Five simple tips on how to choose a home design style for your upcoming renovation project
When deciding to renovate your home, the first thing you’ll need to think about (other than budget) is how you want your home to look and feel. Everyone has their own favorite architectural style. You may not be an expert in home design, but it’s more than likely that you have a preference between a wide range of styles, from charming colonial to modern minimalist. If you need help figuring out a design style for your upcoming project, these five simple steps that can help narrow down your dream renovation:
1. SEARCH FOR INSPIRATION… IN YOUR HOME
Often, the best place to start is the place you know best. Go through each room in your home and take note of what you like and what you don’t like. Be sure not to skip the details – do you love the amount of built-in storage? Do you hate the color of your kitchen cabinets? Do you wish you could add a bit more character? This should give you a helpful blueprint to use as you go through the process of choosing your design style.
2. CREATE A VISION BOARD WITH IMAGES THAT SPEAK TO YOU
Search through blogs, portfolios and online publications and save any images you like. Pinterest is a great resource for searching and saving images onto visual boards. You can even add a ‘Pin Button’ extension to your web browser (for free!) to save any images you might find on other websites. Or you can create a vision board the old-fashioned way by flipping through a few interior design and architectural magazines, tearing out your favorite pages and sticking them onto a wall or corkboard.
3. GET TO KNOW TO INTERIOR DESIGN LINGO
You don’t need extensive knowledge of architectural and interior design terminology – that’s just for the experts and enthusiasts. But it can be helpful to know a handful of words to help describe your vision to an architect. Modern, minimalist, traditional, colonial, mid-century, Mediterranean… is a good place to start. Understanding what each style means can also help streamline your research when looking for inspiration.
4. DON’T FORGET TO GET PRACTICAL
When taking on a home renovation project, the ultimate goal is to elevate your living space. This means thinking carefully about how your new home design can help support your lifestyle. Are you a family with young children looking to add some extra space? Maybe you live in an apartment and need more storage? Take time to think about what you are looking to achieve, and how you want your new home, or room to work for you.
5. SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP
Consulting with an expert is a great way to bring focus on what you exactly want and need, as well as the cost and practicalities of your ideas. A good architect will not only be aware of the latest design trends but will also have the experience and expertise to advise you and help you meet your design and budget goals. They can create a custom design and offer useful suggestions and tips that you may not think of yourself. Using an architect’s services can also help you cut research time, avoid costly mistakes and enable you to better understand different styles and terminology.