RENOVATE | New Year, New Home

New Year, New Home

5 easy wins to kick start your renovation or new build this year.

1. Write your brief - If you do nothing else from this list, please write yourself a solid design brief as you will be asked for this information from any number of design and buildings professionals you speak to (your builder, draftsman etc). A design brief is a document or list that outlines the overall vision for your project and the requirements you have for the spaces you are creating. Every design brief will be very different as you will know varying degrees of information. For example, one client may know that they need a separate laundry and mud room whereas another client only knows they need space for a folding bench in their laundry as well as a mud room but don’t mind if it’s in the same room or not. The most important thing is to put down what you know, your design professional will fill in the gaps with clever design solutions. This is what makes your project unique to you and your family. As a guide my “How to write a design brief” can be downloaded here.

2. Who’s building your house? Have you done some research on the builders, architects, draftsman that you may need to bring your project together? Ask for recommendations from friends and family or start googling in your local area. If you’ve already engaged someone’s services, ask them for people they work with and trust. Alternatively, book in a free 30min chat with me and we can discuss how to choose a builder or building team for your renovation.

3. Inspiration - Chances are you have been thinking about your dream home for a long time and even if you don’t know exactly what it looks like, I’d imagine you know what it feels like or what you DON’T want it to be. To start gathering visuals, my favourite reference tools is my Pinterest board which I have separated into different rooms, materials and features like lighting and furniture so feel free to start there if you need! When you are pinning inspiration I find it useful to include a personal note on each image so you know which element of the image you were drawn to.

4. Interiors - Have you got 100+ hours to put towards the design decision and selections to finalise your home or business? Or are you searching “interior designer near me” to find the best professional to help you? Time invested into an interior designer will not only save you time but it ensures you get a timeless design, your project runs smoothly while coming in on time and in budget. To engage an interior designer it’s important to ask them how they work, what other similar projects they have worked on, how they will manage the design as it’s build and how much they charge.

5. Floor plans - Are you struggling to work out what your floor plan should include or where you get floor plans? An interior designer can help or in some cases drawer your floor plans and create a documentation package that details your vision down to the finest detail. Before you get to this stage it can be useful to have your floor plan reviewed to ensure you are including everything you need in your house. This can be the most cost effective way to ensure you avoid making big mistakes in the building process. This review should take place when you are in the initial planning phases of your projects to get the most accurate quotes and outcome. MARG. Studio offers this as a stand alone service to ensure you get your project off on the right foot. Book in now with Emily to get your floor plans right before you build.

While your plans are still lines on a page, you have a unique opportunity to make inexpensive changes.

It’s easier to change a floor plan than it is to move a wall once it’s built.

Have your floor plan reviewed before you build.