Thinking About Renovating? Let’s Start at the Very Beginning…
“Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start” – As the words of the song by Julie Andrews goes, if you are thinking about renovating your kitchen, bathroom or home, you need to start at the very beginning. Perway Construction Services will give you tips on how to start your renovation and follow it through to the very end to make it a real success.
HOW TO PREPARE FOR YOUR RENOVATION
Are you sitting on your couch dreaming of family theatre nights? Are you lying in your bath looking at your drab tiles and wishing for a double shower? Are you standing at your outdated kitchen bench craving a fresh lift? Well, we challenge you to procrastinate no longer and start that home renovation that you’ve been thinking about for so long!
BUT FIRST…. YOU NEED TO HAVE A PLAN
Before you jump in hammers blazing, you need to have a vision. If you don’t, it’s like going to a tattoo studio, spending a fortune, living through a world of pain and ending up with a tattoo of fluffy bunnies and flowers when instead you wanted dragons and skulls.
PREPARATION FOR YOUR RENOVATION IS KEY
For any home renovation project, you need to plan and prepare (or end up with fluffy bunnies)! Answering the following questions will really make you think about what you want to achieve at the end.
- Make a list of what things are driving you crazy about your room/ house.
- Picture what kind of room/ home you would want to accomplish if money were no object.
- Consider your needs. How you currently use the space and how you live from day to day.
- Think about what would make your life easier and what would make you happy?
- How do you want to feel about your room(s) after your renovation is finished?
- Outline the number, ages, and relationships of the people who will be sharing it. Who will benefit most from your reno?
- Make a list of essential features that you want your space to have.
- Let your imagination run wild and jot down anything and everything that you want your dream home to look like.
THINK ABOUT WHAT ‘STYLE’ YOU WANT TO CREATE
Here are some interior design words that can describe a particular home style that you might want to achieve. Follow our Facebook page or Instagram page for some inspiration on each of the styles. Alternatively, if you can’t wait, just type the design word into Pinterest and you will get an array of styles to suit the design word.
Urban Modern | Contemporary | Minimalist | Industrial |
Scandinavian | Traditional | Transitional | French Country |
Bohemian | Rustic | Shabby Chic | Hollywood Glam |
Coastal/ Hamptons | Mid-Century Modern | Nautical | Farmhouse |
You also need to consider other style ideas in relation to materials, textures, style and colours. Again, research is key here – like, did you know that natural textures can bring the outdoor space inside and can benefit your wellbeing as well? Also, using raw and organic materials can provide a stress relief.
There are so many great initiatives and ideas to choose from – but you need to RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH! Try some of these websites to get more ideas: Pinterest; Houzz; Instagram.
NOW – IT’S TIME TO CREATE YOUR RENO VISION
A vision board or mood board as it sometimes can be referred to, is a visual summary of your goals and dreams. It is a collage of words and pictures that depicts how you want the space to look and how you want to feel within that finished space.
You can create a vision board whatever way you want. You can use a corkboard and cut and stick pictures onto it or create a digital one. We highly recommend checking out ‘Canva’. It is a graphic design platform and is VERY EASY to use.
Here’s our simple 5 Step Process for generating a Vision or Mood Board:
- Create headings for each of the main spaces you want to renovate. You can even create a board for EACH of these areas.
- Think carefully about the homes you daydream about. What is it about the way they look that appeals to you? Get a sense of the materials and styles you prefer.
- Collect images of these homes that inspire you and the style that you want to achieve – Collect no more than 10 pictures. Make a collage with all the photos.
- Add supporting words that depict the goals you want to achieve and how you want to feel in that new space. E.g. Spacious, Modern, Calm, Relaxed
- Put your vision board somewhere that you can see it every day. Put it in the space that you want to change. Example next to the sink in your bathroom so you can look at it whilst brushing your teeth. Take a few moments to imagine your vision board every day
Happy Planning!! Contact us to subscribe for further steps on how to complete your renovation successfully.
Andy is the Director and Registered Builder for Perway Construction Services. He commenced his career in the construction industry almost 20 years ago as a Carpenter. He offers clients his specialized advice and knowledge on their project, what’s best for their long term return on investment and how to achieve their home renovation dreams. He leads his team of tradespeople to complete successful, quality home renovations.