Friends and clients often reach out to me when it’s time to start making decisions about cabinets, tile, floor color, etc. The number of decisions involved in a renovation project can be overwhelming. There are people, tools, and resources that can make the process easier. I’ve outlined them in the post below.
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For additional reading, if you want to understand when you will need to make design decisions this article will be helpful.
For shopping tips throughout the renovation process, I recommend reading this post as well!
Should I hire a designer?
If you have room in your budget, hiring a designer separate from your contractor can make the process a lot less stressful. They will ask for general design themes that you like. They will then narrow down options so you have fewer choices when making decisions. Most designers can also help get designer discounts on finishes like lighting fixtures, plumbing fixtures, and even furniture.
There are also many ways to get professional design help, without paying for a designer.
Cabinets and counters:
Your contractor will likely have a cabinet and counter supplier that they prefer to work with (and they should be able to get you contractor pricing with their relationship). Most cabinet stores will have an in-house design team. You will be able to work with these designers to design your kitchen and bathroom cabinets and counters for no extra charge! They can also help with cabinet hardware. These designers will be able to talk you through what’s popular and trending, but can also work with inspirational pictures you have found.
Flooring and Plumbing Fixtures:
Occasionally the cabinet store will also sell tile, hardwood flooring, and plumbing fixtures. You can then lean on the designers in these areas to help with flooring and fixture decisions.
Lighting:
There are typically lighting-specific stores that have free designers in-house as well. Even stores like llWest Elm and Rejuvenation offer free design services.
If you decide to lean on the free design services offered by individual retailers be sure to collect photos and samples as you go. It will be important to communicate decisions made by one designer to the other ones. For example, if you pick a dark blue vanity with a gray counter for one of the bathrooms, when you are working with a designer to pick tile, ideally you’ll want to show them pictures or samples of the dark blue vanity and counter.
Will my contractor help me with the design decisions?
Sometimes! Some general contractors that are larger companies, will have an in-house designer to assist clients. This service may be included in the construction cost or provided for an additional cost. Note that if you are working with a contractor that offers this service, you are likely working with a higher-end contractor. If they work within your budget, great! If you are looking for a less expensive contractor, then there likely won’t be an in-house design service. Smaller-operation contractors may offer to pick out finishes for you, but I wouldn’t recommend this. In my experience, interior design isn’t usually their specialty.
Where can I get ideas and inspiration?
1. Pinterest.
Pinterest is my favorite place to start when looking for inspiration. It’s easy to type in a search for “trending kitchens”, or “popular bathroom designs”. If you already have a more specific trend in mind, then you can search for “farmhouse kitchen design” or whatever trend you have in mind. As you start to piece together the design, Pinterest is a great way to get a visualization of your plan. For instance, if you are thinking about doing dark green siding and black windows, you can search for “dark green siding with black windows” and get photos of other homes that have already done a similar design. You may then decide that you love it or hate it. With popular brands, you can get even more specific in your search. If you are considering Benjamin Moore’s Revere Pewter paint color, type in that specific paint color name, and numerous photos will show up with examples of the paint color. Paint colors will look slightly different in every photo (the same applies to floor stains, siding colors, etc), but I still find that seeing a wide variety of example photos helps. If there are multiple photos where I don’t think the color looks good, then I may decide against it.
Create boards on Pinterest to save your favorite design inspirations. Then when you are meeting with a flooring contractor or cabinet designer, it’s easy to pull up the designs that you have saved.
2. Houzz
Houzz operates similarly to Pinterest and has a huge database of user photos for design inspiration.
3. Open Houses
Go to local open houses to see homes or apartments that have been recently renovated or built. Take pictures of designs that you like (bathrooms, kitchens, etc.)
4. Television
I once paused a Netflix show and took a picture of my screen when there was a staircase design I was inspired by. HGTV and home renovation shows are obvious sources of design inspiration, but even sitcoms and dramas will often showcase modern design trends as well.
5. Brand Websites (Benjamin Moore, Hardi Board, West Elm, etc).
a. Paint. If you find a trending paint color on Pinterest, you can then pull it up on the associated brand’s website. On Benjamin Moore, they will show you the paint color in multiple different rooms and then also suggest alternative similar colors and complimentary colors.
b. Siding and Roofing. Siding and roofing companies offer similar website services. Hardi Board will show what colors are trending in your area and offer multiple example photos of each color. Vinyl siding brands and shingle suppliers typically offer something similar as well.
c. Lighting and finishes. For lighting, hardware, and more, some websites allow consumers to upload photos of their light fixture (or knob, shelf, etc) being used in their home. West Elm is one brand that offers this. It is helpful to get a sense of the size and scale of a light fixture and to see them being used in a variety of rooms.
How do I keep track of all of the decisions?
1. Samples
Ordering and requesting samples is very important! If you are picking out paint colors, cabinet hardware, siding colors, etc online, it can be really hard to know what the actual color will be. Whenever possible, order samples. If samples aren’t an option, so for an item like tile or cabinet hardware, just order one piece to try out. Be sure to check return policies before ordering a larger variety of samples. I outline some of the major retailer return policies here.
