Short answer
Decide in order of constraint. The things with the fewest options come first — stone slabs, appliances, cabinetry — and paint comes last, because paint can be mixed to match anything and nothing can be mixed to match paint.
Write everything into one finish schedule: room, element, product, manufacturer, model, color, finish, size, quantity, supplier and status. One document, one version, shared with everyone.
Every open decision at the start of construction becomes a change order later. Closing decisions early is the cheapest budget control available.
On this page
What order should selections be made in?
The principle is simple and it settles nearly every argument: decide the constrained things first, the flexible things last. A slab of quartzite comes in the colors it comes in; paint comes in every color that exists.
- Appliances — fixed dimensions, and cabinetry is built around them. See kitchen appliance planning.
- Plumbing fixtures — their specifications drive rough-in positions.
- Cabinetry — style, finish and layout, which sets the room’s architecture.
- Stone and countertops — the least flexible material in the house. Chosen from what physically exists.
- Flooring — large area, limited palette, and it runs through several rooms.
- Tile — chosen against the stone, which is why it comes after.
- Lighting — positions before drywall, fixtures later.
- Hardware and plumbing finishes — the metal thread that ties the rooms together.
- Paint — last, always. Matched to everything already chosen. See choosing paint colors.
Two decisions cut across this list and are worth making at the very start: the metal finish and the wood tone. Both appear in every room, and both are far easier to hold consistent if named on day one.
What does a finish schedule contain?
| Column | Why it is there |
|---|---|
| Room | Everything is located; nothing is “the bathroom” when there are three |
| Element | Floor, wall tile, vanity top, faucet, pull, paint |
| Manufacturer and model | The only unambiguous identifier |
| Color / finish | Including the exact finish code, not just “brass” |
| Size and quantity | With overage stated for tile and flooring |
| Supplier | Who it comes from, and who is ordering it |
| Lead time | So the schedule can be built around it |
| Status | Selected, approved, ordered, received, installed |
| Notes | Grout color, edge profile, mounting height, orientation |
The notes column earns its place. “Grout: mid-gray, epoxy”, “Edge: mitered 3cm”, “Sconce center at 62 inches” — these are the details asked on site at eight in the morning, and if they are not written down somebody guesses.
A written finish schedule is what stops the same question being asked three times and answered differently — and it is what a trade needs at seven in the morning when nobody is answering the phone.
Jan Revels produces the schedule, keeps it current and issues it to the trades.
Working with samples properly
- Judge in the room, never in the showroom. Showroom lighting is bright and neutral; your kitchen at four in the afternoon is neither.
- Judge together, not separately. Cabinet door, stone, tile, floor and hardware in one hand, in the actual room. Individually perfect selections routinely fight each other.
- Look at each at three times of day and once under artificial light.
- Get a large enough sample. A 2-inch chip tells you nothing about a stone with movement. For paint, a large sample board rather than a patch on the wall — the surrounding color distorts what you see.
- Photograph the approved combination, all the samples together, with a note of the date.
- Keep the samples until the project is complete, so anything delivered can be checked against what was approved.
- Return fabric memos promptly. Two weeks on a table is two weeks added to the end of the project — see furniture lead times.
Deadlines, and what happens when one slips
Each selection has a moment after which it is expensive:
| Selection | Must be settled by |
|---|---|
| Appliances | Before cabinetry is drawn |
| Plumbing fixtures | Before rough-in |
| Shower valve and body sprays | Before rough-in — these are inside the wall |
| Blocking locations | Before drywall |
| Switch and outlet positions | Before drywall |
| Tile and setting-out | Before the tiler starts |
| Cabinetry finish | Before fabrication |
| Stone | Before templating, which is after cabinets are set |
| Paint | Late — but before the painter is booked |
When a deadline slips, the cost is rarely the item. It is the trade who was booked, moved to another job, and is now unavailable for three weeks. That is why unmade decisions are the largest single cause of delay — see what a remodel timeline really looks like.
When you cannot decide
- Narrow to two, then decide by function. If both are beautiful, choose the one that cleans more easily, wears better or costs less to maintain.
- Ask which one you would regret less. A different question, and it produces a faster answer.
- Check what it has to sit next to. Most deadlocks resolve the moment the samples are held against the cabinetry.
- Decide the permanent things carefully and the reversible things quickly. Paint is a weekend; cabinetry is twenty years.
- Set a deadline and keep it. A decision made on time is almost always better than a better decision made three weeks late.
- Delegate the small ones. If you have a designer, some decisions genuinely do not need you.
Recording it for later
When the project ends, keep a closeout file. In five years you will want:
- Paint colors, by room, with sheen — and the leftover tins labeled.
- Tile and stone details, plus the box of offcuts for repairs.
- Appliance models and serial numbers, with manuals and warranties.
- Plumbing fixture models, for replacement cartridges.
- Cabinetry maker, door style, finish and hardware, so an addition can match.
- Photographs of everything before the walls were closed.
- Permits, inspection records and the trades who did the work.
Key takeaways
- Decide in order of constraint. Stone and appliances early, paint last, always.
- Name the metal finish and the wood tone on day one; they appear in every room.
- One finish schedule, one version, with a notes column for grout, edges and heights.
- Judge samples together, in the room, at three times of day.
- Shower valves and blocking are inside walls — decide before rough-in and drywall.
- A slipped decision costs the trade’s availability, not the item.
- Keep a closeout file: paint colors, offcuts, models, warranties and photographs.
Frequently asked questions
What order should I make selections in?
What is a finish schedule?
How do I judge samples properly?
What happens if I am late making a decision?
What should I keep after the project finishes?
Jan has practiced interior design in Dallas since 1997 and founded Chateau Concepts in 2001. She holds a BFA in Interior Design from the University of North Texas. She designs and general-contracts residential and commercial projects across the Park Cities, Preston Hollow and North Dallas. Read her full profile →
Written and reviewed by Jan Revels before publicationWork with Chateau Concepts
Jan Revels handles both sides of a project in Dallas and the Park Cities — the design and the build.