10 Renovation Design Tips
10 insights into some fundamentals and best practices of renovation design as well as pitfalls to avoid during renovation.
If you don’t have the eye, the vision or decisiveness a designer can be a huge help! Hiring professional designers might seem overkill for a bathroom remodel or maybe outside of the budget. Designers can often expedite a project and help keep you focused and achieve a cohesive design for the project. Find one that meshes well and most importantly – listens! You know what you do and do not like and it is their job to pickup on your vibe so always look at several and use the one that you gel with.
Focus on a scope of work that is both achievable and makes sense. That is to say focus on the most important area that is achievable with your current budget. The most used and communal spaces are often the best places to start. A kitchen renovation will have a far bigger impact to your day to day life than renovating your bedrooms for example.
Keep the rest of the house that will not be renovated in mind when designing the updated spaces. This can be tough especially when looking at an older home’s long term renovation plan but the first key is to be realistic. Have that tough conversation of what will come in the renovation now and how long it will be before you can tackle other areas or the rest of the house. If the plan isn’t to follow up with subsequent renovations in a timely manner (1-2 years) or you are planning only this one renovation that having cohesion between the old and the new is absolutely paramount. This is one that is overlooked all to often and not often included in “design tips.” Your new updated space needs to work well with what you already have. That might mean your dream vision of the grey and white modern clean kitchen doesn’t fit with the rest of your home. This is where the conversation of a long term home plan is crucial to having a holistic home design.
Statement pieces should be used with moderation. The philosophy of less is more sometimes rings abundantly true in design. Renovation gives you the chance to add that conversation starter and have something special and unique so choose wisely. You have to live with your new design for years to come so think about looking at that multicoloured fireplace or illuminated backsplash day in and day out for the foreseeable future. Make sure it’s love and not infatuation.
Use all the tools available to you before committing! Most shops will let you sign out samples to see the items in your own space before committing. This can be especially helpful if buying from multiple vendors as you can get all the items in one place and make sure they all play nicely off of one another. Some vendors like Lidia Contract Flooring are also implementing software to help visualize product in your space which can be a huge advantage when trying to envision the completed design. The software they use here allows you to photograph your space and browse catalogues of products and see them in your home. This can make looking at products much more intuitive and far more streamlined than hauling samples to and from your renovation site.
Don’t be influenced by designs that simply don’t fit your space or lifestyle Have toddlers and an old dog that struggles with slippery surfaces? Maybe polished porcelain tile floors aren’t the best for you. Do you have a damp cold basement that’s prone to water damage? Carpet probably isn’t going to hold up well without smelling like an old pool towel for too long. Use a design that looks great and is FUNCTIONAL. This hearkens back to tip number 1 and finding a designer that listens and tailors a design that fits your needs as well as your vision.
Spend wisely and spend good money on the smart upgrades This is where it can be tricky as the volume of products out there is daunting. A few key things that can help are to simply use the experts in their respective fields. If you want that marble look for your bathroom floor but the tile you are currently looking at costs an arm, a leg and your firstborn child – ask the sales member if they have visually similar products that are more budget friendly. It is amazing how many products look (and in fact perform identically) the same and are wildly different prices. Upgrade to get benefits that might not seem important but prove their worth in the way they hold up. Things like waterproof flooring, scratch resistant vinyl, non-staining grout, scratch proof sinks, quartz that is zero maintenance. These are where the renovation will pay dividends.
If you are renovating to sell or “flip” a property try to stay neutral Yes, it can be fun to make some bold choices and hope a buyer will love those choices but the smart bet is creating a design that fits the home well. A design that is soothing, timeless and has the widest demographic of appeal. A good tip is to visit showhomes or open houses in the area to open up your creative vision and see what comparable properties are doing. You can then riff off of that while keeping cohesive design in mind and have a winning property.
Commit to a design and see it through to the end – changes can cost big money If you have a designer trust in the whole design. Most often these things really don’t come together to the final stages and it can be scary when you walk in and things aren’t quite finished and now you are scared you made a wrong turn. Yes there are times things can be changed for the greater good but usually these changes cost money. Materials have already been purchased, trades are already booked, things are generally in motion. More often than not when the vision finally is complete and you get the decor and accents in place, the design comes to life.
To be completely cliché – Have fun! Enjoy the process, take notes, learn. This is not something you’ll be doing all the time so learn to enjoy the selections appointments, handling materials and looking through the shops. This is a step towards making a better, more vibrant space for you and your family or loved ones so try and breathe and soak in the experience.
With these 10 tips you’ll be a little better prepared to tackle your next renovation and come up with a design that work for you and your home. Happy renovating! LCF Flooring can help you with your house renovation needs.