Even when shopping in person, it is important to request samples. Once you pick a cabinet door color, you may want to hold it up against floor stains, or paint colors, but it could be 6 weeks before the actual cabinets arrive. Sometimes in-store designers won’t offer samples and will need to order a sample specifically for you. Always request one, even if it’s not initially offered.
A. Paint Samples
For paint samples, in particular, there are multiple options:
Paper paint strips that are free to take at most places that sell paint
Peel and stick paint squares that can be ordered from Samplize
Small-sized containers of paint that are tinted to the color you want. These are available for purchase at paint-specific retailers and also at general hardware stores. You can use the paint sample to paint on poster boards, or on primed walls. If the walls aren't primed yet, it is nice to start the process by painting on small poster boards. Then when you can paint on the walls, you may have already narrowed down the selection. Be sure to paint samples in multiple spots with different amounts of natural light. Check and look at the samples in daylight and at nighttime.
I often start the process with the paper strip offered and stores, but always eventually do real paint samples on the walls.
B. Floor Stain Samples
Real samples are important when choosing floor stains too. If you are installing new hardwood, the contractor should be able to apply a few samples for you to choose a stain from. Trying samples on your own is possible, but you will need to get the exact same wood type that's being installed. Red Oak, White Oak, and Cherry Woods could all make the exact same stain look drastically different.
Eventually, you should have a collection of samples to lay out together and make sure that all items flow well together.
2. Pinterest Boards
As I mentioned above Pinterest boards are an easy way to track inspiration that you find on Pinterest, on other websites, or even in your own photos. You can upload photos to your boards and then easily access all of the inspiration in one place via an app when you are out and shopping in person.
3. Mood Boards
When you start to make final decisions on different parts of the projects, take a photo or screenshot of the final cabinet choice, plumbing fixture, light fixture, etc. Put all of those screenshots and photos together on one document per room. This is another nice way to visualize how well everything is going to work together.
How do I make sure my design decisions won’t hurt my value when I go to sell in the future?
This question depends on how long you plan to live in the home. If you think you will be in the home for the next 15+ years, you don’t need to worry as much about making design choices that will affect resale. Most interior design trends come and go over a 10-15 year span. After 15 years there’s a good chance your design choices will be “dated” no matter what you choose.
If you think you may sell in a shorter timeline, then try to pick more neutral and popular designs. If you want to go bold, go bold with paint, or light fixtures, items that are less expensive to change in the future. It is expensive to replace cabinets, floor tile, or siding. Even with the color cabinetry that is currency trending, I recommend to clients to only go bold with a contrasting color on the island, and more neutral on a of the other cabinets. Then someday they could just change the island, rather than a of the cabinets.
Designing floor plans that are functional for a wider variety of future buyers is also important. For example, most single-family home buyers in the Chicago market prefer to have a home with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms upstairs. You may only need one bedroom upstairs, but if you renovate the home and only put one giant bedroom instead of three, it could hurt the value of the home when you go to sell someday. Instead, maybe make a 2nd bedroom that can serve as a walk-in closet for now, but could easily be converted back to a bedroom when the time comes to sell. If you have a Realtor that you have worked with in the past, ask them their opinion about what is important to consider for resale as well.
How do I make decisions about the floor plans?
Typically an architect is hired to create architectural plans for you. It is helpful to create your own rough plans prior to meeting with an Architect. You also may need to create rough plans on smaller projects where you don’t plan to hire an architect. When you are looking to buy a property that you plan to rehab you may want to know what is possible from a floor plan perspective, before committing to paying an architect. There are a couple of tools that will make your life easier when it comes to creating and evaluating floor plans.
1. Use a laser measurement tool. These are sold at hardware stores and online for as low as $30. You can skip using a tape measure to try to measure ceiling height, room sizes, etc. With one click of a button, this tool will give you an exact measurement. These measurements can then create the “as is” floor plans as your starting point for making changes. You need to know how much space you currently have to work with before you can start moving walls and creating new rooms.
2. Floorplanner.com is a free site that allows you to build a floor plan. Take the measurement from your laser and plug it into this site to create your as-is plan and then start building out rooms within the space. This site has drop-in icons for toilets, showers, doors, and even furniture. It even has exact dimensions of furniture pieces currency being sod at some retains (like Crate and Barrel).
3. Mobile measurement apps will measure the room from your phone and create a floor plan for you. These apps usually charge a fee but are easier than using a laser tool and creating the as-is plans yourself.
4. Place visual markers on the ground in the actual space. I often use blue painter’s tape to mark the actual dimensions of potential room sizes and changes on the floor. If the space is a dusty construction site, and the tape may not stick, then I will use pieces of wood or other construction scraps to mark out the walls and changes on the floor. It is very helpful to see the changes in person and not just on paper. I sometimes use this same technique to figure out cabinet placement, what size furniture to order, or how high to hang a mirror.
5. If all of the above sounds intimidating to you, use an old-fashioned pencil and paper. It’s easier than you think to start drawing an idea you have in your head. I also use pencils to mark up the first drafts of floor plans from my architect. It’s easier to draw in edits rather than trying to describe them in an email or via phone.
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