In my nearly two decades of being an interior designer, I have heard my share of stories of remodels that went quickly and efficiently, but I have heard many horror stories of remodels that went down in flames. The difference? Before you begin thinking about your remodel, you need to read about these three common mistakes and how to avoid them.
Starting your remodel without a physical plan
Whether you want to remodel your home or a room within it, especially a kitchen or bathroom where every inch of space matters, you need a clear plan of action: what will be remodeled, what will change or be replaced and what will stay (if anything), and where will it all go? Often a bathroom’s footprint cannot change due to plumbing line locations, but you should still review any item you are installing. Will your new vanity fit the old spot? Is it higher? Is it a wall mounted vanity or will it sit on the floor? Do you want a wall mounted or deck mounted faucet? Your contractor will want to know these things so she or he can make sure to include the work in the quote, but also plan for whatever extra work those decisions might entail: for example a floating vanity requires extra wood reinforcements in the wall and a wall mounted faucet requires in-wall plumbing. As you can imagine, a kitchen can be much more complicated simply because it features more cabinetry and appliances. Working without a plan set for your contractor to refer to while installing elements in any space can result in costly errors.
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| Primary Bathroom design by Fiorito Interior Design |
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| Primary Bathroom design by Fiorito Interior Design |
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| Primary Bathroom design by Fiorito Interior Design |
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| Kitchen design by Fiorito Interior Design |
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| Kitchen design by Fiorito Interior Design |
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| Kitchen design by Fiorito Interior Design |
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| Primary Suite Bathroom/Closet design by Fiorito Interior Design |
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| Primary Suite Bathroom/Closet design by Fiorito Interior Design |
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| Primary Suite Bathroom/Closet design by Fiorito Interior Design |
Expecting A Completed Remodel In An Unrealistic Timeframe
Remodels in the real world are not like the remodel shows you see on home and garden television shows. A kitchen or bathroom cannot be ripped down to the studs, installed, and completed in a week or two. Renovation work is a complicated process in which your contractor needs to “stack the subs” or in lay terms, hire the correct professionals for each phase of work when they are needed. Your work will most likely require not only your contractor but also a plumber, an electrician, a tile setter, a sheet rocker, a plasterer, a painter, and in the case of a bathroom, a glazier for the shower enclosure. All these experts are booked in turns as each aspect of the installation comes up. I have often heard potential clients say they need the bathroom done in two or three weeks in time for some special event, a request which is totally unrealistic. Even before the pandemic, it took some time for materials to be ordered, shipped, and delivered. We have still not completely recovered from the pandemic and lead times remain a little long for some materials and furnishings.
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| Family Room/Kitchen design by Fiorito Interior Design |
Underestimating The Cost Of Your Remodel
This one derails homeowners the most. Before the pandemic, a remodel was always a pricey exercise. But since then, the cost of materials has skyrocketed, the cost of transportation and delivery has skyrocketed, and as the cost of living has increased so has the cost of labor. What used to seem like a nice-sized savings to pay for a bathroom, kitchen, or partial or whole house remodel is no longer sufficient. But one thing has not changed and that is that remodels are always more expensive than you think they should or will be.
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| Custom-built condo design by Fiorito Interior Design |
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| Kitchen ceiling treatment mirrors the shape of the island by Fiorito Interior Design |
I also have clients approve the final design for the space(s), then have all elements purchased from my network of vendors and, if possible, on site before work begins (this always makes contractors very happy). Design is a process and should be navigated judiciously. Lead times can be complicated and if you have someone looking out for pitfalls, you can rest assured that things will go smoothly. However, there can always be unexpected problems, and this is where my network of vendors comes in handy. Instead of calling some 800 number from a website and getting a frustrating run around causing even more delays, I can have problems solved by a vendor or product rep the same day.
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| Luxury bathroom design by Fiorito Interior Design |
Finally, as a result of price increases, the total cost of a remodel has skyrocketed but once I see a space and can judge how much will be needed given a client’s scope of service, I can give homeowners a much better idea of a final cost. Having said that, it is always wise to keep a reserve for unforeseen issues like dry rot or mold mitigation…you never know what is lurking in the walls until they are opened up and examined.
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| Exotic home theatre design by Fiorito Interior Design |
I act as your advocate and guide, presenting you with products and materials you may not have seen before, and preventing mistakes that can cost time and money. It is worth it to hire an interior designer to preserve your money, time, and sanity.
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| Primary bathroom design by Fiorito Interior Design |
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| Bathroom design by Fiorito Interior Design |
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| Powder room design by Fiorito Interior Design |
