Renovating your home can, and most likely will, become overwhelming. Toronto Storeys has put together a guide so you can arm yourself with an informed plan, crucial in this oft-intense process, especially when spending piles of money.
DO start with a plan.
If you’re taking on a daunting home renovation task, you should ensure you can visualize your outcome before diving in head first. Think of your colour schemes and the style you are looking to lead with. Whatever your taste is, be it contemporary, modern or country chic, make sure the whole room/house reflects it — unless you are pointedly going for the eclectic look.
Scour your favourite magazines or Instagram accounts for home decor and design inspiration to gather ideas to help make your vision come to life.
Come up with a fair budget to guide you through your decisions.
DON’T overlook the kitchen.
This Toronto kitchen was transformed into the perfect mix of modern and traditional, beautiful aesthetics and functionality. (Photo by Matt Vatcher for design firm Creating Home)
These days the kitchen is usually the centre of the home. Invest in some good quality appliances, and choose an eye-catching backsplash, which can make all the difference. Updating your appliances will also save you money in the long term. When it comes time to selling, a home or condo with newer appliances is much more attractive. An outdated kitchen can weigh down the entire home.
DO pick neutral paint colours.
A large piece of art to give the black wall a bit of wow, some couch accessorizing, and a sleek side table with some greenery add a pop of colour to this neutral room. (Photo by Lisa Petrole for design firm LUX Interior Design)
Art can brighten up a room and give it pops of colour. Your wall paint should not. Over time you’ll get sick of the bright red you put in your den, and let’s be honest, after this is done the last thing you’ll want to do in a year’s time is repaint that room.
DON’T invade your space with accessories and furniture.
I know you love all your knick-knacks, but the room would be calling for help if it could. As they say, less is more. Pick a few for each space and make sure they go well with the overall design. You’re renovating your home, so pick up some storage bins from Space Solutions or Home Sense and put some of your statuettes and sports memorabilia away as a memory.
And all that unneeded furniture, sell it. You can use the money to add to your home reno budget.
Area rugs can give a room some extra oomph. Remove carpeting and put in some hardwood floors already. It's 2017. (Photo by Tim McGhie for design firm Gillian Gillies Interiors Inc)
DO area rugs — not carpet.
A nice hardwood floor opens up a room and looks fresh. Wood comes in all sorts of tones and colours, so choose the one that best fits your scheme.
If you think your home needs that extra pop, area rugs will really do the trick. Check out some interior design Instagram accounts for some area rug ideas. You may fall in love and forget that you ever wanted to carpet your whole living room.
DON’T forget to take a few naps.
Home renovating will be exhausting. Take some breaks from it all and some time for yourself.
What to do with all of that extra space — LUX Design built a multifunctional den, fitting many features into a small area, including a built-in bar. The cabinetry wood grain matches the flooring to create a seamless connection to the room as a whole. (Photo by Lisa Petrole)
DO functional design.
Functional design can save you a ton of money and space, and it can look great too. Many coffee tables and bed frames come with drawers for extra storage.
There are companies that do this for a living — experts will visit your home and offer you a consultation on how to design and build proper cabinetry, closets and storage space that best fit the room, for exactly what you need. The practicality will go along way, and it looks amazingly fresh and organized. The rooms in your home need to breathe as much as humans do.
Oh and if you have kids, stay away from plain white couches and rugs.
