By Paul Miller
Interior Designer
Read Time: 4 Minutes
Like so many people considering a home renovation right now, you may be wondering if it is the right time, what with global supply chain shortages, transportation delays, and increased cost of goods. Even knowing that lumber prices have dropped recently, the prospect of delays and added expenses can be discouraging. The good news is that this moment is perfect for the most important aspect of your renovation: planning.
We are often asked when is the right time to begin engaging with a designer. The truth is twofold. On one hand, you should start working with your designer as soon as possible. However, it is just as important to live with your dreams and ideas for a bit on your own before you call in a professional. We do our best work when there is some certainty on your part about the kind of home you find appealing and what you envision when you imagine yourself in the setting that will comfort and sustain you and your family.
So how do you land on a vision when you are not an expert yourself? The sheer volume of possibilities and unknown factors can crowd around and hobble your creativity. Questions abound, like: What kind of style can my house take on without virtually rebuilding it? How do I choose a style when I like so many things? Or: What even is my style?
Everybody has something that they don’t feel confident about. On a weekly basis I vacillate between becoming a capsule wardrobe person or just continuing the grand (and often muddled) experiment of trying to bring my personal fashion sense into focus. I cannot tell you whether to go for Chelsea boots (yes) instead of the ones with miles of laces (no), but I can help you sort out what to explore on your own and what to leave to your designer to figure out. We’ve written volumes about what we can bring to the table, so this blog is going to be all about the things you should explore before we get started.
How Can This House Better Serve You?
This is where you ask yourself what you need to improve functionally. You might list the things that you’re short on, like pantry space or a private creativity nook. You might itemize the things that don’t work well enough - usually it’s storage, but it can also be that a room that lacks good lighting. You might find yourself thinking, “Well, I guess it’s not so bad,” but in this exercise I suggest letting yourself be a diva about it. Look at it as a griping list and one you are allowed to make. Later, when your designer begins to sort out the possibilities, one thing may trump another as your priorities come into focus, but now is the time to thoroughly inventory all your home’s functional disappointments. Stay centered in your own truth for this: everyone may be buzzing about some new trend, but if it does not fulfill a real need you have, it’s better left off the list.
A photo from the kitchen of our project, Nest #335. Our client knew she wanted a cozy, family-friendly eating nook with vibrant, joyful colors.
What Kind of Atmosphere Makes You Feel Good?
Far more important than figuring out your style (which can be ever-illusive and even changing, influenced by shifting trends or changes in circumstance), it is most telling to discern what kind of atmosphere you enjoy. Atmosphere brings with it a vibe or a mood and that is not the same as ‘style’, which is often defined by my industry and can sometimes make you feel like you have to choose a box. When you go with feels instead, you get more to the heart of what will make your home uniquely your own. No designer can figure that out for you. I recommend a bit of journaling about this and also paying attention to how you feel in different places where you find yourself: a restaurant, a friend’s home, a rented house on a vacation. Investigate what you like about the places that make you feel great and what turns you off in the rooms that leave you cold.
Our client for Nest 210 loves to travel the world and knew that highlighting her eclectic treasures would give her joy. It was our work to develop a soft, fresh palette with fabrics and paint that would compliment and not compete with her collection.
What Are Your Essential Likes?
This can be a really helpful exercise and it taps into your fundamental self in a way that can open up your vision. Do you remember when grownups, trying to find something to talk to you about when you were a kid, landed on that trusty old question, “What is your favorite color?” I do. My answer was pretty specific, perhaps a bellwether of things to come: “Sea foam green and chocolate brown.” I knew this about myself because I had already picked out a bedspread and matching curtains in that palette from the Penney’s catalog. Or maybe it was the fact that my favorite ice cream was mint chocolate chip. As I got older, I realized I liked all the colors and for many years said I didn’t have a favorite one. Still, I realize now that some speak to me more than others.
So, I urge you to search yourself for what you like and don’t like. The list can be simple or sophisticated, although shooting from the hip and not overthinking is key to making the most of this process. You can list types of furniture, kinds of homes, patterns, colors, etc. I did this myself not long ago and put down ‘screened porch’ and ‘foyer’ because these are things I like in a home. During the design process, your designer can help refine the scope if needed to prevent the design from being too limited or too loose, but giving yourself the space to think about the things that make you smile and the things that make your lip curl the other way is something you really should afford yourself right at the jump.
What Can You Afford?
This is by far the least examined part of the journey for most clients when they sit down with a designer. I know this from my own experience and from talking to a variety of other professionals. A very swanky local antiques dealer once touched his ascot and told me that he never puts tags on his furniture because, “If they have to ask, they can’t afford it.” That may be true for some, but almost everybody has a threshold. What may seem like a reasonable price for a new kitchen to one person can be an absolute dealbreaker for another - even if they have the same income and personal wealth. Because spending is as much about perceived value and payoff as it is about the dollar amount itself.
Many clients frankly tell us that they have no idea how much their design will cost. For our part of a design transformation - the furnishings, lighting, rugs, art, window treatments, and accents - we have tools that help determine potential cost. For example, a typical starting point to create a beautifully pulled together family room is $25,000. At least, to the level of quality we are committed to offering. There are exceptions and no two projects are exactly alike. As far as the other costs of a renovation, such as construction materials and labor, that is something that we rely on contractors and subcontractors to help determine. Most people know that unexpected complications or delays can drive up the cost of a project. On average, the cost of a quality home renovation is between $200-500 per square foot.
So, what should you know regarding cost before you get started? If you are fortunate, you have readily-available money or the credit and resources to come up with what you need. Perhaps you’re looking at refinancing your home to cover the cost of your renovation. Generally, a talk with your bank or financial advisor will clarify just what you can afford. This can provide confidence moving forward and a lot of clarity to help your designer make the right decisions for you. We never want to underwhelm you or make assumptions about what you can spend, so the more we know, the better able we are to make your dream come to fruition.
I hope this blog gives you some food for thought and perhaps even permission to really sync up with yourself on what you want your home to be like and how to come to the table from a place of self-awareness and confidence. You are a hugely important part of the process. Your designer will figure out the how-tos and solve problems of scale and proportion, harmony and rhythm, balance, color, texture, and contrast, the elements that make a space truly pleasing to the senses. But for it to be joyfully, honestly, and fearlessly your own, your self-examination is the key to a successful outcome.
