In an ideal world, you’d probably like for your home to be a haven. Homeowners’ dreams are made of a calming space to unwind. Unfortunately, it can sometimes feel far from reality.
If you feel more stressed when you get home, or if you can’t sleep at night because you’re thinking about all of the imperfections in your home, then it’s a sure sign that the space needs a little TLC. Renovation is a great place to start, but there’s just one problem – you’ve never even considered home design until now.
Sure, you may have painted a few walls, but redesigning from scratch is an entirely different beast, and you’re not alone if you’re drawing a blank on the ideas front. After all, it can be incredibly difficult to envision something different from the problem-laden property that you’re dealing with.
Luckily, that doesn’t mean you’re stuck with an imperfect home forever. It simply means you’ll want to get the ideas rolling in the following key ways.
# 1 - Actively Seek Inspiration
You wouldn’t pick up knitting needles and expect to create a winning sweater right away, so why do you look at your home and assume that your brain will be able to pull out winning interior ideas right off the bat? It’s simply not realistic, and if this has been your approach until now, then it’s no surprise you’re struggling.
The good news is that, like a knitter who has already perfected the knit and purl stitches, you already have the foundations to redesign a home, purely because you’ve lived in and probably understand this space quite well. But you don’t have the blueprint to actually bring that understanding into something cohesive. And that’s where inspiration comes in.
From interior magazines to the many fantastic redesign shows out there, seeing firsthand how other people renovate their homes will inevitably get your ideas rolling. Simply make sure that you’re filling your inspiration folder with everything from individual room redos to redesign projects with before and afters, and also finishing decor touches that bring the whole thing together. You won’t want to copy these projects like-for-like, but they will show you what’s possible, and that’s a great first step.
# 2 - Analyze Your Existing Space
Now that you’re starting to have a few generalized ideas, it’s time to get specific about what you want for your home. This is something that no amount of inspiration can give you, but it is a priority you can get straight to by simply analyzing your existing space and being upfront about what isn’t working for you.
For instance, let’s look at your kitchen. If you’re not happy with it, really ask yourself why. Is the cupboard layout illogical? Is there too much wasted space? Are you lacking in counter space? Developing a checklist like this for each room can highlight exactly what you want, what you need, and what needs to change to make that possible.
At this stage, everything will still be quite broad, and that’s okay. Even just knowing that you want to streamline your kitchen layout or create a more spacious design in the bathroom will give you a jumping-off point. Right now, you don’t need to know what that looks like. That will come later!
# 3 - Speak With a Professional
So far, you’ve got the ideas rolling and have started to really consider the improvements you’d like to see across each problem room. Now, it’s time to start filling in a few more details by contacting a remodeling contractor who can help you to understand what’s actually possible and give you a few solid ideas.
The great thing about bringing in a contractor at this stage is that they’ll then be able to assist you throughout the idea process and beyond, turning this into a collaborative process that has much-needed knowledgeable guidance.
That guidance can be as detailed or as basic as you like. In some instances, you may prefer to hand your entire home remodel over to the pros based solely on those problem areas we discussed. Or, you might want to take a more proactive role by speaking with a professional about potential materials, layout ideas they might have, and even playing around with design software that can solidify ideas you didn’t even know you had hiding.
Professionals can also prove useful on the inspiration front, as they’ll be able to show you any relevant past projects, while also having the ability to talk you through how something similar would actually work in your rooms.
# 4 - Let it Grow Organically
There’s no denying that you will want some idea of intended design when your renovation project begins, but it’s also worth remembering that renovation is far from a static process. Often, the details and features that really elevate your home don’t crop up until a lot later on, which highlights the benefits of letting at least some of your design grow organically.
On the one hand, you really don’t need to know which cupboard handles you’d like until you’ve already seen and opened those cupboards in person, which saves you from sweating the small stuff at an early stage when you’re unlikely to get those things just right.
An organic approach can also help you to remain flexible and adjust your vision as the project progresses. Let’s say you’ve planned for blue wall tiles and a white marble counter. Perhaps you realize white just won’t work with that shade of blue once the tiles are in place. As long as materials aren’t already ordered (or as long as you have the budget to replace them), then this is a completely normal part of the process, and it’s often these changes that see the finished product shining in a way that you never could’ve envisioned beforehand.
If you’re worried about your lack of renovation inspiration right now, don’t be – following these simple steps could soon see you with your dream home in no time!
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