If you're planning or thinking about a renovation, you have probably felt equal parts excitement and overwhelm at the prospect. Before you dive in head first, it's useful to consider some very simple but very important questions. Discuss these with anyone who lives in the home and will be directly experiencing the renovation alongside you (pets and small children aside). Everyone needs to be on the same page here to avoid challenges later down the line.
Who?
A simple one to start: who will be living in the home? Adults? Children? Pets? Parents?
Don't forget that the 'who' may change in the future and make sure you account for this: are you hoping to have children or grow your family? Perhaps there's plans for an elderly relative to move in down the line.
What?
What will you be doing in the home and in each room or space? So many people continue to use their home in the way they always have or as dictated the previous owners, but a renovation is a chance to make a home that is perfect for the way you want to live. If you've got three spare 'bedrooms', but you never have guests to stay then that's quite a waste. Do you want an art room? An office? A dressing room? A music room? A reading room? The list is really endless, but don't just assume the assigned room functions (or positions) need to remain. A really common example of this is homes that have a dark and dingy kitchen, whilst the living room is light filled and looks out on to the garden. In many cases, a simple swap makes much more sense!
If you're working with me, I will help you get into the nitty gritty of how best to utilise the space to accommodate your personal needs and wants, but here's an example of a few questions I'd be digging in to, in order to help my clients narrow the 'what' down a bit further:
- Do you enjoy hosting?
- Do you need to work from home?
- How often do you have guests to stay, and how many?
- Do you have hobbies that need a dedicated space (and storage)?
- Are you someone who watches TV or are you usually out in the evenings?
- Do you have a lot of clothes/shoes/bags?
- Do you cook?
And so on...
Again, don't forget to think ahead on this question. We can't quite predict how our lives and needs might change, but there are some functions of your home that will inevitably evolve. When your children are young, you may want a play area where you can see them as you're cooking in the kitchen, for example. As they grow, you may no longer want to always occupy the same space; there may be a demand for a snug or a hideaway room for teenagers to hang out in and have their own space.
Where?
Where do you live? This may seem like a strange question, but you can't discount position and location when considering a renovation.
First, notice how the light moves around the home - where is the light in the morning? evening? which areas don't get much light at all? All of this impacts the layout and function of each room. If you're starting from scratch you have a real opportunity to use the light to your advantage.
Next, where's the property based? The plans for a contemporary beachfront property will be very different to a Georgian country house in the hills. You want the home and any building works or extensions to reflect the location.
When?
A couple of when's to consider...
When will the renovation take place? It's never really too early to start planning and generally architects, designers, contractors and trades are booked out quite a long time in advance so you need to be prepared for this. If you want it done properly, it's best to give yourself plenty of time to plan and source professionals and make sure they're involved at the earliest possible stage.
When will you use the home and rooms? If it's a holiday home, you may only spend summers there. If you work away, you're only at home on the weekends. Some areas of the home may only be used in the evenings. All of these things should influence your decisions.
Why?
Why are you renovating? You'd be surprised how many people don't know the answer to this. Your 'why' should be the driving force behind all of your decisions so think about it carefully. Which one(s) of these apply to you?
- You've outgrown the space
- You want better flow for family life
- The layout doesn't work
- The storage is poor
- You want to add value
- It feels dated or unsuitable for contemporary living
How?
Last but certainly not least, is how do you want to feel in your home? Forget colours, materials and furniture, decide how you want to feel and and use this to guide your choices. It's a key pillar of my design process and one of the first things I get in to with my clients.
I'll give you an example of a conversation I had with a couple about their bedroom. Of course a bedroom is a very personal and private space so I explained that I'd be asking a few questions which might seem strange or personal, but they'd help me understand how they want to feel in their bedroom. This included, "Are you morning people/do you struggle getting up and going for the day?", "Do you spend time in your room in the evening relaxing?", "Do you find it difficult to get to sleep?" and so on. These type of questions aren't me being nosy, they're helping me ascertain how you want to feel and function in the space. I learnt that the couple don't use their bedroom in the evenings as they have other spaces in the home to wind down, and that their main purpose of being in there is to go to sleep and then get ready for the day in the mornings. They both said they can get to sleep well and their priority is to feel energised upon waking. We landed on a gorgeous light blue - calming enough to support sleep, but light and bright enough to enable a fresh start to the day.
Here's what they had to say whilst the decorators were transforming their room: "Our main room is completely gorgeous - you were spot on with the questions to guide us to what colours we should chose in there."
So, there you have it. Who, what, where, when, why and how. Answer these honestly and you'll be one step closer to creating a home you love that really works for the way you live.
If reading this has made you think you need a little more help, book a call with me here, or drop me an email rosy@studiosturt.co.uk.
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