For most homeowners, the idea of embarking on a large-scale renovation can cause stress, anxiety and a series of sleepless nights. Most of us know someone who has a horror story about the delays, cost increase and ongoing disputes with trades. While these certainly do exist there are some steps you can take to ensure your renovation goes smoothly from beginning to end.
One of the most significant roles I take on as a designer is to guide my clients through the process. I’ve seen some disasters but more importantly, I’ve seen a lot of success. One of the common denominators amongst those who get it right is often based on the work done prior to the first hammer being picked up. It’s about the preparation and planning. Here are the five decisions that will have the greatest impact on your upcoming renovation.
Table of Contents
Five Decisions That Will Improve the Success of Your Renovation
1/ Plan How Your Home Will Function
SOURCE: Pamela Lynn Interiors
Before you make any selections for your new space it’s imperative that you consider all the ways you can create a home that will function most effectively. What are the activities that occur in each space? Who uses the room and for what purpose? How will this space grow and evolve over the next decade?
Once you have a full accounting of each space and its combined uses you can start to design with purpose in mind. Having this information allows you to focus on the traffic flow, storage requirements, light control, accessibility and whatever else your room requires for its specific needs.
This is so often neglected when homeowners manage a renovation without a designer. The excitement around the aesthetics can take hold and it isn’t until the project is complete that the issues become apparent. Focus on function first and the rest will fall into place.
2/ Detailed Layout and Space Planning
SOURCE: Pamela Lynn Interiors
Once you’ve compiled a list of goals for the space it’s time to work on space planning. This is primarily done with floor plans, elevations and 3D renderings. These are the tools used to communicate design ideas to the clients and then, once finalized, to the trades.
One of the biggest benefits to detailed design work is allowing clients to get a sneak peek at the finished design. One of the hardest parts of being a design client is trying to understand abstract explanations about materials, finishes and layouts. Renderings and elevations will eliminate endless revisions caused by confusion. You’ll move to the building phase much more quickly when there’s something concrete to review and comprehend.
Another benefit is the cost savings of streamlined communication with the trades which allow for early conflict detection. Plans can be reviewed by the trades before work begins which can highlight costly mistakes. Good documentation will reduce back and forth clarification between the design team and the construction team. Being prepared with renderings and elevations will help you avoid costly delays from misinterpreting layout intentions. Learn more about how elevations and 3D renderings can save you money by reading this post.
3/ Focus on Fixed Elements First
This might be the biggest offender I see made by homeowners. Too many of you eager beavers are shopping really early for fixed materials like flooring or countertops. This will lead to designs being built around single items instead of creating a comprehensive plan that suits your home.
I realize most of you have spent months or even years patiently waiting for this renovation. You may spend every evening on Pinterest collecting images and you feel you have a handle on what needs to be purchased to achieve your dream.
That may be true but no material should ever be purchased in isolation. There are such subtle differences in colour that even a slight undertone could affect the overall aesthetic. It’s always frustrating as a designer to have to build a home’s design around a single product that doesn’t actually fit the design.
Instead, meet with your designer early on with your images and design goals. They will be able to find the best quality at the best price and can often shop at places that are off limits for homeowners. Building a cohesive materials palette means every single item works to enhance the collective rather than just acting independently.
4/ Choosing a Cohesive Colour Palette for the Entire Home
Selecting the colour palette for a home requires careful consideration. More importantly, it requires a plan that covers not just a single room but the entirety of your home.
The reason your home may feel disjointed is because you’ve treated each room as a separate project, selecting colours for that room without considering the adjoining spaces.
Instead you want to create a single palette that threads throughout the entire home. The dominant colour may change but there should never be a room that doesn’t fit into the overall colour palette. Need more info? I’ve created a guide to help you select the perfect palette for your space. Read more here.
5/ Cohesive Furniture Selections for the Final Layer
A lot of us love this stage of the project where the furniture arrives, the decor and art is procured and we’re ready to add that final layer. These are the pieces that bring all the structural work to life. Without the final touches even the most skilled trades may not feel their work is properly showcased.
While we don’t install any furniture until the final moments everything was selected, approved and ordered months before the installation date. And it’s only with extensive coordination and planning that we can ensure all the pieces will fit together.
This is another example of using 3D renderings and floor plans to plan for the future. You want to ensure that every furniture piece has been approved based on measurements, fabric selection and overall aesthetic.
Be Careful to Avoid These Traps
Now that we understand the principles of good design, let’s discuss the things to avoid. These are the most common issues I see with homeowners that are keeping you stuck.
1/ Selecting Paint Colours First
SOURCE: Pamela Lynn Interiors
I have no idea why this is such a universal issue but I see it often. Homeowners meet with me to discuss the renovation process and pull out paint chips with their desired palette.
Paint colours are the very last piece of the puzzle and they require materials, fabrics and artwork in order to ensure they work. It’s so much easier to find a paint colour to match everything else you’ve selected.
When I’m forced to find tiles, countertops, fabric and art based on a paint colour that’s been selected it’s like working backwards. I always spend much more time selecting this way so ultimately you’re paying more because your selections were out of order. Instead, pull together the entire materials and fabric palette before you select your paint colours for the best renovation results.
2/ Buying Furniture Too Early
SOURCE: Pamela Lynn Interiors
This is a similar issue to the paint selections except this one can be a much more expensive issue. It’s not ideal to be selecting furniture without a scaled floor plan to ensure the pieces you purchase will fit. Without a thorough understanding of your design style you may have just purchased items that won’t actually reinforce your desired style. This can leave some pieces feeling like they don’t belong.
Designers always hold off on ordering until the floor plans and elevations have been approved. We want to be as certain as possible that no changes will occur to the footprint of the space. Once that’s confirmed the dimensions of the furniture can be confirmed.
It’s the new reality that most furniture purchased from retailers or design-only trade showrooms are non-refundable. Often they’re custom designed with your fabric, wood and trim selections but even stock models are often ordered from the manufacturer specifically for you. Retailers have small spaces and there isn’t floor space for returned items. Ensure you aren’t left stuck with furniture that doesn’t fit your space by ordering it at the appropriate time and not earlier than needed.
3/ Making Isolated Decisions for Single Spaces
If your goal is to have a home with a designer look it’s imperative that you design with the whole home in mind rather than as separate spaces within the home. If you’re a design lover it’s hard not to be overwhelmed with all the selections and fall in love with them all. That kind of decision making can lead to a home that feels disconnected and disjointed.
You want to create a palette that will wind its way through the home. This will create a polished and cohesive home that flows from room to room. Read this post to see a recent design project that successfully introduced the same colours throughout the entire home.
If you’re planning a renovation and stick to these do’s and don’t’s you’re sure to have a successful renovation and a beautiful home in the end.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed and would like to discuss your project, reach out to me. I’d love to discuss how we can work together.
