D renderings gave us more than just visuals—they gave us clarity. Here’s how they helped us:

• Alignment as a couple: I knew what I wanted things to look like, but I also needed to make sure my husband was on the same page. You can explain things really well, but that doesn’t always mean you’re picturing the same outcome. Case in point: our railings. We fought about what the railing detail should be (our one and only big fight during the build… I know, they’re just railings). But when we finally looked at the video walkthrough together, we realized we both wanted the same thing—it was right there in the 3D model the whole time.

• Clearer communication with trades: It’s one thing to hand a contractor a set of plans. It’s another to show them a space. Renderings helped every trade understand the vision and made it easier to avoid missteps.

• Confidence in big decisions: From the placement of windows to the height of ceilings, we could see how each decision impacted the overall space. It’s much easier to invest in something when you can visualize it in real life.

• Flexibility and foresight: The interior design details weren’t finalized yet, but the renderings gave us the structure, flow, and overall vision. That framework made it so much easier to layer in design choices later without second-guessing.

Exterior

Interior

Looking back, I can’t imagine going through a home build without this step (and this was before AI). Whether you struggle to picture 2D plans in your head, or you just want reassurance that you and your team are aligned, renderings bridge the gap between what you dream of and what you’ll actually live in.