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!

I’ll bet this is a major dilemma for most people who are considering the idea of doing a new or existing home renovation.  Don’t feel you are alone, you’re not!  This is perhaps one of the most stressful events in a person’s life listed as #2 just under the death of a family member.  The confusion and process is monumental, and the questioning of oneself follows suit.  This is why it is so important to find a helpmate, an advocate, a guide, a visionary, an expert, rather, someone who is most commonly known as a “professional designer”.  The right designer will give you the help you need to carry you through the entire difficult process ahead.

So, what is the next step?  How do I go about finding the appropriate design professional that will be the right fit for me?  First, and probably the easiest way to start, is ask your friends, your relatives, and your neighbors who have used someone they like, or have heard about a designer from someone they know from a past successfully completed design project.  This is, obviously, the best use of a “word of mouth recommendation”.  Keep in mind, people love to talk about their experiences whether they are good or bad, they keep talking.  This will give you a very good idea if the designer will fit your needs and if you will be compatible.  The next place to look is on the Internet.  This option is more time consuming, but detailed navigation throughout specific resources will eventually lead you to a web site that just seems to click with your visual senses.  Making inquiries and receiving fast direct and concise responses will lead you to a sense of a good fit.  There are usually phone numbers on the sites that will accord you personal contact with the designers or company principals who will explain the processes by which they conduct their business.  You will usually be able to tell, right away, if the person is someone you want to continue discussing your needs, and or someone you will want to make plans to meet for an initial consultation.

Once you have made contact with a professional designer, of your liking, the next step is the initial consultation, the first meeting face to face where you will begin discussing your project needs, wants and desires.  This meeting is very important, for you, because it will set the stage for the basic planning of the home or room or specific space you are considering as well as feeling out your perspective designer.  You will give the designer the information she, or he, needs to begin the process for your project.  You will be asked many questions such as your life style, desired style of the interior space, color, furnishings (existing or new), lighting requirements, time frame, your budget and choices of how you want to work with the designer. 

How you work with the designer will vary depending your needs and requirements for completiion.  Some designers work hourly for the designing and product selections.  Some may work on a prior retainer (refunded upon the balance due at completion) along with a percentage of the total cost.  Others may give you their discounts from their suppliers and charge you a percentage of the total cost.  In some cases there may be a combination of some or all of the above.  It is basically your decision as to how you want to work.  A good professional will be flexible enough to give you (their client) the option of deciding the best way to fit your needs.  Remember, you are the boss!  it is you who hire the professional and it is their responsibility to make sure you are ultimately satisfied and happy with the outcome.  Don’t forget you will be the person talking to your family, friends and neighbors recommending them to another person planning another future new home construction or home renovation project.  Good luck in your quest!  If you have any more specific questions, please feel free to contact us on this blog!