Pass on your renovation tips please!!

Comments (18)

PRO
OnePlan
7 years ago
Think about how you use each space in each season not just the season we are in - so for example - think extra plugs for Christmas lights - where you'd put the tree or having a connection outside for summer lights ( or Christmas !) if you need a snuggly spot for cooler autumn evenings - where's nice to sit in evening sun in a summer night etc etc etc and make sure you have all you need in those particular areas...

Try not to place TV's on walls that get sun on them at the times you want to watch TV ...

Design wardrobe hanging to suit the clothes you wish to hang as well as the space you have - add covered storage under beds for shoes and handbags if you don't have room to display and store them.

Allow storage in bedrooms for that rooms extra bedding if you don't have room for a linen or hot press in the communal landing area.

If you never hang your washing outside - consider laundry room upstairs near the bedrooms instead of downstairs ...

There's a few to get you started !
PRO
Amber Jeavons Ltd
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Hello DubM,
Sounds like an exciting time ahead. Think of how you want to live in your home. Also there may be many ways to address things such as storage and or wardrobes just to take two examples. Wardrobes don't have to be built in. You could have a bespoke made option that front facing forms a headboard for a bed either as a part partition or full height and width, depending on room size and if you want a door etc to make it a walk in closet for example. Shoe storage could be a chest that doubles as a side table or you could build storage that forms a room divider.. You see what I mean and whilst these ideas may not be appealing they are meant to take you on a journey about what could be possible.. There's never just one way.

Also think of a home that evolves so you and the space grow and adapt. Don't design your home to be just one look or have just one function.. Try to view spatially with possibilities. Of course some spaces like bathrooms and kitchens will have fixed elements but I as a designer like to see things from different perspectives. So allow yourself the idea that you might change your mind and therefore try to build in (no pun intended) room for adaptability and change.. That way you won't find much reason for any disappointment. With regards to colour schemes you want to create something seamless that has a cohesive feel throughout. When I design I look at the whole space but I allow for movement and change especially where furnishings come in. Your house should above all be adaptable to your needs :))
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I agree - I ended up removing altogether or switching the opening direction on a bunch of doors in my house so they worked better with the layout and furniture. To me the best option is pocket doors which allow the space to be completely open or closed off when needed but you still get a solid wall either side to put furniture up against. They seem to be more common in America and really need planning at the early stages so the 'pocket' can be built in from the beginning.
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Let me stop you there. We are not allowed to build a shed by the fence. Apparently, there is a rule that a certain percentage of your lot needs to be open (= garden or unused). We exceed that percentage anyhow, but fortunately we're not obliged to tear something down :-). I should tell you the background story of the house. It was originally planned as a wool warehouse. The huge storage area at the rear was intended for trucks. Our garden was the driveway. The wool store went bankrupt even before the building was finished (1966). In 1967 the local tax collector had it's office here, because the building of their new offices (across the street) was delayed. That explains the strange internal division within the house. After the tax man left, it was converted into a house (I think around 1970). It has been renovated at least twice, but never structurally. Last reno was done in 2009, by an elderly couple with a 100% different taste than ours. We bought it in 2010. It was at a bargain price for this location, certainly for such a big property. Nobody really knew what to do with it, I guess. But we saw potential. We tore up the driveway and made a garden there. But Jonathan's idea about softening the boundaries is brilliant. We really need to do that, probably after the renovation of the house. One thing I haven't mentioned and it's not really clear in the plan: in our pantry there is a stairway to the cellar. This somewhat limits what can be done there.
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I wouldn't be tempted to follow the current trend of grey, it's been very popular and has been used for all manner of houses (some quite ill advised choices) but it is now on the wane which will look dated soon. Also it wouldn't have been used in the original house when it was built. I think it would make it look very "grubby" looking. I agree with Jonathan, white would be my preferred choice, much more in keeping with the age of the house and the surrounding houses. Again, I love Jonathan's idea of the steps. Would you consider a small extension closing in the porch, which could enable your front door to be on the front of the house and perhaps at the top of said steps?
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Definitely. My original kitchen was developer’s kitchen —ie, it photographed well but did not function. The only place to put a table in the kitchen itself would have been in front of the back door, which is itself a natural thoroughfare from the open plan living room. Now I have a lovely breakfast bar/peninsula facing the brightest part of the kitchen, and I can easily spend hours there over breakfast, brunch or coffee. Dinner I tend to eat in front of the tv, and when I’ve visitors the main table in the dining room is used.
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Elliott Cook
7 years ago
Sounds like a really big project you're working on Kara - check out the link below, let me know if you're interested! Have a great weekend, Elliott.
tamp75
7 years ago
Plan, plan, plan - as early as possible. We're nearing the end of a similar project on our bungalow (much of which we've done ourselves) but with loft conversion, new roof, full rewire & replumb as well and the more planning you can do early on, the better. E.g. I kept thinking I had ages to finalise kitchen plans as it was one of the later parts of the renovation to be done but of course you need to decide on layout, etc for electrics & plumbing early on. It's hard to do when you're looking at an empty shell or even a building site but definitely worth starting to think about. Same with bathrooms, tv placement, which way doors will open for accessing light switches, etc.
You haven't mentioned your living arrangements but if you are planning to live in during the renovation, consider how well you can manage that. We're now 11 months in & have managed to stay here except for a 6 week period when we didn't have a bathroom. Although it hasn't been that stressful, in hindsight (as a family with 2 children) we should have moved out due to the health hazards of the dust which is constant, especially when removing multiple walls & ceilings!
Now we're nearing the end, there are things I would have done differently but I think there always will be no matter how well planned the project as the amount of choice & decisions needing to be made can sometimes be overwhelming. But none of them are big issues & we are pleased with what we've done. I hope you will be as pleased at the end - good luck!
ianthy
7 years ago
You say that you have a great builder and architect but my advice is to stay involved especially in the details of your project. Things that are important to you can get missed. Also keep a contingency, as there will always be extras that were not included in the budget. For a long project, I would recommend a schedule of treats - cheap weekend away, days out etc., Otherwise the project will consume every waking moment of your life. Most of all enjoy the process - after all you are creating a great home.
sillimoo
7 years ago
We are in month 4 of 6 of a very similar project and my biggest advice is to firstly enjoy it! Such a lucky position to make something what YOU want.

