Design Don’ts: 4 Home Renovation Mistakes to Avoid

Table of contents

• 1. Giving The Designer Complete Creative Control
• 2. Prioritizing A Budget Over Design Preferences
• 3. Demanding Specific Brand Names
• 4. Keeping Questions and Concerns To Yourself

The interior design phase of your home renovation is arguably the most important. A well thought-out and planned design is like a road map — with it, you can get anywhere, but without it, you’re driving blind.

Even those who have experience and at least know where to start when renovating a house can quickly get lost without a specific, well-developed blueprint. When we first meet with clients, we ask key questions about the goal of the project: How should the space be utilized? What do you dislike about your current kitchen or bath? Do you have children?

Kitchen and bathroom renovations cost tens of thousands of dollars. After such an investment, your completed project should complement your answers to all those questions and more. From there, we can help you visualize your home’s potential using previous renovation projects that met similar goals.

As part of our turnkey renovation service, we focus our efforts on ensuring your new space meets your expectations for both functionality and aesthetics. We want to emphasize what your new space will truly mean for you. Without that effort, your investment could lead to disappointment and the choice to either live with it or spend more money on another try.

4 Mistakes to Avoid During the Design Process

Skipping the design process is one of the biggest home renovation mistakes to avoid, but the process itself can still lead to failure if it isn’t implemented properly. These four mistakes are the most common during the design phase. Work with your contractor to circumvent them and ensure a successful home renovation process:

[#Giving]1. Giving the designer complete creative control[#Giving]

As you start a renovation, you probably have a baseline visual or aesthetic idea for the project. But you might have no clue what you want your finished space to look like. In that situation, it can be tempting to just tell your designer to move forward with his or her own vision.

The problem is that your design and aesthetic preferences are woven into your personality. The designer’s job should be to help you bring out your own vision through visual methods and guidance, not take over your renovation with his or her own ideas. Be sure to let your own opinion shine throughout the design conversation.

[#Budget]2. Prioritizing a budget over design preferences[#Budget]

Once you have an idea, it might seem too ambitious for your wallet. Working within your budget should always be a factor when designing your kitchen, bath, or complete home renovation. However, it shouldn’t hold you back from achieving the results you desire.

Focus on your ideal design, then let your designer find ways to make it happen. For example, if you love how a particular type of marble looks but can’t afford it, your designer will likely be able to suggest a less costly alternative that comes very close to that particular look.

[#Brand]3. Demanding specific brand names[#Brand]

On the other hand, requiring specific brands can blow your budget out of the water. Some brand names are so well-known to consumers that they’re the only types of cabinets, fixtures, and finishes they feel comfortable with. In most cases, demanding that everything carry that brand name can break the bank before your home renovation process even begins.

The only reason the cabinet you saw on Park Avenue is so expensive is that name branded onto it. A savvy designer can find finishes of equal or higher quality at much lower costs — and often, non-name brands carry lifetime warranties.

[#Concerns]4. Keeping questions and concerns to yourself[#Concerns]

The most important part of any relationship is communication, and it’s also the perfect place to start when renovating a house.The design phase of your project will determine both its cost and outcome, so it’s no time to hold back your concerns for fear of being impolite.

The designer across from you isn’t a mind reader but a problem solver. Let your concerns be known upfront, and give the designer the opportunity to find a solution or to provide you with the information you need to make informed decisions about your design.

There are many home renovation mistakes to avoid, several of which can occur during the initial design phase. Give it the attention it deserves, and you can make sure your home remodeling process starts off on the right foot.

Home Renovation Contractors In New York City

Considering a renovation in NYC? View our portfolio of renovation before and afters, learn more about Gallery, or simply contact us today. We are an award-winning design-build firm in New York City with a full-service approach to residential renovations in Manhattan and Brooklyn that includes everything from interior design and architectural services to facilitating building management and board approval, to construction and construction management. We’re experts in renovating pre-war spaces, kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, millwork, and all that falls in between. Let us bring your dream home to life.