Home renovations can be incredibly rewarding; there is an art to creating the home you want to live in, the one that reflects you and your household and cultivates the feelings you want to experience when at home. It can also be incredibly stressful and overwhelming. The following will explore some of the things you might want to know if you’re considering home renovations.
Understand What You’re Starting With
While an idea might appeal to you, you always need to be aware of the home you’re working with and the elements your property will have to face. Some homes will need additional reinforcements if they are going to support slate roofing as it is so heavy. A company that does window replacement chicago is going to involve a lot more attention to the demands of winter than window replacement businesses in Miami, for example. River valley homes need flooding to be addressed before basements are refinished. Otherwise, a lot of work might go down the drain. Take the time to get to know what your home and the terrain you live in implies about which renovations will be ideal and necessary for you and your household.
Be Honest About Your Household
Along a similar vein, it’s a good idea to get honest with yourself about how hard your household is on their home. If you have toddlers, for instance, perhaps a white carpet is not going to fill you with joy once it’s permanently stained by markers. If you are obsessed with your dog and want him to be allowed on the furniture, think about the color of his fur and which materials and colors it will show up on. You want to minimize the amount of work it’s going to take to maintain a pristine appearance to the changes you make. Otherwise, you might be stuck facing the idea that your new living room looked good for two weeks but will forever be another thing on your never-ending to-do list because it needs constant attention. Be honest about the time you have to devote to cleaning and maintenance and choose hardier versions of materials when you can.
Learn About Colour Psychology
The colours you see, particularly the larger swatches of colours (flooring, wall paint, big items like curtains and sofas and bedspreads), impact your mental state. Yes, grey is trending right now, but it also encourages feelings of helplessness and futility, meaning, even if it’s Pinterest-gold, it might not cultivate the feeling you want at home. Research the psychological impact of your color choices before confirming them. There’s a reason some rooms instantly feel welcoming, whereas others are not used by anyone, not even the cat.
Maximize Natural Lighting
Whatever choices you’re making, keep natural lighting in mind. Natural light, meaning sunlight from outside, bolsters your mood by providing vital vitamin D surges. Think about windows and consider placing mirrors opposite them to grow the light in your space. As a bonus, natural light is part of what makes a space hyper photogenic (and it helps everyone look their best in your space as well).
The above tips are incredibly helpful to keep in mind when renovating your space. A final piece of advice would be to plan for the process to take 30% longer than expected and cost about 30% more. Surprises happen when renovating, but that’s part of the fun!