ive found our biggest / hardest decisions have been the following so think about them early:

-lighting and socket position. Our builder recommended additional low plug sockets that could control side lights from light switches when you enter a room he also suggested embedded floor sockets in the open space so standard lamps don't have a wire trailing across the room

-kitchen layout; go to a bespoke place and an off the peg place and see what their designs are like. We managed to get a fab deal at a made to order place we thought was out of price range

- flooring - we have to do the whole house and we've bought it all from an independent and haggled and got a great deal as well as great suggestions.

hope that helps :)
PRO
User
7 years ago
Excellent advice from One Plan! Try and have the whole house finished in your head before you start, plan, plan and do some more planning. Think how one room looks next to another. We've always painted the whole house the same colour to start with. If you want to add splashes of colour by way of accessorizing and feature walls, they come later.
PRO
Amber Jeavons Ltd
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Sorry don't agree mad about the house! Feature walls and strong colours should be considered right at the start especially if any furnishings and flooring are to be included in the scheme.. Also light changes within the home.. This will be a consideration.. Decorating may not happen all at once but it must be considered when buying furnishings/flooring and curating flow in the home. :))
PRO
Dub M
Original Author
7 years ago
Thanks all for your comments so far. We've done electrical plan and hope it's realistic. Architect had so many spots in we took a good few out so hope we don't regret!
PRO
Amber Jeavons Ltd
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Hello mad about the house.. I'm putting forward my professional opinion which isn't in line with yours as colour needs to be looked at early on and personally I feel is of paramount importance as wall colour, furnishings and flooring need to be considered together..... Have a think before you make accusations that aren't founded. Thank you!! :))
PRO
Amber Jeavons Ltd
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Hello Dub M,

Have you also considered up lighters? You can find some fantastic small lights that you can situate around the home which are mobile so to speak... They can be plugged in behind something and angled to illuminate the space desired.. They could be a nice alternative to the spot... Which when working with a developer, he called them "Ceiling Acne" I thought that was rather apt.. Here's some examples to shed light on styles.. (no pun intended)

: ))
Victoria
7 years ago
I'd recommend using a lighting designer to help. We did and it made a huge difference to the layout and quantity of lights used.
PRO
Amber Jeavons Ltd
7 years ago
Yes I think Victoria has a good point, it can be worth investigating more interesting ways to deal with lighting which play an enormous part in the mood and feel of the room they're in. I'd say in equal parts add to the overall scheme of your chosen design.. : ))
PRO
Dub M
Original Author
7 years ago
The second image is fab AJ, I think I'm trying to style the house before the bricks and mortar are finished. I'm just so impatient to be in it that I'm trying to predict what will fit/work. I'm probably best to keep notes of what catches my eye and see once building is complete
PRO
Amber Jeavons Ltd
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Hello Dub M,

Lovely good to know, there are a lot more than just those two ideas though, so just like you would, I do a lot of research as part of my services include procurement..I'm always looking for something interesting and innovative.

Yes you have it absolutely right... You need to look at the house as a whole and get a feel for what you want the bones to look like, the colours and the fixtures and fittings including the furnishings.. For sure keep things in mind, and when you get in the space that's when you can start to flesh out ideas when you're near to completion of works.. .. (Kitchen and bathroom aside as they will need your more immediate attention.. Colours and flooring are best looked at as one and that doesn't mean they have to match.. From there you can work in the rest... It's how I do it anyway..

Furniture too but the first two are very important and have to be complimentary. It's an exciting time and so your ideas will continue to evolve as you see the space around you becoming more complete.. There are so many ways you can do things so absolutely start keeping notes on things you like.. : ))
C C
6 years ago
My tip would be live in it for a bit before you do anything major see how everything feels are the lights and sockets in right places etc find anything you don't like or doesn't work, and the things you do like for example does the sun set at the back of the house so the front rooms colder in the evening.. See how you use the house, my 2nd tip would be work in stages/zones get parts of the house completely done so you can go and relax whist everything else is crazy... That's what I have done. And have a storage room in part of the house for all the stuff as you need to clear out of the way whist work happens somewhere. But if moneys no object move out whist it's all being done but that's probably not realistic to most people. But most importantly enjoy it don't rush it I have lived my house just over 4 years... And started major stuff about 7months ago and now I know every little thing I want/need
sobi
6 years ago
We did a major loft conversion, along with a side and back extension. It took us all in all 2 whole years. I was planning and replanning as we went along. We completed the loft first and then moved over to the extension bit. Luckily we had small breaks in the middle for us to sit and think about things too ( builder had several projects on at the same time). I had a 5 month old baby and 6 year old at the time and lived a whole year with a make shift kitchen sink and got money together to get the best we could afford with it. We dealt with mice invading the home and squirrels trying to nest in our roof! It was mental, but we got through it. I would say plan your kitchen really well, don't leave anything to chance. Have a big board to plan whats happening each day and anything related that you are likely to forget.

Another important thing is to keep a copy of all your receipts while building .. everything. It helps log costs and plan further. Also something to do with house tax if you sell in future ..

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Pass on your renovation tips please!!

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OnePlan

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