So, you've embarked on the exciting journey of turning your dream home into a reality.
Congratulations!
Home renovation can be a fulfilling yet challenging experience, and after two months of navigating the ups and downs, we've compiled a list of 13 invaluable tips that have helped us tremendously.
If you're new here, I'm Burcu, an interior designer driven by my passion (more about me here) for designing beautiful spaces. During the pandemic, I dove head-first into design, building up my virtual design business, Design and Curations. And this year, my husband and I bought our dream home to renovate and turn our design vision into reality.
We are close to the finish line in the renovation phase and next is furnishing and moving in! It is a good time to re-cap my tips & tricks that will be beneficial for you!
These insights from both perspectives will make your renovation journey smoother and more enjoyable.
Let's spill the tea and list the Tips & Learnings:
1. Be as diligent in the "Discover" and "Create" phases as you will be in the renovation phase. Pull together a Vision Board!
Always start your renovation journey by scouring platforms like Pinterest and Instagram for inspiration. Create a vision board that encapsulates your desired style and aesthetics, ensuring a clear direction for your project.
In our case, I aimed to create a natural, textured kitchen. Mixing white and warm tones, adding different materials. Using duo-colored cabinets vs. islands.
2. Through that vision board, decide on the color palette and style to guide your cohesive design of the house.
Establishing a cohesive color palette and style for your home is essential. It's the backbone of your design, ensuring that all elements work harmoniously together.
3. The lighting of the house is the chef's kiss!
Light layering is the chef's kiss in design. When you step into a room, the mood and ambiance are what truly draw you in or gently nudge you away.
Start with looking into the Natural Light. Consider the flow of natural light in your space. Think about how it affects the mood and ambiance throughout the day. Is this room getting good natural light or mostly in the shade? This will impact the wall color, the ambiance, and whatever you will add.
Even the floor color. In our case, I opted in to the High Reflective White from SW, to keep the rooms bright and light.
Layered Lighting: Plan for various lighting layers, including sconces, recessed lights, and fixtures. Communicate your lighting preferences with your general contractor upfront. This will save you time and money! This way you will save the cost of Electrician trips.
And order your lights in-time to the renovation implementation, so they would now when and how to prep the walls for sconces etc.
4. Hiring the Right General Contractor:
Selecting the right general contractor is crucial. Look beyond the lowest bid and focus on values that align with your priorities. Communication, responsiveness, and ownership are vital qualities to consider. The best thing I like in our case is how open and how on-time our contractor and tradespeople communicated us all the developments. Sent pictures, and videos from the site.
5. Start the budget planning ahead of time.
Create a comprehensive budget table that includes renovation costs, fixtures, and furniture expenses. Allocate 5-10% of your furniture budget for decor and accent pieces, which add style to your rooms. This is always the one forgotten one, focusing on big-ticket items. What makes the house a home is the details and your add of character, which is happening through the decor details, art, throws, and a cool side table... The empty walls will never be as inviting as a gallery wall or a grid-style family picture install.
6. Prepare for overages.
Prepare yourself mentally and financially for potential budget overages. A cushion of 15-20% above your budget can help cover unexpected expenses like plumbing issues or design changes.
7. Designer secret touch: Measure twice and plan the layout of the rooms & furniture plan once! And blue tape it!
Accurate measurements and meticulous furniture layout planning are essential. This will save you a lot of re-turns and calls with furniture stores if that sofa doesn't fit or the rug is too small. Start the measure of the room before renovation and design the floor-plan, and spatial plan of the room. This way you can decide if your current stuff will fit or what else you need.
The designer tip here is as the last step blue tape it! Like we did here, just mark your furniture's main layout. You will be amazed that even with a detailed 2D design, you will still feel you need adjustments.
In this project, after this on-ground blue tape exercise I decided to go smaller for rug and coffee table to enable additional passage way.
If you are overwhelmed by measuring, and planning, you can always contact to a professional interior designer like us. We will make this process as easy as possible. This will not only save you time but also money as you won't make mistakes back and forth.
Project Green Ridge: Kitchen Renovation Sample Design Lay-out, designed by Design & Curations
8. Start buying fixtures and finishes in advance.
Avoid delays by purchasing fixtures, finishes, and appliances by ordering them early in the process. Visit showrooms, collect samples, and plan ahead to streamline your renovation timeline.
9. Don't wait to buy furniture due to longer lead-times.
Furniture orders can have lengthy lead times of 8-10 weeks or more. Start ordering during the early stages of renovation to ensure timely deliveries.
10. Ask for paint samples including stains for refinishes. And go check them out in person!
Request paint samples and test them in your space. And don't be afraid to ask more. But a designer tip would be for you to go to your nearest home store and see what type of paints, colors, and floorwood styles you want. After doing this sample mix layout including the other materials like drawer pulls, and countertop materials, decide what color would work well together. The design decision is never one decision, if you want a cohesive look, always lay them next to each other and see how they all work together.
Then provide that sample to the trade's person or your contractor. They will use that sample wood color as inspiration and propose you array of options.
The appearance of colors can vary under different lighting conditions, making in-person decisions crucial for the perfect finish. This is exactly was our experience, from the picture one sample was perfect. Then when I saw it in person, it was too cloudy. I had to ask for another round of samples for the floor finish.
I am so glad I did!
11. Regular Progress Checks:
Visit your renovation site regularly (2-3 times a week) to monitor progress. While avoiding micromanagement, stay informed about timelines and overall scope.
12. Find the right furniture and install it once!
Ensure accurate sizing for significant pieces:
- Rug size: For a well-balanced and elevated look, follow this simple rule, ensure that at least half, preferably two-thirds, of your sofa or chairs, sit on the rug.
- Coffee table width should allow accessibility to all seated individuals. I usually select Half or 2/3rd of the width of the main sofa.
- Maintain proper spacing between furniture for comfortable flow. 15-20” between the sofa and coffee table.
13. Print out specs and design boards. Hang them on the walls!
VERY PRACTICAL, but helpful!
Print out design boards with shopping lists and 3D views to keep everyone involved on the same page. These visual aids become invaluable references for both designers and tradespeople.
In our project, I printed out all design boards, and 3D plans and stuck them all on the walls for the people who are there every day! This immediately lessened the questions and errors.
Renovating your dream home is a journey filled with excitement and challenges.
By following these 13 tips, you'll be better equipped to navigate the process successfully and achieve a home that reflects your vision and style.
May your renovation adventure be filled with joy and satisfaction as you watch your dream space come to life!
If you're considering a similar project for your home, don't hesitate to reach out to see how we can help you work on spatial planning, 3D design, fixture selection, and many more! Here are some of our Services.
Do you want to read more on the Green Ridge - Transforming our Dream Home; Check these previous blog posts:
Join us on a design journey like no other.
Let us guide you in creating a home that is not only aesthetically pleasing but also a true reflection of your unique personality and style.
Thank you for being in our little online corner!
Check our IG for more inspo & tips!
And as always, thank you for being here, in my little corner!
Love,
Burcu
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