HOW TO PLAN,EXECUTE AND FINISH DESIGN PROJECTS SUCCESSFULLY!
It seems so easy, remodeling your kitchen ( or insert whichever room you’re thinking about),doesn’t it? When that inspiration hits, you want to just pull out a sledge hammer and tear things apart, or maybe start painting your walls the newest Pantone color of the year.
On paper it looks like a piece of cake- take out the old cabinets, flooring, plumbing fixtures, lighting, countertops, backsplash, range, refrigerator and put the new things in. The problem is if you haven’t planned this project and the timing correctly, it can get away from you and end up making you frustrated and wanting to throw in the towel. How can you avoid this frustration?
Embracing the change in your home can help your mindset shift to be ready to take on the challenge of a remodel. This time of year is the perfect time to start preparing for a remodel. Anticipate that it will take anywhere from two to nine months to fully design and prepare for the remodel to occur ( depending on how big or how small the remodel will be.)
Remember even the best planned projects are waylaid by subcontractors overbooking, supply chain issues ( yes they are still happening!), and spiraling costs. Let’s find a way to get your project from dream to reality and in a timely manner.
What is keeping you from loving your home right now?
Even as an interior designer and contractor, it can be difficult to maintain momentum on projects we don’t feel connected to from the start. This is why if you’re struggling to finish an interior design project, or even get started, it’s important to question what’s not working in your current design and build from there.
In going back to basics, you’ll have a better understanding of your design objectives—making your home projects a lot less stressful!
Our interior designers suggest asking yourself:
What’s driving my need for change and what are my end goals?
What am I specifically not happy about in my space?
Will the changes I have in mind improve these feelings?
Am I considering functionality as well as aesthetics?
Going deep into the why behind your interior design decisions will also require asking yourself more specific questions. For example, if you’re changing the flooring of a room, question why you don’t like the current type and apply your reasoning to your new choice of flooring. This will help ensure that the new type is actually one you’ll be happy with and enjoy for years to come (instead of just one that’s different!).
Questions like this can help you avoid making the same mistake twice!
Make sure your dream vision is grounded in reality. By that, we want you to be able to see in your mind’s eye how you will be using the space. Can you see your family using the room as you intended?
Keep a notebook handy for writing down when and why you use the room. Does it need to be multi-purpose like an office and a TV room? Who will be using the room the most?
Make sure if children are using the room that you account for their toys or hobbies and the storage needed to accommodate them. Is this a long term solution or is this a “right now” solution?
After years of solution planning for remodel and room refreshes, our design team understands how much time it takes to really understand how rooms are used and how best to look at all the angles prior to even picking up a paint brush.
Make sure you get opinions from the major decision makers, but leave one person in charge in order to make progress. We usually advise against too much outside advice from friends. They don’t live in the space day to day and can easily make you second guess your design ideas.
Know when to ask for help professionally so your project can stay on track.
Size matters. Knowing how big a room is and how many windows are in the room will help when planning for furniture placement and also understanding the scale and proportion of items you want to put in the room. Don’t forget to measure ceiling height! You want to be able to either purchase new furniture or shelving, without thinking “Oh it’ll fit!” We are bad judges of spatial awareness. Remember ergonomics. ( How things feel when seated in them and how they feel when we stand at the sink.eg. counter height for short or tall people).
Understand that all the online rabbit holes of design websites ( yes I’m talking about Pinterest and Houzz) will look beautiful, but will they actually work in your space? Those sites are so much fun to go through and dream about making your home look like it belongs on the cover of a shelter magazine, but how tall are your ceilings? Does a floor to ceiling rock fireplace work in your Modern Farmhouse style home with lower ceilings? Understanding the language of your architectural style and marrying it to your vision can be challenging, but oh so rewarding when done well. It is why it is so important to nail down details prior to starting any project.
Putting your project on a spreadsheet to see how drastic you want to go can help. Looking at how long you’ll live in the house and what your budget will be for any given project should temper dreams into reality.
If you are looking for small changes,here are some of our favorites.
Think about painting one room that is separate from the rest of the house, like a powder room. Add wallpaper and change the plumbing to something new and sexy like burnished gold.
Change out lighting – dining room, kitchen pendants or sconces to change the feel in your house.
Add greenery to brighten things up and help clean the indoor air pollution.
Finding ways to create that cozy vibe. Adding throws or creating a candle grouping to throw some warm light in your space. Adding books to your shelves also creates warmth.
How can Chi help you? If you have a larger project that you’d like someone to take from start to finish, we would love to book a discovery call with you and see if we are a good fit for your project, from design, procurement, and project management through final construction, we are a design/ build company that takes our attention to detail! We’d love to work with you.