Kitchen, Bath & Interior Design Advice

When doing a large home renovation project it is always a good idea to have sign offs for all paperwork concerning your project.  The details of doing a renovation can and usually are monumental.  There will be architectural plans, lighting plans, purchase orders, delivery receipts, change orders, appliance, electrical and fixture specifications, and drawings or renderings by your designer as well as many other miscellaneous notes or approval plans.  All this paperwork, and hard copies of e-mail information passed between the architect, the designer, the contractor, other trade or sub-contractors and you, the home owner, must be verified, discussed and OK’d by all parties concerned.  This is crutial to keep as back-up in a comprehensive design notebook binder  with tabs to separate and organize the categories.  The notebook will be your reference to go back and review the progress of the project.  It is a good idea to also have particularly important papers initialled by the parties involved like changes you discussed with the designer, contractor, framer, electrician, plumber, painter and landscaper.  When good detailed information is carefully kept and copies given to the appropriate parties, any questions or conflicts that may arise can be easily verified by you and proven to be accurate.  This will hold accountable  anyone who seems to have forgotten the discussion or meeting where important changes and alteration to the original plans were made.

The best option for you, if you are new to a home renovation project and this seems overwhelming, is to hire a competent designer who will be used to organizing the project for you.  He or she will be the go-to person for all information necessary to clarify any conflicts or discrepancies that may arise.  Your designer will be the person responsible to impliment your design workbook, and give signed copies to all the necessary parties.  Keeping  organized is the key  to a successful project outcome and the perfectly finished project that you dreamed about at the onset!