Hiring a local competent interior designer will "help you tie everything together". No one here knows what "everything" is.

Gorgeous home. I’d look on Kellywearstler.com for ideas. Here are a few pics from her projects. Go BIG with art, find pieces that resonate with you for the kitchen shelves. It cannot happen overnight. Be creative.

@Mrs. Beasley Thank you for the idea with the art - this would help fill some of the empty spaces for sure! @Mark Bischak, Architect, We have been working with a designer - just looking for any other new creative ideas from the community as well to make it our dream home :)

I've said this before and I'll repeat it here: if I had a client who was crowd-sourcing ideas on the internet, I would not be happy. It's bad enough when you have to deal with in-laws, friends, colleagues, et al, who give their advice on your decor. But when you have a myriad of strangers, it's quite insulting.

Unless your designer is not helping you, is not responsive to your needs and wants, then trust him or her to do what's best for you and your home. No one here knows you as well as they do. And if you feel that your designer not all you wanted, then find someone else. Or fire him or her, and ask away on Houzz.

Diana Bier Interiors states what I was thinking. If you already have a designer why are you “crowd sourcing“ here? I think adding ”character” ( however you define that ) is more than just slapping on architectural detail. Your personal belongings, art, accessories, furniture, etc. is helpful in adding ” character”.

Just to clarify, our builder has been helping us with the design process, and we're happy with the direction things are going! We're not necessarily at the final design stage yet, and that's exactly why we're posting here. We're looking for ideas on different materials, finishes, textures, and creative details that we may not have thought of or that our builder may not have suggested.

We're certainly not looking for anyone to design our home for us or replace the people we're working with. We just enjoy seeing different ideas and perspectives, and figured this would be a great place to get some inspiration while we're still in the building process.

No one needs to feel obligated to comment if it's not their thing! Any suggestions or ideas are appreciated, and we're happy to take inspiration from wherever we can. :) @Diana Bier Interiors, LLC @klaurence

"our builder has been helping us with the design process"

All good advice so far and I’ll just add that the location you are showing those horns is the very last place it should be. Full plans would need to be posted along with photos of all materials your builder has priced/you’ve approved. Otherwise, working locally is best

For the bar area, there will be bar items on the shelf. so consider what those are, more than what’s behind them, which they will cover up. Don’t make them compete.

truly I would resist the urge to keep adding different elements at this point - there is already a lot happening in the rooms

additional interest will be added with art, rugs, furnishings etc

Congratulations on your new home! Adding character is all about incorporating thoughtful architectural details that make the space feel warm and inviting. Consider adding decorative wall paneling, statement lighting, natural wood accents, textured finishes, and interesting trim details. A combination of layered materials, balanced colors, and carefully selected fixtures can give your home a timeless personality without making the design feel overwhelming. I would also recommend planning these details early so they blend seamlessly with the overall architecture.

Are there floor plans that you can post?

La-La girl is right. The space is so architecturally interesting. It’s truly art in itself. You don’t have to do too much! I’d look at inspiration pics from Architectural Digest, and learn more about how they decorate unique spaces.

Define "more character", "wooded scenery", "modern mountain look", and "more modern interior"?

Show what desired "character" the current house design has so that continuity of design can be achieved and not be piecemealed.

Your problem is you're designing an empty space. If you actually use the bar area, the shelves will be filled with bottles and glassware, so the marble backsplash will read as visual clutter. I'd just paint the wall behind the bar.

Your feature wall looks shoved into a corner and it competes with the shiny black column. I'd have one thing, either the shiny black column or the niche with the mirror.

As for the office, it really needs furniture, not more built-in "features". Here are some very different home offices, with a wood built-in.

Home office and residential work spaces · More Info

Contemporary Custom Home in UP · More Info

Harding Family Home · More Info

Rather than go to AI, which is going to give you very generic pictures, I'd create an ideabook for your office and collect pictures you like. Tag it if, say, you like the desk in the pic above, but hate the rug and the gilded chairs.

Ditto for a fireplace. There are a gazillion fireplace photos. Here's one with a lot of texture to the wall.

Mountain Contemporary Custom Home - Master Tub · More Info

This one is definitely unique

Mediterranean Living Room · More Info

A fairly traditional one with some texture

Upscale Transitional · More Info

Here's one that maxes the rustic look.

Ski Slope · More Info

For me, your entry and fireplace have generic builder details.

In the entry I would rather have a unique console and unique art or mirror above. Something that reflects my unique design style and not a generic builder niche and floating shelf.

My house has character, because of all the personal/unique design choices I made in furniture, art, drapes and items collected/inherited from travels and family.

Some examples of entries with "character".

Family Farmhouse · More Info

Oak Ridge · More Info

Asian Inspired Entry · More Info

Sausalito Houseboat · More Info

Holt Residence · More Info

Williamson River Ranch · More Info

I think you have good bones, and I applaud vetoing the marble backsplash for the bar. It would compete with it in the kitchen . I think you should put the same wood as the cabinets there, bars should be a bit dark and moody, and then glass shelves and bar ware will add some sparkle. Art and rugs will be key, and buy what you love. We like to shop at auctions and they often use the word monumental to describe the size pieces you will need. I swear “new” Art from galleries is priced by the square inch, but once it gets to estate auctions, most people do not have the wall space for the large pieces. That applies to rugs as well.

Thank you all for the very helpful feedback and suggestions!! We are taking notes :) I have edited the post to include the floor plans and renderings of the front/back of the house. May need downloaded to see them better.

We're definitely not designers ourselves, so some of the terminology may not be spot on, but we'll try to explain what we're going for. When we say modern mountain exterior, that's probably the easiest way to describe the overall exterior style we're going for. Inside, we'd like to lean more modern and contemporary, with warm, earthy tones and natural materials rather than a typical mountain or lodge-inspired interior.

As far as adding character, we just mean that some of the spaces feel a little plain in the renderings, and we're looking for ways to add more visual interest through different materials, finishes, textures, or architectural details. We aren't necessarily looking to change the overall design or make every space a statement. We'd just love ideas for things that could make these areas feel a little more finished and interesting while still tying into the rest of the home.

Agree with a lot of the comments about leaving the back of the bar plain so it doesn't compete with the items on the shelves. Re artwork, we will definitely add some unique artwork to give it personalized character as mentioned. Appreciate the office suggestions as well - we can look at moving the horns and adding in some other furniture etc rather than changing the current design. Thanks all!

It appears the view from out the front of your house will be of the neighbor's rear of their house. What does their rear look like?

Looking at the renderings of the exterior, I would never had guessed 'modern mountain'. I have spent some time in the mountains but the only house I designed in the mountains is in Tennessee. Maybe tagging the word "modern" to "mountain" gives license to change the definitions.

You may find issues with roof leaks and snow accumulation in the valleys between the siamese twin gables, probably after the warrantee runs out.

I think if you layout furniture in all the spaces it will bring to light a few issues and inefficiencies.

Consider hiring a competent kitchen designer.

For the feature wall, a warm wood slat or textured plaster finish could add depth without competing with the black column, while a single large piece of art would help fill the empty space. At the bar, leaving the back simple and letting glassware and a few statement bottles do the work may keep it from feeling busy. For the fireplace, a natural stone or limewashed surround could add the warmth and character you want while still fitting the modern mountain look.

Your builder is not your designer,

You're building a massive home, we can not even read the plan.You get a pro kitchen designer, an interior designer, the builder/architect and all of you are now the TEAM.

That is the single best way to ensure continuity, form function, et all.

No crowd source here will be as valuable, will only lead to a thousand suggestions you can not digest.

Is this great? No......: )