As much as I loved working on the plans and details of our renovation, there is no way we ever could have gotten through the process without our designer, Emma Whiting. We hired her quite early on as I discussed in my first blog. While we ended up mostly using our own floor plan and layout, Emma was integral to some of the final selections and room orientations.
With so many options to choose from, I began to experience burnout. I loved everything and nothing and couldn’t nail down my choices. It’s so easy to become lost and not be able to see the forest for the trees. I found the tile to be particularly difficult so Emma walked me through the final selections of tile, countertops and the all important, but often overlooked grout.
Living room west wall - Before
Living room north wall - Before
We struggled for quite a while with the layout of the living room. It had always faced west, which led to some wasted space and awkward furniture arrangements but we couldn’t picture how it would look in any other orientation. We knew we wanted to incorporate a fireplace into the new design and went back and forth on whether it should be on the north wall or the west wall. Emma was able to show us elevations of what reorienting the room could look like and her unbiased perspective sealed the deal. The final design came out beautifully and now we can’t imagine the room any other way.
One of the biggest and best lessons I learned during our renovation was to trust that outside perspective. It’s easy to develop tunnel vision and your designer is there to provide that unbiased opinion, with tried and tested experience to show you all the possibilities available to you, and what works best for your space.
Renovations are made up of a thousand decisions. One thing I wish I had done right at the beginning was develop a plan that would have guided us through the process. It would have made the decision making so much easier. Love this tile or fabric? Does it fit into the overarching plan? Yes? Excellent - it stays. No? Out it goes. We made decisions as we went and that led to some moments of paralysis or lack of vision.
Now that I’m a designer I’m so excited to help others through these hurdles. My experience as a novice with my own reno can help you avoid my missteps. I can work with you on a vision up front and show you what the final space can look like through mood boards and 3D renders. These will help the selections and the renovation run smoothly. Creating a beautiful space with a stress-free process is the goal!
Living room north wall - After
